Inside 5 Years as an Integrator: The Lessons Most CEOs Learn Too Late

Inside 5 Years as an Integrator: The Lessons Most CEOs Learn Too Late

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what 5+ years as an Integrator has actually taught me. After years working behind the scenes of digital businesses, I’ve seen what truly works… and what quietly breaks things. If you’re a CEO, leader, or someone inside a growing business, this episode will give you a deeper look into what it really takes to run a business well. I’m sharing the biggest lessons I’ve learned—not just as an Integrator, but from being in the day-to-day of growing, scaling, and leading in the digital space. This is the real talk on what it takes to build a business that’s not just growing… but sustainable. Because digital businesses don’t grow from more hustle. They grow from clarity, leadership, aligned teams, and strong operations. In This Episode, We Cover: • Why vision is the foundation of everything in your business • The leadership gaps that quietly break businesses • The reality of managing people and learning how they operate • How team culture is built through leadership and appreciation • The importance of staying in the room through trends, growth, and continued education Connect & Work With Me: If you’re ready to clean up your backend, lead your team more effectively, and scale without chaos, this is exactly the work I do. • Download the Operational Diagnostic Review [https://www.laurenhunnewell.com/operationalaudit] • Book an Operational Health Check Call [https://calendly.com/lauren-laurenhunnewell/operational-health-check] Share the Love: If you loved this episode, please leave a review and share it with a founder, friend.  Don’t forget to share & tag me on social media, love seeing you listening! Follow Lauren on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/laurenhunnewell/]

What Really Happens Between a Visionary & Integrator (Behind the Scenes) with Jess Glazer

In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with someone who played a pivotal role in my journey, my former boss, for a real, behind the scenes conversation on what it actually takes to grow and scale a business. We’re pulling back the curtain on the evolution from employee to operator to stepping into true leadership and what that looked like from both sides of the V/I Duo.  This episode is for you if you’re a CEO feeling stretched thin, a high-performer ready to step into more leadership, or someone who knows there’s a gap between your vision and execution. We talk about the early days of working together, the messy middle of growth, and the leadership shifts required to truly scale.  You’ll hear the truth about what breaks inside a business, why hiring more people doesn’t fix the problem, and what actually creates sustainable momentum. If you’ve ever wondered what it really looks like behind the scenes of this duo, this one’s for you. In This Episode, We Cover: * The role of an operator/integrator in scaling a company * Where things broke (and what we learned from it) * The leadership evolution required on both sides * The truth about burnout for high performers * What founders think they need vs. what actually moves the needle * How our working relationship has evolved over time * Advice for CEOs and operators navigating growth Connect & Work With Me: If you’re ready to clean up your backend, lead your team more effectively, and scale without chaos, this is exactly the work I do. * Book an Operational Health Check Call [https://calendly.com/lauren-laurenhunnewell/operational-health-check] * Download the Operational Diagnostic Review [https://www.laurenhunnewell.com/operationalaudit] Share the Love: If you loved this episode, please leave a review and share it with a founder, friend.  Don’t forget to share & tag me on social media, love seeing you listening! Follow Lauren on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/laurenhunnewell/]

The Birthday That Changed Everything: How Intentionality Created Magic

Turning 40 didn’t just feel like a milestone, it felt like a shift. In this episode, I’m recapping my birthday celebrations—from an artsy weekend in Miami’s Wynwood, to an aura reading experience, to celebrating with friends, and a surprise-filled cruise with family. But more importantly, I’m breaking down why this birthday felt so different than any other. This wasn’t about what I did—it was about how I showed up. From setting intentions for a new decade, to journaling leading up to the day, to releasing expectations and allowing myself to fully receive… this episode is a reflection on what it really looks like to step into your next chapter with intention. If you’re entering a new season of life, this will remind you that magic isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you create. ✨ In this episode, I share: * Highlights from Miami, Wynwood, and my aura reading * The power of journaling before stepping into a new chapter * How embodying “main character energy” shifted everything * Why having zero expectations created the biggest surprises * What it looks like to truly allow yourself to receive * The connection between how you live your life and how you lead your business Grab my free Operational Health Check checklist  [https://www.laurenhunnewell.com/operationalaudit] Share the Love: If you loved this episode, please leave a review and share it with a founder, friend.  Don’t forget to share & tag me on social media, love seeing you listening! Follow Lauren on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/laurenhunnewell/]

How My Mom’s Wisdom Shifted My Perspective on Time, Autonomy & Daily Action

Grab my free Operational Health Check checklist  [https://www.laurenhunnewell.com/operationalaudit] Sometimes the simplest wisdom hits the hardest. In this episode, I share a moment when Victor asked my mom a question that completely shifted our perspective on routines, habits, and the way we move through life. It was a powerful reminder that many of the patterns we follow aren’t actually fixed — they’re just familiar. And when we remember that we have autonomy over our time, our choices, and our energy, we can start making decisions that work for us instead of simply repeating what we’ve always done. We also dive into a principle that is incredibly important for growth in both life and business: consistency beats intensity. Ten minutes a day will almost always outperform one hour twice a month. In this episode we talk about: * The simple question Victor asked my mom that shifted our perspective * How routines can become unconscious patterns we never question * Remembering that you have autonomy in how you spend your time * Why small daily actions compound faster than occasional big efforts * How consistency creates momentum in life and business If you’ve been feeling stuck in the same rhythms or wondering why progress feels slow, this episode will remind you that small shifts in perspective — and small daily actions — can create massive change over time. Grab my free Operational Health Check checklist  [https://www.laurenhunnewell.com/operationalaudit] Share the Love: If you loved this episode, please leave a review and share it with a founder, friend.  Don’t forget to share & tag me on social media, love seeing you listening! Follow Lauren on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/laurenhunnewell/]

The 10 Decisions That Built My 30s (And the CEO I’m Becoming at 40)

Grab my free Operational Health Check checklist  [https://www.laurenhunnewell.com/operationalaudit] As I prepare to turn 40, I’m not just celebrating a birthday, I’m reviewing a decade. This episode is a reflection on the 10 decisions that shaped my 30s — the bold ones, the painful ones, the unexpected ones — and how they built the operator, leader, and CEO I’m stepping into now. Because your life isn’t built in one breakthrough moment. It’s built in decisions. Inside this episode, I share: * Why moving to NYC was the catalytic move that changed my standards * The power of getting promoted in corporate… and then walking away * The relationship I left — and what it taught me about self-trust * Betting on myself with Jajaja Management (and why quitting mattered) * Dating someone 7 years younger, getting engaged, and building a grounded marriage * Going full-time inside DBE and strengthening my Integrator muscle * Investing in masterminds, conferences, and solo trips * Starting the podcast — from DM’ing Diana to booking my first 3 guests Let’s keep showing up. Grab my free Operational Health Check checklist  [https://www.laurenhunnewell.com/operationalaudit] Share the Love: If you loved this episode, please leave a review and share it with a founder, friend.  Don’t forget to share & tag me on social media, love seeing you listening! Follow Lauren on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/laurenhunnewell/]