Beyond the Badge Episode 2 ft. Lauren Clark

Hello, hello!

My name is Sawan, and I'm back with the second installment of our new blog post series — which I've named so aptly in the throes of inspiration after my yet another Twin Peaks marathon — Beyond the Badge.

And for this installment, I connected with the one and only Lauren Clark, who is the US Sales Lead @ fielddrive and a fellow nerd.

Lauren appreciates finer things in life, you know, wines, books, the Marvel movies for some reason, and, of course, Taylor Swift.

But I don't want to give away too much! So please sit back and enjoy the following interview as I try to investigate who Laren Clark is and what makes her tick!

Getting to Know Lauren Clark

Sawan: Thanks for doing this, Lauren!

Lauren: The pleasure is all mine.

Sawan: Na, you're just saying that! Anyway, I want to start things off with a fairly simple question: What can you tell us about yourself, Lauren?

Lauren: Well, my name is Lauren Clark. I've been in the association space for ten years. I love working with people in this industry. It's a lot of the same people over and over again, even if they switch jobs or positions and go somewhere else in the industry, which I really like. People are loyal, passionate, and want to make associations and events better. 

Outside of work, I have a four-year-old son and a five-year-old dog named Pepper.

My husband and I have been high school sweethearts. We've been together for 16 years, so since since 2008. And we live in Pennsylvania, just outside of Philly.

Lauren’s Role at fielddrive

Sawan: Got it. So, Lauren Clark, from Philly, what can you tell us about your job here at fielddrive?

Lauren: So, I'm new to the fielddrive team, but I have worked with fielddrive previously. On the team, I handle all things US sales-based. I manage the sales process from start to finish for teams in the US.

Sawan: And what's your favorite part of the job?

Lauren: I love speaking with people in the industry because, as I mentioned, I love the people in this industry. I mean, they're all looking for the next best thing for their event, and they're really forward-thinkers. And I really love connecting with them so I can talk about fielddrive and how we can help to make their event even better than it has been years previously. And I love that when the event goes off successfully, and everyone's happy and we reconnect afterwards, everyone always is so thrilled. That makes me happy, makes us feel successful. So I love that.

Most Memorable Experience

Sawan: Got it! Now, though you're relatively new to the team, you have been with fielddrive for some time. So that brings me to my next question: What is the most memorable experience you've had while on the job?

Lauren: So my most memorable thing about working with fielddrive isn't necessarily about when we were on the job. It was our team retreat in Goa. I don't know if I'm allowed to use that answer.

Sawan: You absolutely are!

Lauren: Great! So, Goa was fantastic. I mean, being in sales, you work with a little bit of every department but on a day-to-day basis, you're really working with people outside of the organization. 

So when we were in Goa, I got to meet my coworkers face-to-face and it was so great being able to just get to know people on a more personal level. Because when you're halfway around the world in a country you're not familiar with, you rely on meeting other people. And it was great! Like meeting you, Sawan. It was so helpful to have someone who was a little more involved in India and comfortable and you showed me the ropes, and it was helpful. But it's just really nice being able to get everyone together in one place to connect with people and not just do work stuff. We were able to do fun things, and that was really important to me. So that has been probably my most memorable experience till now with fielddrive.

Travel Experiences

Sawan: I get that. It's always fun when you get to meet your coworkers and just have fun rather than constantly scheduling calls all the time! But our Goa retreat nicely brings me to my next question: Do you travel much for your work?

Lauren: I don't travel a ton for work. I do about five events a year, like when we’re exhibiting or when we have a booth or are sponsoring something. 

I’m onsite meeting clients I've brought on. We have another event at the end of this month and I'm going onsite to ensure everything goes smoothly. It's important to show I'm a team player and be involved. It’s beneficial in the long run.

Favorite Travel Destinations

Sawan: Absolutely. And what's your favorite place that you've been to?

Lauren: In the states, my favorite place is California, specifically San Diego. It has perfect weather, great people, and a nice vibe. It's close to the beach and awesome overall. I also loved Vancouver in Canada. Despite the rainy weather when I was there, it’s a heavily populated city with people always out and about. Vancouver is one of my favorite places.

Hobbies and Interests

Sawan: What are your hobbies?

Lauren: It's hard to have hobbies with a four-year-old, but my primary hobby is reading. I love reading, as you know. This year alone, between audiobooks and physical books, I’ve read 49 books. I love diving into new genres. Other than that, I enjoy hanging out with my family. We swim a lot now that it’s summer, and it’s fun seeing my son learn more about swimming.

Sawan: Since you're an avid reader, I have to ask this next question: Who's your favorite author?

Lauren: My favorite author is definitely Sarah J. Maas. She's known as a BookTok author now but has been popular for a long time. She and I have parallel lives in some ways; we both had kids during the pandemic. She ties some of her personal life into her stories and does a great job writing books, even though she takes a long time to put them out there.

Sawan: I agree, she's really good. So what's your favorite book, then?

Lauren: The Throne of Glass series is my favorite. I think about the characters once a day and recommend it to everyone. It's such a good story with a lot of different genres and places. It doesn't just stick to romance or fantasy but combines a lot of different elements, with tons of action and a fantastic world. I really love the Throne of Glass series.

Sawan: That's so great! I've yet to get to the Throne of Glass series, though. Everyone I've talked to can't stop singing its praises!

Lauren: That's coz it really is that good!

Rapid-Fire Round

Sawan: I bet. Okay, Lauren, I want to switch gears a little now. What I have for you is a small rapid-fire round. You know how it goes: I ask questions, you reply with the first answer that comes to your mind. Okay?

Lauren: Yeah, let's do this!

Sawan: Alright. Beer or Wine?

Lauren: Wine

Sawan: Marvel or DC?

Lauren: Marvel, hands down!

Sawan: Boo!

Lauren: I love Marvel. Though the older stuff, not the new stuff they've been releasing!

Sawan: That's some consolation, I guess. Alright, Batman or Superman?

Lauren: Superman!

Sawan: Man of Steel, solid choice, if I may say so, myself! Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?

Lauren: That's a tough one! Ahh... I think I'll have to go with Harry Potter.

Sawan: Really!?

Lauren: Yeah, but that's only coz it was OG for me. I read the books first and watched the movies. And then I got into Lord of the Rings.  

Sawan: Got it! Alright, what's your favorite Christmas movie?

Lauren: I think it'll have to be Christmas Vacation.

Sawan: That's a good one. And what's your guilty pleasure movie? Like, a movie that is universally regarded as the worst piece of cinema ever created, and yet you love it.

Lauren: Step Brothers! We love Step Brothers. We quote it all the time in the house.

Sawan: And who's your favorite celebrity, male or female, doesn't matter?

Lauren: Taylor Swift, of course. You already knew that!

Sawan: I did. At this point EVERYBODY does? Okay, Lauren, we're nearly there. I just have one final question for you and it's a biggie. You ready?

Lauren: Absolutely!

Sawan: Alright, here it goes: If you could send out one message into the world, one thing that you could say to the entire humanity, what would that be?

Lauren: Be kind to others. Being a kind person doesn't cost anything. I feel like a lot of people forget that. So yeah, that's my message. Be kind. The world needs it right now.

Sawan: Couldn't agree more! Alright, that's it, Lauren. We did it!

Lauren: Yay! Thanks for having me! This was a lot of fun!

Sawan: No, thank you for doing this!