We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Ready recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lauren, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
One of my core values is service. It’s the heart of everything I do; both professionally and personally. When it comes to my career and business, I am constantly asking the question: how can I best serve the needs of my community through my work.
I believe it started at a young age when my high school hosted a day of service and continued into my college years when serving learning was a core part of my education.
It’s now a core value of my company and something I’m trying to pass on to my son. Service and generosity are how we keep spotlighting good in our world but also how we learn more about others and have compassion for people with different lived experiences than our own. And I believe it’s the most contagious thing we can put out into the universe!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My purpose is to tell stories that call people to act! Each action looks different; donating, signing up, registering, volunteering, contacting a lawmaker or simply having a conversation with friends and family.
I am a keynote speaker and the Principal Storyteller of Forever Ready Productions, a video production company with offices in Memphis and Chicago. We work to tell stories for nonprofits and businesses so they can realize and harness their collective purpose and impact. I’m most proud to share that our mission-drive videos have helped nonprofits raise more than $10 million and counting!
I started my career in TV news as a production assistant at 17. Then I spent the next ten years as a video journalist moving across Iowa, Nebraska, and Memphis to cover national breaking news.
I left my “dream job” in 2016 to take on Forever Ready Productions full-time. The business began in 2014 as a side hustle and has developed into a multi-location operation.
In 2024, we celebrate 10 years of business! It’s been an incredible journey. We’ve received the Small Business of the Year Award from the Memphis Business Journal. I’ve won 5 regional Emmys and in 2019, was named Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40.
Documentary films are one of my passions. In 2022 I took home both the Indie Memphis Hometowner Documentary Shorts Jury and Audience Choice awards for the film “What We Will Never Know” about a teen who falsely confessed to murder. This was my fifth Indie Memphis trophy for documentaries, making me one of the most decorated filmmakers in the festival’s 25-year history. But I’d like to reiterate that I don’t tell stories for the accolades! That’s not at all what it’s about. However, it’s always an honor to be recognized by my peers.
I am based in Memphis with my husband, Scott, and our son. I’m also a certified drone pilot (by the way, only <7% of U.S. certified drone pilots are women — I love being in this stat!). When I’m not telling stories, you can find me rock climbing, and without a doubt I always have a camera on me!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Drive, vision and perseverance. Getting to a destination isn’t about choosing the right path, it’s about choosing a path and moving forward. I believe that’s where drive comes into play. When you have drive, you get up on the hard days, push through the tough stuff and find a way to make it happen, no matter what!
Vision is important because if you don’t know where you’re headed, it’s impossible to get anywhere. Your path might be different than you expected but writing out a vision for your future can serve as a map to help you get where you want to go!
Perseverance, it’s just simply the thing that is required to push forward. All three of these things are based on a willingness to always keep learning, change your thinking and become radically self-aware.
It’s important to have these skills because they help you focus on what you can control versus worrying about what you can’t!
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
The past 12 months I’ve been on a self-awareness journey. Learning more about myself, the way I think, my personality and how it all impacts the way I lead. In doing so, I discovered two things: Positive Intelligence and Stoicism. Both have been tremendous tools in helping me better understand myself and how to become a better leader.
They have also helped me navigate difficult decisions and a path forward. When we can master our own thoughts and learn how to make sure our thoughts best serve us, we can be more successful, aware and perform at a higher capacity. It’s been a game changer for me. And I believe it started with going to some places deep within myself and being honest with myself.
The peace and ease I feel now that I have the tools to navigate it, has been incredible. I hope everyone can find something that works for them.
Contact Info:
- Website: laurenready.com
- Instagram: @LaurenIsReady
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenIsReady
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenmready/
- Twitter: @LaurenIsReady
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@laurenisready
- Other: www.foreverreadyllc.com
Image Credits
Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian Mary Gunning/Forever Ready Productions Jamie Harmon Nicki Storey/Forever Ready Productions Aleks Antonio
