EXTENDED ENTRY DEADLINE | SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2024 ENTER NOW
Juror Spotlight
Laney VaughanManaging PrincipalThe Mighty Shed
"Lead with commitment, passion for your brand and prioritize celebrating wins as well as fails. Failure and learning are endemic to the growth journey"
Laney Vaughan is the Managing Principal of The Mighty Shed, an alternative consultancy that helps leaders identify where to play and how to win with future consumers.
Previously, she was the Global Brand Head and Co-Founder of Manchester & Hull, LLC, a commercial real estate investment firm. Additionally, she has served on the leadership team at Hawthorne Gardening Company as the Head of Brand Marketing and held several leadership roles in brand strategy, growth acquisitions and consumer marketing for the Reynolds American Inc. companies and The Home Depot.
Ms. Vaughan earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Christopher Newport University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
What led you to your current role?
While trying to help a mentee with career guidance, I was reaching out to people I knew in her desired field as I hadn’t worked in the space, but I knew several who had. Towards the end of the call, my now CEO said, “why don’t you come here?” I didn’t see that coming!
What’s one thing you wish you knew when you first started your career?
That technical competence only gets you to maybe Director level in most mega corps. You have to learn softer skills just as much as technical competency from day one of your professional career.
What’s your dream project?
A blend of an ambitious goal, strategy, creative problem solving, and finding the story in the data. Ideally I’m doing this all with smart people who can laugh occasionally, put the consumer or client first and work with zero ego.
What are your favorite podcasts?
– NPR’s Fresh Air
– Access and Opportunity with Carla Harris
– Still Processing
– Hard Fork
When you look at your phone in the morning, what do you open first?
It’s not the best habit or even the best thing from a well-being perspective, but I open the news app first thing M-F. Before I start the work day, I want to know: is there anything going on that will impact my directs, colleagues, or leaders for which I need to prepare, reach out, offer greater flexibility or sensitivity. Life is more dynamic than ever before and leaders have to stay ready to lead as well as serve.
What are your favorite shows recently?
I watch TV to veg out and not take life or myself too seriously. Thus, it’s:
– Wednesday
– Abbot Elementary
– Atlanta
– White Lotus
What do you think are the 5 most important steps of a rebrand?
1. Audit your brand in its current state…know and appreciate the good, bad & the ugly.
2. Do the work to understand the swim lane you must operate within in order to not alienate your buyer base with an eye towards your evolution.
3. Establish what you want your brand identity to be in 5 years—stretching it in alignment with the future buyer you desire while staying true to step 2.
4. Work backwards. Start defining what your brand needs to do, and what it needs to make buyers believe now through the next 3 years. This will make the 5-year view realistic, highly achievable and with an ongoing measurement ecosystem that helps you maintain fidelity that informs change where needed.
5. Lead with commitment, passion for your brand and prioritize celebrating wins as well fails. Failure and learning are endemic to the growth journey—share in it all with your team.
What are you looking for in entries to the Davey Awards this season?
Uniqueness, creative and innovative ways to solve common challenges along with the quantifiable metrics that prove [the project’s] success.