I’m Lauren McGoodwin, CEO of Career Contessa and This Is How I Work
After Lauren McGoodwin moved into the low- growth job market, she needed a bit of career guidance. She eventually took a job as a recruiter for a large company, but still felt that young women lacked the resources to develop their careers, so she decided to start her own.
Career Contessa aims to provide young women with long-term career advice through conversations and interviews. They also offer mentoring with professionals who don’t turn into silly life advice. This is a fairly new project – Lauren started it in 2013 as a side project – but they are well on their way to creating a point where Millennial women can find career guidance and connect with mentors. We spoke with Lauren to find out a little about her career and how she works.
Location: Los Angeles, California. I live in Redondo Beach and work in downtown Los Angeles. Current position: Founder and CEO, Career Contessa One word that best describes your job: effective. At least that’s what I’m aiming for. Every day I go from editorial to product development, social media strategy and more. I try to manage my time efficiently by scheduling each meeting and setting aside a portion of the day for headless work. Current mobile device: White iPhone 6 Current computer: MacBook Air. I just got it and am still amazed at how much lighter it is than my 2009 MacBook. Considering that I carry it with me everywhere, from home to coffee meetings and our coworking space, I should have upgraded to an earlier version. My shoulders appreciate it.
First of all, what was the impetus for the Contessa’s career?
I started Contessa’s career as a passionate project while working as a recruiter at Hulu. Informational interviews with successful women working in various fields and fields of activity were presented on the site. It was my way of educating women about job opportunities in an understandable and visually appealing way – a resource that I would have liked to have existed when I was at a job that I hated and was trying to figure out what to do next. I ran Career Contessa as a side project for 1.5 years before leaving Hulu to work on it full-time.
This year we have expanded Career Contessa to include the new Hire an Expert, a career mentoring platform for women. As a recruiter, I noticed a real gap in professional mentoring opportunities for women, and I wanted to fix that. The problem is that the space for career mentoring is fragmented. Typically, women have limited resources and seek advice from their friends, parents, or stupid life coach. But these resources don’t always have the expertise or experience you need when you need specific help along your career path.
What apps, software or tools can’t you live without?
I’m obsessed with Instagram . So obsessed that this is the only social platform that I refused to hand over to my social media team. I like to personally curate quotes and captions, and this is a way of direct contact with our readers. I’m also a fan of LinkedIn and I love teaching others to use it to help them grow professionally.
How is your workplace arranged? Coffee shop with laptop and headphones? Home office with a standing desk?
We are located in a coworking space in the Art District in downtown Los Angeles. This actually makes it more formal than it really is – it’s a cool old attic apartment converted into an office with a dozen creatives (filmmakers, graphic designers, jewelers, etc.) at desks scattered all over the place. Career Contessa works at a large table in the far corner. When I first went full-time with CC, I worked exclusively from home, but it was too isolated for me to know when to stop working at night. The team now works together in the office all week and from home on Fridays – I think a day at home gives us a nice change of pace and ultimately makes us more productive and innovative.
The best thing about our coworking space is the mix of personalities and projects, and weird talk about new restaurants, the presidential campaign, or someone’s last online date. Plus, the arts quarter is developing rapidly. It seems like trendy coffee shops, food trucks, and breweries arrive every day, so we never get lost looking for a good lunch or happy hour options.
What’s your best time-saver or life hack?
Apart from all the lanes I take to cut the 60 minute ride? When it comes to work, I definitely rely on the folders in my email to keep all the moving parts straight. It worries me that I have too many emails just sitting in my inbox, so I put each email in a “priority” folder, always getting the first chips. At first, this procedure seemed tedious, but after a month of practice, I realized how much time it saves.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?
Too much technology can be overwhelming, and I love that my to-do list is easily accessible throughout the day for updates. I am religious about making a to-do list every morning without any fancy apps. Pen and paper completely.
What device, besides a phone and a computer, can you not live without and why?
My Fitbit . I wear it every day, and most of the people I work with know that I’m going to suggest that we “walk while we talk.” Taking these 10,000 steps every day is a great effort!
What are some of your best everyday activities? What’s your secret?
I make green smoothies that are actually very tasty and healthy.
What do you listen to while you work? Have a favorite playlist? Maybe we can talk on the radio? Or do you prefer silence?
Silence, but there is a lot of collective chatter throughout the day.
What are you reading now?
Now I am reading Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. It’s all about the power of routine, and although I’m already a very familiar person, this book changes my attitude towards routine in my life and business. I also loved her first book , The Happiness Project – another career for me!
How do you replenish?
I recently got into boxing and I love it! I know it sounds crazy, but there is something incredibly “recharging” about hitting something really strong. I also dump by walking around and listening to a podcast with non-business advice. A walk and fresh air can be a real treat for your brain.
What is your sleep pattern? Are you a night owl or get up early?
I get up very early. I get up at 5 am every day and do my best “focused” work from 6 am to 9 am. I leave for the office later in the morning because it’s more convenient for me to get to work, and I start digging through emails and appointments as soon as I arrive. I like to get up early, so my day is quiet and uninterrupted.
Fill in the blank: I would like _________ to answer these same questions.
Alexa von Tobel from LearnVest . Carly and Daniel from The Skimm .
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
This clarity comes from engagement. We are all stuck at some point in our lives, careers, health, etc. But sitting on the couch and seriously thinking about the solution will not help. Go out and try something new, talk to new people, or just try something new. Long before CC, when I was not sure what I wanted to do in my life, but knew that my job was not “this,” I spent countless hours on informational interviews. Believe me, by the end I got to know myself better than ever. The more involved you are, the more clarity you will get.
What else would you like to add that might be of interest to readers and fans?
We have called this year the year of “engagement” for Career Contessa, so we’d love to hear any feedback or ideas our readers have to offer us. We are not only expanding our online mentoring offerings, but we are also looking to expand our reach through face-to-face workshops and events. We are also looking to partner with other prominent women, companies and platforms to bring some hybrid programs and offerings to our readers. We love collaboration.