Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren LoGrasso.
Hi Lauren, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I saw my first theatre production at just three years old, turned to my Mom and said, “I want to be up there doing that.” From that time on my life has been centered around creativity, storytelling, the human experience and joyful self-expression. I got a BFA in acting and BA in communication from Michigan State University and came out to LA to originally do an internship. From there I’ve lived at least nine creative lives. Starting out my career in Hollywood as an actor, which shifted into music and songwriting, which led to podcast hosting and producing, which has led into my latest creative endeavors: public speaking and creative coaching. My life has been all about following my heart and walking through open doors. The best lesson I’ve learned is to trust the dreams you find on the way to your dreams and not rebrand disappointment as failure. More on that later.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth is not at all the way I’d describe it. But to be honest, I don’t think there’s anyone on planet Earth who thinks they’ve had a smooth ride. Something I’ve learned is that even the most spectacularly gifted and lucky people amongst us think they’re the underdog. It’s an interesting part of being human, that we all feel scrappy no matter what. That said, for me it has ABSOLUTELY been a long and winding road.
If you look at my journey, there’s no mistaking that my first, second, third and even fourth plan didn’t go as expected. When I moved to LA, all I wanted to do on this sweet Earth was act. I wanted to be a working actress more than I wanted anything. Even more than I wanted to be myself. So even though I loved acting so much, and I had some success (joining SAG, getting paid jobs, etc.) I came to realize I was in a codependent relationship with it and I had to distance myself from it. After that, I have tried to never wind my identity so tightly with what I do. My biggest life philosophy is that who you are is the best thing about you. My life’s work is learning to divest my worth from the outcome of my work–a tricky thing to do when the work you do relies on public approval. But I love a challenge.
So as I mentioned in the first question, after that experience of acting breaking my heart and feeling like I failed, I’ve learned to trust when things start to shift and to reinvent myself according to what is lighting me up at the moment. Since the goal of acting faded away, I went on to fully pursue music, then radio, then podcasting and now thought leadership and coaching. Each part of my career had its era and now all of them are kind of combining. I feel lucky that in this moment, I am really getting to do a hybrid of many things that I love: I am actively professionally producing, hosting, writing music, public speaking and doing creative coaching. There’s a great quote by Edward Albee that has always stuck with me: “Sometimes you have to go a long way to come back a short distance correctly” – I feel like I’ve finally found my way back to myself through the many twists and turns and detours. Everything had meaning and led me here.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I’m a keynote speaker, creative coach, three time Webby Award Winning podcast host of Unleash Your Inner Creative, producer of hit podcasts like We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle, and People Magazine-featured singer/songwriter. Lauren LoGrasso Productions is my LLC that houses my creative endeavors. At the heart of all my creative work is one mission: to help people unleash their creativity, find and express their authentic voice and live a purpose-driven life.
One of the most exciting parts of my business right now is the recent public launch of my speaking career! I have spoken for years, but this year I finally made it an emphasis and it has been such a joy. As a speaker, I deliver keynotes to organizations, corporations, colleges, and conventions on topics like unleashing creativity, the key to creative leadership, staying creative through crisis, and finding holistic success. My talks are deeply personal, combining inspiration, storytelling, and actionable tools people can immediately apply to their lives. I also incorporate original music into every talk, because I believe in modeling what I teach: being creative right there on stage and teaching through art.
I’m proud that my speaking work weaves together every chapter of my creative and personal journey. Each lesson, success, and challenge is infused into my message. If you’d like to bring me to a stage near you, you can reach out to my manager, Stevie Johns, at Inkwell Management.
Another major passion that I’d like to highlight is my creative coaching practice, where I help artists, entrepreneurs, and purpose-driven individuals answer the creative call. I look at creativity through the lens of both healing and practical guidance. Through coaching, I help people to build success from a foundation of self-love. If you’re feeling called to reconnect with your creativity or need help putting out your creative project, I’m currently welcoming a few new coaching clients. I’d love to support you. You can reach out via my website, laurenlograsso.com.
I also have to put out a little plug for my sultry, rocky rendition of Christina Aguilera’s Genie in a Bottle. I put it out in October and it has been doing great on Spotify! Play it while driving around LA–it will make you feel like the main character in the movie of your life! It’s available wherever you get your music.
At the heart of everything I do, whether it’s speaking, coaching, podcasting, or music, is the belief that creativity is not a luxury; it’s a birthright. My work exists to help people reclaim it.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
As I mentioned earlier, the best lessons I’ve learned are 1)to trust the dreams you find on the way to your dreams and 2) not to rebrand disappointment as failure.
When I look back on my acting career, I realize I did not actually experience failure. I didn’t even try long enough to fail. What I did experience was gut-wrenching disappointment. Disappointment that shook me to my core and made me question my very being and worth as a human. Had I done the inner-work before pursuing that career path, I have no doubt that it would have gone differently for me. However, because my worth was SO tied into acting and my success, I really didn’t have a chance in a field with that much rejection.
So before (and while) you pursue your dreams, make sure you’re doing work to learn how to love, trust and know yourself. If you can remember that worth is made on the inside, it will change your life and how you approach your goals because they will no longer have the ability to make or break you. This will keep you from rebranding disappointment as failure and give you the sustenance you need to continue on in a creative or artistic career…Or to know yourself enough to see when it’s time to move onto something different and to do so lovingly.
Which brings me to the second part…Trusting the dreams you find on the way to your dreams…While I wish I could have made the transition from acting to music in a different way, I also believe that experience was part of my purpose so I could teach these lessons to people through my work. When acting broke my heart, music healed it. I never dreamed I could have been a songwriter- I didn’t write my first song until I was 23. If I had gotten everything I wanted in acting, I would have had a MUCH smaller life and possibly never discovered songwriting, performing original music, guitar, hosting, producing, public speaking and coaching. All of these were dreams I found on the way to my dreams that I loved even more than my original intention of acting. So stay open, you never know the beautiful and expansive places the journey can lead you to. Sometimes the dreams on the way to your dreams are even more powerful than your original intention.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laurenlograsso.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenlograsso/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurenlograsso
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenlograsso/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/laurenlograsso
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/laurenlograsso
- Other: https://pod.link/1451719426
Image Credits
Photo Credit: Farrah Aviva
