Power Women: Lauren Nutt Bello of ‘Ready Set Rocket’ On How To Successfully Navigate Work, Love and Life As A Powerful Woman

An Interview With Ming Zhao

Never be afraid to ask questions. I see it all the time. People are afraid to jump in and clarify or ask a question because they are afraid it’s something they should already know, or that they’ll look stupid. Asking questions shows you’re engaged, helps to ensure you have a true understanding of the topic, and creates a dialogue that allows you to provide perspective and add value.

How does a successful, strong, and powerful woman navigate work, employee relationships, love, and life in a world that still feels uncomfortable with strong women? In this interview series, called “Power Women” we are talking to accomplished women leaders who share their stories and experiences navigating work, love and life as a powerful woman.

As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Lauren Nutt Bello.

Lauren Nutt Bello is a mom of two, wife, and President and Managing Partner at Ready Set Rocket, a digital marketing agency based in New York. Working with clients such as the NBA, Sweetgreen, Estee Lauder, Bumble and dozens of others, Lauren has helped to spearhead the growth of the agency since she joined as the 4th employee in 2012. Beyond her day-to-day, Lauren helps nurture the agency’s culture by hosting a monthly women’s leadership and empowerment event that provides women the opportunity to openly discuss topics like delivering powerful presentations, overcoming career-related insecurities, and seeking equality in the workplace. Lauren’s writing and commentary has been featured in publications including Huffpost, PopSugar, Digiday, Adweek, Glossy, and notable others.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?

I’m one of three; a middle child with classic always-trying-to-prove-yourself, middle child syndrome. When I was a teenager I had a brain injury that left me with brain damage causing a severe speech impediment and other deficits related to reading and visual processing. Before the injury, I started my junior year of high school in honors classes, and ended it reading at a second grade level and speaking almost completely indecipherably. After spending 1.5 years in daily speech and cognitive therapy — I got to the point that no one who met me would ever know anything had happened. I always think of that as my greatest accomplishment, but in reality there were long lasting effects that impact me to this day. I think that type of experience changes how you see the world, how you face a challenge, how you deal with and empathize with people, and how you see yourself. It’s something I rarely ever talk about, but I’m not sure I could honestly give my backstory without mentioning it.

Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?

I started off in ad sales, took the first job offered to me, and felt lucky just to be employed. I very quickly realized it wasn’t for me. I had always been creative, but had zero artistic abilities. It took me a little while to realize there were jobs at creative agencies that didn’t require you to be a “creative” by trade. Once I got my first job at an advertising agency, I was hooked.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

It was early on in the business, we had about 8 employees and were in a small office with no conference rooms, so if you had a call — you had to do it in the open or in the hallway. We got a call from the Yankees one day and all freaked out thinking they were calling about working with us. When we realized it was just a corporate tickets sales call, we were very disappointed. Two weeks later, we got a call from the NBA — and not to be fooled again, just assumed it was another sales call and prompted some eye rolls as we got on the phone ready for the pitch. Turns out, this time it was about working with us, and that call turned into a huge, long term partnership. That was a big inflection point in our business.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Empathy is a huge factor. I really try to put myself in my teams’ shoes to understand their perspectives, goals, challenges, etc. I also force myself to think back to when I was in similar situations before I react to things, and remember the stress and anxiety I felt when I messed up, or was overworked, etc. Empathy in management is crucial to building trust, respect, and loyalty. I would also say I’m a really good listener which is important in both management and business. Locking in, and hearing what people are saying, but also trying to get to the bottom of why they’re really saying it, and what they really want. A lot of times people say one thing but mean another — helping them to understand how they feel and why they feel that way is productive for both you and your employee/client, etc. And last, nurturing talent. I think it helps that I’m just really passionate about other people’s career growth — but I am very strong at assessing people’s skillsets, helping them to realize their growth potential, and striking a balance between throwing them into the deep end but also providing the oversight to ensure they’re set up for success — that balance is difficult to strike but so important.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. The premise of this series assumes that our society still feels uncomfortable with strong women. Why do you think this is so?

