Fairygodboss Of The Week Lauren OBrien

Fairygodboss Of The Week Lauren OBrien Our Fairygodbossthis week uses zu sich planning skills to kill it both in the office, where shes an HR director, and at home, where shes a devoted mom.Lauren OBrien has spent her entire career learning how to get out of her comfort zone, and the results speak for themselves. The best part? Shes deeply committed to helping young female leaders both in HR and elsewhere achieve the saatkorn success. Fairygodboss of the Week Lauren OBrienSenior Director, Human Resources, PepsiCoNew York, NYFGBTell us about your career. How did you get to where you are now?LO My career so far has been a combination of great opportunities and great people. The thing that stands out the most are the great people that I have been able to work with. Whether it welches in my internships during college, my first job or any of the roles Ive had with PepsiCo, I have been able to learn something from everyone I worked with. Ive had great co-workers and leaders who supported me, but also enabled me to do more and work outside of my comfort zone. In addition to the people around me, the culture of PepsiCo enables me to expand my experiences and learn something new all the time. The job titles alone have not defined the work that I was able to do.FGB What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?LOIn a few of the roles Ive had with PepsiCo, I have been able to dive deep into Labor Relations. Traditionally, this is a male-dominated field and most of the union leaders are male. Initially, this was intimidating for me as a young female. I remember my first few interactions with the unions where I would write down what I wanted to say ahead of time I was pretty nervous. However, I had a few great mentors who quickly helped me realize that my knowledge and capability gave me the upper hand in these settings. As long as I had confidence in myself, it didnt need to be as intimidating as I was making it in my own head. Many years have now passed and I have bee n able to negotiate a number of tough contracts with difficult unions, but most importantly I have helped other new HR leaders become confident in the labor field. That is what Im most proud of being able to help shape this important agenda by building capability and confidence in other new female leaders.FGB What is a challenge that youve faced and overcome?LO Being a working mom is a constant challenge. I am a planner I would be lost without my calendar and waiting until the last minute makes me anxious. Before I had kids, it was much easier to control how my days went. Once I had kids, that changed. My biggest learning is that I need to be more flexible but also plan for the unexpected. If I expect everything to go as planned every day, I will surely be disappointed and frustrated. But generally, my days end up being 75 percent as planned and 25 percent adjusting to the curve balls that come my way. Every day looks a little different and some days are harder than others but over all, we are making things work. My kids are leise pretty young, but I love that I am showing them that their mom and dad can be great parents and also be successful at work. My family and my career are both important to me, so I am committed to continuing to overcome this challenge each day.FGBWhat is the 1 career tip youd like to share with other women who want to have successful careers like you?LO Remember that you have a long career ahead of you. From when you enter the workforce to when you retire, you have 40 years of experiences to gain. Dont be in too much of a rush that you lose out of valuable experiences. But at the same time, be driven to excel and exceed others expectations. Your career is going to ebb and flow sometimes you will move fast and other times you will move slow. The important thing is to continue learning. Dont wait for someones permission to solve a problem be proactive and demonstrate your leadership capability. Dont let your job title define how big of a positive influence you can makeFGB Who is YOUR Fairygodboss? Why? LO My mom. She has always been such a great role model for me, both personally and professionally. My parents divorced when I was 10, and as a single mom she went back to school for her masters degree while working full time. If she can do that, there is nothing that I cant overcome. If I get only 10 percent of her perseverance, determination and commitment, then there will be nothing that I cant doLightning Round FGB What is your karaoke song?LOSweet Caroline.FGB What is your favorite movie?LOEmpire Records.FGB What is your shopping vice?LO Do I have to pick just one? Shoes are always a go to.What would you buy if you won the lottery?LOIf I won the lottery, I would buy a beach house.Fairygodboss is all about women helping other women - so each week, we celebrate a woman who made a difference in another womans career. Is there a woman who has made a difference in your career?Celebrate her and thank herbynominating h er here.