Laurie Coots
TBWA/Chiat/Day
Los Angeles, CA USA
"Just because you're competent and good at something doesn't necessarily mean that's what's going to fuel your passion."
Career Roadmap
Laurie's work combines: Business, Technology, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Says "there's no one right answer" to what you should do with your life, but you don't realize that until much further down the line.
2.
Believes people that spend their time intensely driving towards one career tend to miss out on life; she wishes people had told her to "slow down."
3.
When she was a kid, she wanted to be a veterinarian, so she started on a fast track towards that career.
4.
After getting into veterinary school, she realized it wasn't her passion; didn't want to take someone else's place, so she dropped out.
5.
Realized she'd been assuming that because she was good at veterinary science, that should be her passion.
6.
Took a break then got into the hotel industry; started meeting people from TBWA/Chiat/Day and got interested in their work.
7.
When a secretarial position opened up at the company, she took it; that job didn't take up much of her day, so she helped with pitches on the side.
8.
Created her own position within the agency-says "if it doesn't exist, invent it; don't wait for the world to dish it up."
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
When I went to veterinary school, I was one of two women that were accepted. There was a lot of pressure about 'you took somebody's place'