Lauren Prociv on The Drum's Inaugural 50 Under 30
Meet The Drum’s US 50 under 30 honorees from the South
By Minda Smiley | August 17, 2017
Each day this week, The Drum has been highlighting 10 of the 50 talented women that make up our inaugural 50 under 30 in the US, a list that is celebrating women across the country who are putting themselves - and their cities - on the map via their creativity, achievements and dedication to an industry that is changing at a fast clip.
Today we are featuring our honorees from the South. Each was chosen with the help of a judging panelthat included MullenLowe Los Angeles executive creative director Margaret Keene, Colle McVoy executive creative director Laura Fegley, Arnold Worldwide chief creative officer Icaro Doria and Barker EVP-creative director Sandi Harari.
After receiving nominations from readers, the judges helped choose the final 50, who will also be featured in the October issue of The Drum's magazine.
Below, our finalists from the South discuss career achievements, advice they’d give to those just starting out in advertising and favorite things about living and working in their respective cities.
Lauren Prociv, senior strategic planner-UX at The Martin Agency in Richmond, Virginia
What is your biggest career achievement to date?
Learning how to play golf. I took up the game because I was tired of hearing the adage about how many deals and decisions are made out there and I didn’t want to miss out. Now I love it. It’s cheesy but the game is one giant metaphor for strategy, confidence and persistence in a world full of both sunny days and windy days and you have to be able to play through both.
What brand means the most to you?
Coca-Cola. When I was 13-years-old, I wrote and mailed (neither Facebook nor Twitter were invented yet..) them an angry letter over something hilariously trivial about their can art (long story). Two weeks later a giant package of swag arrived with a hand-signed letter thanking me for my passion. And there was two of everything because at the end of my letter I said something to the effect of, “P.S., my twin sister is mad at you too.”
What one piece of advice would you offer someone entering advertising today?
Creativity is a muscle. Too often I hear "I'm not creative enough for advertising." Well, you couldn't do 100 push-ups if you've never done push-ups before either, right? You can do both those things if you put in the work, stay focused and never settle.
