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Our WISE Greater Orlando Member of the Month is Lauren Ward, Partnerships Marketing Manager - Medicare at Florida Blue. Lauren loves being a part of WISE because it has allowed her to form connections with other women in the sports and events industry that she may not have relationships with otherwise. Get to know Lauren below...

Why I decided to be a board member/committee member of WISE Greater Orlando…

• I initially applied to be the Marketing Committee Chair in 2019 because I was looking to grow my network as well as gain more professional development experience through mentoring opportunities and networking events. After being part of the marketing committee for 2.5 years, I transitioned to become the Events Chair so that I could apply my love and passion for planning and hosting events and share it with the members of WISE Greater Orlando.

The most rewarding aspect at your current role…

• I started working for Florida Blue in January of this year and I’m very fortunate to be able to work fully remote while also being able to plan and execute partner activations and events in the Orlando community. It’s been a great balance for me both professionally and personally and has allowed me to better manage my time and priorities. Being in the healthcare industry is new for me so I’m enjoying learning all of the different aspects of it and how they apply to my role.

Best career advice I have received…

• My very first boss after college told me, “At the end of the day, the only person looking out for you, is you.” At the time I didn’t really understand what he meant, but over the years I’ve realized that what it means is that you are fully in control of your career and where you want it to go and no one else can make it happen for you, except for you doing the work to make it happen. Your dream job will never just be handed to you or magically appear because you wished for it. You have to work for it. Having great professional connections like the ones I’ve made as a member of WISE helps too!

Best memory I’ve created in the past year…

• My best memory this past year was on Memorial Day weekend. I spent the weekend with my husband and dog in New Smyrna and we took an early morning walk through New Smyrna Dunes Park with our dog as the sun came up. It was just one of those moments that you want to take a mental picture of forever to remember because it reminds you of the simple joys in life and how truly blessed we are to enjoy them with people we love.

In my free time, I’m…

• I always joke that I rarely leave my neighborhood in Baldwin Park because it has everything I need! I’m blessed to have been able to live there since moving to Orlando eight years ago.  In my spare time I enjoy going to my gym (F45), walking my dog Toby around the lake, or eating at Osprey or Seito with my husband, Ryan. If we do leave Baldwin, we are typically taking our dog on vacation to Siesta Key or St. Augustine.

I’m inspired by…

• I’m inspired by several friends and colleagues of mine who are REAL and transparent in their struggles with not being perfect and having it all figured out. I think a lot of times we put too much pressure on ourselves as female professionals to be perfect and always be “on”. It’s inspiring for me to hear from other women and share challenges that we face both personally and professionally and how we can work together to support one another.