Loren was a pretty quiet kid all of her life until she had a defining moment at the age of 12. Loren has always been the girl who "fought for the underdog".
Growing up in Asheville, NC, Loren's parents taught her that the worst thing is being ignorant. They encouraged her to attend all kinds of places of worship so that she would understand and appreciate all kinds of people.
Loren has always been an entrepreneur at heart. As a child, she would get up early every Saturday and Sunday to work with her mom at the Dreamland Drive-In Flea-market. She learned the "art of negotiations" and the gift of "Hustle and hard work" at a young age.
Loren and her brother, David started their own business at the flea market, The Cow's Hide. They made leather belts and bracelets.
Their father was the Optometrist for the Asheville Tourists so Loren went on to work at the Ballpark selling programs and then became the Hotdog girl.
When they were in High School, they started an arcade called Video Heaven in the basement of their dad's office.
That became David's thing so Loren went off and went in to retail and waitressing.
Loren has always had a desire to live a BIG life. She had another defining moment when she was told "oh, you will NEVER get accepted to _____ with SAT scores like that" so being the rebel that she was, she searched scholarships to apply for.
She applied for the ARMY ROTC Scholarship. Loren became the First girl EVER from Western North Carolina to get a full Army ROTC Scholarship. (She even got accepted to the college that the guy said she would never get accepted to!)
Loren decided to be a rebel Again. She was accepted to UNC-Chapel Hill but once visiting the University of Georgia, changed her mind and went to UGA where she knew no-one.
Loren worked all through high school and continued to volunteer for many organizations. She was Vice President of Phi Mu, worked for the football department as a recruiter.
She was head of the Georgia Girls supervising over 200 girls who showed recruits around campus.
She worked as a press intern in Washington, DC. After that she knew she did NOT want to be in politics.
Graduating in 3 1/2 years, she received her degree in
Broadcast Journalism.
Everyone expected her to move to Atlanta to pursue her career but the Rebel came out again and she moved to Vail, Colorado to work on her "Doctorate of waitressing" as she says.
There she worked 4 jobs. One day she was waiting on a table full of men from the world of sports.
She met Joe Harper, General Manager of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
He hired her on the spot. Then....off she went to California where she did not know a soul.
She loved what she did but the part that was missing was that of contribution. November 1989, her life changed forever.
