There and Back Again: Hi Lauren Miller!

Hi there! I’m Lauren Miller, the new Business Development Manager at designRoom.

My story is one you have likely heard many times before – the young Ohio girl venturing to the big city to find herself, only to realize that Ohio is where she was meant the be all along.

I spent my formative years in Warren, Ohio. It was the quintessential suburban childhood. Following that I took my talents to southern Ohio where I graduated with a BA in Journalism from Ohio University. As graduation neared I, like so many before me, was yearning to move away from Ohio and experience the world. So, just a few days after graduation, I filled a truck full of stuff and headed out (mid)west.

Chicago welcomed me with open arms, followed by a pint of Old Style. It was everything I was looking for – a big city filled with kind midwesterners, a glittering skyline, and in the air the smells of deep dish and chocolate.

Chicago’s energy and pace were like fuel, and I experienced as much of it as I could. I lived in four different neighborhoods; explored many more; went to almost every street and music festival; ate all the food; participated in the insanity that is the Chicago Triathlon.

Professionally, I jumpstarted my career with a small advertising agency that, I begrudgingly admit, represents the Chicago Cubs. From there, I began working with one of the world’s top Brand and Consumer Research firms. My mornings were spent on buses observing those around me. Days were spent diving into the inner-workings of consumers’ minds and helping some of the top brands in the world develop and grow.

Life in Chicago fulfilled every hope I had for it. But after seven amazing years, something unexpected happened. My heart began to yearn for Ohio. So once again, I packed my 750-square foot apartment into a truck and moved back home – to my recently purchased fixer-upper on 3-acres of secluded land.

Initially I continued to work remotely for my Chicago branding firm. But I quickly realized that being too secluded is still not my style. Don’t get me wrong, I love hanging out with my dogs Animal and Pikey all day, but I sorely missed the energy of the city and the promise of human interaction. That’s when I found designRoom, a thriving agency in the heart of downtown Cleveland.

From my mere month at designRoom, I can tell this is what I’ve been looking for all along. I am so excited to be part of the designRoom family, and I cannot wait to use my experience in brand building to help organizations that help people.