HER STORY ⟡ Lauren and Grace
We are meeting Lauren and Grace of Live Well Columbus!
How you started and how you got to where you are today?
Prior to Grace bringing her enthusiasm and killer work ethic to serving her real estate clients, she spent 10 years in International Recruiting, honing master negotiation skills and expertly getting people where they wanted to be as seamlessly as possible.
Meanwhile, I (Lauren) was doing the corporate hustle by juggling the demands of Business Development for an Ad Agency, leveraging her 15 years in Marketing - seamlessly managing complex projects driving meaningful results, both internal and external.
As we became mothers, the challenges of working corporate jobs while raising young children shifted our priorities and expectations of our careers.
Real estate was something both Grace and I had a passion for, and eventually we each pursued that passion, and found ourselves with Fathom Realty.
Fathom is a cloud-based, tech driven, full-service Real Estate Brokerage - which allows agents to grow their business their own way, meaning Fathom agents have the ability to tailor the experience to their clients’ needs, instead of sticking to a franchise script or cookie-cutter one-size-fits-all approach. The freedom and autonomy we would have to build a brand and have control over our customer experience was a major appeal, and ultimately why they each chose Fathom as their Brokerage.
Years later, Grace and I finally met at a Fathom event and became fast friends as we bonded over motherhood, city living and the fast-paced life of a realtor - #realtorlife.
Over time we shared our wins and our struggles, and hopes of finding that ever elusive balance we’re all in search of - until one day we realized “two heads are better than one”. Through our friendship, our mutual respect of each other’s work ethic and our desire to build an elevated customer experience, we formed Live Well Columbus.
We built Live Well Columbus under the unifying concept that everyone deserves to “live well, learn plenty, laugh often, love much” - Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ultimately, living well can mean different things to everyone, but your home, your community, your surroundings and your environments impact how you live. We want everyone to LOVE where they live, and we’re driven to help others thrive.
Who or what inspires you?
Ok, it’s kinda corny, but, as a team we inspire each other. We are very fortunate to have a great bond and friendship. We each feel the other has the best advice, or brilliant perspective. We also get mad inspired by Brene Brown (duh) as we strive to live authentically every day. I’m inspired by women carving a bold path for other women to succeed - women like Salie Krawcheck (Founder of Ellevest) and Tori Dunlap, financial feminist, founder of Her First $100K and author of Financial Feminist; Overcome the Patriarchy's Bullsh*t to Master Your Money and Build a Life You Love.
What does beauty mean to you?
I’ll quote Audrey Hepburn here, because she captured it so well - "The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.”
What advice would you give your past self just starting your business?
Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s ok to walk away from a plan when you see it’s not working - and not stressing over the time or money lost. There are always going to be hurdles in your business that you couldn’t possibly anticipate, so you plan for the best, prepare for the worst - Keep Calm. Carry On.
What would you like our Beauty Boost members to know?
We want to connect with you! The process of buying a home sometimes takes years. As soon as you know you want to be a homeowner it’s best to talk with the experts so you can get on the best path for you. When you’re ready to sell your home, and leverage that investment to “move on up” or to fulfill some major life dreams - we are here to talk through the best ways to take advantage of your biggest asset (your home). We can’t wait to meet with you and connect over the next year!
