The Female Founder Show
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The Female Founder Show
Ep. 6: Reality TV Star Lauren Speed Hamilton on Love, Business, and Authenticity
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How does one transition from reality TV fame to entrepreneurial success? In this episode of the Female Founder Show, we welcome Lauren Speed Hamilton, the brilliant mind behind the Speed Brand and "Love is Blind." alum. As Lauren and her husband Cameron pass their five-year anniversary, she opens up about their loving relationship and the journey they’ve shared. Lauren's inspiring story of overcoming industry challenges to establish her own company reveals the power of determination and creativity in storytelling and branding.
Lauren shares her strategies for navigating the ever-changing landscape of social media and the importance of aligning with brands that resonate with one’s personal values. She candidly discusses handling criticism and negativity while maintaining a positive mindset. With authenticity as her cornerstone, Lauren emphasizes the significance of building trust with her audience and highlights the role of a supportive environment in successful content creation. Aspiring content creators will glean valuable insights on starting with the resources they have and sharing genuine experiences.
The episode concludes with a heartfelt discussion on the dynamics of working with a spouse, highlighting the importance of clear communication and role definition. Lauren provides personal anecdotes about balancing work and home life, revealing how they maintain a healthy partnership. Looking ahead, she shares her ambitious dreams of achieving mogul status, making community contributions, and expanding her family. Don't miss this enriching conversation filled with valuable advice and future aspirations that promise to inspire and motivate.
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This is the Female Founder Show with host and entrepreneur Bridget Fitzpatrick, exclusively on ASBN.
Speaker 2Hello everyone and welcome to the Female Founder Show In the studio. With us today is a remarkable guest whose journey from content creator to author and successful entrepreneur has inspired countless individuals. She's the creative force behind her own brand, a passionate advocate for women in business, and you may recognize her as the charismatic star who found love on the hit show Love is Blind. Please join me in welcoming the talented and innovative Lauren Speed Hamilton. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 3Thank you, it's a pleasure to be here. Yes, so great to have you.
Speaker 2Now for those people that are watching that didn't follow your love journey can we? Talk about that a little bit first. Of course, how are you and Cameron doing?
Speaker 3first, me and Cameron are doing excellent. Next month will be our five-year anniversary.
Speaker 1I can't believe it oh my gosh.
Speaker 3Time just flew by, but we're so excited and each year seems like it gets better than the last, so I hope that that continues for the next 25 years.
Speaker 2But he's doing great, your love and admiration for each other really comes through on camera when we're watching you on all of your multiple on YouTube, on Instagram and on the show, of course, but you really are an inspiring couple for for anyone who is looking for love right now, right yeah.
Speaker 3I mean that means the world to us, just the fact that people not only you know showed us so much love when the show came out, but just continue to really support and show us love like it's priceless and we're so great yeah and it's genuine, you can tell it really comes out with both of you.
Speaker 2Thank you Sorry we missed him today, but maybe next time.
Speaker 3Yes, he sends his love.
Speaker 2Now, before you even started the show, you started your own company, so talk to us about what inspired you to start the Speed brand and and find your niche, absolutely so.
Speaker 3For me, starting the Speed brand came from after I graduated college. I actually had trouble finding jobs in media. It was just difficult. I was kind of a new graduate, so it was either you didn't have enough experience or, oh, you have a degree in this so you're overqualified. So it was tough. So it just kind of came from an area of frustration where I was like, you know, if I can't get the opportunities, I'm going to start to make my own. So I started to go out find my own clients that were looking for you know, ways to tell their stories different brands, artists who needed music videos, a brand small business that needed a commercial. And it worked out for me. You know, my clients started to grow, the name of my brand started to grow.
Speaker 3At that time I was kind of moving around to different cities so I would have clients here, have clients there, and I'm really happy that I did it because it taught me a lot about, you know. First off, perseverance. Yes, because it's so easy to quit when you know doesn't seem like the doors are opening. They're slamming in your face.
Speaker 2It's like, hey, you can always go through the window If the door is closed find a window, or either build your own house, which is what I did, so with the Speedbrand. Talk to us about what you, what do you do? What's your everyday?
Speaker 3well, I know your everyday is all over the place right now, because you're involved in so many things which we're going to get to.
Speaker 2But with theBrit. What specifically do you do for your clients?
