Lauren Vela
Pacific Business Group on Health
San Francisco, CA USA
"There are things I would've liked to have done in my life, but I didn't do them because I took the more conservative route. I should have had the guts to do things even though they were foreign to me."
Career Roadmap
Lauren's work combines: Business, Medicine, and Accomplishing Goals
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Business/Commerce, General
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Graduate Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
University of Houston
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Senior Director:
Bachelor's Degree: Business/Commerce, General
Graduate Degree: Business Administration and Management, General
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Attended Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania where I earned my bachelor's degree in business.
2.
After college, I got a job for about 4 years in sales and was very successful in this position.
3.
Switched industries by deciding to leave sales and go into healthcare because I wanted to be in an industry that was more instrumental in people’s lives.
4.
Earned my MBA and started working on my PhD.
5.
Got married and moved to California.
6.
After getting pregnant with my first child, I decided to quit school and not finish my PhD.
7.
Have been working for Pacific Business Group on Health cumulatively for about 17 years.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
You should follow the rules, you should finish your PhD.
How I responded:
From the time my first daughter was born, I decided not to finish my PhD and I worked part-time until my second daughter was in the second grade. I have no regrets, but it was definitely a career hit. I would definitely be further along in my career if I had done it differently. I got to spend extra time with the kids and go to playgroups and go on adventures, but that tends to be a decision a woman has to make. It was a sacrifice I chose to make.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Came from a working class, blue collar family. My family could hardly fathom me going to college, let alone getting a graduate degree in business.
I didn't end up finishing my PhD because I ended up getting pregnant and having my daughter. I wish I had been able to finish, but I had to make a choice.