Employee Spotlight: Lauren Rolfe

At Tandym, we know that success is a team sport, and every month, we take a moment to recognize one standout player who goes above and beyond. Our Teammate of the Month isn’t just someone who gets the job done; they embody our values, uplift those around them, and make a lasting impact. Get to know Lauren Rolfe, one of Tandym’s Account Executives and Tandym’s Teammate of the Month for April 2026!

Who are you?

I’m originally from Minnesota and come from a very big family with six siblings, three older and three younger. There’s a pretty big age gap between all of us because my dad remarried, so the oldest and youngest are about 24 years apart, which still kind of blows my mind. I went to Eden Prairie High School and grew up playing soccer before getting heavily involved in gymnastics and competitive cheerleading, which became a huge part of my life from ages 12 to 17.

After high school, I attended the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, so I’m a proud Golden Gopher. I loved the experience, but I was constantly freezing. Walking across campus in negative 30 degree wind chill definitely helped confirm that I wanted to move to California someday. I studied advertising with a minor in mass communications, but what interested me most was always the psychology behind communication and relationships, which is ultimately what led me into recruiting.

Right after college, one of my friends and I packed up her tiny car and drove to Los Angeles with nothing but determination and a dream of warm weather. The car broke down multiple times along the way, we got towed hundreds of miles, and somehow still made it work.

I lived in Los Angeles for nearly nine years before moving to Orange County. After the move, I realized how much I missed being in LA, so starting at Tandym has been such a gift. Having a role that brings me back to Los Angeles each week has allowed me to enjoy the best of both worlds.

What’s one food spot in California you’d definitely take Tandym teammates to?

There are definitely a lot of fun, over-the-top, extravagant restaurants in Los Angeles, but honestly, one of my favorite places to bring people is Bacari. I love tapas-style dining because it turns dinner into more of an experience. You get to order a bunch of different dishes for the table, try a little bit of everything, and compare favorites as you go. Everything is simple, really good, and reasonably priced, which makes it even better for groups.

One of the locations is especially cool because you walk through this little hidden brick tunnel that almost makes you feel like you’re not supposed to be there, and then suddenly it opens into this beautiful outdoor space with huge trees, lanterns, and twinkle lights everywhere. It has such a fun, relaxed energy. I think it’s the perfect place because there’s something for everyone, sharing all the plates feels more about actually enjoying the experience together.

Who were your heroes/role models/inspirations growing up?

I feel like this answer changed a lot depending on what phase of life I was in. When I was younger, I was obsessed with the pop queens. Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, and especially Avril Lavigne. Avril was actually my first concert, and I genuinely think she’s the reason I became such a tomboy for a while.

But when I think about the people who really inspired me, it was mostly the people around me. My mom was such a connector. She could talk to anyone, bring people together, and make everyone feel comfortable. I think a lot of my relationship-building skills came from watching her.

My dad & stepmom brought stability and routine, which always gave me a sense of grounding, and my oldest sister was someone I really admired because she was so driven, polished, and confident in herself. I don’t think I ever had just one role model. I feel like I took inspiration from all the different people and qualities I admired growing up.

What is your go-to comfort show after a long day of work?

I love having a series to watch, but I finish shows so fast that I never seem to have one for very long. My ultimate comfort show, though, has always been Friends. If there’s ever stress or anxiety going on in my life, that’s the show I turn on. It’s just such a constant for me.

I actually came across something recently explaining why certain comfort shows calm people down, and it made so much sense. Growing up, Friends was always on in the background at my house. If my siblings were arguing or things felt chaotic, I could always turn it on and instantly relax a little. So at this point, it’s more than just a show for me. It’s been a comfort thing my whole life.

Do you have a hidden talent or a fun fact about yourself that most people wouldn’t know?

I don’t know if I have a hidden talent anymore because I used to do all these crazy gymnastics and trampoline tricks growing up, and now I’m way too nervous to attempt most of them. I do still love adrenaline rushes, though. I’ve gone skydiving, bungee jumping, and even cage dived with great white sharks in South Africa, which had been on my bucket list since I was 18. Weirdly enough, it felt more magical than scary.

I also have a natural streak in my hair that’s two completely different colors from a birthmark. Depending on how I style it, people at client sites genuinely think I’m a different person sometimes. I’ve had people do double-takes and tell me they thought I was blonde one day and brunette the next.

Another fun fact is that when I moved to California, I ended up reconnecting with an entire side of my family because of a pretty wild family story. Years ago, my grandfather and his brother moved from Minnesota to California together, but my grandfather eventually moved back home after falling in love with the woman who became my grandmother, who also happened to be his brother’s ex-girlfriend! Thankfully, there was a lot of love and understanding involved, and both brothers remained incredibly close. That story has always stayed with me because it reminds me how much life can change when people trust their instincts and follow what truly matters to them.

You can only listen to one artist during work travel for the next year. Who is it?

I know some people will shade me for this, but Taylor Swift. She got me through my first heartbreak when I was 15 years old, so I feel like I’ve grown up alongside her music in a way. I’ve always loved the storytelling aspect of her songs, especially when you know the background and little details from her life that inspired them.

If I had to listen to one artist for an entire year, I’d also need someone with a massive catalog, and she definitely has that. There’s just so much variety depending on the mood. I love Gracie Abrams and Ariana Grande too, but there’s just too much Taylor content to pass up.

Did you find Tandym or did we find you?

