Light Speaks Loudest: An Interview with Laura Fooks
As a kid, Laura Fooks was what you would call a church girl--in the pew every Sunday, the first to sign up for all the retreats, and a regular at a youth group in her small town in Indiana. However, when she became a teenager, Laura began to question her life. How could her faith help her navigate new territories like high school, friendship drama, and dating? She looked for the answers but came up empty-handed.
“I was disappointed because secular resources felt really shallow, and Christian resources felt really cheesy,” Laura reminisced.
After high school, Laura’s curiosity led her to Biola University, where she studied Public Relations with a minor in Bible Theology. She thought, “Surely smart theologians are trying to address this problem.” However, as time continued, she found that relatable resources for Christian teenagers were still few and far between. So, she got her MBA and crafted a business plan. Light Speaks Loudest was born.
“Light Speaks Loudest aspires to produce media and resources that reach teenage girls in a way that is true to the culture and authentic to their faith,” Laura explained. “We want to go beyond simple answers like ‘guys will love you if you wear this thing’ or, on the other end of the spectrum, ‘don’t kiss someone until you’re married.’”
Shedding Light on Dark Spaces
The world sends many negative messages to teenagers, and the consequences are devastating. According to the CDC, suicide was the second leading cause of death among people between the ages of 10-14 and the third leading cause of death among those 15-24. Laura’s company is on a mission to prove that even in the midst of darkness, Light Speaks Loudest. They operationalize their mission by creating quarterly subscription boxes to help teenage girls love themselves, others, and God.
As a part of her creative process, Laura ventures where few are willing to go—back to her teenage self. She thinks deeply about the resources she craved as a 13- to 17-year-old girl and works from there. In addition, she notes how culture, and therefore the teenage experience, has changed since she was that age. The rise of technology and social media requires fresh approaches to tackle age-old issues with depression, anxiety, body image, and perfectionism.
Every box has a theme that addresses such issues. For example, in early 2022, Laura conducted an Instagram poll to determine some of the struggles teen girls in her audience faced. Loneliness was a forerunner, so she created a box themed after friendship. Each item in the box aligned with one of Light Speaks Loudest’s primary pillars derived from Matthew 22:37-39: love God, love yourself, and love others.
Among other items, the friendship box included:
• A mug brownie mix, necklace, and candle to help girls love themselves
• A seed paper card that, when planted, grew a flower to remind girls that friendships take a lot of intention and time, thus helping them love others
• A guided journal about friendship (written by Laura herself) to help girls love God
In addition, every box includes a product from a teen entrepreneur. Light Speaks Loudest encourages creativity while helping them scale and promote their business. They intentionally remind teenage entrepreneurs and subscribers alike that while what they do is valuable, who they are becoming is more important.
Laura learned this lesson herself through the crucible of business. The risks of entrepreneurship required a deeper reliance on God. As a result, she gratefully notes that her faith will never be the same.
“No matter where things end up in the next five to ten years, I can know God was forming me through this process,” Laura considered. “He’s reminded me daily that I’m his daughter, and he loves me, regardless of what I’m producing or not producing.”
Formed through Her Work
In any business, there is seasonality. Subscription-based companies typically face a lull during the summer months. For a go-getter like Laura, this was especially difficult to grapple with.
“God has been drawing me into a time of rest and trust, which is so opposite of what I want to do as an enneagram three! It has led me to embrace that God is the God of enough and perfect timing,” she says.
In practice, this has looked like adopting a spiritual discipline of rest and pausing. Laura doubles up on quiet times each day. These include reading the Bible, doing guided meditations on her phone, journaling, and prayer walks.
“Even though I want things to keep growing and progressing, every season won’t look the same. I can do all the work in the world, but I also need the Lord’s favor.”
To learn more about Light Speaks Loudest or to order a subscription for a teenage girl in your life, head to www.lightspeaksloudest.com.
This blog was written by Hannah Echols-Grieser.