Paige Lorenze
Although I grew up with a father enthralled and self-taught by the business world, I had no desire to mark down the subject as a potential career choice when submitting my college applications. I felt that the term business and any form of it was dominated by men who would be unwilling to accept me or even think of me as qualified, even if I was. I cut that opportunity out of my life because I felt that my god-given weakness as a woman in society would render me incapable of moving up and becoming the best in the industry. Paige Lorenze is not only proving my terrible assumption wrong, but she has moved me to consider getting my MBA post-grad and learning about the industry I was too scared to conquer at 18 but am ready to begin at 21.
Paige Lorenze is a 25-year-old content-creating, horse-riding, mountain-skiing, business-booming woman who has changed my perception of business into a world of opportunity and enjoyment instead of simply dominant masculinity.
My journey to meeting Paige (I say “meeting” because the close relationship she keeps with her followers makes me feel as if I am one of her close friends) started when I stumbled upon her YouTube video titled “Tour Vlog | AUS Open'' from Jan 21st, 2023 of 2023. I had taken up my recent New Year's resolution of starting a healthy lifestyle which incorporated more walking. Soon, I would look forward to those 30 minutes strapped to the treadmill at the end of a weightlifting session because those 30 minutes meant I could catch up on all of the Paige content I wanted.
Paige’s videos created a calming main character energy that I wanted to channel within myself. Her content gave me the power to lift myself up. Since then, I have been a loyal follower, swiping up on stories, commenting on Instagram posts, and pouring my heart out in YouTube comments. Like I said before, Paige is another level of amazing as she is so responsive to her followers on all platforms. After watching one of her videos, I left a comment detailing how thankful I was to hear someone only a few years older be so wise about life. I told her how she allows me to feel happy doing the things I love (even if that's making some soup and watching a movie at home with my family). I expressed my gratitude for her channel and all that she does because as a woman navigating my 20s, she has already pushed me in the right direction.
She replied to my comment with the response:
I am just seeing this I am sorry I didn’t respond sooner!! I am just getting ready for bed and this comment made my night. I am so glad this is a space where you can feel encouraged to enjoy the simple things and think about living differently in your 20’s and also learning from my own mistakes!!! You should feel super proud of yourself for being so self aware and mature enough to realize what you want. Thanks for all the love and support xoxox
I am a young girl living in the age of influencers who push nothing but content that makes me feel like I have to change who I am to look better and keep up with the times. Paige allows me to not only feel good about who I am and what I want my life to look like, but she has pushed me to pursue other careers down the lines.
Dairy Boy, Paige’s brand, opened the door to a new opportunity I did not think feasible for a girl like me. Here’s how the website details the rise of the Dairy Boy brand:
“As Paige continued sharing her personality and transparency of not always hopping on the bandwagon of certain trends, in this case, drinking anything other than dairy milk, a strong community and her brand, Dairy Boy, was born. What started as a simple catchphrase, "Dairy Girl Summer," between Paige and her supporters, has evolved into a movement celebrating individuality and embracing what makes us happy, even if it goes against the grain of the trends. Dairy Boy is more than just a brand promoting whole milk — it's a celebration of Paige's connection to Vermont, her love for farms, her appreciation for sustainable family traditions, her love for life's simple pleasures and the notion that you should be yourself and like the things you like, even when they aren’t deemed “cool” by society or social media. Dairy Boy is a brand with shoppable, tangible pieces that reflect Paige’s beloved lifestyle from her staple denim, to cottage core bedsheets, nostalgic candles and more. While on this journey of tapping into her roots, Paige made the move out of the city and to her cozy, Connecticut cottage where she has brought her followers along for the journey as she’s transitioned from the fast-paced, chic city girl back to the western-esque, wholesome woman she is and has always been.”
I am 21 years old and only have less than a year left of my college education. Although I love to write and English is my established major, I have always felt I could do more. My older sister went to college for Engineering and continued on to get her MBA 2 years post-grad. While that idea was far out of sight for me 2 years ago, I can confidently say that I want to pursue a further career in business and use the writing skills I’ve developed during undergraduate study to make an impact on the world. Paige has in a way cleared my mind from preconceived notions and now I can see without the cloudy haze of doubt.
Thank you, Paige, for your content, your brand, and your welcoming soul. I am excited to see all that you do in the future :)