Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Mae.
Lauren, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
For as long as I can remember, I have always loved creating videos and coming up with stories using my imagination and my video camera. At the age of 14, I started a YouTube channel and began uploading makeup tutorials weekly. That was my passion for several years. Every day I would come home from school, put my backpack away and run upstairs to create content. As my passion and following on social media grew, more people at school found out.
Unfortunately, I stopped doing what I loved because I let people in high school get in my head. Looking back, I learned a lesson to never let people get in the way of pursuing your passion. It wasn’t until three years later in 2019, when I decided to pick up the camera and post a new video on my YouTube channel. This time it wasn’t a makeup tutorial, it was the story of how I found out I had cancer. That year, I had just graduated high school and was planning on starting college soon. However, three days before classes were supposed to start I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. After coming home and making the hard decision to take a gap year before starting college to focus on treatment, I realized I had a lot of free time on my hands. I began brainstorming things I could do to keep myself busy, and the first thing I thought of was to share my cancer journey on my YouTube channel. That’s exactly what I did, I shared my diagnosis, what it was like losing my hair to chemo, my makeup routine with no eyelashes or eyebrows, I even vlogged while I was in the hospital as well as the day I found out I was cancer free and rang the bell. Sharing these special but vulnerable moments brought back my passion for social media and since then, I have not stopped creating content.
Sharing my cancer journey brought me a community of amazing friends and fellow survivors, and it also got me connected to organizations like The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and SurvivorNet. I had the chance to be an Ambassador for LLS and worked with SurvivorNet as they launched their streaming platform, SurvivorNetTV.
Now, I am going into my third year of college studying Public Relations and plan to graduate in the fall of 2023. Postgrad, I would love to work for a PR Firm or somewhere in Social Media Marketing with my end goal being to one day have my own PR Agency. Alongside my studies, I still create content on YouTube and other social media sites, I run my own Photography business and just finished my first internship with a jewelry company over the summer. Looking back, I have always had a passion for creating content and know that PR is the career field I am meant to go into. I am excited to continue my studies, gain more experience and kickstart my career after college.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a bumpy road, to say the least. My first obstacle was letting people that poked fun at my videos in high school get in my head that I stopped doing what I love for a few years. Another obstacle was my cancer diagnosis, which was actually a blessing in disguise. When I was originally planning to start college, I still had no idea what I wanted to study. I almost pursued a degree in music because that is something I have also always been passionate about. But after going through chemotherapy and starting to create social media content again, I knew that I wanted to study Public Relations in college. In a way, that hard time in my life brought a lot of clarity and a new perspective.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My first job is social media which content consists of creating weekly videos on YouTube of things I do, work events, school and traveling. I also post fashion and lifestyle videos on TikTok and Instagram. In the background, I am always brainstorming new ideas and communicating with various brands for collaborations. Another job is my Photography business. I have always had an eye for photos, and everywhere I went, I would capture things on my camera. For a while, I had wanted to start a photography business but put it off. After coming to college, a few friends asked me to take their photos. I loved taking them and seeing their reaction to the photos so I decided to start my business. Now, I self-run everything from contacting clients, confirming appointments and planning photoshoots monthly. After I send the client back their photos, I always post a few favorites to my Photography Instagram. It’s a fun way to gain exposure to my business and share my work with others.
Recently I have finished my first internship with a jewelry company. I took product photos, created website graphics and other social media content over the summer. It was so much fun and a great learning opportunity that gave me more experience and knowledge about the different aspects of the business.
I would say I am most known for a few makeup tutorials that went viral on YouTube and TikTok in 2016 and also for sharing my cancer journey. To this day, I still get messages from people who are going through chemo and have watched one of my videos that helped them. Knowing that sharing such a vulnerable time in my life has helped people going through the same circumstance is exactly why I have such a passion to create content and share my life. That is also what I would say I am most proud of, sharing vulnerable times to help others. I also think my motivation and ambition help me accomplish things. I am a very goal-oriented person and always want to have a goal to achieve.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My parents are my biggest supporters. They are always cheering me on, motivating me and supporting every big decision. My friends are also big motivators, always affirming and believing in me. It is incredible to have people in your life that love and support you so well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://laurenmae-photography.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithlaurenmae/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSas6QiSKmoT2LbDMnhY3xg
