Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Gordon.
Hi Lauren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve had a pretty winding journey. I’ve always loved the arts; I grew up going to performing arts schools for most of my childhood. Originally, I wanted to be an actress, but working in the arts and entertainment didn’t seem like a very practical career path, so I decided to pursue teaching, social work, and numerous other career options. But I was miserable. I wasn’t doing what I loved. So I decided to just follow my heart and see where that took me. I moved to New York to go to an acting conservatory. That didn’t end up working out, but my mom encouraged me to start a blog of my time in NY and it brought me back to one of my first loves–writing! I decided to finally pursue a career that would make me happy, and everything just started falling into place.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Outside of the financial challenges of moving halfway across the country, one of my main obstacles was fighting against my own self-doubt. A job in entertainment, let alone on a TV show, seemed so far outside of the realm of possibility that I almost didn’t try. I’m from Texas, and outside of Austin there wasn’t really much of a filming community there. It just felt so out of reach. I knew that film school would help me meet my goal, but getting into film school seemed even more impossible. I felt like I had waited too late in my life to make a major change like this and that maybe I wasn’t good enough to make it. So overcoming that was hard and it’s something I still have to quiet in my mind now.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am currently a Showrunner’s Assistant. I’m the right hand to the head writer and executive producer of a TV show. As an aspiring TV writer, this is such an amazing opportunity to see up close how a TV is created and managed all the way from the top. When I think back about how impossible this all felt, I am truly in awe of how far I’ve come and where I’ve ended up. In a way, all of the detours and life experiences prepared me to be flexible and to think quickly on my feet, qualities that are essential to succeeding when working on a TV show, where the environment is fun but it’s also challenging and fast-paced.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I’m a textbook introvert but I’m also incredibly shy, so networking has always been hard for me. But the entertainment industry is a relationship business so I had to figure out a way to make connections. What’s worked well for me is to focus on quality, not quantity. I firmly believe that two solid, authentic connections will take you farther than ten surface-level connections. So, I tend to just focus on connecting authentically with people and finding my tribe rather than forcing connections for the sake of “networking.” The rest always falls into place.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @MsElleAyeGee
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-gordon-60852489/
- Twitter: @MsElleAyeGee
Image Credits
Lauren Gordon
