Meet Lauren Schwab | Business Mentor & Founder

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

Hi Lauren, what role has risk played in your life or career?
In my opinion, risk taking is the key to success! I believe you must be willing to lose everything to gain everything. In other words, risk it all to gain it all! For the first 25 years of my life I was a master as “playing it safe.” From the outside looking in, it appeared that I had it all together and that I was good at everything I did. People would often comment, “Lauren is so good at everything…she always gets what she wants.” This could not be further from the truth. I wanted A LOT of things that I didn’t have and that was all on me because I wouldn’t attempt anything where I risked failure. When I turned 25, I had an aha moment! I needed to start failing! I needed to start putting myself in positions to get rejected! I needed to start taking risks if I wanted to truly be successful in every area of my life! Risk taking completely changed and transformed my life! I started going ALL IN! Both feet, as opposed to the one in, one out style I used to rock! I focused on ONE THING at a time and gave it everything…even knowing I could “lose” everything in the process. I made some big investments in myself and my business and never looked back! The cool thing is now I know there is no such thing as failure, only feedback! I also know that getting rejected is really just a redirection to something better!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My new business, Business Baptism, just launched and I am so excited! Business Baptism is a 12-step program to help you clean up your business from the inside out! Taking you from risky business to holy business! It took a lot of pivots and plot twists to get me here and of all the businesses I have started, this is the one I am the most proud of! Not only do we have our 90 day group program but we also offer 1:1 coaching, retreats, live events, & workshops! We truly believe any successful business starts with a successful mind. Our minds help set a firm foundation for our life and business! Was it easy? No. What it challenging? Yes. I like to compare life and business to an unfamiliar trail in the wilderness. It’s uncertain. Unknown. Lots of twists, turns, ups and downs. Sometimes you’re afraid. Sometimes you can’t see the entire path to your destination…you only see a little bit at a time and you have to trust and keep moving forward. Sometimes you may trip and fall. The important part is getting up and continuing to move forward. Sometimes you will have people with you to help guide you. Sometimes you’ll be alone and need to trust your intuition to guide you. Remember, you’re smarter and stronger than you think you are! Sometimes the path is familiar because you’ve been there before and it’s easier to navigate. Sometimes it’s new and you have to surrender and fully trust. There may be signs along the way. You must pay attention. Be present. Be focused or you may miss your turn…which is also okay because you’ll pick up a new lesson along the way…as long as you stay open to receiving. You may also experience discomfort, pain and confusion. This is all FOR YOU. For your growth and expansion. You’ll be tired, fatigued, dehydrated, hungry…this also happens frequently in our daily lives. Remember it’s in the pain, not the pleasure that we truly grow. This is how I navigated all of the challenges and struggles of becoming an entrepreneur and business owner. I learned that I would never have all the answers and there would always be new problems to solve. I learned that I had to take BIG risks if I wanted BIG results. I learned that life changes quickly and sometimes dramatically and we have to be able to pivot and reimagine what is possible during those times if we want to succeed. Most importantly, I learned to have faith and trust the process!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh I LOVE this question! Okay so we would definitely go to Erewhon in Venice for breakfast, lunch and dinner! HAHA! But really! Some other go-to spots for good food, snacks and smoothies: 1. The Butcher’s Daughter on Abbot Kinney in Venice 2. Kreation Organic Kafe & Juicery on Abbot Kinney 3. Sunlife Organics in Manhattan Beach or Malibu – THE BEST SMOOTHIES 4. Beachside Restaurant at Jamaica Bay in Marina Del Rey – the best ambiance 5. Nobu Malibu if we are feeling bougie and wanna get dressed up! One of my all time favorite places to take people when they visit is: Malibu Cafe at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu – lots of outdoor games/activities and just a really cool spot to hang! A fun adventure is: Malibu Safari Wine Tour – you get to actually pet a giraffe! I am a big hiker / adventure seeker so we would definitely be hiking daily! Favorite hikes in the area: 1. Temescal Canyon 2. Will Rogers 3. Los Leones 4. Sullivan Canyon 5. Tuna Canyon 6. Escondido Canyon 7. Solstice Canyon 8. Sandstone Peak We would also need to make a trip to Catalina! Ferry here we come! We would book a hotel for a night or two – my favorite hotel on the island is Hotel Metropole! While on the island we would rent a golf cart to explore, do some hiking and snag a cabana on the beach to read and relax! Oh, and I live in Marina Del Rey so we would definitely be renting kayaks, stand up paddle boards, and a duffy to cruise around on the water! Lastly, we would be doing lots of fun community workouts including a very fun group workout held on Saturday’s in Manhattan Beach…hosted by Salty Dogs Athletics @saltydogsathleticsusa – they also host surf lessons, runs, swims, yoga, beach cleanups and more! Such a fun crew!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
YES! I have always found it to be interesting when people make claims of being “self-made.” For me, it took an army of warriors to get me to where I am today! There are so many people along the way who have helped shape me and I wish I could list them all and give credit where credit is due. For the sake of time, I will tell you about the person who has had the biggest impact on my life. My grandfather. He is my hero, mentor, coach, #1 fan, role model and the list goes on. He taught me what it means to be a servant leader and to always lead with love. He showed me unconditional love, grace and how to show up for others. He pushed me to pursue my dreams and to never give up because “the cream will always rise to the top.” He encouraged me to stay connected and in community because “together everyone achieves more.” Most importantly, he believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. It is his strong belief and faith that will always occupy a big space in my heart. I often ask myself before making a big life decision (or any decision for that matter), “what would my grandpa do?” I hope to always make him proud! Shoutout to gramps!!

Website: https://www.unpluggedmornings.com/businessbaptism
Instagram: @laurenlschwab
Linkedin: Lauren Schwab – Founder Business Baptism
Twitter: @Lauren_Schwab25
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurenschwab

Image Credits
Greg Fulks @fulks Grid @grid.v