Speaker 3Absolutely so for my clients. Basically, we help them with storytelling, we help them to have a voice for their brand, develop a voice, and if there is a product that they're trying to sell, we help to find the human aspect in that and help to get that conveyed to the audience. So, like I mentioned, if it's a musical artist who's looking to shoot a music video, we'll help with the storyboarding and that We'll help shoot it, edit it. At one point I was doing the shooting, the editing the storyboarding.
Speaker 3I mean, at this point I've grown more, so now I actually have a production team that does that and I take more of like a you know, creative director standpoint. But you know, small businesses, like I said, said we help them with commercials, even down to, you know, pamphlets, paperwork, everything, anything that you need to tell your story. We're the creative behind that nice nice.
Speaker 2Well, thanks for explaining that, of course. So there are so many areas where a brand or person can put their content or put their story, so to speak, with social media and you know, know, in different media outlets and things like that. How do you figure out Now you've got a huge social media following and I'm sure you are on all of them, but how do you find, and really specifically hone in on, which platform is the best one to use?
Speaker 3Absolutely. You know that's such a good question because I look at it like this this is going funny, but it's really true. Social media is like having children or like having siblings right, they each have their own personality and they're each good in their own ways. For example, instagram I kind of think of that as like my personal magazine. That's where I keep all my images if I want to promote something. You know, kind of use that with that type of storytelling. Tiktok is more like a raw, trendy type of thing. It's a younger audience. But TikTok is also great for search engines. Like it's becoming the new Google, believe it or not. Like people will go on TikTok and search restaurants. They'll search clothing items that they want to order, they want to see it on people. They want to know people's real experience. So I kind of look at TikTok as just like a behind the scenes fun way to sell, but more so behind the scenes because people want to know what's the real on TikTok, and it's also great for trending sounds, like I said, because it's a younger audience.
Speaker 3So if you have a business, it's good to sell your products through the trending sounds, because that kind of helps to push the product. Youtube, I kind of think of that as if, if you have your own network, what would your shows look like, you know? So YouTube is like you know, if you have a reality show, what would your vlogs look like? If you enjoy cooking, what would that look like, you know? So that's kind of how I look at it, which has really helped me, because each audience is different and I think it's so important to identify your audience, especially on social media, because it's all about connection, absolutely and you have a show on YouTube hanging at the Hamilton's.
Speaker 3I do great so much fun watching.
Speaker 2You all know all that you've got going on both of you. Yeah, you know, we've got a book together and you've just recently purchased your own studio.
Speaker 1Yes, which?
Speaker 2looks amazing, by the way. Thank you Hard work, so congratulations.
Speaker 1Yes, thank you.
Speaker 2Yeah, you've got so much going on and I know you've got some exciting new projects coming up. Can Can you tell us what you can about those?
Speaker 3Of course, yes, so it's always something new in my world. Y'all, it's always working. But for one, I have a new show that's coming out on Amazon. I'm really excited about it. It's going to be called the Goat. And I'm also going to be launching my nonprofit this quarter, which I'm super excited. It's called the Eddie Robbie Foundation and it was inspired by both of my grandmothers, maternal and paternal. But just you know, growing up and even before me, they were known for loving on people, making everyone feel special, even if they weren't family. So I really want to continue that legacy myself by doing that throughout the community, especially for women and children, when it comes to mental health, financial literacy, since I'm so heavy in the art community, art and creative endeavors. So I'm really excited about it.
Speaker 2Well, congratulations, that's exciting and you are just like both of your grandmothers. Thank, you. So let's talk about your content creation for a minute. There has to be a level of consistency as well as creativity. Now how do you maintain that without burnout?
Speaker 3Oh, it's hard, to be honest, I'm still trying.
Speaker 3I teeter sometimes because, like you mentioned, I do so many different things a podcast and that but I learned that it's so important to really take the time to have rest and recovery, because you can't pour into somebody else if your cup is empty. You know. So, even if it's the small things, you know, if you can go on a vacation, that's great, but everybody can't go on a vacation, especially if you have a lot of things going on. So I find that the small things you know. If you can go on a vacation, that's great, but everybody can't go on a vacation, especially if you have a lot of things going on. So I find that just small things, even throughout the day, waking up, taking an extra 10, 15 minutes to meditate or journal, or if you have time at the end of the day to walk around your block or your street just to kind of calm your mind. And for me, since I do a lot of, you know, people facing work I find that sometimes isolation is good Sometimes even with my husband.
