Meet Carleen Renee

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carleen Renee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Carleen, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

This is an interesting question because lately, I’ve been reshaping the way I think about work ethic. I come from a line of incredibly strong women, and a lot of that strength traces back to my grandma, who moved to the U.S. from Trinidad. She didnt know anyone or much about the country, yet she found a way to build a life for herself and eventually became an entrepreneur. That kind of mindset and resilience was passed down through my family and shaped the environment I grew up in. I watched the women around me work hard, build businesses from the ground up, and create opportunities for themselves and others. So having a strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit is something I feel like I naturally inherited. So much so that up until recently, I equated rest with laziness. I was proud of how hard I worked, but I started to realize that I didn’t have the healthiest relationship with it. I would have a really hard time giving myself grace or allowing myself to rest without feeling guilty.

Now, I’m working on unlearning some of that. I still work hard, but I’m learning that I don’t have to earn rest or joy. I don’t have to feel guilty for taking a break or doing something that isn’t tied to productivity. This shift has helped me become more intentional about where I place my energy and how I show up.

My relationship with God also plays a big role in how I approach my life and work. After a near-death accident in 2018, a lot of things shifted for me. It made me stop and ask deeper questions about why I’m here and what kind of impact I want to have. Since then, I try to make sure that whatever I’m doing, there’s a sense of purpose in it. Whether it’s a job, a project, or my business, I want it to mean something and hopefully uplift and empower others along the way.

So my work ethic comes from the women who raised me, the values I’ve been surrounded by, and the calling I feel on my life. And now, I am learning how to carry all of that with more balance, intention, and compassion for myself.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m Carleen Renee, Founder of LANI and Carleen Renee Creative.
Everything I do is rooted in helping others feel seen, grounded, and inspired. Whether that’s through the jewelry I curate or the brand support I offer to other entrepreneurs.

LANI is my jewelry brand, and it’s more than just a business to me. It’s a reflection of my values: mindfulness, simplicity, and intention. I started LANI with the vision of creating a space that felt calm, peaceful and authentic. A space where women could feel beautiful, connected, and reminded that less really can be more. All of our pieces are minimal, timeless, and thoughtfully curated to reflect inner confidence and peace. I’m really proud of how the brand has evolved into something that’s not just about jewelry, but about lifestyle and community.

Alongside LANI, I run a creative agency where I support purpose-led and lifestyle brands with branding, websites, and visual storytelling. I love helping people bring their ideas to life in a way that feels aligned and intentional. There’s something special about seeing someone’s vision take shape and knowing I played a role in helping it come to life.

Right now, I’m focused on continuing to grow LANI while also supporting other creatives and entrepreneurs who are doing meaningful work. I have some new pieces set to launch this summer that I’m really excited about, and I’ve also been slowly building out more community-centered content that speaks to the softer, slower side of life, the kind of life LANI represents.
At the end of the day, I want my work to feel purposeful, honest, and rooted in something deeper. Whether it’s a pair of earrings or creative support for a new business venture, I hope it helps people feel more seen, more aligned, and more confident in showing up as their full self.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, I’d say the three most impactful qualities in my journey have been faith & purpose, community & support, and curiosity and a willingness to learn.

The first is having a strong sense of faith and purpose, knowing your why. Along your journey there are going to be moments that feel slow, uncertain, or discouraging, and if you’re only in it for something surface level like money or quick success, you’ll be tempted to give up when it gets hard. What’s kept me grounded is knowing that I’m doing this for something deeper. For me, that’s rooted in my faith and in the belief that what I’m building is connected to something bigger than myself.

The second is having a strong support system. I really believe the quality of your journey improves when you’re surrounded by people who believe in you. For me, that’s my family. They’ve been my biggest cheerleaders and a constant source of encouragement when things feel heavy. Not everyone has that right away, but even finding one or two people who genuinely support you can make such a difference.

And lastly, I’d say curiosity. I’ve learned so much just by staying curious and open to growth. I never wait until I know everything to start. If I don’t know something, I’ll research it, watch a video, read a book, or ask someone who’s done it before. That hunger to keep learning has helped me grow in ways I never expected and has opened doors I wouldn’t have known were possible.

My advice to anyone early in their journey is to lead with intention, surround yourself with people who pour into you, and never stop being curious. You don’t have to have it all figured out, you just have to be willing to grow.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

One of the most impactful books I’ve read has been The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I try to read it once a year because it always seems to meet me exactly where I am. No matter the season, there’s something in that story that speaks to what I’m navigating in real life.

When I first read it, it was truly life changing. I saw myself in Santiago’s journey, his moments of doubt, the obstacles he faced, and how close he came to giving up right before his breakthrough. It reminded me that the hardest parts of the journey often come right before something shifts. Even the way he questioned his thoughts or felt like his heart had gone quiet really resonated with me because those are things I’ve experienced far too often, especially during tough seasons when clarity feels far away.

Being able to return to those pages, reflect on his journey, and be reminded of the bigger picture has helped carry me through a lot. It’s a gentle but powerful reminder that what’s meant for you is already written, you just have to keep going and stay the course.

Contact Info:

• Website: LANI: www.shoplani.com , Creative Agency: www.carleenrenee.com
• Instagram: instagram: @lani.co_

Image Credits

All photos taken by me (Carleen Renee)