Lauren Chung: Proclaiming Personal Fashion

Chung spent years sitting in the Executive Office of one of the most prestigious investment banks in the world. Then she escaped the corporate world to build a career as a personal fashion consultant. Lauren is accountable to her passion.

It takes guts to proclaim a grand idea to your world. Lauren's aspiration to become a leading fashion consultant was fulfilled by the accountability she set up for herself. As she explains it, "The mere fact that I told so many people that I was going to launch my business full-time helped me stay on track! ... I scheduled a lot of meetings, sipped coffee and tea, indulged in having delectable treats...I invested not only my time and energy, but also the time and energy of others. Therefore, I had to show them how our 'investments' made out! ...I am a strong decision maker. When I decide to do something, I do it. You tell yourself 'I'm doing something' enough, you can't depart from the path of action."

As Lauren describes it, her main challenge during start-up "was learning how not to be a Laurenzilla." She went on to explain, "Since I was so accustomed to doing everything on my own, I was unable to realize that eventually I would need to trust others to help me... I have no issues with teamwork or collaborating with other creative people, but when it's about your business, the expectations are turned up a notch or ten. ...I caught myself stressing about minor details."

Such stresses are normal, but they must be recognized. Lauren recalls, "I quickly learned that I needed to allow room for error and room for things to be done not necessarily my way. I know I got to where I am because of all the people around me who supported me in their special ways. I can't take all the credit -- that would be unfair."

Stay tuned to Behance for additional insights from Lauren Chung.