Speaker 3I tell him like, hey, I need a day to just sit and be quiet and do nothing, and that really helps me just to kind of cut out all the noise and refocus. Especially being a creative Like that's where you get your fuel from. If you're burnt out, it's so hard to create and do things. Or even just being a boss, a CEO entrepreneur like that's where you get your fuel from. If you're burnt out, it's so hard to create and do things. Or even just being a boss, a CEO entrepreneur like that time is so important. Even if you have to put in your schedule, like next to your meetings, block off an hour. Hey, this is my me time. Even if you just got to go in the corner in the bathroom, do what you can because it's so important to take care of yourself if you're going to take care of others.
Speaker 2Definitely.
Speaker 3I'm so glad you shared that advice because I couldn't agree more Absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 2Now also along with being a social media content creator and all of that comes a little bit of the criticism and the negativity. You are such a positive force, so how do you? Maintain that positive mindset when you've got that chatter out there.
Speaker 3You know what? It was really hard when the show first launched and we were kind of new into it. And the trolls, the trolls they're out there.
Speaker 3But you know what I learned that one? I try not to just sit there and read through all the comments. I know it's hard and all the criticism, but it's like you know either, if you do it this way, someone's going to have something to say about it. If you do it this way, someone's going to have something to say about it. So I say, just do what you love, you know, do what you're passionate about and, honestly, the people who have negative things to say, it's really more so about them and it has nothing to do with you. Matter of fact, I like to say it's none of my business if you have a problem with me, that is none of my business.
Speaker 3I'm fine over here, I'm happy, I'm doing what I love, and that's just the approach that I take. You know, with it it's like your negativity will not penetrate. Love it. You won't break my soul like Beyonce, you know. By the way, you have a beautiful singing voice.
Speaker 2I heard you singing a few songs on the YouTube channel and things like that, oh, yes, thank you you can sing too.
Speaker 3Oh my God, a little bit. I'm a sing-songy talker too.
Speaker 2Okay, nice.
Speaker 3Sometimes I just randomly burst out into songs.
Speaker 2Well, you've got content creator. You have a lot of brands probably reaching out to you. How do you choose brands that align with your brand as well as your values?
Speaker 3Yeah, I mean first off, that's super important because, especially for your audience, if they see you promoting something or partnering with someone that's kind of like whoa, wait a minute, that's not you, that's not your voice, it can really turn them off.
Speaker 3So I'm super careful to align myself with brands that really speak to the causes that I'm interested in, that really stand for the same things that I'm in. That's really something that I would use. I feel like so many people are like well, it's a check, so I want to do it. That is the quickest way to lose your audience's trust and I strongly advise against that. And plus, it's better you want to promote things that you really care about and people can tell. It's easy to read if you're doing it and you're just uninterested. So, aligning yourself with the right people not even just with branding you know the people who you have around you, your team, your friends, everything. When it's in alignment, it flows so much better and it makes your life so much easier it makes it so much more organic, because when I watch your, you know clips and things.
Speaker 2It's always so seamless. Your creativity comes out as well as just. It just seems like it's just part of your everyday life and they're like, hey, wait a minute.
Speaker 3Yeah, right, it doesn't even feel like you're looking at an ad right now, which is so important for me because, like I mentioned earlier, I feel like social media is all about connection, and you mentioned my niche earlier. I feel like it's just speaking to the humanity of people like I'm myself. People see that they relate to that and that's what they like. Like, hey, she reminds me of my cousin or my friend or me. Like, I like that. If she likes that, I may like that too, too, because she usually tells the truth and she's really honest. So I may check it out too, but those things matter yeah, they do.
Speaker 2Now, when you are working with brands, are you reaching out to them or are they mostly reaching out to you?
Speaker 3most of the time they reach out to me, um, but there have been a few times if I see something that I like I will reach out out. For example, I just we got a piece of exercise equipment during the pandemic because, you know, no one could really do anything. So me and Cam reached out to Bowflex and we ended up like getting a deal with them because we're like we need some workout equipment and it worked. So that's great yeah that's great Once again in alignment, because we really needed that workout equipment For sure.
Speaker 2So, yeah, organic. Now for those that are watching that might be thinking about getting into content creation or becoming an influencer what advice would you have for them?
Speaker 3Oh man, my advice for people looking to get into content creation is to just start. You know everyone has a phone at this point. It has a camera, it has a speaker on it, and the best thing that you can do is really just be yourself. You know, speak how you feel on situations, start sharing your experiences. If you go out to eat, record it. You know. You have your phone anyway. You're there taking pictures of your food, like most people do. You know, upload it.
