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

Lauren, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

If I could go back in time, I would certainly have started my career sooner! Don’t get me wrong – I am a firm believer that things happen when they are meant to happen. However, I would have liked to take steps to prepare for the career path that I desired.

I started dancing at 11 years old, took a break in high school for cheerleading, and resumed dance training in college. While I appreciate the experiences and friendships that I had in cheer, I wish that I would have focused on a more well rounded dance training at that time. Perhaps that would have lowered my chances of chronic injuries and concussions…or maybe not! Regardless, I focused in and out all of my energy into dance training and performing going into college, and I am so glad that I did!

As for content creation, I have been modeling for years and sharing the type of content that brands look for without realizing that it was “influencing” or that I was a content creator. I didn’t realize that I was doing this until the pandemic lockdown. I actually had time to research, learn, and ask questions (thanks to Clubhouse!), and this made a huge difference in how I looked at my social platforms. You mean I could have created a steady flow of income from multiple passions of mine? I jumped right on it and haven’t looked back.

Overall, I feel that starting sooner in these careers would have been beneficial, however I am grateful for the knowledge that I am able to apply to my work. Some life experiences are necessary to guide us in our paths, even if they aren’t directly related. Divine timing is funny that way!

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?

While I wear many hats, I can best be described as a content creator & choreographer based in Atlanta, GA! I have been performing and teaching classes in Atlanta for 10 years, with a focus on jazz dance and vogue. I currently host pop up classes and workshops, using my craft not only for dance training, but to empower and uplift students as well. One core value of my work is creating a safe space for growth and expression for everyone involved.

As a content creator, I employ my modeling, photography, creative direction, and set design skills to make engaging and interesting content for both my viewers and the brands that I work with. A few brands that I have partnered with are Olay, Ad Council, Stay Golden Cosmetics, and Burju Shoes. Combining all of my passions into one, I am able to model, dance, and find creative ways to share products and tips with my audience!

When it comes to my work, there are a few things that I am very proud of. One being that I am able to spread messages of empowerment to thousands of people and uplift those that may need encouragement. No matter what I do, I know this is one of my purposes in life. Another is that the majority of the brands that I work with and even those that I share for fun are owned or lead by women of color. While I am open to working with brands with different backgrounds, celebrating and supporting women of color will always be a priority of mine!

I am so blessed to be able to use my creativity in my work. I hope to continue sharing my projects and my journey to inspire others to follow their paths as well!

Have you ever had to pivot?

At this point, pivot is my middle name! There have been many obstacles in my path, and one in particular is one that I feel we can all resonate with – 2020. To be quite honest, the lockdown was life changing for me in many ways and that journey started for me at the end of 2019.

I spent years overworking myself with a draining day job, teaching at multiple studios, and still being active in multiple communities. I was exhausted, but I had to keep pushing my creative endeavors while living paycheck to paycheck. It was in November 2019 that I finally took a leap of faith. I was struggling in a toxic work environment and despite my efforts, had not been able to land a better job just yet. One day, I reached a point where I just couldn’t do it anymore. I went ahead and put in that two weeks notice! All I had was enough money to cover one month of bills and a lot of faith in an upcoming interview.

I felt so free. There was an indescribable joy that I had when I left the key on that desk and walked out of the office for the last time. I had no idea what was going to happen, and honestly, it felt amazing. I ended up getting a job offer at my interview, but I wouldn’t start until February 2020. So I picked up a holiday season job, kept teaching and dancing, and really enjoyed a break from stress and hectic schedules.

Fast forward to February, I start training and everything is great! One month later, everything was put on hold as the world began to lockdown. My mind was a mess – would I keep my new job? How long would this last? What would I do to pay my bills?!

Thankfully I was with an amazing company and they answered every question that they could and helped us get unemployment. I was able to rest for the first time in about 8 years. Read that again. Eight years. This is what truly caused a shift for me.

I could sleep in peace. There weren’t a bunch of deadlines to meet. I didn’t have back to back 14-16 hour days! There were days that I would take time to sit get to know myself, not as an employee, cast member, or director…but as a human that has more to offer than completed projects. I learned to give gratitude to myself for more than productivity levels or achievements. Lastly, I realized that I could never go back to that life.

It is during this time that I became self aware and learned more about my passions, as well as ways to express myself through them. I found out about content creation and dove right in. I started sharing things that I learned with others and used my experience to help as many as I could.

During the time that I waited to return to work, I changed the entire dynamic of my projects. I began to create for me and share my genuine expression, not what I thought people wanted to see. Not even what was trending, unless it applied!

Now that I am working again, I have the ability to evolve as a creative. As the world returns to normal, I’m back in classes and rehearsals while still putting my health and wellbeing first. My creative work is continuously improving and the best part of it all…I’m proud of it all!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Initially, my audience was built by good old fashioned networking. Going to events and classes, performing, collaborations…I met so many great people and exchanged information. I also began my natural hair journey right before it became a big deal, so I was able to build an audience from sharing posts about that as well. As social media really started taking over, I grew by supporting other pages, fostering relationships with my mutuals, and sharing what I loved – dancing and modeling.

In this era of social media, it’s important to consistently engage with pages that have similar interests. Don’t stalk your following count because it will change. Instead, focus on building strong relationships and sharing genuine insights with your followers. Post content that you are proud of and be consistent with that as well! Also, avoid spamming pages with likes or asking others to do this to your page. It actually hurts your engagement. You’ll want to develop a presence with quality content and sincere interactions. That’s the key!

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.laurenvirdure.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativelyla
• Other: Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdGNbdyr/

Image Credits
Lauren Virdure