Motherly Influence and Mentorship: A Tribute to Laura Hewitt

Some people come into your life exactly when you need them. Laura Hewitt is that person for me.

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It’s long overdue that I write about a woman who has influenced and impacted my life. The truth is, I’ve been putting it off not because I lack material, but because I have too many incredible women to choose from and didn’t know where to begin.

But I do know where to begin. When it comes to motherly influence and mentorship, one name rises above all others: Laura Hewitt. And this letter is for her.

Originally wrote April 22, 2012

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What True Motherly Influence Looks Like

I have been fortunate to have many motherly figures in my life, including my own mom. But Laura occupies a completely singular place in that group. If you know Laura, you already understand — she was simply made to be a mother. Not just to her own children, but to their children, and honestly to anyone lucky enough to fall into her orbit. At this point her extended family is practically a small, wonderful army, and she would travel anywhere, do anything, and give everything to care for every single one of them.

The purest definition of motherly influence is someone who nurtures without condition and loves without limit. That is Laura, completely and without exception.

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How Laura Hewitt Came Into My Life

How exactly I got adopted into Laura’s world, I’m still not entirely sure. I have to credit the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, the remarkable Nathalie Dupree, and honestly — God. I believe things happen for a reason, and Laura entered my life at precisely the moment I needed her most.

She is one of the Festival’s original Board members and our only Chair Emeritus — a title she has earned many times over. Over the years, Laura has given and raised tens of thousands of dollars for the organization, played a direct role in pulling us out of financial difficulty, and helped build what is today a thriving, well-run institution. She works tirelessly — for the Festival, for Charleston, and for the broader community — with no motive other than making this a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Her husband Bill is cut from the same cloth. Together, they are among the most genuinely charitable and committed community leaders I have ever encountered. Charleston is lucky to have them. I am luckier still.

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The Mentorship That Kept Me Going

Beyond her contributions to the Festival, Laura’s mentorship has been one of the defining forces of my professional life. In the early days, when egos were wearing me down and the politics of nonprofit work were getting the very best of me, I was close to walking away entirely.

Laura would not let me.

She sat with me through the hard moments, encouraged me to grow from the friction instead of running from it, and reminded me that the work mattered more than the noise around it. Mentorship in the nonprofit sector is often undervalued, but Laura understood intuitively that investing in the people behind an organization is just as important as investing in the organization itself. She invested in me, and I became stronger for it.

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A Mother Figure During One of Life’s Biggest Transitions

When I announced my first pregnancy, Laura was among the very first to celebrate with me — and she didn’t stop there. She helped me learn how to feed, care for, and love my baby boys. She encouraged me to take more time off, pushed me to rest during my pregnancy, and showed up in all the small, consistent ways that matter most. She was a mother helping me become one.

That kind of support — grounded, steady, unconditional — is what strong female mentorship looks like in practice. It doesn’t just shape your career. It shapes your entire life.

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Still Thinking of Her Every Day

Even though our paths cross less frequently now, I think about Laura daily. I can trace so much of what is good in my life — professionally, personally, as a mother — back to her influence, her encouragement, and her love.

My greatest aspiration, when I eventually have grandchildren of my own, is to be even half as cool, honest, charming, sophisticated, fun-loving, and free-spirited as Laura Hewitt is right now.

She is my angel. And this letter has been a long time coming.

With all my love and gratitude, Angel

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Learn more about Angel Holmes and everything she’s passionate about at sipindipity.com/angel-holmes.