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Laurie Coots
Laurie Coots
00:40

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

Chief Marketing Officer

I advise clients on strategic issues and trends, especially in convergence, technology and organizational change.

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

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  • 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'