You can reinvent yourself and launch a design career at any age—as long as you have drive, determination, with a little bit of moxie thrown in. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to make the switch, let today’s guest be the inspiration that you CAN make it happen. Lauren Brown joins Darla and Natalie to share how she built a business and launched a design career at 65. 

Lauren had a long career in luxury sales and design (making, on average, close to a million dollars a year). After settling into retirement—or what she likes to call her ‘sabbatical’—she felt restless. She knew she had more to give—but she had given away ALL of her client-base to colleagues. So she used a combination of research, workshops, and listening to podcasts to launch a new design business. Listen to this episode of Wingnut Social to hear her story.

• [3:55] How Darla reinvented herself at 47

• Lauren’s Website

• Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo

When Lauren hit 65 she had an ‘aha moment’. She realized she was getting older and had to redefine what life was all about. She knew she’d been given a gift for design and understanding color. She couples that with passion and enthusiasm, and a love for life and people. She drew inspiration from Darla’s story and how she reinvented herself after a long career in law enforcement. 

Darla sharing her story gave Lauren the courage she needed to take the leap and start over. 

So Lauren Googled “How to start your own business” and began building a binder full of different resources. She learned about social media, hashtags, and everything design-business related. She started listening to WingnutSocial, following Shayla Copas, and attending workshops at Market. She drove full-speed ahead, determined to make her dream a reality. 

Her mantra to herself has become, “Lauren, you can do this too. You have God-given gifts and talents and you need to keep using those until you can’t breathe any more on this earth”.

Digital marketing is a whole new world for Lauren, which is one reason why she listened to the Wingnut Social podcast relentlessly. She now has her business on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and has invested in a website. One month after launching her design career, she’s being featured on this episode of Wingnut Social. This gal knows how to make waves. She’s building a steady following and has learned how to make an impact across platforms. 

She’s also embraced print media, and sent out press releases to various magazines and papers in her area, eventually getting her story published. Before recording this episode she was featured on the radio. She also advertises her design business on an area billboard—and has gotten some traction because of it. It goes to show a mesh of old and new marketing tactics can be effective. Trying something different can get you recognition, so learn to be creative. 

Listen to the whole episode to hear how Lauren is navigating the journey and overcoming the mindset struggles you can face. The ladies also chat about getting systems and processes in place, and the impact podcasts have made on her journey. 

• www.WingnutSocial.com

• www.curreyandcompany.com

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