We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lauren Harris a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lauren, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
As a wife, with 4 children, a full-time job, and a dog…not to mention friendships to maintain, hobbies to keep up with and simply time for myself, life balance was quite a challenge for me. I struggled with leaving work at work, with spending quality time with family and maintaining relationships with friends. For years I couldn’t understand how to fix it. How to overcome the stresses of life. How to not always feel like there was a heavy weight on my shoulders. It wasn’t until the end of last year where I had a moment of realization that if I didn’t make a drastic change, I would quickly crumble and collapse. The drastic change didn’t involve sacrificing anything. It didn’t require me to give up things that I love or walk away from a career that I enjoyed. The drastic change actually wasn’t that drastic. It was simply a shift in my mindset. A simple adjustment to looking at my life with a glass half full mentality. Every day I challenged myself to see things from a positive lense. I tried not to focus on the negatives but concentrate on the positives. I strongly believe that each person has the ability to dictate the outcome of their day. If you tell yourself it’s going to be a bad day, or if you wake up dreading that it’s Monday…guess what, Monday is probably going to feel crummy. By waking up with the choice to be happy and positive it changes my entire outlook on life. I find joy in situations that caused me pain. I am able to seek out the good in my day verse harping on the challenges. I stress and worry less and find that time work life balance isn’t so hard to obtain.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Lauren Harris and in 2021 I embarked on a journey to becoming a social media influencer. I am the face behind the @TravelingFoodQueen social media account which was created as an outlet to showcase my travels, love of food, but most importantly my love of Cleveland, Ohio. As an avid traveler and ultimate foodie, I initially set out to promote the adventures I have taken and all the amazing food I have enjoyed along the way. From ziplining in the Whistler mountains to dining at Michelin star restaurants in Singapore, I wanted to share these experiences to a larger audience. During this journey, I realized that some of the best hidden gems were right here at home (Cleveland, Ohio). This led me to expand my content to also include unique and fun local experiences. The Traveling Food Queen will be evolving into lifestyle content that will highlight not only food and travel but family friendly experiences and everyday essentials. I encourage all to follow along!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Never give up. No matter how hard it gets or how challenging the journey becomes, just keep going. You never know just how close you are to getting that first “yes” or hitting your goal. There have been many days where I’ve had to dig deep to find the motivation to continue this influencer journey. Quite frankly I often feel stagnant, that my followers/reach isn’t increasing, that I’ll never land that paid partnership, but I always tell myself “you will definitely never reach that point if you give up”.
2. It’s okay to not know. You don’t have to know everything, but it is important to have the drive and yearning to be the best you can be. Becoming an influencer is an unfamiliar area for me. I’m learning as I go, but it’s my passion, grit and determination that keeps me going.
3. Have fun! When it stops becoming fun then it’s time to re-evaluate the worth. I love my journey because it’s something I enjoy. Even during the hard times, I still find joy in doing what I do.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was give me the tools and resources to be successful. My parents sacrificed a lot to make sure that I was setup for success. They provided me with an amazing education. They allowed me to try new things and encouraged me to chase my dreams. They were supportive and motivated me when I myself didn’t think the possible was possible. However, they also provided discipline and instilled valuable morals. They let me fail and made sure I was aware of the reality of the world. They taught me that life isn’t fair and how to navigate being a black woman in America. I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today without the foundation they laid for me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @traveling_foodqueen
