Lauren Loreto of Brand Good Time On How to Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone to Grow Both Personally and Professionally
An Interview With Maria Angelova
Evaluate facts and feelings. Facts and feelings are two very different things; relying solely on emotions to make decisions is definitely not recommended. Here’s the thing: logic plays a huge role in our success as people. If you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, try writing out the facts and your feelings about it. This will help you to identify the best way to progress or to accept it and move on from it.
It feels most comfortable to stick with what we are familiar with. But anyone who has achieved great success will tell you that true growth comes from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. What are some ways that influential people have pushed themselves out of their comfort zone to grow both personally and professionally? As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lauren Loreto.
Lauren Loreto is a marketing agency owner, entrepreneur, and podcast host with over 10 years of industry experience helping brands increase their revenue and share of voice through innovative and sustainable strategies. She’s a problem solver who loves to help people — a fact that can be seen in her work at Brand Good Time. Lauren believes that when you combine strategic thinking with creative execution, you can grow even faster.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
When I tell people that I grew up in five states across the United States, I always get asked “military kid” or “corporate kid?” The answer: corporate kid. My dad spent the majority of my childhood years climbing the restaurant industry corporate ladder and I just remember being so proud of him and the incredible places he got to work (I’m still so proud!) The downfall to this: I was constantly the new kid in school and had to make friends and try to fit in in new places. As I entered high school, this became extremely challenging. Just imagine a 14-year-old girl entering her sophomore year at a public high school where everyone already had their friend groups and knew everyone… as outgoing and bubbly as I was — this proved to be the biggest challenge I’d faced yet in life. I didn’t make friends easily, in fact, I faced many instances of bullying.
At home, things weren’t much better. I struggled to get along with my family and felt chronically misunderstood. The culmination of this put me into the darkest years of my life — but one thing was certain: I was going to get out of this and I was going to succeed. My path to success was always clear to me and I knew what I had to do to get there. I remember so vividly hearing years later from extended family and family friends that they were “shocked” and “surprised” at how well I was doing, and thinking “why are they so shocked?” After reflecting, it became clear to me that the choices I was making for myself were not the choices they’d preferred, but regardless they led me to where I am today. This was my first moment of realization that ambition and determination were just a part of me and always had been.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Extreme ownership. Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame.” — Jocko Willink
I have always taken full radical responsibility for my failures. I have always welcomed failure, too, because I’ve only ever learned from failure. I have learned next to nothing from my success. Weird how that works, huh? Failure makes us as humans, leaders, entrepreneurs, etc better at everything we do. This leads me to the next quote:
“Don’t just think. Don’t just talk. Don’t just dream. None of that matters. The only thing that matters is that you actually do. So: DO.” — Jocko Willink
Forward momentum. That’s it. That’s what we have to focus on if we want to succeed. I’ve spent many years embracing hard moments. In my early days of entrepreneurship, it was a lot of thinking, talking, and dreaming. It wasn’t until I stepped outside of my comfort zone that the “doing” took place — and that “doing” was the catalyst for massive opportunities in my life and in my career. These opportunities have included speaking engagements, working with world-renowned businesses, traveling the world, and opening other businesses, too.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
It truly is hard to choose just one — but for the sake of this conversation I will share with you: Dr. Becky’s book, “Good Inside”, which is primarily directed at parents, but the lessons within have been incredibly helpful to me as a business owner.
Her idea of ‘Two Things Are True’ is a concept that allows us to make decisions that we think are best, while also caring for the feelings of those who do not agree. This can be incredibly useful when dealing with challenging situations and people. Even as I grew in my professional career, the truth of my mother’s words, ‘there will always be people you don’t like or agree with in your life’, rang true. Thankfully, Dr. Becky’s advice of understanding that ‘two things can be true’ has enabled me to navigate and work through difficult encounters with challenging people.
There are times when I strongly disagree with my clients — but it’s their business and I do what I can to support them around their decisions. The same goes for situations in my personal life.
At the end of the day, “all people are different people” and we are all making decisions based on the information we have readily available to us. As individuals, we should respect that.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Let’s start with a basic definition so that all of us are on the same page. What does “getting outside of your comfort zone” mean?
In my whole-hearted opinion, getting outside of your comfort zone means living life to the fullest and involves taking risks and doing things you might not normally do. Saying “yes” more often than “no” is a great way to open up to new experiences and opportunities, even if they may seem intimidating at first.
Can you help articulate a few reasons why it is important to get out of your comfort zone?
At the end of the day, taking risks can lead to great rewards. Stepping outside of your comfort zone can bring about new opportunities, which can help you grow. I know this firsthand, as when I left home at 18 I faced new challenges that eventually enabled me to become the person I am today. It was a scary prospect, much different from the moves I had done as a child with my family by my side. However, it was a leap of faith that I am now grateful I took.
Is it possible to grow without leaving your comfort zone? Can you explain what you mean?
