Community Highlights: Meet Charlene Lindsay of Shine by Charlene

Charlene Lindsay

Hi Charlene, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Shine by Charlene creates meaningful and memorable experiences and gifts for clients, teams, and loved ones.

It all started with a crush.

I developed a crush on event planning after I planned my own wedding. Then I became a mom and planned my son’s birthday parties.

That’s when I fell in love.

I wanted my son’s parties to be a celebration of exactly who he was and what he loved in that moment in time, down to the theme, decor, food, games, and music. Eight years later, I started doing the same for his little sister.

Their birthday parties became a way for me to memorialize each phase of their lives and what brought them joy and then share that joy with friends and family.

And then the world shut down.

In March of 2020, we were making plans to gather with friends and family to celebrate our baby girl on the way. But the need to practice social distancing meant that we had to cancel our baby showers, and the two weddings and big birthday party Shine booked were put on hold. In fact, all of the gatherings I was looking forward to personally and professionally in 2020 were canceled or delayed.

But, for all that 2020 canceled or delayed due to the pandemic, it gave me a lot.

It gave me a greater appreciation for the ability to be with loved ones. And I learned new and different ways to “show up” and celebrate loved ones when we couldn’t physically show up or gather.

By late summer of 2020, our son was loving his new role as big brother but desperately missing his friends. So, we planned a virtual ice cream party and delivered “Just Add Ice Cream” gift boxes to his friends to enjoy with us over Zoom. It was a hit!

That was the start of Shine’s custom gifts and party boxes.

Since our virtual ice cream party in the summer of 2020, we’ve shipped over 1,500 custom gifts and party boxes for organizations and individuals all over the country (and as far as Japan and Ireland) who want to celebrate, appreciate, and uplift their colleagues, friends, and family.

Shine by Charlene began as an event planning company, but gifting isn’t really all that different. Both events and gifts are ways we share joy, honor, and uplift each other.

And our Just Add Ice Cream gifts have been so popular that we recently launched the Just Add Ice Cream Co. (www.justaddicecreamco.com). We love creating and sharing special moments, and we think ice cream and some yummy toppings is a pretty good way to do it.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of my biggest struggles has been clarity and overcoming Imposter Syndrome. I’ve always loved to gather, celebrate, and make things pretty. But when business slowed down in 2020, I needed to anchor my business in something deeper and learn to trust myself and my unique path. With the help of journaling and a business coach, I gained a lot more clarity and confidence that has helped carry me through the new and hard parts of owning a business.

In fact, the sense of clarity and confidence I gained through journaling led me to a new business collaboration. The Write + Shine Co.: a collaboration between my business and See Jane Write founded by Javacia Harris Bowser. Javacia and I found power and purpose through journaling. It has given us a safe and sacred space to dream, process our feelings, make peace with change, fight through fear, and hear our hearts over the noise of the world. It is our desire to share the practice of journaling with other women through workshops, gifting, and creative collaborations with businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations. We are on a mission to create a journaling community to inspire and expand the practice of journaling to help women write their way to the life of their dreams.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Shine by Charlene?
It’s deeper than fancy parties and pretty packaging. I create gifts and experiences that are personal, bespoke, and distinct that lead to deeper personal connections and elevate the client experience. Whether it’s a wedding, a first birthday, a client welcome gift, or a journaling workshop, the secret is honoring ourselves and each other for our unique gifts and journeys. Celebrating and gifting help us embrace the duality of the human experience by amplifying joy in the best of times and encouraging perseverance through transitions and difficult seasons.

My family has offered their unwavering support and been a constant source of encouragement, especially my husband, mom, and brother. They’re the ones who stay up into the wee hours of the morning, helping me complete big projects. There’s no way I could do with without them.

My friends are top-tier. They also show up and pitch in to help whether they are near or far. They always offer encouraging words, labor, honest feedback, and referrals — these things are like gold as a business owner.

And my business coach was pivotal. She helped me articulate my “why” and helped me see the value of my gifts.