Today we’d like to introduce you to Margaret Bayston.
Margaret, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In 1994, I moved to Southern California from the United Kingdom with my husband due to his job relocation. With a background in legal advocacy and passion for helping worthy causes and organizations, I was in search of a new opportunity in which I can share my knowledge and experience to help those in need of legal support. I quickly updated my resume and scheduled a visit to the Orange County District Attorney and Victim Witness office. Shortly after, I secured a volunteer position helping to prepare witnesses giving testimony in domestic violence cases.
During this time, I became good friends with activist and Superior Court Judge Pamela Iles who introduced me to Laura’s House, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides unduplicated domestic violence-related services to residents of Orange County, California and beyond. She recommended that I help the organization develop a comprehensive legal services program. That is exactly what I did, and I have never regretted this decision.
For more than 22 years, I have served as CEO and Executive Director at Laura’s House helping to establish and lead a variety of successful prevention and education programs for adults, teens and families affected by domestic violence. Today, Laura’s House has provided legal advocacy to nearly 60,000 people and shelter with support services to over 5,400 abused women, men and their children. I’m also proud to share that Laura’s House was the only nonprofit named one of Orange County’s 2019 “Best Places to Work” by the Orange County Business Journal.
Has it been a smooth road?
I believe that most journeys have struggles and learning lessons along the way that help you grow. On my journey to becoming CEO of Laura’s House, I learned a lot about myself and how to be a successful leader. A defining moment for me took place about 18 years ago with my long-time mentor and friend, Marlene. After working together for about a year, she candidly told me that she had a hard time following my lead and wasn’t sure if we can work together due to my lack of urgency, which she believed I needed to succeed in this role. While this was a rude awakening, it allowed me to see that I needed to take initiative and do more than maintain the ‘status quo’ for Laura’s House.
Through this experience, I also learned that as CEO, it’s my duty to seek new opportunities and connect with the right donors to help grow the organization and meet the evolving needs of our community. Despite how uncomfortable this situation was, it was the best thing Marlene could ever have done to spur me into action. I also learned that it’s important to enjoy and celebrate your successes and savor those moments. However, as a leader, you should never rest too long on your laurels because there is always more important work to be done.
Another critical lesson I learned in my early days as CEO was understanding what business we’re in and what business we’re not in. Early on, I would enthusiastically accept opportunities to collaborate with organizations who I thought would be a good fit for Laura’s House. After securing these partnerships, I would then realize that not only was I committing to a job that was beyond our scope of work, but I was over-committing my team who had to do all the heavy lifting. I quickly learned that as a leader, I need to slow down and do my research to ensure that I am setting up Laura’s House and my team for success. I also learned that while I am the CEO of the organization, I too have many resources available to me and the most successful leaders are never afraid to tap the right people for support. Now, I pass this wisdom along to my team, colleagues and mentees seeking leadership positions.
Please tell us about Laura’s House.
At Laura’s House, we are in the business of empowerment. We act like a safety net for our clients who are trying to get back on their feet – after experiencing the trauma of domestic violence – and face the world again with hope for a brighter future. We are proud to assist residents of Orange County and beyond with services ranging from prevention and education to treatment. Services include emergency shelter for women, men and children, legal support, teen dating violence workshops, individual and family counseling, and so much more.
In 2005, Laura’s House launched it’s Teen H.E.A.R.T (healthy emotions and attitudes in relationships today) program in response to an education bill passed by Governor Jerry Brown to educate the students of California’s public middle and high schools on healthy relationships. The program offers youth, parents and teachers an interactive and informative resource for education on healthy relationships and ways to prevent teen dating abuse. The program is now being provided to 80 schools locally, and soon will be rolled out nationally and globally.
To help prevent and combat the rising issue of technology being used to commit cybercrimes – deepfakes, revenge porn and identify theft – which is resulting in more domestic violence incidents every year, Laura’s House initiated a new program that offers legal and technology training to local businesses, law enforcement, nonprofits and more. The program helps educate people about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital impersonation technology used to commit cyber abuse, the red flags people should know and what to do if it happens.
Laura’s House leadership also is proud of our ability to bring social enterprise to the nonprofit with the opening of two resale stores, and a third on its way, that have raised nearly $1 million to support the nonprofit’s mission to help end domestic violence. Over the years, we’ve also been able secure key partnerships with influential and local enterprises including Boeing, Bank of America, Edwards Lifesciences, In-N-Out, Irvine Company, Taco Bell, Urban Decay and many others to help support and expand the nonprofit’s sphere of influence.
In 2019, to commemorate the organization’s 25th anniversary and usher in the next quarter century of community impact, we kick-started a campaign to help Laura’s House raise $10 million in capital to fund the establishment of a centrally located Domestic Violence Resource Center in Orange County. Tentatively scheduled to open in summer 2020, the center will be Orange County’s first multi-service collaborative focused on client-centered domestic and family violence programs and services. The center will be a safe space where victims can seek support services ranging from education, support, legal advocacy, prevention, health and wellness and community education and workshops to approach the healing process for the whole mind and body. Once open, the center will deliver an unmet need for a one-stop unified resource for survivors and all others touched by domestic violence.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
We’re so thankful to everyone who has supported Laura’s House over the years and helped further our mission to change social beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space to empower individuals and families affected by abuse. The generosity and shared vision of our corporate donors, individuals and family foundations including Western National Group, Argyros Foundation, The MacPherson Family Foundation, Boeing, Irvine Company and Annenberg Foundation, to name a few, has provided Laura’s House with the critical funds and support needed to help improve the quality of life for local residents and their families.
We’re also extremely grateful for our staff members, facilitators and community partners including Tilly’s Life Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters Orange County, Orange County United Way, among others who help further our reach and lend their talents and expertise to help change lives. With their support, Laura’s House has helped nearly 60,000 individuals in Southern California and beyond escape violence and is poised to continue serving the region as go-to resource for domestic violence-related services and prevention and education programs.
Contact Info:
- Address: 999 Corporate Drive, Suite 225 Ladera Ranch, CA 92694
- Website: https://www.laurashouse.org/
- Phone: 949.361.3775
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @laurashouseoc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurasHouseOC
- Twitter: @Lauras_House
- Other: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/laura’s-house/
Image Credit:
Bleu Cotton Photography
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