We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Bell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When you were first starting out, did you join a firm or start your own?

There was a certain romanticism to joining the St. Pete Innovation District as the Community Manager of the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub. I underestimated the amounts of hats I’d have to wear: event planner, janitor, marketing guru, you name it. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

It has been a constant hustle. Every win, no matter how small, felt like a victory lap. We got by on sheer willpower fueled by the belief that we were onto something special. There were moments where the enormity of the task threatened to swallow us whole.

But here’s the thing: we had each other. First it was just the two of us. Then we added interns and volunteers, a wave of changing faces who were eager to be involved. We learned from our mistakes, celebrated our successes, and pushed each other to constantly evolve.

So, was it the right choice? Absolutely. Building something from scratch has been the most rewarding experience of my life. It’s not for everyone. It requires a certain tolerance for chaos and a willingness to wear multiple hats (sometimes simultaneously). But if you have the passion, the resilience, and the right team by your side, there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing your vision come to life.

Lauren, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I kind of stumbled into my current industry. My background is retail management where I was in charge of people, places, and things. It turns out, those skills translate really well to working with small businesses and start ups.

The main service I provide is networking, creating spaces, putting people with commonalities there and starting the conversation. Identifying the points of intersection between two people or small businesses when it isn’t obvious requires thinking outside of the proverbial box.

Out of the box is where the magic happens. Because my background isn’t in maritime and defense I don’t feel bound to the conventional way things have always been done.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I thrive on building a truly supportive team environment. That means clear communication, but also getting to know everyone on a personal level. Taking the time to chat, share stories, and understand their strengths and interests helps me connect with them as individuals. Recognition goes a long way too. I make sure to celebrate both big wins and everyday achievements. Work-life balance is important to me, so I respect everyone’s personal time and avoid burnout. To keep them engaged, I look for opportunities for them to develop their skills and advance in their careers. Finally, I foster a collaborative spirit by celebrating our successes together as a team. By focusing on these things, I create teams that feel valued, motivated, and ready to achieve amazing things together.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The world screeched to a halt in March 2020. One minute we were bustling with customers, the next, the store was eerily silent, no customers, no employees, just me. Then the online orders started flooding in. Dozens a day turned into hundreds. We were a shoe store, not a shipping warehouse! I scrambled to learn new packing procedures, wrestled with unfamiliar shipping software, and transformed the stockroom into a packing frenzy. It was exhilarating chaos.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stpeteinnovationdistrict.com/thehub
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stpetehub/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maritimeanddefensetechhub/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/85795450/admin/feed/posts/
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-bell-0937b010/