I disagree with the idea that society as a whole has a problem with powerful women. I think it’s important to acknowledge that there’s a huge contingency of women and men who very much embrace strong women, advocate for women to have a seat at the table, realize the value of diverse opinions and styles, and actually think about working under a powerful woman as a huge benefit. I think among young people, that’s overwhelmingly the more popular sentiment. That said, the other side of the coin certainly exists. There is still a vocal contingency of people who feel progress is threatening and subscribe to ideas that were likely ingrained in them from birth, especially among older generations who are more likely to hold positions of power. I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard things like, “I would never vote for a woman president, I don’t want her anywhere near the nuclear button when she’s on her period”, “who do you think you are, little girl?”, “that’s not ladylike”, etc. In our culture we’re exposed to these types of ideas from the time we’re born — and for some people, it shapes the way they expect women to behave, and how they perceive women that don’t fit into that mold (and in some cases, how they see themselves). This extends into the workplace and is a driving force behind the gender pay gap and the lack of representation we see in upper management and the C Suite. The impact is exponentially worse for women of color.

Without saying any names, can you share a story from your own experience that illustrates this idea?

I can give an example that highlights both points above. Years back, when I was much more junior in my career, I put together a strategy proposal for a huge client. I did the research, I provided the perspective, I wrote the deck. I was presenting to a C-suite executive of one of our biggest clients at the time. My male business partner was with me, but was a silent participant in the meeting. Literally didn’t say a word the entire presentation. That said, the executive refused to even look at me — despite the fact that I was leading the presentation. When he had questions and commentary, he routed them to my male colleague. But, my colleague saw what was happening and refused to participate. Over and over, he would throw the question/discussion back to me and elevate me as the leader in the room. It empowered me, gave me a platform to feel like the expert in the room, and signaled very clearly to the client that we weren’t going to play his game. I think this is a really good example of how allies can have a real impact on these types of situations.

What should a powerful woman do in a context where she feels that people are uneasy around her?

I think acknowledgement is the most important thing. Trust your gut, and be self-aware. Everyone isn’t sexist, not by a long shot. The majority of the time, someone might be hostile, stand-offish, or cold to you in the workplace for a number of reasons related to either their job, life, or potentially something you’ve done (or not done). But, when it is sexism, it’s usually pretty clear. And, especially if it’s a coworker/colleague, acknowledging the elephant in the room is the best way to squash it and take control of the situation instead of letting it fester.

I’m lucky enough that I can only count a handful of times, over the course of my career, where it was immediately clear that someone was uncomfortable with me playing my role. That said, I think it’s important to acknowledge that I’m a white, straight, woman who has the job title to back my perceived validity in any conference room I walk into. For many women, and especially women of color, fighting for a seat at the table is a constant battle. As leaders, beyond just advocating for ourselves, I think it’s integral to ensure you’re paying attention to how the women on your team are being treated. Find ways to amplify their voices, give them the platform to use their voice and make it clear that you trust them. Never pander to behavior that signals sexism (or any type of biased behavior) regardless of who that behavior is coming from.

What do we need to do as a society to change the unease around powerful women?

Stop instilling ideas in young children that ultimately translate into sexism at home, and at work once they grow up. The idea that women should act a certain way or conduct themselves differently from men in a business setting was created from societal standards that date back to a time when women weren’t allowed to work, own property, or speak up in business or financial decisions, etc. And, again, when you think about the impact of those stereotypes and biases when it comes to under-represented groups of people trying to carve out a path — you quickly see why there’s a pay gap and a representation gap (which black and hispanic women are disproportionately impacted by).

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women leaders that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

I think the lack of representation causes an innate challenge for women that men are less likely to experience. When there aren’t people like you making decisions on corporate policies, the direction of the company, or even your future/growth as an employee — you are at a disadvantage. Women consist of less than 30% of Senior VP roles, and less than 25% of C Suite roles. And, when it comes to women of color, they represent just 4% of C Suite roles, highlighting the biggest representation deficit in the workforce.

Let’s now shift our discussion to a slightly different direction. This is a question that nearly everyone with a job has to contend with. Was it difficult to fit your personal and family life into your business and career? For the benefit of our readers, can you articulate precisely what the struggle was?

