Chicago – April Member of the Month: Lauren Selman, VP Strategy, Seed Strategy

Hometown
Darien, IL

Current job title and company
VP, Strategy @ Seed Strategy

Describe your career journey. 

I’m a brand strategist and innovator with 10 years of experience helping global Fortune 500 clients drive growth and inspire clarity in an ambiguous business. Having grown from a project management role into an executive leadership role responsible for revenue growth, I enjoy exploring and learning all areas of the business––both internally and within our client walls. I am fortunate to build relationships with C-level execs and marketing change agents inside the world’s most innovative companies. Through these relationships, I’ve gained mentors that have shaped who I am today.

Which three words would you use to describe your personality? 
Empathetic, Driven, Curious

What committees/programs are you involved in with She Runs It? 

• Leadership Development Committee
• Mentor and Mentee in the annual Mentorship program (there is always room to grow!)

How has participating in the leadership development committee helped with your own personal and career development? 
Everyone involved is a serious go-getter (i.e. creating side hustles, dedicated to lifelong hobbies, fierce career moms that balance so well) so they’ve provided a lot of inspiration for my own personal development-–inside and outside of work. I also was hoping to build my networking skills and who better to learn from than the women that are planning and executing all of the C-Suite events and other industry-leading panels.

Name a woman who inspires you and why. 
Sara Blakely. She’s phenomenal. One, she’s obsessed with Cheez-Its (who isn’t?!) but two, she dragged herself through hell to start Spanx for the sole purpose of empowering women. Listen to her episode of How I Built This (seriously, do it). (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/national-public-radio/how-i-built-this/e/46340238)

What does the words “She Runs It” mean to you?

Women not taking “no” for answer. We can do anything. It’s extremely fitting with the world’s current conversation.