About the Podcast
Creativity Connects with Mikki Wilson is a Creative Collective podcast that goes beyond the brand and into the authentic journeys of women entrepreneurs who are members of the Creative Collective. Each episode, host Mikki Wilson sits down with a woman business owner from the Creative Collective community to explore her unique path, what drives her, and where she’s headed next. This series illuminates the moments, motivations, and messy middles that shape women’s experiences as creators and business leaders in the creative economy. Jenni Stuart Fine Jewelry supports this podcast series.
In this transformative episode, we’re discovering how sometimes the greatest creative breakthroughs emerge when traditional paths close. Lauren Carter Reilly’s story offers our community a profound exploration of what happens when an artist stops trying to fit the mold and starts creating their own.
When the Curtain Falls, the Real Story Begins
Lauren Carter Reilly describes herself as a “classically trained shapeshifter,” and through our conversation, we’re learning just how much shape-shifting the traditional theater world demanded of her. As a classically trained actor, Lauren spent years navigating an industry that constantly asked her to be someone else – not just on stage, but in life. “The pressure to constantly change yourself to fit the industry’s mold” became exhausting, she shares, revealing a reality many creative entrepreneurs know intimately: the cost of trying to succeed in systems that weren’t built for us.
Together, we’re exploring how the pandemic, despite its devastation to the performing arts, became Lauren’s unexpected catalyst for transformation. When COVID-19 shuttered theaters worldwide, Lauren found herself moving from Philadelphia back to her childhood home, eventually settling in Salem, Massachusetts. This geographic shift paralleled a deeper internal journey – one that would lead her to discover her authentic voice as a creative entrepreneur wasn’t lost; it was simply waiting for the right platform.
Breaking Free from “One Call Away”
Our community often discusses the psychological toll of the “almost there” mentality, and Lauren’s insights illuminate this struggle powerfully. She speaks candidly about breaking free from the “one call away from making it” mindset that keeps so many artists from building sustainable, fulfilling lives. This perpetual waiting game, we’re discovering together, isn’t just financially draining – it’s emotionally and creatively depleting.
“I have something in me that if other people don’t realize it when I’m in the room, they don’t get to have it,” Lauren declares, embodying the shift many creative entrepreneurs must make. It’s not about arrogance; it’s about recognizing your worth isn’t determined by gatekeepers who may never open the door. This realization became the foundation for Lauren’s next chapter, where she would become both creator and gatekeeper of her own artistic destiny.
The Birth of a TikTok Phenomenon
When Lauren began creating “The Wonderful Lady B” on TikTok, she started with just one-minute episodes. What emerged wasn’t just content – it was connection. We’re learning through her experience how authentic voice in creative entrepreneurship isn’t about perfection or following formulas; it’s about creating from a place of truth that resonates across unexpected audiences.
The series, which has now garnered over 142,000 followers and evolved into a novel, explores themes of identity, survival, and transformation. But perhaps more importantly, it demonstrates how storytelling can bridge divides our society often deems insurmountable. Lauren shares how her work connects people across cultural, political, and generational differences, reminding us that authentic creative expression has the power to unite rather than divide.
Glamour Possum: Creating Space for Other Shapeshifters
Through Glamour Possum, Lauren now helps other creatives enhance their personal branding without judgment – a direct response to years of being judged and asked to conform. Our conversation reveals how her business philosophy stems from lived experience: understanding what it feels like to have your authentic voice questioned, minimized, or redirected.
“If something doesn’t quite hit, I’m like that doesn’t work for me,” she explains, demonstrating the clarity that comes from finally trusting your own creative instincts. This approach to business and creativity offers our community a powerful model: success doesn’t require abandoning your authentic voice; it requires amplifying it.
The Sacred Act of Honoring Your Gift
Perhaps the most profound moment in our conversation comes when Lauren shares her grandfather’s advice: “Mediocrity is no way to honor the Holy Mother.” This wisdom transcends religious context, speaking to something universal in the creative spirit – the responsibility we have to fully express our gifts, not in service to external validation, but as an act of honoring the creative force within us.
We’re discovering together that this isn’t about ego or ambition in the traditional sense. It’s about recognizing that dimming your light, playing small, or contorting yourself to fit others’ expectations isn’t humility – it’s a disservice to your purpose and potential. For creative entrepreneurs finding their authentic voice, this reframing can be revolutionary.
Breathing, Laughter, and the Essentials of Connection
Throughout our conversation, Lauren emphasizes elements often overlooked in business discussions: breathing, laughter, and genuine human connection. These aren’t soft skills or nice-to-haves; they’re the foundation of sustainable creative entrepreneurship. When we create space for people to breathe and laugh, we’re creating space for authentic connection – the kind that transforms followers into community and customers into collaborators.
This approach challenges conventional business wisdom that prioritizes metrics over meaning. Yet, as Lauren’s journey demonstrates, when creative entrepreneurs lead with their authentic voice, the metrics often follow. More importantly, the work becomes sustainable because it’s aligned with who you truly are.
Your Authentic Voice Is Waiting
Lauren Carter Reilly’s transformation from classical theater to digital storytelling offers our creative community more than inspiration – it provides a roadmap for finding and trusting your authentic voice as a creative entrepreneur. Her story reminds us that sometimes the stages we’re meant to occupy aren’t the ones we trained for. Sometimes the audience waiting for our authentic expression isn’t in traditional venues but in digital spaces we’re only beginning to explore.
As we continue exploring these themes together, we invite you to consider: What would change in your creative business if you stopped trying to fit the mold? What authentic voice within you is waiting to be expressed? And how might honoring that voice – fully, unapologetically, brilliantly – transform not just your business, but your entire creative life?
Join the Conversation
We’re curious to hear from our creative community: How has your journey to finding your authentic voice as a creative entrepreneur unfolded? What stages have you had to leave behind to discover where you truly belong? Please share your insights and continue this exploration with us at creativecollectivema.com.
Credits: Hosted by Mikki L. Wilson, founder of Dot Connector Consulting. Produced by Randyll Collum for Peabody TV (peabodytv.org), A Creative Collective podcast (creativecollectivema.com). Sponsored by Jenni Stuart Fine Jewelry.
Connect with Lauren Carter Reilly:
- Website: glamourpossum.com
- Instagram: @glamourpossum
- TikTok: @glamourpossum
- Email: glamourpossum@gmail.com
Episode Description:
Join host Mikki Wilson as she sits down with Lauren Carter Reilly, a classically trained actor turned successful content creator and author. Lauren shares her transformative journey from the traditional theater world to becoming the creative force behind Glamour Possum and “The Wonderful Lady B” series on TikTok. Together, they explore the harsh realities of conforming to industry expectations, the unexpected liberation of the pandemic pivot, and the power of finding your authentic voice as a creative entrepreneur. Lauren’s insights on breaking free from the “one call away” mentality, building community through storytelling, and honoring your creative gifts offer both validation and inspiration for anyone navigating their own creative transformation. Discover how breathing, laughter, and authentic connection can become the foundation of sustainable creative business.
Guest Connection: Lauren Carter Reilly offers personal branding development, content creation, and creative direction through Glamour Possum. Visit glamourpossum.com or connect on Instagram @glamourpossum.
Credits: Hosted by Mikki Wilson, founder of Dot Connector Consulting. Produced by Randyll Collum for Peabody TV. A Creative Collective podcast. Sponsored by Jenni Stuart Fine Jewelry.
