Check Out Lauren Tetef’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Tetef.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was a retail manager for about 15 years, for Vans shoes and Anthropologie. As I was looking for a shift in work, I honed in on all the small businesses being sold through Anthro. I came across a woman who was championing female entrepreneurs and hosting fire side chats with them across the city. I ended up at one and met Sonja Rasula, founder of Unique Markets, and ended up working for her for the better part of 10 years. I started as the Events Manager of her office building/events space in the Arts District, The Unique Space. I went through Covid with her, and ended up becoming her Director of Events, producing all of the direct to consumer pop-up markets that were her main business, Unique Markets. I did that for about 5 years, taking it around the country, coast to coast and cities in between. We were in LA, DC, and Portland OR 3 times a year for many years.

During my time at Unique I produced dozens of events, from large scale pop up markets to intimate influencer gatherings. I worked with small businesses who sold through the market, and big businesses who came on as partners and sponsors. I was the logistics, customer service, team manager, street teamer, graphic designer, and mover. And I learner SO MUCH. There’s nothing like the chance to try a bit of everything. I also started hosting creative workshops at this time. In the beginning, I was teaching macrame because it was so popular at the time. Since then, I’ve taught lots of mediums, like floral arranging, journaling/scrapbooking, tote bag decorating, and a LOT of charm making.

After 8+ years with Unique, I started freelancing events, along with facilitating creative workshops, running my own networking events in Torrance, and now I’ve started producing my own pop-up, OPEN HOUSE Creative Fest. The concept for this event is new, it’s a pop-up market meets creative discovery zone. Brands that produce goods and provide services with intention behind them are facilitating creative activities at their booths as well as selling. From a consumer perspective, this gives you a chance to go to an event that’s hands-on, not just a place to spend money on stuff, but to be involved and make connections with people you want to support on a deeper level. For the brands, it gives them a chance to “break bread” with attendees, to educate them and show them why they’re experts at what they do. The activities themselves are a vehicle to get people to the market, and show just how much work goes into the creative process, and why it’s worth it to invest in these makers.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I didn’t go to school for events, if that’s even a thing? I think working retail for so long helps bring structure to my events world, where everything has so many moving parts and players and timelines and unknowns. I had the luxury of learning from someone that had been doing this for over a decade (when I started).

In the small business world, everything feels like a start-up. So many people take that path because they are breakers of molds, want to take their hard work and talent and make it work for them, and have to figure out ways to make it work in a system made for big business. So being steeped in that water, even though I wasn’t a business owner for a long time, makes you think differently. It makes you think everything is possible (even when it may not be), and it makes you learn how to pivot quickly and be adaptable (because sometimes you have to be), and it makes you humble because the thing you thought you could pull off didn’t hit (which you learn from and come back for another try).

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My career has centered around creating experiences that bring people together in meaningful ways. Over the past decade, I’ve worked across experiential marketing, event production, brand partnerships, community-building, and producing everything from large-scale public markets to intimate educational and networking experiences.

I spent nearly ten years helping produce nationwide events for independent brands and creative businesses, managing vendor relations, partnerships, logistics, and onsite production for events welcoming thousands of attendees. That work taught me how powerful thoughtfully designed experiences can be, not just for driving sales, but for creating genuine connection between people and brands.

I founded Flourish Locally, a platform focused on creating spaces where small business owners, creatives, and community members can connect, learn, and grow together. Through workshops, gatherings, and experiential concepts like OPEN HOUSE, I’ve become especially interested in how participatory experiences can deepen engagement and turn passive audiences into active patrons.

What excites me most professionally, is building environments that feel intentional, collaborative, and human. I love the strategy behind experiential work, but I also love the onsite execution: facilitating, problem-solving in real time, and watching people connect through something thoughtfully created.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I have two kids. This always surprises people for some reason? I think it’s partially because I don’t lead with that as an identifier of my personality. I’m not like “Hi, I’m Lauren, I have 2 kids”. I’ve always been about work, and what’s going on with people professionally, or creatively, or even romantically. Everyone’s life is a balancing act, I’m interested in how people feel about the balancing their doing and if what they’re balancing (like parenting) comes up, that’s cool too.

Pricing:

• OPEN HOUSE Creative Fest is Free Admission
• OPEN HOUSE Creative Passports give you access to activities at the event. They are $40 for early bird pricing and $50 after June 12th. $55 on site

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.openhousecreativefest.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishlocally/
• Other: https://www.flourishlocally.com/

Image Credits
Headshot – Julie Shuford