For the WSJ's Lauren Thomas, there's nothing more exhilarating and nerve-racking than the minutes before one of her big scoops is published. Before it goes, she's worried she will get scooped… and after it goes, she is absorbing the immediate reactions of all those involved. Such is the life of the lead deals reporter at one of the world's preeminent financial publications. Lauren has been chasing scoops ever since she was a little kid snooping around her house in South Carolina. Her rapid rise in journalism landed her at CNBC fresh out of college and on center stage at the WSJ about 6 years later. On this episode of Press Profiles, we discuss her journey, as well as how she uncovers deals, her reporter's intuition, staying ahead of "footsteps" as you're trying to break news, her thoughts on the current M&A and activism environment, what deals warrant coverage and what deals don't, some fun facts about her, and as always… a whole lot more.