Lauren Leopold
Lauren Leopold is a Side Hustle & Business Coach. After burning out and being signed off from her corporate job, Lauren Leopold realised she’d been in the wrong career for 15 years. At her lowest point, she had a lightbulb moment. What if she could use this experience to support other women going through the same thing? She trained to become a coach on the side of her job. Now, three years later Lauren has quit corporate life to help launch and grow over 40 female-founded businesses that are changing peoples’ lives, from coaching to marketing to personal training to interior design.
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before the venture/ corporate journey?
I grew up in Surrey with a love of the creative arts – music, dance and writing. After studying Marketing Management at Uni, I landed a job in London as a PA to the marketing team of a large corporate firm. I spent the next 15 years climbing the ladder.
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business/initiative? What motivated you within to say “YES, go for it!”
At the age of 39, after landing the big promotion I thought I wanted, I immediately realised I didn’t belong there. That I’d been ignoring the voice inside my head telling me I was meant to work for myself for years. Eventually, the stress of being in a senior leadership role that I didn’t want caused me to have a breakdown and was signed off work for 5 months. After I recovered, I realised this was my sign to finally make my career change happen. So I signed up to train as a coach on the side of my 9-5.
Tell us something about your initiative or current role. What is it about, and what impact are you trying to make?
I’m here to help unfulfilled & frustrated corporate women start and grow businesses that light them up, so they never have to go through what I went through.
Your journey and your vision are very inspiring, but are there any achievements or accomplishments you would like to mention?
After qualifying as a coach on the side of my 9-5, I grew my scrappy side hustle to 5 figures in less than a year and took it full time 18 months later.
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
I would love to see more education and help for young people around the different career opportunities available to you. The traditional ‘go to university and get a job’ route may not be for everyone and that’s OK. The world today offers endless opportunities to start your own business and we need to be nurturing talent in that area.
Women are a growing force in the workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women’s leadership today?
Women are beginning to crack through that glass ceiling but there is still so much work to be done. I saw a statistic yesterday that it will take 150 years to close the gender pay gap in women’s opportunity and attainment. This is shocking and fuels my passion to help women start businesses, because there is no cap on the earnings you create for yourself.
What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?
Listen to the whisper in your head that’s telling you what you’re truly passionate about and go for it. Even if you’re already in a supposedly steady corporate career. I am living proof that you can change careers and start your own business at any age. You can and will make it happen. Start that side business today!