Featured #bloomgirl: Lauren Ladouceur; Planner Icon!

This month’s featured #bloomgirl is Lauren Ladouceur! We connected with Lauren after she came out with this awesome video about National Planner Day! We saw Lauren's genuine light, spirit, and energy and we knew that we had to connect with her. Lauren is a natural connector, she is compassionate, loving, enthusiastic, optimistic, and a hard worker! 

Today is an extra special day because Lauren just launched her very first planner bundles on her website, www.planwithlaur.com. View Lauren's launch day video here! 

View the bundles, here! We are so proud and inspired by Lauren and we know you will be too! Read more about her below! 

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I'm the daughter of two military parents, so planning is rooted in my DNA: The frequent moves and trips of my childhood gave me great appreciation to detail and plans early on. If you can believe it, I'm even more of a planner than my parents! I am a Broadway musical fanatic - ever since I first saw Sound of Music. Fun fact: During a summer internship in New York City, I entered the Broadway ticket lotteries every day and won like 24 times over 10 weeks. It was incredible! I'm a runner. Back in January I ran my first marathon at Walt Disney World. It's my favorite way to cut stress and explore new cities, but running looks different these days during a global pandemic (Hello, sweaty masks!). And these days, I work my 9 to 5 job and share my love for planning and goal-setting on the side.

How did you get started in planning?

Though I didn't always have a planner, I've always been planning – essentially, as long as I could write. I've been into scrapbooking for years and, though I didn't know it at the time, my scrapbooking was akin to memory planning. When I first moved to Boston I was lonely and thought that if I bought a planner I could fill it with plans. I thrive in structured environments that I can make sense of. That turned into me finding Facebook groups of like-minded people who taught me all about stickers and washi, functional and decorative planning, and really gave me a voice and a community to lean on when I didn't have much of one here in Boston.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced, personally or professionally? How have you overcome it?

I was raised in a biracial household, but the world treats me as Black. For the longest time, I tried to hide that portion of my identity to fit in to the mostly-white spaces I occupied. I did this to make people feel comfortable. It wasn't until George Floyd's murder, and the subsequent protest movement, that I felt comfortable calling myself Black out loud. I've spent my whole life too white to be with the Black kids and too Black to be with the white kids. Moving to Boston coincided with wearing my hair natural for the first time and being proud of my true identity. I don't know if hiding my Blackness is something I'm completely "over", but I'm on my journey of healing and understanding. In this movement I have found a voice and a piece of social activism that has been missing in my life. I'm walking this path of empowerment and trying to help others navigate this moment as well. What is your "WHY"? It’s simple, really: I want to make people feel heard and loved. With planning, everyone has resources at their disposal but not everyone knows how to use them. Their planner can be a window into their life, and I try to help them find a frame through which they enjoy looking inside. Helping others is foundational for me.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration/passion?

My biggest inspiration is my Mom. The other day she called me, proud that she found a new technique to line up washi. Our relationship is unique, and she's always been brutally honest with me about the world without trying to shelter me. As I grow older I see myself in her, more and more, every day. To this day she is my biggest champion. My Mom broke a lot of glass ceilings in the military. She entered and conquered a male-dominated field. She was told at every step of her career that she wasn't good enough and she wouldn't prevail. Yet, she did. I look at her and I'm in awe. I light up when I talk about her. Mom, if you're reading this - I love you!

If you could talk to yourself 5 years ago, what advice would you give yourself?

Don't wait to be who you want to be. Start tomorrow -- or better yet, start today! People won't always understand your planner obsession. Don't cater to them by downplaying it. Beat your own path and go your own pace. Don't follow to a T those 5 and 10-year plans you make. Life will dictate its own pace, so just be comfortable going along for the ride. There's a sweet spot where you let the unplanned happen to you.

What do you love about the planner community and how have they helped you?

The planner community helped me find my voice. The thing I love most is that when you're on the outside, you feel crazy for caring about what goes into your planner, color-coding, or geeking out over sticker kits. And then you meet your people! In the planner community you can be whoever you want. I've made friends that I met in person because of this community. I've collaborated with people thousands of miles away because of this community. I always knew I liked planning and goal-setting. I was on this journey to plan and set goals in this new chapter of my life. I started asking questions and the planning community showed genuine curiosity. For once, I had people outside of my immediate family keeping me accountable because they were so interested in my journey. I have a network of planners all over the world that I know I can rely on.

What are your favorite bloom products, and why?

I love the Bound To-Do Book! I'm an hourly gal through and through, but sometimes (um, frequently!) my planner doesn't have enough space for me to brain dump everything on my mind. I love that I can tear pages out, the flexibility of it, and the functionality. Above all, I love that the Bound To-Do Book fits in my purse and is lightweight enough to travel with.

The Vision Planner: In a planner, setting intentions is so important. I love the monthly challenges. The fact that you're checking in monthly with your goals keeps you accountable.

The Empowerment Cards and Encouragement Cards are underrated. You never know when slipping one of those cards on someone's desk, or in someone's lunch box will turn their day around. No one will ever shy away from positivity!