Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lauren Holloway. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lauren, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

A few years after I graduated college, I was stuck. I had obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Film & Media Arts and started in the industry working at Golf Channel for 2 years until I was ultimately laid off along with the rest of my department. Shortly after, I started a job at HSN working on-call as an Assistant Producer, and after my 6 weeks of training would often work an 8-hour shift at Publix (a job I had since high school and kept throughout the years) and would make the commute to St. Pete and work a 10-hour overnight shift at HSN. I would then drive back home to Orlando (after napping for a couple of hours – sometimes I would be awake for 24 hours) and would often do it all over again. I had applied for multiple promotions, whether it was the full-time position of what I was currently doing, and would make it to the final two and would ultimately lose out to the other person being considered. The company then started undergoing layoffs which my department survived; however, my hours were cut immensely.

I started to take a step back and think about what I could do. I had gone back and forth in my head about switching to Marketing as it offered the stability I learned that I had wanted. After being affected by two back-to-back companies, I felt that maybe film and television might not be for me no matter how much I loved that industry. Since I was no longer working the hours I previously had at HSN, I began picking up shifts at Publix (where I was still part-time) and would freelance in film and television whenever I got the chance. After close to a year of not getting enough work freelancing to make a living, I decided to ultimately move forward in my decision to pursue Marketing.

During this time, I was promoted to full-time at Publix so that I could have insurance benefits, and I got to work. In between working full-time, I would come home and complete Marketing certifications and volunteered for a non-profit creating Twitter content completely free. One day, my friend and coworker who knew that I was pursuing Marketing tagged me in an open house event for a local Marketing agency to learn about what they do. I asked for a later shift that day so that I could attend and met the team and connected with them on social media.

Fast forward a few months later, I saw that there was a job opening for a Marketing Project Manager. I applied but didn’t hear anything…at first. I was motivated and reached out to one of the team members I had met and let her know that I was interested in applying but hadn’t heard anything. I was motivated and wanted the job. She talked to the business owner, and he then asked to meet for an interview. I compiled all the work I had done in the last year along with my resume and made my way to the interview. I had been overlooked for so long, and I KNEW I was capable of the role, and someone just needed to see my drive. I interviewed and told him how I knew I could do the job and that I wanted it and was hired on the spot.

Although excited to accept the new role, there were no benefits or PTO, and quite honestly, I was terrified of leaving the comfort of Publix full time where I knew I would always have a job. I was leaving my comfort zone and treading into the unknown. Right after getting the job, I went to Publix and told them I’m dropping to part-time working once a week and took a leap of faith.

I worked at the Marketing agency for a year and a half until COVID hit and affected the business, ultimately causing me to be laid off. (Three layoffs in my 20’s, who would think?!) It wasn’t the end of my story in Marketing; however, it was just the beginning. Right before COVID started, I had attempted to start a travel blog but didn’t fully commit much time to it. During my furlough and layoff, I decided it was time to put my blogging dreams into a reality and to switch niches as I wasn’t traveling enough to ultimately keep up with the “travel” aspect of it. I was officially laid off for a month before acquiring a new full-time Marketing job, but my effort on my blog was also in full swing. During my furlough, I worked on my blog nonstop and used it as my portfolio for my newest position. I started with Fashion as everything was shut down, but my passion was Things to Do as I’m a very adventurous person.

Fast forward to today, I am now a Marketing Manager and have grown my blog immensely (and I finally cover Things to Do like I had dreamed of) and met an amazing community as a result. I still have goals I want to achieve in my career (I want to one day be Chief Marketing Officer), which I am actively working on moving towards, along with continuing to grow my blog. If I didn’t take the risk of leaving my comfort zone, I wouldn’t be in the position I am currently in. I am entirely grateful that I didn’t let my fears overcome me and hold me back from my full potential.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I highlight food spots and Things to do in Florida on my Instagram and Tik Tok accounts under the handle @sunshineandkeylimeblog. I especially love highlighting businesses that aren’t well known so that they can get more exposure to locals. What sets me apart from others is how much time I put into each video or photo and “getting it right.” I’m proud to have created videos that have gone viral and resulted in the business having an influx of customers.

I’ve always been a creative person, and making an impact has always been something that has been a goal of mine, so combining the two together and highlighting other small businesses and driving business their way fulfills my mission of making a difference in others’ lives. The marketing shift to video in recent years has allowed me to utilize my creativity, and my account is a resemblance of that.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of creating videos is when I hear from followers and business owners saying how much they love what content I’m putting out as well as how it has changed their business in a positive way and increased traffic and sales. For example, one viral video resulted in two $10,000 weeks for a business, and class sales were steadily up compared to last year. Hearing how something I did created such a great result is very heartwarming for me.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I’ve always wanted to make a positive impact in my life and knowing that my creativity and the hard work I’m putting into it is paying off drives me and keeps me going.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/sunshineandkeylimeblog
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-m-holloway/
• Youtube: @sunshineandkeylimeblog
• Other: TikTok: Tiktok.com/@sunshineandkeylimeblog