Meet Lauren Holloway

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lauren Holloway a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Making an impact has always been important to me. From a young age, I knew I was meant to do something that brought value to others. Over time, I discovered that my purpose involved leveraging my creativity. Initially, I built my brand, Sunshine and Key Lime Blog, as a way to share the experiences I was up to with friends and family. What started as a passion project has evolved into a platform where I can genuinely help others, such as by bringing awareness to a small business. For me, seeing the positive impact my creativity has brought to others has allowed me to realize my purpose.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

During my 9-5, I work as a Director of Marketing at an Orlando-based healthcare technology company, whose platform literally changes lives. I help with all facets of Marketing here, whether it’s email, social media marketing, website updates, event planning and coordination, and much more. I wear multiple hats in my role, and if I encounter something I don’t know how to do, I teach myself. I’ve always been a strong writer and a creative who officially caught the adventure bug in college, and my page, Sunshine and Key Lime Blog, is a way for me to live out those passions. I don’t have any plans to leave my 9-5 right now, but I’m committed to continuing to share my discoveries and adventures in Florida and beyond on my blog!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think the three qualities that have helped me persevere the most in my creative journey have been the following:

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 – Fun Fact: When I initially started my page, it was named “Pretty Pink Passport,” and the intent behind it was to be a travel blog because it was a time in my life when I was traveling often (at least for me). I quickly realized that traveling 4-6 times a YEAR would not cut it, and if I wanted to create a “blog,” even if it was just for my friends and family to follow along, I needed to be more consistent with posting. I ended up pivoting, and at the beginning of 2020, I had the idea of documenting my Florida adventures since that’s where I’m at most of the time anyway. I hit the drawing board for name ideas on what names would help me encompass the “Florida Aesthetic,” and even brought in some friends for name ideas, and that’s when “Sunshine and Key Lime Blog” was born. Of course, the world shut down for a little bit because of COVID-19, and I had to wait a bit before posting my actual adventures, but once I did, I started with a goal of once a week and would increase it over time. Today, I aim to post at least 3 times a week, but sometimes work gets busy and I can only manage 1 or 2 posts, and that’s OKAY. My advice to those starting out who are also working full-time is not to beat yourself up if you can’t post every day. You can work hard towards your goals while still getting proper sleep and a much-needed social life.

𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 – I’m not going to lie, for a while, I was the stubborn person I am, and I 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 to pivot to video on my personal page. Once I gave in, that’s when I started to see growth. My first videos were pretty rough until I developed my style and voice. I was giving someone I know advice the other day, who wants to start her own journey, and I sent her some of my initial videos to show her the evolution of where I started to compare to where I am now. I 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 a natural at speaking to the camera at first. I went to college for film and television to be 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 the camera, not in front of it. It took years of practice to get where I currently am, and I still feel imposter syndrome! You need to be able to pivot when social platforms introduce new changes and stay educated about them, and then adapt as these changes come out. One of my favorite creators to follow is prettylittlemarketer (https://www.instagram.com/prettylittlemarketer/), and she does a great job breaking down the newest changes so you’re always in the know. Although I don’t create a lot of content for trends on my blog page, as most don’t align with my style, I have created content for trends for brands that regularly play into trends. I think having that discretion on what does and does work for you is also key.

𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – There will be slow seasons, failed posts, and moments of doubt on whether the content creation journey is right for you. You have to keep going. Even some of the most successful entrepreneurs have failed (i.e, Richard Branson). Progress doesn’t happen overnight; it happens with consistency and hard work. If you have a goal, you must have faith that you will achieve it, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. I’ve officially been on this journey for 5 years, and there have been many times when I have been frustrated, but never a time when I have wanted to quit.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

I think, at least for me, it’s important to be well-rounded. Of course, I have my strengths and aim to get better at them as well, but I also make an effort to learn where I need improvement. For example, one of my biggest battles has been shooting in manual on my DSLR camera. There are many times I’ve shot manual, and I’ve gotten frustrated and just reverted to auto since I know I like those photos better. This year, I have been making a conscious effort to practice and learn manual photography, aiming to reach a point where I’m happy with the results. I actually shot my recent Maple Street Biscuit Company campaign in manual, and they were the first photos I took where I was happy with the results! The next shoot I did after that, I can’t say the same, but I am determined to learn! I think the more well-rounded you are, the better you set yourself up in the future. My last two full-time roles have required me to learn new skills, including shooting, editing, and publishing my 9-5’s podcast. I’m also currently trying to learn more about SEO Optimization so I can improve my skills there for my career. I’m a continuous learner, as I get bored if I’m not challenged. Each year, I set goals to push myself out of my comfort zone and become a better version of myself. I believe investing in yourself is the best investment you can make. Take a few hours a week to learn that new skill you’ve been wanting to learn; it will only benefit you.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Lauren Holloway @sunshineandkeylimeblog

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