Meet Lauren Bender: Entrepreneur and Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Bender and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Social Media is 24/7 and always evolving. Since I work from home, and my mood is influenced by my surroundings and environment, I specifically created an inspiring, calming and motivating workspace for myself. I am a perfectionist, so it has been challenging for me to prioritize the perfect work life balance. My advice: Be available for your clients, but don’t be afraid to give yourself time to step back and relax. Create a structured daily routine and set realistic expectations. Set weekly goals or write a to-do list. In this season of life, I have realized how important family, relationships and connections are with people.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Social Hour is a marketing consulting and full service social media agency. We provide strategic content and planning to ultimately build the client’s brand. Services include strategy + creative content, platform management, influencer marketing, event planning and creating campaigns. I graduated Samford University with a double major in Marketing and Entrepreneurship in 2016. I knew I wanted to start my own company, as I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I created Social Hour out of mere passion for design, creativity and communication. Over the years, Social Hour has worked with some of the best, both big and small. From Randy Fenoli Bridal, to Lisa Todd Cashmere, I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such incredible people and brands. Social Hour focuses on building beauty, fashion and wellness lifestyle brands. Life is a journey that has its ups and downs. It’s all about your mindset! Of course there will be struggles along the way, but the key is to not quit. When I first started out, I had only one client with an extremely low budget. I ran the brand’s entire online business to build up my portfolio. After a few months, it was a domino effect. I started having other brands reach out to me for my expertise. The long hours and hard work started to pay off, and I was able to watch my business goals come to fruition. I make myself available to my clients day or night, week day or weekend. Sometimes the days are long, but I am grateful and privileged to be able to run my own company. Social Hour focuses on storytelling, community, and relationships. We provide brands with creative content and help develop strong brand recognition to tell your story. We manage your social media, while you manage your business. With Social Hour’s vast influential network of both local and national connections, we work with influencers as a simple and effective way to increase brand exposure and add value. We create blogs, e-blasts, press releases, media and look books. We communicate your brand on a local or national level. We also create strong lists of additional brands, individuals, and influencers that are compatible to your company. Using our extensive networks & contacts, we help you curate long-lasting connections and relationships. Additionally, I specialize in creative directing and styling for brand campaign shoots. I think it’s very important to love what you do. By doing what you love, you inspire others and yourself. I am honored to work with people and brands from all over the world, not just Palm Beach County. It’s refreshing to know I can work from anywhere!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My guide to Palm Beach: Where to stay: The Breakers, The Colony or EAU Palm Beach Where to eat: The Honor Bar, Sant Ambroeus, Coyo Taco or Flagler Steakhouse – HMF or The Seafood Bar at The Breakers for drinks and light bites! Grab a yummy gelato or espresso at Piccolo Gelato. Where to shop: The Royal Poinciana Plaza or Worth Avenue Where to have fun: Rent a bike from the Palm Beach Bicycle Trail Shop and ride around the Island or Lake Trail. Visit the historical Flagler Museum (where I got married!). Grab a coffee and people watch around the island. I love this little slice of paradise I call home!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Place of Hope, my father’s social venture, has been an entrepreneurial beacon in my life. My dad was one of the first people to encourage me to start my own business venture and inspires me to impact the world through my daily interactions.

Website: https://www.socialhourhq.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialhourhq/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-bender-116b6b101/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialHourHQ/

Image Credits
Shaye Babb Photography Randy Fenoli Bridal Pauwii Swimwear Lisa Todd Randy Fenoli Bridal Cocobelle Sandals Ipanema Sandals