While she knew medical school would be there as a fallback for her, Lauren Zalaznick instead made a 180-degree turn and took a job as an assistant to a film director who was working on a major motion picture. She considers that fateful decision, made some 30 years ago, to have been her first "clear career choice" – one on which she's never looked back or regretted.
It led to a series of increasingly responsible positions in different aspects of show business. By her account, Zalaznick has been faced with challenging opportunities and decisions throughout her career, but never as significant as her bold choice to forego medical school and follow her heart.
In her own words: "...there are no choices I've ever made that caused me to look back and wonder: 'What if...?' I only wonder: 'What next?'"