Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lori Pine. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Lori, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
I grew up in a small town nestled in the western mountains of Maine. . At 18 and 19, my mom, the oldest of 6 in a bustling Irish Catholic family married my dad and had me 14 months later. With just high school educations, they started out with the most humble of beginnings. What they would teach me would be priceless: work ethic, the value of family, and how to work a room. My mother’s family owned a thriving restaurant (for 50 years!) that was a popular tourist destination along scenic Route 2. It was busy year around with skiers in the winter; sun seekers basking in the glory of gorgeous Maine weather, lobster, and blueberry pie in the summer; leaf peepers in the fall; and despite the muddy season of Spring, families, buses and smiling faces still poured into the front door. By the time I was in 3rd grade, our lives revolved around the restaurant. My mom worked there full time and was part of the succession plan to take over for her retiring father.
At the age of ten, I happened upon my first opportunity to bus tables. I jumped at the opportunity to help and at the end of a couple of hours, I received my first cash tip. I was hooked. I would go on to spend middle school helping in odd jobs, high school waitressing, and college creating business and marketing plans to help expand the restaurant.
They allowed me to try new things and fail (taking an order and getting it ALL wrong!). They trusted me with money (working the cash register). And they listened to my ideas (albeit some of them were terrible).
Lori, 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 spent 25 years working for 3 of the largest consumer brands in America: Anheuser-Busch, The Coca-Cola Company and Campbell’s Soup Company. I climbed the ranks to VP and found myself burnt out and wondering if there was more to life? That’s when life presented me with an opportunity to become a stay-at-home mom to my then 17 year old son who was really struggling during the pandemic. That’s when my career took a detour, I resigned from corporate life, went to Rutgers University and became a Certified Executive Leadership Coach and built the business I have today where I get to work with ambitious, high achieving women who are looking for help solving what feels to be an elusive, unsolvable problem: how to find joy. I needed to build a company based on what I wished somebody would have helped me navigate: difficult managers, single parenthood/divorce, grief/loss, feelings of not being enough or having enough, purpose and dreams. I am most proud of the value I give to my clients. I created a 3-hour Joy Power Boost Intensive where they are 1:1 with me and we solve one problem. I have the gift of clarity which saves time, energy, and angst. Women come to me with big stories. We quickly boil it down and get into action plans. It’s pure JOY!
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I grew up playing sports all the way through college. I was very competitive and had a deep drive for winning. I played for exceptional female coaches in both high school and college and I learned a high standard of performance. This attitude served me well in my corporate role and made me an outstanding team player, leader, manager, and visionary. I understood excellence and the importance of beating the competition (literally the Coke vs Pepsi soda wars).
However, this idea of competition had to be unlearned in my entrepreneurial journey. I am not in competition with anyone. Hiring an executive coach is a deeply personal decision and will become an intimate relationship intended to significantly impact the client. I can only be me, the best me who is meant to serve somebody who is intended for the unique gifts I possess based on my experiences, learnings, and abilities. The business I am building, the brand it represents, the clients it attracts, it’s all based on me. Grateful for this unlearning.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Word of mouth.
Every single client I have to date has been because somebody personally recommended me. That’s why it is so important that I give more in value than someone pays in a dollar amount. People want to be seen, to matter. I have real experience and have walked in their shoes. That eliminates any need for lengthy explanations. We can get to the heart of what is really bothering them, what keeps them up at night googling at 2am, what’s behind the tears, the fears, and imposter syndrome, the feeling empty and burnt out. With clarity, we can get to what’s in our hula hoop and what’s not. I teach this and it changes lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://loripine.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loripine/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092159138370
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorifaklerpine/
Image Credits
@mallikamalhotra.co