Turn Career Transitions into Power Moves with Lauren Choi of The New Norm
Pivots are often seen as detours. But in her AdaMarie Career Navigation Summit session, Lauren Choi, founder of The New Norm, reminded us that pivots are not only natural; they’re essential for growth.
Lauren launched her company as a student studying materials engineering at Johns Hopkins. What began as an experiment in recycling hard-to-recycle plastics—like the party cups that rarely make it through U.S. recycling streams—has since scaled from lab innovation to pilot to production, all without traditional investor funding. By transforming plastics into sustainable fabrics and apparel, The New Norm is tackling two of the world’s largest challenges: plastic waste and fashion’s heavy environmental footprint.
But Lauren’s story isn’t just about technology. It’s about mindset.
Embracing the Unconventional
After graduating, Lauren’s journey was anything but linear. And that’s exactly the point.
“You may soon find that there’s no such thing as conventional, because there’s really not one way to go about your life.”
Lauren reminded attendees that the greatest opportunities often come from embracing risk and leaning into the unknown. She admitted she wasn’t ready when she first started—she didn’t know how to write a business plan and had no roadmap for scaling a recycling startup. But instead of waiting until she felt “ready,” she took action, learned from setbacks, and tried again.
Taking Risks, Creating Opportunities
Her advice was clear and practical:
Say yes more often.
Reframe challenges as opportunities.
Give yourself permission to try.
“Don’t hold yourself back. Just do it. Life is never going to be linear.”
Lauren encouraged participants to look at setbacks and unconventional experiences as building blocks. What may feel like an odd detour today could later reveal itself as a pivotal part of your story.
Watch the replay inside the AdaMarie Professional Network to hear Lauren’s full story and learn how to pivot with purpose in your own STEM career.