Tandym found me! I was in the middle of work one day when I got a recruiter call. Since my phone number was in my email signature at my previous job, I was used to answering random calls, thinking they might be clients, so I picked up. I remember being super distracted and basically saying, “I’m sorry, I’m in the middle of something.” But the recruiter did a great job and convinced me to at least schedule another call. Naturally, I completely forgot about it.

Then later that day, I was walking around Target with headphones on, probably listening to Taylor Swift, when she called back. I answered without realizing who it was, and once she reminded me, I was like, “Honestly, yeah, now’s actually a great time. I’m just shopping at Target and could use the company.” So I’m literally strolling through Target while she’s pitching Tandym to me, and by the end of the conversation, I was completely sold. I wasn’t even looking for something new at the time, which made it even funnier. At one point, she realized I had moved to Orange County and mentioned another role that might be closer, but I immediately told her I’d gladly make the drive because I was already so excited about the opportunity.

Once I met Jen Hatton and the rest of the team, everything felt really natural. What stood out to me most was how much everyone genuinely wants you to succeed as yourself. I was so used to environments where success felt very cookie-cutter, like there was only one way to do things. But at Tandym, people really encourage you to lean into your personality and strengths instead of changing who you are.

That mindset honestly impacts more than just work. When you feel confident being yourself professionally, it carries over into the rest of your life, too.

What’s something people underestimate about being onsite with clients as often as you are?

I think people sometimes underestimate how relationship-driven onsite work really is. When you’re sitting at a computer, it’s easy to assume someone on-site can just quickly answer messages or knock out tasks between meetings. But a lot of the value comes from actually being present and building genuine relationships with people. Especially in Los Angeles, meetings are rarely just meetings.

I’ve gone into what was supposed to be a quick 30-minute conversation and ended up spending an hour and a half walking around campus, meeting new people, hearing about teams, goals, and projects, or even unexpectedly grabbing a beer with someone who just wanted to keep talking. And honestly, that’s where some of the strongest relationships are built.

What I’ve learned is that clients have a lot of agencies they can choose from. The real differentiator is who they genuinely enjoy working with and feel comfortable with. To me, it’s never been just about sales. I truly care about the people I work with and am so grateful that my clients are willing to teach me new things every day.

So there’s definitely a balancing act between staying on top of everything internally while also giving people your full attention in the moment. But that human connection piece is what really makes for a wonderful partnership.

What was it like to hear you won Teammate of the Month for April 2026?

I was completely shocked. Honestly, stunned. There are so many impressive and accomplished people at this company that I genuinely never expected my name to come up, especially when there are only 12 people recognized each year. So hearing it honestly meant way more to me than I ever thought it would.

I was so excited afterwards that I literally went and played “Perfect Day” from Legally Blonde. Very Elle Woods of me, but it just matched the energy. I normally wouldn’t even tell people about something like that, but I was so happy and flattered that I immediately started texting friends and family. It just felt really special and genuinely meant a lot to me.

You need a team to plan a last-minute client event with only 24 hours’ notice. Who are the 4 Tandym people you’re bringing with you and why?

First of all, only choosing four people feels incredibly unfair because I genuinely want my whole team there. My immediate picks would be Jen Hatton, Corine Myers, Bayley Storrier, Amanda Walkowicz, and Evanna Mallard, so I’m taking at least five.

What makes that group so great is that everyone works incredibly hard, but everyone also brings a different personality and strength to the table. We all understand each other really well, and there’s this natural “divide and conquer” mentality where everyone just jumps in and does whatever needs to get done.

One thing Jen says a lot is that not every client relationship is going to click the same way for every person, and I think that’s actually one of our strengths as a team. Different personalities connect with different people, so together we’re able to create really strong relationships across the board.

I’d also give a huge shoutout to Ruth Lozano. Even when something technically falls outside of her role, she has still shown up for me, immersed herself in client interactions, and genuinely cared about the bigger picture. She has such a great mentality and energy. You always feel good having her around because she brings professionalism, warmth, and a willingness to help however she can. And of course, we love our positivity leader, Pat O’Hagan!

Overall, I just have so much confidence in this team. Everyone balances professionalism with authenticity really well, and I know they’d make sure every client walked away having a great experience with Tandym.

What are your goals for 2026 and beyond?

Of course, there are always business goals and numbers you want to hit, but for me, the bigger goal has always been relationship-driven. I want to continue building meaningful relationships across all of the client teams I work with and become someone people genuinely look forward to seeing and working with. There are already certain groups where I’ve built such strong connections that when I walk into the room, people stop what they’re doing to come say hello, catch up, and introduce me to others on their teams. Those moments mean a lot to me because they show that the relationships are real and not just transactional.

Going into 2026 and beyond, I want to continue expanding that level of trust and familiarity across even more teams and departments. A huge part of being on-site is creating authentic connections and becoming someone clients feel comfortable with, confident in, and excited to partner with. That kind of relationship building is what makes the work meaningful to me.

At the end of the day, I truly believe that when people enjoy working with you and feel genuinely supported, everything else follows naturally. The partnerships become stronger, the collaboration becomes easier, and the results take care of themselves.

If you could ban one phrase from corporate culture forever, what would it be?

“I hope this email finds you well.” I’m sorry, but why are we hoping the email finds them well? Why not just hope they’re well? It’s one of those phrases that has become so automatic in corporate culture that nobody even thinks about it anymore. It feels a little unnatural to me. Haha!

That being said, if you use it, please don’t hate me. I swear I’m a nice person and not a corporate phrase hater. I just think we can all do better than emotionally supporting our emails.