Her Story
About Lauren
Lauren Shanks is the Founder and Principal Designer of Brass & Brine Interior Design, an Eastern Shore-based studio serving Maryland and Delaware. She specializes in creating distinctive commercial and residential environments, with particular expertise in hospitality, workplace, community, and customer-facing spaces. Her design philosophy centers on balancing aesthetics with functionality, ensuring that each environment supports the way people move, work, interact, and experience a business.
Before transitioning into interior design, Lauren built an extensive career in corporate project management, consulting, risk, operations, and organizational strategy. She spent more than seven years at PayPal in leadership roles spanning global credit, risk, internal controls, and business operations, followed by consulting work through Shanks Management Consulting. She also served as Vice President of Product Lifecycle Management at Kyruus Health and has experience advising organizations on strategic planning, governance, process improvement, and complex projects. This background gives her a highly structured approach to design, with strong attention to project execution, stakeholder communication, budgets, operational flow, and long-term value.
Lauren holds an MBA from Loyola University Maryland and completed studies in HR Management and Analytics at The Wharton School. She is also a Certified Project Manager and holds an ITIL Foundation certification. Through Brass & Brine, she brings together her creative instincts and business leadership experience to help clients develop spaces that are both memorable and commercially effective. Her work reflects a commitment to understanding each client's goals and creating environments where brand identity, operations, and customer experience work together seamlessly.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lauren
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say it's my flexibility. Go in a space and have an idea for it, and yet somebody wants to go in a different direction, and I can pivot. I can pivot quickly, and I can pivot well. And I think it's really important to not be in love with your own ideas.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Not every opportunity is going to be the right opportunity. Being selective about clients, projects, collaborators, how and where you spend your time. The project should be a good fit in all directions, and saying no to something to be able to create your best work.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Marrying the right person is finding the right partner who supports you in your vision, your ambition, and your schedule. Finding the right people to surround yourself with in general, and having that level of trust.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
HGTV continues to challenge because consumers have more access to design inspiration than ever before and think they can do it themselves or that it should be simpler or more affordable. For me personally, it's having the time to work on my business and work in my business, balancing being a designer with bookkeeping and daily operations
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Building trust with her clients and having great people to surround herself with that she can represent and that represent her.
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