We’re looking forward to introducing you to Lanie Labens. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Lanie, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I started doing YouTube content back in 06 then put it down to focus on my career. Last year I picked it back up and it has helped me cope with my depression so much. I’m so glad to be doing it again. So many people have reached out to say they’re happy to see me producing content again. It’s really really incredible to find out I impacted so many people when I was just a kid. I’m called to do that now more than ever
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Lanie Labens, I founded a company called IDDS MGMT we book celebrities for personal appearances primarily comic cons. The last couple of years I’ve been branching out a working on other projects. My other main project is making doll and toy content. I’m a lifelong doll collector. The last few years have been rough and it an effort to find my spark again it led me back to making videos about dolls. I’ve gone viral on tiktok multiple times this year and I’ve worked with several toy brands to create fun videos. I’m really enjoying this new vocation and I hope to have more opportunities to share my love of dolls with the world.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I know this answer is cliche, but it is the truth, my mother. My mom believes in me like no one else on this planet. I feel sometimes parents underestimate how powerful their belief in their children can be. I’ve been told NO a lot in life, been rejected more times than I can count, but my mom’s love and belief in me is the main reason I get back up and try again. As a kid I assumed everyone’s mom was like mine, as an adult I’ve come to realized how incredibly lucky I am to have the unending support of both my parents. I think it took my dad awhile to understand me. He worked constantly when I was a kid, but now he’s an incredible cheerleader for me. I also realized that watching my dad work so hard helped instill a work ethic in me that has been incredibly valuable at many jobs I’ve had.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
How to really feel gratitude. I’m not going to lie, the last five years have been really rough for me. I’ve had fleeting moments of greatness where I felt like my leaky ship was finally coming in, but the reality is I’m still not “there.” No one wants to suffer, it feels terrible. BUT it is an inescapable part of life. I feel like suffering gives us two choices: bitterness or gratitude. I always TRY to lean into gratitude.
And when you can’t be positive and lean into gratitude I like to think about this saying: “If you can’t be grateful for what you have, be grateful for what you’ve escaped.” Sometimes it is hard to be grateful for what you have, so when I’m in that mindset I try to think of what I’m grateful hasn’t happened to me. Sometimes that’s the only way to move on from suffering.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I would say yes, a resounding yes. There are certain aspects of my life that aren’t for public consumption, of course. But what I do choose to share with the world is absolutely the real me. I honestly don’t know how to be any other way. I don’t mean that in a noble way, but in a literal way. Authenticity is much easier than putting up a front. I work with celebrities. Some of them are operating with multiple personalities and that seems exhausting. What I’ve learned from working around fame is that most of the time facades fade and life catches up with you. When that happens all that’s left is you. So it might as well be the real you.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I don’t think I was born to negotiate contracts or get famous people lunch, I wasn’t told to do those things either. I ended up here as part of my journey to something. I don’t even know what yet. What I do know is that I wasn’t meant for anything conventional and my life has been anything BUT conventional. So in some abstract way maybe I am doing what I was born to do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: lanielabens
- Facebook: lanielabens
- Other: tiktok: lanielabens
