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

Hi Lauren, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I decided to start The Art of Living Beautifully it had three initial purposes. 1.) To inspire myself to take part in life again and to rediscover the elements of life that I loved but had abandoned in order to focus on my two young children. 2.) To become a better writer by giving myself weekly writing goals by keeping the blog up to date. And 3.) To take me to the next step in my career whatever that was.

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.
The Art of Living Beautifully initially began as a blog designed to shift myself (and anyone who might be reading) off of autopilot and into life again. At the time, I was completely lost in motherhood and needed to find an identity again, which I did by creating The Art of Living Beautifully. Since I founded TAOLB in 2014, I have added both magazine and film components as additional media outlets, all with the intent of guiding women in the development and utilization of Personal Culture. (Plus I have my first on-line/interactive course rolling out soon!!) Although there are tons of self-help platforms floating around right now, I’ve never seen one like TAOLB that helps its followers recognize their gifts and talents, how they can help others, understand how to deal with pain points, how to find peace, and what experiences they want to incorporate into their lives. The Art of Living Beautifully is all about building a life that is enriching and fulfilling, one that is specific and personal to you. It has been such a fun road thus far, and I feel so excited about what is ahead. I think for me the two most important aspects I’ve learned is 1.) Surround yourself with smart people that will help you think outside of your box and 2.) make sure you are solving the problems of your followers. Don’t just create content and expect them to respond to it. Make sure you have them in mind and are solving their problems. They need you for that! Not only is TAOLB here to bring joy into your life, but to teach you how to cultivate joy every single day!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As someone who was born and raised in the same town she currently lives, I am most definitely a PRO at teaching people about my community, McKinney, Texas. Most definitely we would plan dinner at Rye, a small-plates restaurant and cocktail bar on the Downtown McKinney Square. The restaurant only holds about 40 people but it is always packed and serves the best farm-to-table shareable plates in town! We would also head out to Red Rooster Barn in Anna, Texas for a dinner prepared at Chef Gregory Moreaux’s farm over an open-flame pit. BYOB, delicious food, and beautiful views make for an incredible dining experience. Shopping would include my Downtown McKinney favorites like Ettiene Market, the BEST kitchen store in the Metroplex, Sharla’s Boutique which is a European-style apothecary and gift store, as well as Birds & Words, The Antique Company Mall, Fair and Square, and The LAST Art Gallery. I also love Karadise Boutique located in Adriatica Village for clothing and shoes. Lorie Fangio, owner of A Taste of Paris, leads culinary-centric tours across France, but locally holds French-inspired cooking and tasting events. Spending the evening cooking with Lorie or an afternoon learning more about the French Mystique is a delicious and enriching way to spend your time. Local artist, Andrea Holmes, teaches painting classes in the historic Cotton Mill. After class we could head over to TUPPs, a craft brewery located on the other side of the Mill which allows patrons to bring in (or order) their own food. There are often craft fairs, yoga classes, and other events at the brewery on the weekends.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have no idea if this is true or not, but years ago I read that Dolly Parton owned a ranch called 7 Angles Ranch, and that she named it “7 Angels” for the 7 people that helped her get to a position in her career that allowed her to buy a ranch of that magnitude. I’ve never forgotten that story and soon after began counting the “Angels” in my own life whose presence pushed me to the next step, and then to the next step in my career. Thus far I’ve counted 5 Angels, and I know there are so many more to come! Beyond those 5 individuals, I will say that the two years I spent working for the social selling company, Stella & Dot, completely changed so many aspects of my life. I learned the importance and power of company culture, and of working to benefit others. I learned how to set and work towards goals, learning from the others on my team how to keep myself accountable. Stella & Dot also gave me a new perspective in how I look at other women starting a business. I absolutely loved this time in my life and am so grateful to S&D for showing me how to be an entrepreneur. If anyone out there is toying with opening their own business, I really think joining a social selling company is such a low-risk way to see if entrepreneurship is right for you.

Website: https://theartoflivingbeautifully.net/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartoflivingbeautifully/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/taolbmckinney
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD2HFLNWDg6wqHK3ThC8HKA

Image Credits
Alison Woomer Photography