Her Story
About Lauren
My professional journey began with military service right out of college, where I worked in HR and discovered my passion for mentoring other soldiers. After being discharged, I started a family and decided to make a change in the civilian world, transitioning into procurement, planning, and purchase services. Over the past decade, I've built experience across multiple sectors including manufacturing, food and beverage, and most recently healthcare. Today, I work as part of a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO), where one of our largest stakeholders is Bon Secours Mercy Health, a major healthcare system operating across Ohio, Michigan, Virginia, and the Carolinas. In my current role, I negotiate contracts with vendors that are advantageous to all of our GPO members, handling all purchased services for medical facilities. This includes everything from medical waste management and food services to laser rental agreements and x-ray machines - essentially any service you can think of when you enter a hospital. Throughout my career, I've been blessed to have key women mentors who have taken me under their wing, helped me get in front of the right people, and shaped how I now connect with and mentor younger women in the workforce.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lauren
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think it comes down to a combination of nature versus nurture. I was raised in a very hard-working, middle-class, Midwestern family with very strict values, ethics, and a strong emphasis on how to show up and be a hard worker. But honestly, as a teenager and even a young woman, I liked to challenge the status quo and learn the hard way - I wanted to find out things for myself. I've definitely learned the hard way and have been knocked down, but experiencing those things and being able to draw from the toolkit of traits, qualities, and morals I had growing up allowed me to rebuild myself and piece together what I wanted to be moving forward. Because truly, when you've been knocked down and you're at your lowest, drawing on those key tools from your toolkit and being able to rebuild and focus is essential. And you're never too old to recreate yourself, too.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say never be afraid to ask questions. We need to speak up and prioritize yourself - look out for yourself, because a lot of times you have to be your biggest advocate. You are your own best advocate, and it's so important to put yourself out there and not be shy about asking questions, because there's a huge chance that somebody else is wondering the same thing.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that keep me grounded and true are transparency and authenticity. I'm always going to show up as myself - I don't want people to have to wonder which version of Lauren they're going to get today. Of course, there are times and places where you need to show up as professional, or fun, or coaching, and we wear so many different hats, but especially with my immediate team members that I work with, they're never going to have to walk on eggshells around me or wonder what type of version of Lauren they're going to get. Having transparent, authentic conversations and relationships - those are so important to me.
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