Lauren Patterson

I would say being laid off in April 2020 felt like a push from the universe, because it's hard to make the decision to leave a sure thing to start your own business, but when you're kind of forced to do it, I was like, well, hey, I have nothing to lose. That moment really changed everything for me. I also think connecting with other people has been the best way to grow. In our first year, we had 400% growth, and that was really through referrals from people I've met or past clients from working at agencies. I've been lucky to have strong female mentors, especially my first boss who I partnered with to help grow the social media department at that big agency. She was really fighting internally to have everyone take social seriously, and I learned so much from her. And honestly, my best friend Megan has been one of the people I couldn't do it without. As an entrepreneur, it can be a lonely experience because some friends working corporate jobs can't relate when you're talking about running payroll and all these things. But Megan has always been someone who's invested and cheered me on at every high and low throughout the past six years. She's also a working mom, which has been amazing as I navigate that learning curve. I would say I also push myself to keep acquiring new skills even when I'm really busy. I notice it can be easy to become complacent, but I try to intentionally stay curious and be an early adopter, especially with AI right now.

When asked about the people who had made the greatest impact in her life she highlighted her best friend Megan who has been one of the people that has been an absolute cherished relationship and motivation. Megan is someone who truly invested herself in sharing Lauren on every step of the way through the highs and lows comment over the last six years she has become someone that Lauren feels she couldn't do without. She is a working mother as well, and has helped guide Lauren through the learning curve of balancing motherhood with her career. She is ever grateful for the impact Megan has had in her life, she cherishes their friendship and is so grateful for the wonderful contribution Megan brings to her life and wants to highlight her first and foremost.

This is very relevant to me because a lot of the young women on my team, this is their first job they've had. My best advice is to find a good way to communicate not just what you did that week or month, but what impact it made or what difference it made. Instead of just giving a status sheet of 'I sent this email' or whatever, lead more with the results. Even if it's 'I collaborated with this other team to get this project done,' find a way to frame it in a way that helps your manager elevate you to their bosses. That's something I learned a little later, but if you learn it earlier, I think it would help. Another thing I would say is don't wait to be asked all the time. That's not to say you should kill yourself to go way beyond your job description, but I think there are times where it's strategically a good idea to be proactive and say, 'Hey, I noticed this issue or this problem,' but don't just raise your hand and say you noticed a problem, because then it's like, okay, well, now what? Instead say, 'Hey, I noticed this, what if we try XYZ to solve it?' or 'Hey, I noticed this bottleneck, and this is what I did,' and you just proactively went ahead and did something because you noticed there was a need. The folks who have done that on my team, I'm so appreciative of that, and they're also the first person that comes to my mind with new opportunities, whether it's for new clients, a raise, a new position, continued education, conferences, whatever. Those are the people who come to mind first because they're bringing you not just the problem, but also an idea. When I was really young, I was kind of intimidated to do that, or I felt like that's not my role or not my place. You don't want to make yourself small in that way. I think you'd be surprised how well received that would probably be for most managers.

The biggest thing in marketing right now is AI visibility. The shift I keep talking about is how can I have ChatGPT and Perplexity recommending or talking about my brand or my company. We're getting a ton of interest and having a lot of fun with that work. It's funny to me how quickly AI is moving forward. Even six months ago until now, so much has changed. Thinking about the next five years, I would love to continue to try to be an early adopter in that space, to continue to grow and be involved in some of that, and use it in a way that is interesting for clients and even for ourselves. I notice it can be easy to become complacent, and you really have to intentionally push yourself to keep acquiring new skills, especially when you're really busy. I'm also a mom with two toddlers, so I have a lot on my plate, but staying curious and innovative is so important. I think there's a lot of fluff around AI right now, with everyone selling digital downloads and prompts, but I want to make sure anything we create is not just about how to prompt Claude or ChatGPT, but how you could actually use it in a meaningful way and have real impact.

In my personal life, a big part of my time outside of work is being a mom. I have a two-and-a-half-year-old and a 15-month-old, both boys, so chasing them around the house and playing with them, lots of Hot Wheels and cars and all the fun stuff. Beyond being a mom, I love being creative. It's kind of nerdy, but I love Legos, and I have all the botanical sets. I just got the Van Gogh sunflowers painting in Legos, so that's one of my fun hobbies. I also love reading and audiobooks, especially right now. I'm listening to Project Hail Mary. I get tired when I try to read a book at this stage of my life and fall asleep, so audiobooks work great because I can make Legos or do whatever. I also love painting and arts and crafts. Being creative is definitely something I'm trying to prioritize more. It can be hard with little kids right now, but I do try to make time for it because I find that it helps in every aspect of life. If you take that time for yourself, it benefits you professionally as well as mentally and emotionally. I've also been getting into swimming laps in the pool again. Way back in middle school and high school I was on the swim team, so it's a nice kind of low-impact exercise that has low impact on your body but high impact in terms of cardio health and mental health. In terms of causes that are important to me, I'm passionate about Arts and Scraps, which is a nonprofit in the Metro Detroit area that's like a free arts and crafts store, pure donation-based, and they do lots of things with schools and in the community to promote the arts and access to that. I also care deeply about raising awareness for postpartum depression and mental health as it relates to moms. I feel like it's not talked about enough, and even among friends we don't always talk about these things. I want to make it more acceptable and help people know it's totally normal and that isolation is one of the hardest parts of mental health, whether you're a mom or not.