Don’t Let Yourself Be Bought: Interview with Lauren Imparato, Co-Founder and CEO of The Association

I recently went one on one with Lauren Imparato, co-founder and CEO of The Association.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Lauren: I have had a very non linear career. I studied Romance Languages and Literature at Princeton, then went straight to work on the Fixed Income trading floor of Morgan Stanley. While on Wall Street in both NY and London, I helped the firm launch businesses across Emerging Markets. In the background, I had started to replace my treadmill miles with yoga and meditation, and started deeply studying the practices as a hobby … which is when it hit me that yoga, meditation, and nutrition were not ‘cool’ or accessible to any of my colleagues and friends, a population group that arguably needed these the most. Similarly, there was yet to be a health & wellness industry the way there is now.

So I left it all on the table - the money, prestige, and seat in a recession, to start I.AM.YOU., a first of its kind health/wellness/fitness company. Most of the things you see as normal across the industry now - boutique fitness, reserving your spot for a class, audio meditations, digital classes, dark lighting, loud music, text based nutritional coaching - all started with I.AM.YOU..

Although faced with inbound requests, I never took outside funding for the business. I wanted to learn how to be in the trenches and truly build a business, and a brand, with my own two hands. Which incorporated a lot of blood, sweat and tears! After 10 years, thousands and thousands of clients across the brick & mortar, digital and cpg verticals across the globe, I exited the business … and took a deep, huge breath. I had worked 15+ hours a day 6-7 days a week for a decade, helped make health/wellness/fitness accessible, had written a best selling book, RETOX, and helped thousands worldwide up their physical game. It was time to rest, and come up with my next thing.

It was in that breath that I met my now co-founder, Janelle Hallier, and The Association, my next business, came to life. I realized that through both my Wall Street and entrepreneurial careers, and in the transition between into, during and after, I lacked an unbiased group of people to bounce my challenges and opportunities off of, one that was liked minded, driven to excel, and ‘got it’ without wanting or needing me to go in one direction or the other. And here we are!

Adam: How did you come up with your business ideas? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?

Do not force it. The best ideas come when you are least looking for them. They sort of smack you in the face. To encourage that "aha!," though, make sure you create time for learning and thinking aimlessly. Sign up for a random art class you may suck at, go for a walk without your phone and with no precise purpose. Let the wheels of your mind absorb what is around you, process it all, and then let it do its magic.

Adam: How did you know your business ideas were worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?

Lauren: Ask around! Ask random people on the subway and at the bar. If their eyes light up - you know you are onto something. But remember, the road is never easy so make sure you are into it - and for the right reasons.

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?

Lauren: Work hard. Keep working. And work more after that. That is truly the only way to grow.

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?

Lauren: Start out doing it yourself. Farming it out to an agency or third party can seem easier and more efficient, yes, but then you lose touch with your customers before you even know them. It is far more valuable to get your hands dirty in the trenches and know your potential client inside and out .

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Lauren: Being real and cutting the platitudes goes a long way. Too often now we hear and see leaders repeating the same phrases and ideas. True leadership requires courage to be unique and think outside of the box.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?

Lauren: Patience! We all think, learn, and work differently, and each team needs a little of everything. Sometimes that means that someone’s communication or working style is polarly opposite to yours - which is actually ok - as long as you both come to terms with reality and get the job done.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?

Lauren: Learn. Put Integrity First. Embrace the 90s Bulls.

Never stop learning. Curiosity and the follow through of it - education - will engender creative thoughts and problem solving, and keep you ahead of the curve.

Above all, operate with integrity. It may make you less money upfront or bring about some unwanted commentary, but you will always be able to sleep at night and will have a longer, more fruitful career overall.

The 90s Bulls are arguably the most epic sports team ever. As individuals, they could not win - even with Jordan scoring 40+ points a game. But when they finally came together as a team, they were unstoppable. As I say, teamwork makes the dream work.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Lauren: “Don’t let yourself be bought.” My grandmother instilled this in us at a young age - and I live by it (and even included it as a line in the kid’s book I wrote!). No matter the money, award, power or connection, never let yourself be bought. That can, and usually does, lead to some tough questions and decisions, but ones totally worth facing for a life and career of true freedom.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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