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

Lauren, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I hope that I’ll be remembered for always being intentional with my authenticity. Particularly after becoming a mom, it became a priority for me to truly find myself and become completely comfortable with who I am. I think that’s the only way we can live a fulfilled life. Ultimately, I want to empower others to do the same, especially my kids. After all, we’re all human, we’re all flawed, and most importantly, we all have a story that can help someone else.

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?

I’m a plant-based dietitian, freelance writer, and coach. I’m also a mom to two awesome boys and a dog.

On one hand, I help health and wellness brands strategically share their messages and connect more deeply with their audiences. I specialize in plant-based (vegan, vegetarian) living. On the other hand, I help women find what I call their “peak authenticity”, which includes a plant-forward focus.

I adopted a plant-based lifestyle in 2013, removing animal products from my diet. I was a clinical dietitian at the time. I decided that in order to be better at my job and challenge myself, I’d figure out how to replace meat, eggs, and dairy on my plate.

Meanwhile, I started learning everything I could about the modern food system, industrial animal agriculture, and environmental health. These are things you can’t simply “unlearn” and had a monumental impact on my life. I haven’t eaten meat since. This has not only improved my health and self-confidence but truly made me a better human and steward of the planet.

That’s why I’ve expanded my mission from not only helping brands elevate their messaging but also helping women elevate their own lives.

As a single mom, I’ve been challenged by personal reflection from a variety of angles. I began to recognize how disconnected I was from myself. I decided to become more intentional about stepping outside of my comfort zone, nourishing my body well (hello, plant foods), focusing on my fitness, centering myself on my faith, and building supportive communities. These have been the pillars of my journey to authenticity. While I’m a forever work in progress, I love helping other women on a similar journey to find their solid ground, too.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Two things:

Authenticity. I’ve learned that the more you’re able to be yourself, the more luck you’re going to have connecting with the right clientele. After all, people are much more interested in working with and supporting other humans than brands they can’t really relate to.

Consistency. I’ve made it a priority to deliver quality work and communicate with my clients consistently. This has led to happy clients, good testimonials, and an increase in word-of-mouth referrals.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I’ve had plenty of corporate jobs, but when I had kids, I felt called to be at home more often but still have a fulfilling career. In 2017, I left my last 9-5 job and started a side hustle. I was dabbling in freelance writing for nutrition brands, providing 1:1 plant-based nutrition coaching, and giving health presentations in schools.

It was fun, brought in some money for my family, and helped me discover what I liked and disliked. Not long into this transition, my marriage ended and I needed to figure out how to scale up my business.

I’ve always been a good writer, I really enjoy it, and I had some regular clients at that time, so I decided that would be the best route for me to pursue. It also allowed me the flexibility I needed to be home with my kids and work with multiple schedules. I dove into cold-pitching, networking, building my portfolio, and learning how to do some digital marketing.

Today, freelance writing and content marketing are no longer my side hustle. They are my full-time gig. Entrepreneurship has its ups and downs and unpredictabilities, of course. But I wouldn’t trade the flexibility it provides my family and the opportunities it allows me to hone my craft, pivot when I need to, and connect with my people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://laurenpanoff.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futureisveg/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lpanoff
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-panoff-mph-rd

Image Credits
Jessica Jo Photo-cherries Cherish Lamgo-blue headshot Holly James-Gordon-group shot