Exploring Life & Business with Lane and Lani

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lane and Lani.

Hi Lane and Lani, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We started this podcast during the pandemic- in January of 2021 to be exact.

We both listened to specific niche podcasts at the time- Lani’s was more or less all True Crime podcasts, and mine was solely the Joe Rogan Experience at the time. Both of our pallets have expanded since then, but we just thought “If these people can talk and express their feelings on events, topics, and happenings in the world around them, then we can do the same!

We started, literally, in our small clothes closet off of our bedroom. It was large enough to fit us both in there, but we were sitting knee-to-knee, with a small end table to accommodate our equipment and our alcoholic beverages, and we just ran with it. There was no air movement, so it did get warm, but we were going for the “no background noise and zero-echo” effect. I had hung packing/shipping blankets on two sides of the closet, and the clothes absorbed the rest.

We used broadcasting-style headsets at the onset- those you see sportscasters wear when they are doing a live sporting event where the microphone wraps around and rests at your lips. These worked great at the onsets, and we did quite a few interviews with them before we switched to the style that you would see most podcasters using today- something with a “puff” filter on it. There needed to be a lot of editing done to cut out the person/persons not talking just breathing across the microphone and having it sound like a wind tunnel.

We have interviewed quite an array of guests, and we pride ourselves on meeting and interviewing people that we find interesting to us and letting them talk! This is the point of the podcast- it allows that person, a long conversation that is missing in this “sound-byte” society that we live in. We wanted to hear and understand the full thoughts and processes of the people that we found so interesting, and this format allowed us to explore that.

Presently we are still small in numbers compared to some podcasts, but we do it mainly as a hobby in the hopes that it will eventually gain enough traction that we can monetize it. That to us would validate finding the time and effort it takes to do one. We both have our businesses, and if you have your own business you understand that it essentially takes up most of your day. Combined with 2 children, ages 6 and 9; we live a very busy schedule. This podcast was essentially our “Date Night” for a while where we could connect, have a drink, and express whatever was going on with us and the world around us type of thing.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The process of this podcast has been a mixed one. Mainly because, unless you’ve got an instant audience, there isn’t any money in it to justify it as a full-time, income-producing option, and that has been our struggle. We have tried to bring in the most interesting guests for our listeners, but people like what they like. We have a decent following, and we love to see the steady numbers, however, we have many times teetered on whether to continue to make episodes.

The process of finding guests who won’t clam up, or give you their elevator-pitch on their topic or lifestyle is always tough, but once you have someone on it always leaves us feeling great! I would say at the end of nearly every, single podcast- whether it be via Zoom or having someone in our home to interview, we always high-five each other and walk away feeling amazing.

We thrive on the connection that we get from sitting and talking to someone who isn’t talking topical “how is your day?” or “boy, the weather huh?” We always feel exhilarated after a good interview, and Lani makes fun of me because if it’s a really good one, I cannot wait to edit it and get it out there so that I can listen to it! Some of the time, whether we are drinking with the interviewee or not, I don’t remember some of what is said, but I remember that I had a blast doing the episode and I can’t wait to relive it!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Partydreams Toledo is Lani’s shop that is all about party decor. She specializes in custom luxury balloon setups and displays. She also specializes in wedding and event set-ups This includes custom backdrops for having the perfect background for group photos like a greenery wall, shimmering lighted backdrops, and as has an all-wooden wall with both a white painted side and a finished wooden side. She also uses centerpieces, welcome signs, seating charts, votives, and other furnishings to decorate any and every event.

Best known for her balloon setups, she has come into her creativity with some spectacular setups that surprise and aww people when she finishes putting them together. The wedding decor rental is the primary “face” of her business if you will, but I think that her balloons are her expression. She thrives on seeing those smiles from people, and she really can’t see that when people have their wedding receptions, and she isn’t there.

All of her inventory, except for her Black Collection, is made by me and is all made from real wood. The brand is primarily that “rustic” wedding, but if someone were to choose, she also offers large, LED-lit LOVE letters that stand about 5 feet tall that make the wedding decor pop! She is a people-pleaser, and you can see it in the care that she puts into making sure that everything looks the best on her end of things.

Lane’s business is called Picture-it Projects, and his work can be seen mainly on Facebook. The business started out as a “if you have seen it on TV, the internet, or can produce a picture or a great description of what you have in mind, I can build it for you.” Plaques, paver patios, refinished furniture, lawn ornaments, shelving units, large planters, etc. have been all been submitted via pictures and ideas, and Lane has made them based on pictures alone. Now, the business has turned into a complete Handyman business where Lane can put his ingenuity into any problem or concern people hire him for. We both are creatives that use that creativity in different forms.

Any big plans?
As of right now, we are busy with our other work and have been not finding the time to put out as many episodes as we are used to. We were typically doing 2-4 per month, but we have not been pressing ourselves to maintain those numbers. Presently we are up for an award from The Toledo City Paper for Best Local Podcast. We don’t know what we would do with ourselves if we won this award, but I am sure that it would fill our sails to push out more quality content that we’re capable of!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @allthethingswithlaneandlani
• Facebook: @All The Things with Lane and Lani
• Youtube: @Lane and Lani