We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauryn Washington and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauryn, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Giving up gets a bad repuation but if you’re sacrificing any part of your mental health then it’s okay to step away from something. I made the choice by asking myself “Do I enjoy this?” “Does it drain me?” “Can I see myself doing this for a long time?” and from there creating the apporpriate next steps (ex: a 5 year plan, an exit plan, reevaluating my goals etc.)

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My journey into social media wasn’t very typical – I didn’t get a degree in marketing or have years of experience but thankfully I earned opportunities after grinding for a few years. I did social media work for fun (and for free!) at first and then when I realized it was what I wanted to do I started making a career roadmap for myself. I wrote down what I wanted to accomplish within the next few years and it helped tons! I’ve learned that you really have to listen to your intuition – life is hard but usually your head and gut know what road you should take. I want people to know that I am a huge supportive of other black creators and we’re just getting started!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Definitely Local Gren Atlanta, Atlanta Hard Cider, the Painted Duck, Yeah! Burger and Hippie Hibachi. Slutty Vegan of course gets honorable mention! The Beltline is a must as well as Hotel Clermont. Cultured South is one of my favorites – it’s an awesome kombucha taproom. Little Bear ATL is great for drinks and light bites!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Definitely my friend’s vintage shop Two Pop Shop (instagram: shoptwopop)

Instagram: https://instagram.com/bandqbites

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurynwashington

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bandqbites

Facebook: https://facebook.com/bandqbites

Image Credits:
For the Headshot that was taken by Krystle Campbell
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.