Meet Lauren Zgutowicz | Realtor at Compass

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

Hi Lauren, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
My two youngest daughters ride horses competitively. Boyd Martin is a three-time Olympian and one of the most successful riders in the equestrian discipline of eventing. I recently heard him say that “Pressure is a privilege” – that really resonated with me. He went on to explain that the more often we put ourselves under pressure, the more comfortable we get with being uncomfortable. I love this! In real estate, we are constantly dealing with disappointment (when our buyers lose out in a multiple offer situation, when prospects decide to work with someone else, etc), but we have continue to put ourselves out there and take risks. You must get comfortable with being uncomfortable and taking risks!

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.
When I was in college, I thought I would have a career in retail – perhaps on the buying-side. I’ve always loved math, so I was intrigued to learn more about being a buyer for a large retailer. After my first year at the University of Georgia, I applied for a management internship at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart isn’t exactly the first company that comes to mind when you think of buying and planning, but I thought it would be beneficial to learn more about retail in a fast-paced environment. As it turns out, I loved Wal-Mart and the operations side of the business. This led me to a career in management consulting after college, where I was able to marry my love for math, retail, and operations all in one career. After five years of being a road-warrior, it was time for me to pivot. I was getting married, I wanted kids, and I knew that traveling would be hard as our family grew. Real estate seemed similar to retail in a roundabout way, so I explored it. The first company I worked with in real estate was owned by the wife of one of my consulting colleagues. My advice to others is to never be afraid of reinventing yourself. Whatever you think you want to do for the rest of your life may not translate well as your personal situation changes. Pivoting roles and careers can be exhilarating and provide the exact change you need to jump-start a new phase of your career.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Let’s do a whirlwind tour of some of my favorite nearby cities and attractions!

Athens: I went to both undergrad and graduate school at the University of Georgia. Grab a beer at one of the 80+ bars in Athens, then walk to the north part of campus to ring the victory bell (to mark your latest accomplishment!).

Blue Ridge: Enjoy miles of hiking and breathtaking waterfalls, then walk around downtown Blue Ridge. Stop by Southern Charm Restaurant for comfort food – don’t miss their homemade biscuits and apple butter!

Madison: My husband and I were married at a bed and breakfast in Madison. The town was so close to our hearts that we named our daughter Madison. I love visiting the city around Christmas and seeing all of the historic homes and their beautiful decorations and lights. The downtown shops and restaurants put on a signature event – Shop, Sip and Stroll – to kick off the holiday season.

Woodstock: When my daughters have a day off of school, they love driving to downtown Woodstock to walk around. There are tons of cute boutiques, acai bowl/smoothie options, and yummy restaurants. My step-daughter currently can be found at Vingenzo’s – try their Bucatini with house-made sausage!

Alpharetta: Downtown Alpharetta has one of the BEST Saturday morning famers markets. They shut down numerous streets, and vendors line up with fresh produce, delicious baked goods, unique drinks, pet products, and homemade crafts. Get there early because there is always a huge crowd. Bring reusable bags to carry home all of your finds, and plan to spend the morning exploring and listening to music.

Carrolton: Carrolton is probably best known for being home to the University of West Georgia, but just a short drive away is one of my family’s favorite adventure spots. Historic Banning Mill holds the Guinness Book of World Records’ longest zipline! It also offers a treetop obstacle course (the crazy squirrel!), horseback riding, kayaking, hiking, and four-wheeling. We have stayed in their tree-top treehouse and enjoyed their delicious dining!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people in the real estate industry who have shaped and impacted my career. I’ve been lucky to have so many cheerleaders and supporters. I was recently reminded though of someone who really impacted my career during Covid. When the world shut down in the spring of 2020, I honestly wasn’t sure what was going to happen to the real estate industry. Martha Hayhurst, who is the Qualifying Broker and Regional Vice President for Compass, is the person I credit for really helping me strategize on how to grow my business in 2020 and 2021 despite such uncertain times. Martha has 40 years of real estate experience and has witnessed the housing market at its best and its worst. She is incredibly wise, witty, poised, insightful, and caring. I swear she doesn’t sleep because I regularly receive emails from her at 5 and 6am with words of gratitude and encouragement. Sometimes her emails are exactly what I need to kick-start and conquer my day! As I’ve had more life experiences, challenges, and heartache, I’ve come to realize that it is incredibly important who we surround ourselves with… I try to surround myself with people who challenge me, support me, and recognize and forgive me on my off days.

Website: https://www.compass.com/agents/meggandlaurenz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teammeggandlaurenz/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/team-meg-g-lauren-z-compass/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MegGandLaurenZ

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5UQ3EdVh3cJd7yJTWKB5jw/about

Image Credits
Image credits: Jon-Michael Sullivan Photography and Melissa Schollaert Photography.