Lauren Adams, ‘12

Interviewed by Laura Kempf, ‘04

I first met Lauren at a Booth Winter Tea event in Detroit.  She was balancing the act of returning to a full-time career as Director of Operations at the Center for Financial Planning, Inc.®, after having her first child. She still made time for the Detroit Booth Winter Tea and extended an offer to partner and host the next Spring Summit.

Recently, at that very next Spring Summit, I took time to get to know the woman behind the career. Lauren loved her career at Morningstar but found that the people important to her were always asking questions. Should I contribute to a ROTH IRA? How much can I give to charity? What is good advice and how do I protect my family? Lauren found purpose in helping those around her and decided to move back to her home state of Michigan and a take a position with the Center for Financial Planning, Inc.® The position not only aligned her with a sense of purpose in helping others make the best investment and life choices, but also allowed her to develop and grow her skills. Lauren even challenged her company to do more for women by increasing their maternity leave.

“In a small company, you get to wear a lot of hats. I have had the privilege of not just working within my own role, but also having a voice in strategy, marketing and other areas of the company,” explained Lauren. “The education I received at Booth prepared me not only to weigh in on asset allocation and security selection decisions at the firm, but also the operational areas of the business as well.”

And while she has learned many things, Lauren reflected that even being in the career of financial planning, it is still very useful to have that separate expertise of a planner act as your outside perspective and fit your plan to your individual situation.

“When the S&P 500 is soaring, it’s easy to forget why we own bonds.” That key advice provides their clients with a solid plan and portfolio.

We often strive in life to match our careers with purpose. This was most extraordinary insight in my discussion with Lauren. She followed the pieces of her life that were giving her happiness, such as advising family and friends. It shouldn’t be surprising that, when I asked what was the most eye-opening experience she has had in her career, Lauren explained that she took a year off after graduating Booth school just to travel the world with an eye on investment opportunities. Who does that? Someone following their purpose with a passion.