Building a Successful Partnership
Speaker 3There may be people who are looking to try that restaurant. They don't know if it's good or not. They come across your video boom, you got ten followers, you know. So it's really just a building thing and sometimes it may start slow, but I just encourage people don't be discouraged, be yourself, be truthful, be authentic and be. At times it may call for a little bit of vulnerability, which can be hard, yes, but there's power in that, because that's where people really feel like man, I went through that or that's the same type of thing and that can be expressed in your content in a way that is comforting to people. So I just encourage people to do it. Be yourself. You have the tools already your voice and yourself. That's all you need, and a camera.
Speaker 2There you go. Yeah, it's that simple right. Absolutely absolutely. Yeah for sure. Now I get to work with my husband every day just like you and I know that Cameron is such a huge part of your success as well. Talk to us about how you make it work Gosh well.
Speaker 3it's hard at times, I think for us. We definitely went through an adjustment period, especially with how we got married because it was so smooth and so we really had to have a couple Well, a few conversations just about, at times, depending on the project, I think, who would be taking the lead at times, because it's hard when you have two people that have big personalities or our Alphas, you know trying to lead in the same project.
Speaker 3So I think, just having honest conversations like hey, this is my expertise, I think I'm going to take the lead on this, or vice versa, and really working together as a partnership, that has made such a huge difference for us, because I think at first it was like I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this and also, aside from that, just really, if you can which is hard when you work with your significant other try to separate work and home, which is one of the reasons why we got our studio, because prior to that, we were kind of working from home both of us, and it was just like when are we working, when are we the married couple, when are we the business partners? So we kind of even though those things mesh together. It really helped us having a designated area where it's like okay, I'm gonna go here, I'm gonna do my work, and then I'm gonna come home and be a wife.
Speaker 3You know so that really helped us a lot. Even if you know in your house if you just have a separate office room, it's like okay, when I'm in here, I'm doing that.
Speaker 2I'm in work mode when I we can talk about being married yeah, even during the pandemic my husband and I we had, um, we had a studio set up in our, in our basement, oh nice, and we would leave there at five o'clock and go upstairs and then we wouldn't go back down to the next morning and it really helped kind of it does helped us out separating that work from yeah the whole life balance. So which? We needed so badly then?
Speaker 3absolutely. I know it was a point for us where, like, our house started to feel like a set. That's when we're like we need a outside space. Yeah, and just you know drawing firm lines and communication. When you did this it made me feel a little bit uncomfortable. Just the conversations are really important. That's just in a marriage in general, but especially when you work together.
Speaker 2Yes, definitely. Now. Now, speaking of working together, is there anything for those thinking about maybe working together as a couple or bring their spouse on or their partner on to work with them? Was there anything that surprised you that maybe you could, we could, tell our viewers?
Speaker 3that you see anything that surprised me working with my spouse. Honestly, that once we were able to get in a good rhythm, it's so rewarding, it's so awesome. It's like working with your best friend. I know you and I were kind of talking off camera, but it's great when it's like man just having someone who you know has your back, wants the best for you, wants the best for the business, you guys are like synced up. It is so rewarding. So if you have the opportunity to do it, I would do it. Just be sure you talk about things and talk them through the process.
Speaker 2So let's talk about the next five to 10 years. Where do you see yourself, you and Cameron down the road.
Future Dreams and Female Founders
Speaker 3Yes, well, the next five to 10 years, I want to take over the world and I think you will want to take over the world. You know, I just want to continue to grow as entrepreneur. I have so many business ideas in my mind that I'm looking forward to bringing to fruition. Of course, growing our family, doing more things for the community. That's why I'm so excited to have my nonprofit and really contribute to the world, because anybody can have a platform and just be there. But I really want to use my platform as a vehicle to help others and I'm so passionate about that and just growing as a woman and a businesswoman. And, yeah, so the next five to 10 years, I hope to be mogul status.
Speaker 3I believe, you will and I cannot wait to watch your journey unfold. Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2Thank you so much for joining us, Lauren, and we hope to have you back on again with Cameron. Maybe we can talk a little bit more about what's going on in your crazy life, right? He'd love that.
Speaker 3Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1This is the Female Founder Show with host and entrepreneur Bridget Fitzpatrick, exclusively on ASBN. If you're a female founder and would like to help other female founders with your inspiring story, we would love to hear from you.