Hey, I’m Karen.

I am a small business owner of Render Studios in Old Town, Lansing who wears many hats. I am a producer by title, which makes the most sense to people, but I primarily direct strategy for all of our client projects. Then, I run a small business in all of that free time. Spoiler alert: there isn’t much of it.

I am also the mother of two children, wife to a man who is more patient than I deserve and surprisingly, a beer girl at heart. Seriously, I can make a pretty good home brew. My husband is also an incredible father and truly a kid at heart.

I really do enjoy creative and strategy equally–it feels like I’m nourishing my whole brain. As anyone in a leadership position in a small business is familiar with—I oversee human and financial operations while managing the needs of our clients.

It is difficult to lead in the creative industry. I struggle being comfortable leading without being comfortable.

Lifelong learning is important to me. The strategies and tactics employed by the marketing industry will always evolve with the creative industry. While each client’s needs are unique, they also build a knowledge base which allows me to react in real time to specific needs, based upon proven outcomes. Over the many years in this industry, I am able to serve my clients in ways that are more efficient, creative and overall, successful.

My love for prose, painting, sculpture and jewelry making is satisfied by my children’s passion in those areas, for now. It seems my personal creative pursuits are always next on deck. I grew up with a theater and vocal performance discipline with creative writing and painting evolving afterward. Fun to see how things come together. Though, balance is much harder for me outside my professional life.

When I am not producing and directing, I am scrambling to make it all work.

I love the surprise that comes with a well-crafted cocktail. I appreciate the innovation involved in creating delicious things. I have been brewing beer for more than ten years and prefer an IPA that is so hoppy it's practically a salad.