While most people see the highlight reel of an entrepreneur's journey, the path also comes with plenty of challenges beneath the surface. Join us as Lauren Sweeney, Dotted Line Agency Founder and CEO, discusses the white-knuckle phase of becoming a business owner and how to overcome inherent setbacks. You'll learn how to celebrate the wins in your work and savor the little moments of delight outside of it.
Bio: Lauren is a visionary entrepreneur, a trusted advisor to business executives and leaders, and a champion for the advancement of women and entrepreneurship.
As Founder and CEO of Dotted Line, a modern agency built on partnership, creativity and results, Lauren has reimagined the practice of marketing and communications to help brands grow. She continues to redefine strategic brand marketing for today’s social/digital world, with a strategy-first approach that creates best-in-class solutions for brand challenges. Under Lauren’s leadership, Dotted Line is consistently recognized as a top-growing marketing agency and best place to work in Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region.
Lauren is a business trailblazer who has garnered several recognitions in 2022. She was recognized by Virginia Business with a 2022 Women in Leadership Award. Meanwhile, Dotted Line debuted on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies at No. 2,039 (and the highest-ranking advertising business in Richmond) and on Viriginia Business’ Best Places to Work in Virginia. Earlier accolades for Lauren include being named as a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow and a Woman Business Owner of the Year finalist by the National Association of Women Business Owners.
A Richmond native, Lauren graduated from Randolph-Macon College. Prior to starting Dotted Line in 2014, she spent her early career at a Fortune 200 company holding various leadership roles in communications, operations and human resources. She currently is on the board for the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and she is a member of both the global leadership community YPO and the Virginia Council of CEOs.
Lauren is a proud wife of a fellow entrepreneur, a stepmother to a towering college student, and a mom to a busy preschooler. The Sweeney family is actively involved at Richmond’s Hope Church, and they enjoy outdoor activities and traveling. Recent adventures have taken them hiking in Utah, exploring the Holy Land in Israel, and exploring vineyards in France.
Lauren's Something Extra: "High levels of passion. Believing that anything is possible is a muscle that develops over time."
Guest Links:
- Lisa Nichols, Host
- Jenny Heal, Executive Producer
- Joe Szynkowski, Marketing Support
- Kendall Brewer, Director of Leadership Programs
- Portside Media, Podcast Engineer
