We were lucky to catch up with Renee Robley recently and have shared our conversation below.
Renee, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Honestly? A mix of stubbornness, family, sticktoitiveness (is this a word? lol), and a whole lot of faith. As you get older, you realize life can come at you fast, and the only option is to adjust and keep moving. My mom always focused on, ‘What are you going to do to resolve this?’ whenever things popped up. Now, being a mom myself, especially raising my son, I’ve found a whole new layer of strength I didn’t even know I had. And then, of course, there’s food. Cooking has always been therapy for me; whether I’m stirring a pot of pelau or testing out a new wine, it’s what grounds me and fuels me to keep pushing forward.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
By day, I work in tech; I actually have a Master of Science in Computer Forensics and Information Security. So yeah, I can dig into digital trails. But food has always been my escape. What started as a little break away to relax from the heavy tech world turned into HomeMadeZagat, then ThisBagoGirl, my Caribbean food blog, and it’s grown far beyond what I ever imagined.
Now I get to share the dishes I grew up eating in Trinidad and Tobago, along with recipes from across the Caribbean that I am also learning about. The most exciting part is watching how food connects people. I’ll get messages like, ‘this dish tastes like my grandmother’s,’ or from someone making a Caribbean dish for the very first time. It’s that blend of nostalgia and discovery that makes it all worthwhile.
On top of the food, I’ve also found myself deep into homemade wine-making, which started as a fun experiment and has become its own little journey. I even share those adventures on a Substack newsletter. So, between the world of cybersecurity and the world of Caribbean flavors and wine, I feel like I get the best of both—solving problems by day and stirring pots (or fermenting jars) by night. From cybersecurity to seasoning, it’s all about protecting what matters
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
For me, the three things that really carried me are industriousness, curiosity, and persistence.
Industriousness came first. I’ve always had that drive to work hard and figure things out, whether it was tackling big projects or finding a way to figure out the measurements for a dish. That willingness to roll up my sleeves has been a constant.
Curiosity is next. I’ve always wanted to dig deeper into things. That spark to keep learning and exploring is what keeps me moving forward.
And then persistence. Nothing I’ve done has happened overnight. Blogging, recipe testing, building an audience; all of it took showing up again and again, even when it felt like nobody was paying attention.
My advice? Know your ‘why’ and hold onto it. That’s what will keep you grounded when things get tough, because trust me, there are days when your ‘why’ is the only thing standing between you and tossing the whole pot out.”
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
Hands down, the most impactful thing my parents did for me was to believe in me and the things I wanted for myself. They didn’t try to box me in or tell me my ideas were too far-fetched. Instead, they gave me room to dream and the confidence to chase after those dreams. That belief planted a kind of quiet strength in me. If they trusted I could do it, then maybe I really could. And that’s carried me through everything from Grad school, to parenting, to blogging to wine-making.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thisbagogirl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisbagogirl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisbagogirl
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