Meet Charissa Lauren | Publicist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charissa Lauren and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charissa, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think the determination of success is different for everyone. For some, that could mean financial security. For others, that may mean having the flexibility to establish more balance. I think for me, success means many things. It has always been important to me that I did something I love, and that any career I chose was rooted in purpose.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
started working young, work always felt like something I was meant to do. At 13, I waited tables at the local VFW during bingo nights, earning quarter tips from regulars who smelled of cigarettes and hamburgers. By the end of each night, we’d dump our change on the counter and count out $13 to $20 in coins. That smell, smoke, hamburgers, fryer grease, stayed with me so strongly it sometimes took two showers to wash away. But that job taught me the value of a dollar. One summer, I saved every bit of that change, stuffing it under my bed until it grew into a $300 wad of cash. That fall, I bought my own clothes for my freshman year of high school. It was the first time I felt the pride of truly earning something.

I’d always been involved in theater, but by 16 I started taking modeling and pageants more seriously. Agencies gave me my first real opportunities, and even though I was shy, stepping on a stage, or in front of a camera, forced me into a temporary, heightened version of myself: confident, bold, unafraid. But it wasn’t long before I realized I was just as fascinated by the chaos backstage as I was by the spotlight. I worked with agencies like The Talent Group and Mosser Casting, coordinated shows for Pittsburgh Fashion Week, and took every opportunity possible to learn the entertainment and fashion business from the inside out.

I went to school for pre-law, but I quickly realized that a 9–5 office life would smother me. The entertainment world moved at my pace, fast, creative, unpredictable. Freelancing for magazines and producing events opened my eyes to something bigger: Public Relations. It was the perfect blend of everything I loved, writing, storytelling, producing, positioning people, and I knew instantly that it was my path.

By 22, I launched my first PR business with a partner, and I haven’t slowed down since. Was it hard? Absolutely. I dropped out of school, moved back in with my parents, worked on a broken laptop, lived on PB&J, and burned out more times than I can count. I barely slept, I didn’t date, and my social life was nonexistent. My parents didn’t understand any of it, they came from a generation where “real work” happened on location, not behind a computer screen.

I’ll never forget the day I proved to myself that it was working. I went with my dad to the bank to get the deposit for my first apartment. I withdrew $2,000, money he probably didn’t even know I had, and walked out knowing I wasn’t coming back. That moment felt like the first real step into the life I had been building all along.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve never considered myself a true Pittsburgher, yet somehow I’ve remained here longer than I ever expected. It’s nothing against the city, I just never felt particularly called to stay. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel, and those experiences exposed me to so many different ways of living.

Still, if a friend were visiting, there are a few places I’d take them, my own small pocket of Pittsburgh that has always felt special.

My heart was always drawn to Mt. Washington, where I lived in a duplex during my early twenties. My go-to spot was Shiloh Grill, recently named the most haunted restaurant in the city, though I always suspected as much. Back then, you couldn’t beat their $3 cosmos as a broke college kid. Mt. Washington held a charm the rest of the city couldn’t quite match. historic, a little whimsical, and full of character. I loved walking the overlook and wandering down Shiloh Street.

I’d also take visitors to brunch at the Grand Concourse in Station Square. I’m a complete sucker for ornate architecture, and that early-1900s grandeur never loses its impact. I worked there as a hostess for a while in college, and there was truly no better place to spend a Thanksgiving Day shift.

Another beloved spot of mine is the Omni William Penn Hotel downtown, a stunning 1916 landmark. In my early twenties, while juggling various law-firm jobs and trying to build my business on the side, I’d escape on my lunch breaks to the Starbucks next door, order a peppermint tea, and sit quietly in the Omni’s lobby. I’d stare up at the ceiling and imagine what Pittsburgh must have been like in the roaring twenties.

Looking back, it makes perfect sense: I’ve always been drawn to places with history, beauty, and charm. Those were the parts of Pittsburgh that spoke to me, small reminders that even if I never felt fully rooted here, I still found pieces worth loving.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the inspiration of my grandparents, Wayne and Pat, who also are credited for my love of books and started my library. There have been so many books that have impacted my life, both fiction and nonfiction. Since I was 7, I have read any book I could get my hands on, but some that stuck with me have been The Alchemist, The Last Lecture, On Fire, Many Lives Many Masters, The E Myth, Purpose Driven Life, A Course in Miracles. I tend to gravitate toward books with focus on self-growth and mastery, as I always strive to continuously learn, grow, and become a better version of myself, as everyone should.

Website: https://www.famebycl.com

Image Credits
Justin Hreha Photography