6 Lessons Guiding Me This Year

Happy New Year! For the last 12 years, I’ve helped to build and champion digitalundivided as an advisor, then becoming Board Chair and I have spent the past 2 and a half years as CEO. I’m so proud of all that I accomplished. I’ve always advocated fiercely for equity and opportunity for women of color entrepreneurs to achieve success while building my own career as an entrepreneur and investor.?

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As a member of my professional community, I wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to pursue other ventures. I’m incredibly excited about the next chapter in my journey, and to continue supporting early stage companies and innovative brands to create global impact.??

It’s long been a passion of mine to launch a venture studio and support founders in all industries. I look forward to exploring new opportunities that further my life’s work alongside mission aligned partners.?

As I begin my next chapter with intention, I want to share six lessons that I learned in 2022 that are guiding me into the future. I hope you take these with you, as tools to build the life you want and deserve.?

Lesson 1 - Family Over Everything. I've always known this to be true but would not always live by it. I am absolutely guilty of, at times, spending more time working and chasing achievement than being with the ones I love the most. It’s an interesting paradigm: I love them so much that I never want them to want for anything. I’ve worked really hard to be able to course correct for all of the unexpected hurdles in life that could have set me back. But my goodness, I have sprung forward now and I am where I was hoping to have been at 50!

The most beautiful lesson of my family’s move to Puerto Rico has been diving into a culture where it's always family over everything. I'm so grateful for this island and the people for teaching me to slow down to enjoy those that mean the most to me and finding the beauty in redefining success while prioritizing family. I was working so hard that I missed too many important moments with them. But luckily it's not too late.?

Lesson 2 - One-on-One Connections With Your Children. One of the most important lessons 2022 has taught me also happens to be a highlight for my children Jayden and Chloe: spending more one-on-one time together. Jayden, my eldest, recently turned 15. We had birthday breakfast together, went on a golf cart ride and talked about life, investing and his goals. For the last few weeks, we’ve been celebrating with quality time - just me and him, promised adventures and more family world travels.?

This young man has always loved and protected his mama, and had the foresight for our future. Even when it was me doing it all alone as a single young mom to two under 2, it was Jayden who would look at me and say, “Mama, it’s gonna be okay” and my goodness was he right!?

Lesson 3 -Terms Matter More Than Money. We've grown up in a world and been surrounded by images of success that tell us that money and a dollar figure is the ultimate pinnacle, when really the terms and the conditions matter more than anything. There is a point and a place in life and business where money simply isn't enough. Especially when and if the terms are set up for you to fail. This is a lesson in all aspects of life and something that founders and high achieving women that I mentor know best. The money might seem great at first but if the terms are set up to make you fail, you must make the best decision for yourself. This is when we realize that money isn’t everything.

Lesson 4 - The Power of Saying No. When building your brand or your career, make sure that every move you make aligns with your values. Being able to say no and being comfortable in that decision is the ultimate indicator of success. When we no longer have to chase things that we know do not serve us well. To hear more of my thoughts on this, listen to my interview with Aliza Licht on the Leave Your Mark podcast where I share experiences from my career and advice for redefining the path to success.? ALIZA LICHT asked great questions - it's a good episode!

Lesson 5 - Always Assume Good Intent. Working in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in the last two and a half years and becoming a leader in social impact, I’ve learned that so many of the issues and conversations we are confronted with are uncomfortable. Without open conversation, change will never exist. Always assume good intent so that there is space for the curious conversations that can lead to solution.

Lesson 6 - Self-Care Practices. There is power in learning how to prioritize your internal, emotional and physical health. We can find strength and success in mastering ways to quiet our mind and decreasing our own stress levels, especially when you are in a position of leadership. As a CEO, a founder and head of a household, I have found a lot of comfort and confidence in designing a routine that prioritizes my self-care, including my nutrition, meditations and workouts. We all deserve that.

Here’s to new beginnings and new lessons that make an indelible imprint on your life and, ultimately, make you better. The future is bright and there are many opportunities ahead. It's a new year and it's time for new ventures!

Onwards,

Lauren?