Yes. I think it’s hard for every mom. Women take on the majority of “invisible” work at home, and childcare responsibilities. This came under the spotlight with the crisis of women having to balance both their careers and childcare during the pandemic, and many women dropped out of the workforce. On my end, I have to acknowledge, I am lucky enough to have a nanny who takes care of my boys during work hours. That said, unlike in your career, delegating parenting responsibilities isn’t what success looks like. My most important job is to be a good mom. I don’t want someone else raising my kids. I want to make sure one of their parents gets them ready for school, drops them off, makes them dinner and puts them down for bed. I am constantly balancing work and family. Running a thriving company while being present with my boys is an ongoing struggle. And this isn’t unique, every working mom feels it. Setting boundaries is so important, and I feel very empowered to do so because I know where my priorities lie. But, setting those boundaries comes at a cost to your headspace and stress level. Stopping in your tracks at 6pm, and picking the work back up when the kids go to bed is exhausting, not to mention we all feel guilty that we’re not doing enough on both ends. These are all the classic stressors working moms have always faced, I’m not unique. And for single working moms, or moms who don’t have help, their struggle to balance (and still navigate their career growth) is exponentially more difficult.

What was a tipping point that helped you achieve a greater balance or greater equilibrium between your work life and personal life? What did you do to reach this equilibrium?

My mind totally rewired when I had my first son. I had set times that I blocked off on my calendar before and after work to ensure I was able to spend quality time with him each morning and evening. Having that be the standard meant my team knew they needed to plan within those parameters if they needed me to be a part of a meeting/conversation. And, of course, there are times you need to make exceptions — as long as they don’t become the rule. Having a baby was a crash course in making new habits, and training me out of the bad ones I had formed over the years.

I work in the beauty tech industry, so I am very interested to hear your philosophy or perspective about beauty. In your role as a powerful woman and leader, how much of an emphasis do you place on your appearance? Do you see beauty as something that is superficial, or is it something that has inherent value for a leader in a public context? Can you explain what you mean?

Society, media, etc. have ingrained in women that their appearance has so much to do with their success and self-worth. I’ve always worked in client services where there’s an inherent expectation to look polished, and many times you need to dress in-line with client dress codes as you spend a lot of time at other businesses. The pandemic fundamentally changed that. Now, most days I throw my hair up, wear little to no makeup (most times none), and no one can even see my clothes — and there has been absolutely no impact on how I’m received by clients or my team. It’s super liberating to remove some of the vanity and BS and let the work, and your ideas speak for themselves. Beyond that, saving those 45 minutes I used to spend getting ready for work each day, adds more time I get to spend with my kids. It’s a huge win.

How is this similar or different for men?

I think the pandemic has been a bit of an equalizer. Most men can get ready in a few minutes, so the barrier is much lower from a timing perspective. Now, I’m getting ready in the same five minutes my husband takes. And, maybe this shift can create a positive impact in terms of beauty standards — countering the skewed perspectives things like instagram filters have on what men (and women for that matter) think women look like without makeup, etc..

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are the “Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Powerful Woman?” (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you deserve. Self-advocacy is so important, and of course that needs to be blended with self-awareness and empathy — but the clichés are so true in this case. You’re your own best advocate.
2. Show your human side. As a female leader, it’s so important to set the example of normalizing things like having kids around, talking about pregnancy, breastfeeding, mom struggles, etc. This helps your female employees feel supported and empowered to figure out their own balance when they come across the same things.
3. Listen. Don’t just wait for the person to stop talking, but truly listen and make the effort to understand where they’re coming from.
4. Be yourself. It’s easy to feel like you have to play a part when you step into new roles. But, people can spot bullshit from a mile away. Being genuine will help you connect with your colleagues, employees etc. — and make them feel comfortable opening up to you.
5. Never be afraid to ask questions. I see it all the time. People are afraid to jump in and clarify or ask a question because they are afraid it’s something they should already know, or that they’ll look stupid. Asking questions shows you’re engaged, helps to ensure you have a true understanding of the topic, and creates a dialogue that allows you to provide perspective and add value.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.