Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren LoGrasso.
Hi Lauren, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I received my BFA in Acting and BA in Communication from Michigan State University. In order to get those two pieces of paper, I traveled to Los Angeles to complete my last three credits with an internship on The Ellen Show and decided to stay to pursue acting.
Within weeks of my pursuit, I got my first acting role and joined SAG-AFTRA, but soon after, with the constant rejection, subpar representation and less than fulfilling costar roles, acting started breaking my heart. As is so often the case, that pain turned into purpose when I picked up a guitar and wrote my first song. Acting broke my heart, music healed it. When I started writing music, my soul opened up like never before- it felt like home.
Soon music started taking off and I was booking gigs at top LA venues like House of Blues, The Viper Room and Hard Rock Cafe. While driving to these gigs, I would listen to SiriusXM Radio, and I fell in love with long-form talk programming. It made me feel less alone. Much like music, it opened up something in my soul and filled a gap I didn’t know I was missing until then.
Shortly after, I got a position as a host on AfterBuzz TV, which, thanks to my mentors Serena Kodila Regan and Keven Undergaro, led to me becoming a producer and on-air personality on Maria Menounos’ SiriusXM Show, Conversations with Maria Menounos.
Ever since then I have split my time between music and media. I currently work as a singer/songwriter, an award-winning podcast host and executive producer, a media and creativity coach and a public speaker.
As a songwriter, I currently have six singles out, as well as a new single on the way in early 2023 about codependency and learning to let go of unhealthy relationships called, “Walking on Air.” As a podcast host and EP, I’m currently working on my show, Unleash Your Inner Creative, We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle, Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain and many other amazing shows at Cadence13. I also am a media/creative coach and have recently had the pleasure of coaching the amazing Manuel Amezcua on his podcast, At the Podium. My favorite thing in life is finding ways to authentically express my voice (Whether it’s singing, speaking, etc.) and helping others to do the same! I’m grateful my path has led me to do just that!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For the most part, I think life is rarely a completely smooth road. I mean it will be smooth for a while, but then you’ll hit another bump and you have to figure out how to get yourself back on track and/or decide if you need to journey a new road, entirely. What I am trying to do is to stop looking at these bumps as failures and quit wasting time getting distraught when they come up.
What I aim to do instead, is look at the bumpy times as an opportunity for reflection. If something is not in flow, it’s a chance for you to ask whether the path you’re on is really serving your greatest good, and if not, reassess.
That said, I have struggled a lot. One thing I have been coming up against lately is just the fact that I have fought so hard to be seen as a multi-passionate creative and carve out multiple careers for myself in different industries all at once. I am realizing that while this has fulfilled me creatively, it hasn’t necessarily always worked completely to my advantage. At times, it has caused burnout, slower growth in some areas due to limited focus and stunted my personal life/ability to have fun, due to basically having to work day and night.
I don’t regret anything thus far and these passions are genuinely all dreams of mine. At some point, though, I want to find a way to do them all concurrently and maybe in a more integrated way- for instance maybe doing a live show where I interview someone and sing with them or something like that. I am proud of every accomplishment- I mean, hey, I don’t know that many people who have been featured in People Mag for their original music, produced top podcasts, spoken at big conventions and even acted in a film opposite Eric Roberts…But I am currently considering hunkering down and focusing a little more, just even for my own mental health. This realization has been a significantly bumpy time for me that I think/hope will ultimately lead to growth and greater success in all areas of my life. I’ll keep you updated!
Thanks for sharing that. Please tell us more about you. What do you specialize in? What are you most proud of and what sets you apart from others?
I specialize in music and media. As I mentioned, I’m multi-passionate creative best known for my work as a singer/songwriter, award-winning podcast host, executive producer, media/creativity coach, actor and public speaker.
My passion in life is really figuring out how to use my singing and speaking voice to unleash my deepest, truest self and go after my dreams and empowering others to do the same in their own creative journeys.
The thing I am most proud of in my life is that I really do my best to bring my full self to everything I do. I always try my best to tell the truth of my life, at that moment, through my songs, podcasts, speeches, producing and coaching and to not hold back when things are not so pretty or I am struggling…In that same vein, I am also very proud to be the first person in my family to publicly talk about and work through my mental health. I have struggled with anxiety and some depression since I was little and being able to speak that out loud was a major feat for me. Mental Health is not at all something that is widely discussed in the Midwest/Italian Catholic culture I was raised in. Speaking about it has helped eliminate shame in me and other people in my family and I feel very proud that I did that and continue to do it. It feels like ending the generational trauma of repressing these truths and there’s some sort of healing around that.
Also, executive producing We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle has been one of the great honors of my life and career. Not only is the content of the show life-changing, but working with Glennon, Abby, Amanda and their superstar team, Dynna and Allison, has been like a masterclass in heart-led leadership, deep authenticity and vulnerability. They have taught me that it IS possible to have both high standards AND to lead with kindness. Kindness and high standards actually go hand in hand. I wish they would teach a leadership course for all of Hollywood, because to me, this is the new paradigm and I just feel so grateful that our paths crossed. Anyway, I love them all and am forever grateful for how I’ve been changed just by knowing them.
What sets me apart from others? I look at all of aspect of my creative life as opportunities to get to know oneself better. I have realized, through my podcast and interviewing hundreds of creatives, that you can’t fully creatively unleash if you don’t know, love and trust yourself- so I am always looking at my work from that point of view- as a tool for self-expression, building self-love and self-trust. I work to empower others to do the same as a coach and producer. I lead with belief- at the end of every podcast, I say I believe in you…Hoping to fill in the gap until the listener can find it within themselves to believe in their own abilities. Belief can make all the difference in someone’s life and creative journey, so I try to be that for people when I can.
Also this is a weird fun fact, but through my job(s) I have had the opportunity to sit and talk with some of the greatest minds, artists, stars and visionaries in the world- for instance, one time, while waiting for an interview to start, I sat in a room with Eckhart Tolle for about 30 minutes and we talked about some people knew in common through work, but also about Santa Barbara and Grocery stores and marriage…It kind of helps you take the pressure off of yourself when you realize that even the deepest, most profound and visionary people in the world are still people and can have a human conversation. They can do this and still be extraordinary and produce extraordinary work…And that can be the same for you!
What matters most to you? Why?
People. People are everything. If you have good people around you, success is almost inevitable. I recently had a filmmaker named Joshua Brandon on my podcast who said, “invest in people, not ideas.” I completely agree with this- if you have the right people around you, the ideas will come. My mentor Keven also used to say, “hire for heart, train for skill.” I totally agree with this, too. You can’t teach someone how to care, work passionately and be a good person- as long as someone has these qualities and the desire to learn, you can train most other skills. Anyway, people and caring for each other and seeing each other is the most important thing to me in all areas of my life. Invest in good people first, all other good things will follow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laurenlograsso.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenlograsso/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurenlograsso
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurenLoGrasso
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/laurenlograsso
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/laurenlograsso
- Other: https://www.unleashyourinnercreative.com/
Image Credits
Farrah Aviva
