EP (40) Lauren Biegler: Finding Her Purpose Through the Creation of An Impactful Travel Company Called We Journey
You know when you hear about someone and it seems like they have everything going for them.
They're young. Successful by all the standards. In a long term relationship. Living in a city that many only dream of living in one day (NYC). And just generally, killing it in life.
Or so it seems on the outside.
This is exactly how Lauren Biegler felt just over a year ago. She was a Brand Director for a successful startup known as Mashable. She was in a long term relationship and steadily climbing the ladder at work. There really wasn't anything standing in her way. Except for herself and her unhappiness.
And she didn't really know what was wrong. She just kind of felt numb to everything she had accomplished. (this definitely resonated with me).
And that's when she remembered this guy she once met in NYC through a mutual friend. She knew he had recently started a really cool travel company and wanted to see if she might be able to get involved.
One meeting led to another, and Taylor Conroy and Amy Merrill asked her to be the third co-founder of We Journey - a travel company that engages first hand with social impact:
We believe that lasting social change starts within each one of us, and that nothing compares to in-person experiences and human connections to inspire new ways of being. We are rapidly growing a community across North America and Canada through meet-ups, events, international Journeys and a developing leadership program.
Immediately she felt a connection to their business idea and jumped in with two feet. She chose a nomadic life, over a stable one and finally felt like her life had purpose and meaning again.
Together, the three of them have created a business that focuses on creating meaningful trips that combine travel, community, social good and development work, all into one. They know they can't do it on their own, so they've partnered with amazing organizations on the ground in the six countries where they host these JOURNEY'S.
They've also found it extremely beneficial in growing their company, to involve influencers in their travel experiences, so that like-minded individuals are brought together with one goal in mind - helping others.
If there's one thing that Lauren has learned over this past year and a bit - after transforming her life - it's that it's all about serving other people.
That is the key to happiness and fulfillment.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASKED:
How did you end up working in the tech/startup space when you first started your career?
Have you always been extremely ambitious?
What did it feel like to realize you were unhappy and how did you change?
Did you always want to be an entrepreneur and carve your own path?
Was your family life big on travel?
First trip you ever took as a kid?
What does impactful travel mean to you?
How did you get linked up with Amy and Taylor?
What were you thinking when you took the big leap from cushy job to nomadic lifestyle?
How do you maintain balance whilst being on the road so much?
Would you say you're now "happy"?
And so much more...
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
How to define success
The value of balance
That climbing the corporate ladder may not bring you happiness
Why there's more to life than just making money and creating 'status' for yourself
The real reason people give back to others
How We Journey came to be and their big mission
How she's growing the company and some of her tactics
Why they chose the countries they are in to start with?
How she's building a team of like-minded individuals
And lots more...
OTHER LINKS:
CONNECT WITH Lauren & we journey
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LAUREN'S BLOG | LAUREN'S INSTA
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Edited by: James Nicholson