Lauren McKenzie is the self-proclaimed "tough b****" behind Ren Creative, the agency saving startups from boring, cookie-cutter branding. In this episode, Lauren reveals how getting fired from multiple corporate jobs forced her to realize she was completely "unemployable" and why that was the best thing that ever happened to her. We dive deep into the toxicity of hustle culture, the physical cost of burnout (her therapist warned her she was developing an autoimmune disorder), and why "putting a mountain on your logo" is destroying your local business. In This Episode: Why "hustle culture" almost ruined her health. The "19th Page of Google" reality check for bad branding. Why she pivots between graphic design, photography, and mortgage lending. The brutal advice she would give her 22-year-old self: "Shut the f*** up." CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Intro 13:54 - Starting Photoshop at Age 7 23:06 - "I Came Out the Womb with a Side Hustle" 25:05 - The Reality of Getting Fired 35:08 - Burnout & The "Autoimmune" Warning 50:35 - Why You Shouldn't Hire a Teenager for Your Logo 55:46 - The "Put a Mountain On It" Rant 1:00:01 - Confusing Her with the "Other Lauren" 1:06:24 - The Pivot: Mortgage Lending 1:18:56 - Advice to Her Younger Self CONNECT WITH LAUREN: Website: https://www.rencreativ.com/ (No "e" at the end!) Photography: https://www.rencreativphoto.com/ CONNECT WITH US: Website: https://cosbizpodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colorado.bizpodcast/