Is it possible to grow without leaving your comfort zone? Absolutely! However, it is much less risky to do so than it is to venture into the unknown. Fear of failure, change, and the unknown is natural, but you can still grow by reading books, listening to podcasts, and gathering advice from mentors who have achieved what you want for yourself. I suggest (and embody) a healthy balance of leaving and staying within your comfort zone.
Can you share some anecdotes from your personal experience? Can you share a story about a time when you stepped out of your comfort zone and how it helped you grow? How does it feel to take those first difficult steps?
Stepping into the entrepreneurial world was a significant challenge for me since I was still new to marketing (which was the basis of my business). I often questioned myself and felt like a novice. To cope with this, I applied the “fake it until you make it” attitude and worked really hard in order to meet the needs of my clients. I pushed myself beyond my limits, asked for help, invested in myself, and frequently gave more than what was expected of me to make sure my clients were satisfied.
Some other challenging moments as a result of stepping outside of my comfort zone looked like this:
- Beginning my career at an advertising agency with little to no knowledge of the position I had just sold myself into.
- Venturing all alone to Italy, Germany, and France without being able to converse in their languages.
- Selling my first business and immediately opening the doors to a new one.
- Launching a podcast.
Here is the central question of our discussion. What are your “five ways to push past your comfort zone, to grow both personally and professionally”?
- Welcome change, and don’t be afraid to try something new. In June of 2022, I chose to transition my business from a consultancy to an agency, in order to start the process of scaling. This took me out of my comfort zone and required me to immediately take on the role of leading a team. 2022 was my best year in business.
- Embrace failure and let it inspire your next move. In 2020, my first business was acquired by a client with plans for me to join their team and lead key initiatives. However, within 4 weeks, the deal fell through, leaving me with virtually nothing. This failure sparked me to create a plan for my now current business, and I’m so proud of where I am today. I could even say that this acquisition’s failure was the best thing that has ever happened to me!
- Take extreme ownership of everything you lead. Whenever I experience a setback in my life or my business, I take responsibility and ask myself “What could I have done differently to prevent this?” or “What actions did I take that enabled this to happen?”. Taking ownership is an essential part of progress, and it allows me to identify problem areas and work towards resolving them.
- Evaluate facts and feelings. Facts and feelings are two very different things; relying solely on emotions to make decisions is definitely not recommended. Here’s the thing: logic plays a huge role in our success as people. If you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, try writing out the facts and your feelings about it. This will help you to identify the best way to progress or to accept it and move on from it.
- Check your circle. Ever heard the saying “you’re an average of the 5 people you spend the most time with?” It’s a scary reality. Throughout my life, I’ve had to confront this idea on numerous occasions. It’s natural to drift away from people who don’t fit the stage of life you are in — and if there are tensions between you and the people you spend the majority of your time with, I strongly suggest you evaluate and make changes. Your success hinges on positive influence.
From your experience or perspective, what are some of the common barriers that keep someone from pushing out of their comfort zone?
Fear of the unknown is what keeps most from pushing outside of their comfort zone. However, I don’t think this is often apparent to most. I think many people who stay within their comfort zone just aren’t aware of what’s possible. They don’t possess the knowledge or the ambition to push further. And this is okay, too. Not every human being needs to be a catalyst of change. But if you feel the desire to want more, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is the natural next step.
There is a well-known quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt that says, “Do something that scares you every day”. What exactly does this mean to you? Is there inherent value in doing something that pushes you out of your comfort zone, even if it does not relate to personal or professional growth? For example, if one is uncomfortable about walking alone at night should they purposely push themselves to do it often for the sake of going beyond their comfort zone? Can you please explain what you mean?
There is absolutely inherent value in doing things that push you outside of your comfort zone. You’ll either fail or succeed and there are deep-rooted lessons and learning within both. I go back to what I said about embracing failure and welcoming change. It is truly incredible the doors that open when you just set out to try new things.
Of course, there is a fine line between discomfort and danger. Common sense is key; never push yourself to the point of harm.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
It would be a movement that motivates individuals to tap into their ambitious nature. I would personally love to create a place that is educational and FREE for all entrepreneurs to share their ideas, collaborate and grow. The streak of ambition I feel within myself is not something unique to me and I want to empower others to use it for good.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
If you haven’t been able to guess my age by now, I’ll tell you this: I grew up with Taylor Swift. And not literally, otherwise, this probably wouldn’t be my answer, ha! It has been incredibly inspirational over the course of my personal and professional life to grow up with her music and follow her career. She is a marketing maven and a true component of change within her and many other industries. One minute of her time would seriously change my life and I know I’m not alone in saying that!
How can our readers follow you online?
I am super active on my podcast with weekly episodes, and I share all of the ins and outs of business-building over on my LinkedIn. I look forward to connecting there!
brandgoodtime.com/podcast-links
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
Lauren Loreto of Brand Good Time On How to Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone to Grow Both Personally and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.