Meet Lauren St George: Brand Strategist & What’s Next Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren St George and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe in taking risks. Calculated ones. I believe in dreaming big. But dreaming smart. I believe in setting big audacious goals. But not in the dark. I have taken calculated risks throughout my life whether that is investing, career or entrepreneurship. My approach has always been to move forward strategically based upon research and a plan. I never take a shot in the dark, but I will take big risks once I have done my due diligence. I started my first business at 22, ran a multi-million-dollar creative agency with work seen all over the world, changed careers in 2014 ready for a new challenge and recently launched my latest endeavor What’s Next in 2021. Taking risks throughout my life has made things a lot more interesting. I have worked with everyone from C-suite CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to university students with a new product startup. I have worked hands on creating design and marketing materials for my agency and developing strategy at a global consultancy to leading teams of 30+ to bring a single vision to life. Risk has led me to build a wealth of information across industries, vary my experience and grow my career in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I graduated with my B.A. I now help people take risks and make changes in their life with a plan in hand, not just a dream in their heart, using business processes and strategic thinking to help them launch their next chapter.

What should our readers know about your business?
What’s Next is a 6-week program for anyone who wants to live a more fulfilling life.​ It is an online, multi-faceted, hands-on approach to LIFE PLANNING that nets out in a written plan that promotes ACTION. The program will make you feel more ‘alive’. It puts personal fulfillment in your control. What’s Next draws from social psychology and the best practices that Business’s use to drive innovation, plan for the future and yield business success …… and APPLIES THEM TO YOU AND YOUR LIFE. This new business is really the culmination of my experiences to date and I am super excited to share it with the world. It brings together my small business and corporate POV, along with facilitation, workshop design, marketing and brand strategy but this time focusing on individuals versus companies. I plan on taking all of my previous lessons learned to make this as successful as I can. It starts with a business plan. So many small businesses don’t have them. How I intend to grow and market this idea are key to knowing where to spend my energy and where not to. There are only so many hours in the day. Before launching I had to make sure that the methodologies that I am using worked. I decided to run 2 beta cohorts test the format and process. I have learned a tremendous amount along the way by running these “pilots”. Each time I have taken feedback and incorporated it in the next call or cohort. I now have a program that is ready to be marketed. I have my website created, my brand identity is firm and I have my core values. These are fundamental pieces to a company but aren’t always the fun and glamorous elements that we want to do when starting a company. They are necessary though and something I have definitely learned over the years of working with startups and small business owners. Don’t skip the hard stuff. Create a strong foundation for your business to build on.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Favorite places to listen to music: The Tabernacle Fox Theater Northside Tavern (best hole in the wall) Favorite places to walk and be in nature: Lullwater Park at Emory Blue Heron Nature Preserve Fun experiences: Beer tours Axe throwing at Bad Axe Food: West Egg for breakfast Souper Jennie and Delia’s Sausage Stand for lunch Desta and 10 Degrees South for dinner Buford Highway for food exploration Day trip: Dahlonega day trip to Wolf Mountain Vineyards Just a few of my favorite places and experiences pre-Covid. These days I spend a lot of time in nature and walking with my family and pups. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mother, Denise Fonseca. She taught me to think creatively and laterally since I was young. She taught me about brand and marketing strategy before I could spell the words. Throughout my life we have bounced ideas off of one another and she has always pushed me to think bigger. She has supported my business startups and given me sound advice on navigating corporate environments. Our conversations are never boring and I owe a huge amount of my success to her. I celebrate her latest endeavor www.Room2Hope.com as she moves from the corporate world into her first business startup.

Website: www.answerwhatsnext.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-st-george-4362974/