We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lauren Hale-Rieckhoff. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lauren below.

Alright, Lauren thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Years ago, in New York City’s West Village, I felt restless and ready for a new professional challenge. It began with a paint can. A deep rich red, the color was intoxicating—one swipe of the roller on the crisp white wall of my studio apartment, and I was hooked. That wall became a symbol of of staying true to myself: daring, creative, unapologetically me.

The paint was originally called “Sly Fox,” but something about it felt too coy. I was looking for a little more grit. So, I tweaked it, turning “sly” into “wily” and adding a second X. ” And just like that, Wilyfoxx was born. Over the next 15 years, the name became my creative playground—a platform for exploration, reinvention, and ambition. For seven of those years, it was also part of the name of a boutique advisory firm I co-founded with a business colleague. To make it our own, we capitalized the two X’s at the end to symbolize the two of us, standing tall for what we believed in.

This year, I decided to close the chapter on Wilyfoxx. It wasn’t a goodbye as much as an evolution, a refocusing of mental energy on something that had been waiting in the wings for far too long.

Growing up, my Italian mother had a phrase for just about everything. But the one that stuck was “Andiamo.” It means “let’s go”—a rallying cry to get out the door or seize the day. She’d say it to my brother and me, and years later, I’d find myself saying it to my own sons. Rushing them to school, squeezing into packed subway cars—it was always, “Andiamo!”

Then one blisteringly hot July afternoon, after a particularly challenging meeting, I found myself outside, squinting into the sunlight. For a moment, I stood still, suspended between exhaustion and inspiration. And then, out of nowhere, I whispered to the universe, “Andiamo.”

It wasn’t just a word that day. It was a promise. A promise to move forward, to let go of the weight of the past, and to embrace the new chapter ahead. I said it again, louder this time, and a few passersby glanced at me, curious. But I didn’t care. I had made my decision.

And so, ANDIAMO was born—not just a word, but a guiding principle. Today, it’s the umbrella under which I’ve reimagined my work. Andiamo Pictures is where my passion for storytelling takes center stage, producing films, television, podcasts, and more. Meanwhile, Andiamo Collective serves as a home for my strategic advisory work, helping clients navigate their own transformative journeys.

This new chapter is a call to action, for all of us who dare to dream a little bigger, take risks, and move boldly forward.

Andiamo. Let’s go.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Looking back at the past 25 years of professional work, it feels like a tapestry woven with unexpected turns. My journey began with HBO’s Sex & the City, where I worked as a Casting Associate. It was my first real introduction to the magic of the entertainment industry, and there was no better place to start than at the heart of such a cultural phenomenon.

From there, I joined Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in New York, where I spent 14 years representing some of the most iconic names across music, film, TV, and sports. I spearheaded over $200 million in global deals, collaborating with visionaries like Ron Howard, Hilary Swank, Jamie Foxx, Eva Longoria, John Legend, Dwyane Wade, and Sarah Jessica Parker. But my work wasn’t just about dealmaking—it was about building bridges. I recognized early on that founders of disruptive companies could be just as compelling as Hollywood stars, and I worked to bring these thought leaders into the fold, crafting partnerships that pushed boundaries and redefined what was possible.

In 2017, I left CAA and co-founded Wilyfoxx Collective, a boutique strategic advisory firm and multidisciplinary agency. We focused on creating groundbreaking strategies for people, brands, and institutions actively shaping the world. Our clients ranged from tech giants and private equity firms to fashion designers and philanthropic organizations, with a book of business exceeding $10 million. It was an exhilarating time, watching bold ideas transform into tangible impact.

One of my proudest endorsements came from Eric Schmidt, the former chairman of Google, who said, “I’ve worked with Lauren for many years. She has an unusual knack for putting the right people together to solve almost any problem imaginable.” That ability to connect the dots, to see the bigger picture, has always been at the heart of what I do.

Now, I’m in a new chapter with Andiamo Pictures, a company I founded to bring my love of storytelling to life through film and television. My first project, THE FLORIST, stars Carla Gugino as Vivien Leigh and represents everything I love about independent filmmaking—strong, character-driven stories that leave a lasting impression. I’m also an Executive Producer on SAVAGE HOUSE, a sharp British satire with Paramount, as well as EP on a documentary spotlighting the iconic Dita Von Teese, both set for release in 2025.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

For nearly 15 years, I thrived in the polished, high-pressure world of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the behemoth talent agency where power deals and dreams collide. I had a front-row seat to the making of cultural icons. Yet, despite the glittering façade, I felt a restlessness deep within me during the spring of 2016.

It wasn’t that I didn’t love what I did. In fact, I loved it too much, which is why stepping away seemed unthinkable. But the universe has a way of nudging you forward, and in my case, it arrived in the form of an introduction to a small business owner. The opportunity was unexpected but magnetic, and without much hesitation, I jumped. Within weeks, I’d handed in my notice and traded my high-powered corner of the industry for a role as Chief Strategy Officer at a boutique company.

The move baffled my peers. Why leave the world’s biggest talent agency for something so risky, so undefined? But I’ve always believed that great risk brings great reward, and I was eager to see what this next chapter had in store.

Then, three months in, it was clear I had made a mistake. The relationship with the Founder frayed quickly, and one uncomfortable meeting later, I was fired—bluntly, unequivocally, devastatingly. In hindsight, I realized I hadn’t done enough due diligence before taking the leap. I’d been so enamored with the idea of change that I overlooked the signs.

It was a humbling moment. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that setbacks are often just a prelude to transformation. Determined not to repeat my mistakes, I made an uncharacteristic decision: to stop. To sit still. To resist the urge to dive headfirst into the next shiny opportunity.

For six long months, I did what felt impossible. I paused. I gave myself time to reflect and recalibrate. I read voraciously, researched trends, and revisited the industries that fascinated me most. Slowly but surely, a vision began to take shape.

A year after leaving CAA, I opened the door to a new chapter—my own small business. It wasn’t designed to fit into a tidy box. Wilyfoxx was a bit of everything I loved: partnerships, strategy, philanthropy, talent. It was deliberately interdisciplinary, an amalgamation of all I’d learned as an agent. Together with my co-founder, we created a boutique agency that thrived for seven years, a venture that brought me pride, financial success, and a sense of purpose.

Because of this, the decision to pivot from Wilyfoxx to Andiamo didn’t come easily. It required months of soul-searching and countless conversations with myself. Would I be making the same mistake again if I took a leap of faith? Shouldn’t I be grateful for both the stability and the freedom that comes with co-owning a business? But inevitably, I trusted my instincts, listened to the whispers of possibility, and embraced the next step.

Looking back, I see the pattern. The universe may nudge, shove, or even knock me flat, but the path eventually reveals itself. And so, with every pivot, every risk, every hard-earned lesson, I move forward. Andiamo—let’s go.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I’ve always prided myself on having the reputation as a straight shooter. Call it honesty, call it pragmatism—but don’t mistake it for a lack of warmth. My approach has always been to respect people’s time by communicating clearly, without the fanfare or endless PowerPoints that seem to plague the world of strategic advising.

Once, a client described my approach as “ghetto.” He went on to explain his compliment, saying he admired my resourcefulness, toughness, authenticity, and unapologetic sense of self. That moment stayed with me—a reminder of the reputation I strive to uphold, and a testament to the professional values I hold dear: being authentic, efficient, and real.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @laurenhalerieckhoff
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenhalerieckhoff/