BTS Behind the Scenes is a chance to showcase the people who are making things happen at BTS and give you a “behind the scenes” look into their worlds. In this month’s feature we’ll talk with Lauren “Scham” McDaniel, who was one of our first blog features years ago and is now back for a second profile. Check it out!

So, quite some time has passed since we first featured you in our blog. Tell us what you’ve been up to for the last 3 years!

Quite a lot has happened over the last three years! I’ve reached several personal and professional milestones I’m incredibly proud of. I bought my first home entirely on my own, something I promised myself I’d do before turning 30, and seeing that goal come true was deeply rewarding. I was also featured in a cosplay magazine, became a certified pole dance instructor, and adopted a few cats along the way.

The biggest and most meaningful change, though, has been marrying the love of my life, Adrian. We eloped in February of last year and are planning a larger wedding celebration in February 2027 to mark our two-year anniversary. It’s been a season of growth, creativity, and fulfillment, and I’m excited about what’s still ahead.

You recently received quite the recognition for crushing the most IIR evals in a year for your customer- how did that feel?

It felt absolutely amazing! As an all-source analyst, you’re always trying to piece together the full picture, and every little bit helps. Often, SIGINT and imagery tend to get the spotlight. Earlier in my career, I underestimated the value of HUMINT reporting and regarded IIR evaluations as significant only when directly tied to finished intelligence. I’ve learned that HUMINT can sometimes have really valuable “nuggets” hidden in there and once I discovered this, it became my superpower. What I once overlooked, I now recognize as one of the most powerful tools available to an analyst.

At the end of the day, we owe it to the collectors to tell them whether a report is useful or not. We need to make sure we’re getting the most value out of them and helping improve collection along the way.

What has motivated you to keep the pace and support this work year over year?

What really motivates me is knowing that nothing is ever guaranteed. The pandemic and the layoffs we’ve seen in our industry made that very real for me. Seeing friends and coworkers be let go was tough, and it pushed me to stay focused, work harder, and consistently show up. I want my work to speak for itself — if tough conversations ever come up, I want to be known as someone the team can rely on, and when conversations around raises or bonuses happen, I want my name to come up for the right reasons.

Are you still doing your cosplay? What are some of your projects since we last talked?

Absolutely! I am, and always will be, a cosplayer. Since our last interview, I’ve really refined my skills and invested in higher-quality costumes, and I even managed to get my husband into cosplay as well. Some highlights since we last talked include Wonder Woman, Emma Stone’s version of Cruella, and a comic-accurate Rogue from X-Men. One of my favorite moments was meeting Rogue’s original co-creator at MegaCon, he actually told me it was the best Rogue cosplay he’d seen at the con, which was pretty incredible.

I’ve also started dabbling in body painting and have done comic-accurate versions of She-Hulk and Mystique. Those were definitely team efforts, and I’m grateful my husband helped, especially since painting my face and arms takes more than one set of hands.

One of our go-to couple cosplays is Lara Croft and Nathan Drake from the video games, and we always get a lot of positive feedback when we attend conventions together.

How would you say you’ve changed as a professional during your time with BTS?

With experience, I have grown in my role as a military capabilities analyst and regularly support colleagues by sharing resources and answering questions. Over time, I’ve built strong relationships across the IC with subject matter experts, and I regularly reach out to them to learn and deepen my understanding. In a way, I’ve collected my own “infinity stones” across the IC, so even if I don’t have an answer right away, I know exactly who to go to, which has made me a stronger and more effective analyst.

How do you balance the chaos when the demands are so high? Any advice you’d give to others in our space for maintaining healthy balances in their life during chaotic times?

Honestly, it might sound cliché, but time management is key. I start by making a list of everything that needs to be done throughout the day, organized by priority. I constantly stay in contact with my direct leadership because deadlines and priorities can shift quickly. I also make sure my information is organized in a way that benefits me and allows me to give off-the-cuff briefs at any moment. Not gonna lie, my organizational setup probably looks a little like the Pepe Silva meme from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (IYKYK), but it works! On a practical level, I’ve set up my desktop with multiple windows and browsers open to the sites I use most, which helps me more efficiently and stay on top of everything. 

We work with intense information daily, and some of it can be difficult to process, so it’s just as important to prioritize self-care outside of work. For me, that’s pole fitness and dance, and, of course, cosplay. These activities have nothing to do with my job, but they give me a way to relieve stress, reset my mind, and recharge. Making time for self-care allows me to stay balanced, maintain focus, and bring my best self to work, even when the demands are high.

 

---

Tags: cosplay, features, scham