Story & Lesson Highlights with Carol Li of Los Angeles

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Carol Li. Check out our conversation below.

Carol, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
I used to believe that intelligence was the most important quality I possessed—it was how I made sense of the world around me. I relied on logic and constant thinking to understand and navigate life.

However, that perspective began to shift after I attended a two-day silent retreat. During those two days, I practiced quieting my mind and letting go of thoughts entirely. In that stillness, I realized that wisdom doesn’t only come from thinking or analysis. There is another kind of understanding that arises from presence and inner peace.

Compared to my past, when my mind was always busy analyzing everything, meditation helped me reconnect with a deeper sense of calm and clarity. Now, that inner peace has become what I value most.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Carol Yan Li, and I’m a sound designer for films and games. My specialty lies in building immersive auditory worlds that reflect the emotions and deeper meanings within narrative content. I often say that I use sound not just to support visuals, but to design emotions—to evoke feeling and meaning in harmony with the story.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before I became a sound designer, I was first and foremost a storyteller. Since high school, I’ve been editing podcasts and creating short films, and I even performed as a lead cast member in my school’s musical for two years. No matter the medium, I’ve always been drawn to narrative—especially the meaning and emotional truth behind storytelling. That passion continues to guide my work in sound design today.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Today, we live in a world filled with tension—an underlying nervousness that causes many of us to struggle just to get by. Through my own experiences with hardship, I’ve come to understand that success is not a constant or common state in life. But neither is suffering.

What suffering has taught me is that it touches everyone, no matter how successful they may seem. At some point, even the most accomplished people have faced their own moments of pain or doubt. This realization reminds me that both success and suffering are temporary states, and that we’re not alone in experiencing either.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
I often feel that the public version of myself is a product—or a kind of mask—that I’ve crafted to present to others. It’s not fake; it’s still me, but it only reveals one side of who I am. It’s a selective version, shaped by context and expectation.

The truth is, there’s no single definition of “me.” I contain many sides, each with its own meaning and depth. Some are seen by others, some are kept private, and all of them together make up the full picture of who I am. Navigating between these layers doesn’t make me inauthentic—it reflects the complexity of identity.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I could choose, I would stop overworking and spend more time with my loved ones—and with myself. But in reality, this choice isn’t always tied to a specific number or timeline, because human life is not infinite. We often live as if we have endless time and countless opportunities to experience what we want, but in truth, those chances are limited.

That’s why I believe it’s important to act now. Whatever it is you want to do—whatever brings meaning or joy—don’t wait. Time is uncertain, and the moments we think are guaranteed may never come. So live fully, intentionally, and with the people who matter most.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carolyanli.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolyanl/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-yan-li-b6b38619a/
• Other: IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10075461/