We were lucky to catch up with Shanelle Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shanelle, appreciate you joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

My grand mother on my mother side past away before I was born. Her name was Lily. My mother’s middle name is Ann. My middle name is Lillian! So it’s all related to the history of my family and where I come from. The health and wellness came about because my grandmother passed away from cancer and my mother had cancer but is now free from it ( Praise God). So my goal is to dive deep into herbs, sea moss and ways to tap into my health so I can stop generational curses.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Born and raised on the westside of Detroit, Michigan, I come from a big, beautiful family with four brothers, one sister, and 36 amazing nieces and nephews who lovingly call me “TT Baby.” Family is everything to me, and being an auntie brings me some of my greatest joy and inspiration.

I graduated from Southfield High School in 2012, earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan-Flint (Go Blue!), and later completed my Master’s in Social Work at Wayne State University. After graduating, I became a school social worker, where I had the honor of supporting students and families through personal and academic challenges—a role that shaped my purpose and strengthened my calling to serve.

In 2021, I took a bold leap of faith and left my job as a school social worker to become a full-time entrepreneur. That decision opened the door to a new chapter rooted in freedom, creativity, and walking fully in alignment with my purpose.

My personal health journey began about six years ago, during a time when I was searching for natural ways to feel better—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. That search led me to plant-based living, and over time, I became vegan. Along the way, I discovered the power of sea moss, breathwork, journaling, and meditation, and how they helped restore not just my body, but my spirit.

In December 2020, my father became seriously ill with COVID-19. Watching someone I love suffer while feeling helpless was one of the hardest moments of my life—but by the grace of God, I was able to send him sea moss. Within 24 hours, he was on the road to recovery and released from the hospital the very next day. That moment changed everything for me. I knew I wasn’t just discovering healing for myself—I was being called to help others do the same.

The following month, in January 2021, I officially launched Lilli An’s LLC, naming it in honor of powerful women in my family. Through Lilli An’s, I offer a range of holistic wellness products and services, including handcrafted sea moss items (like our best-selling sea moss lemonades), guided meditation and breathwork sessions, and tools for intentional living—all designed to support mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

What makes Lilli An’s different is our focus on the next generation. My goal is to reach children, because they are the ones who can truly spark lasting change. I often take my sea moss into schools and community programs, allowing kids to sample it while teaching them about the benefits of sea moss, nutrition, and overall wellness. By planting these seeds early, I hope to inspire healthier habits and mindsets that can transform families and communities for years to come.

I’m most proud of the impact we’re making—from customers who feel more energized, balanced, and grounded, to the community events that bring people together around joy, wellness, and love. I’m also proud of the school-based programs we’re launching to teach the next generation about sea moss, journaling, mindfulness, and emotional well-being.

For me, Lilli An’s is more than a brand—it’s a mission. Every product, event, and message is created with love, purpose, and spirit. I believe healing is our birthright, and I’m here to remind people of that truth—one sip, one breath, and one moment at a time.

Have you ever had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots I’ve had to make in business happened early on, when it was just me and my sister running Lilli An’s. We had opened a kiosk at Twelve Oaks Mall, selling our sea moss teas and gels. We were excited—it was the holiday season, the traffic was great, and things were off to a strong start.

Then, about two weeks in, a health inspector came by and told us that we had to remove all products that customers could consume—which was almost everything we had except for one product. The mall had never mentioned these specific rules beforehand, and as new business owners, we simply didn’t know.

I had two choices: shut down and lose the opportunity, or pivot fast. I chose to pivot. Within 24 hours, I came up with an entirely new product lineup to fill the kiosk. I started making candles, spiritual bath salts, sage bundles, sea moss soap, shea butter, and more—products that were still aligned with our brand and mission, but didn’t require food compliance.

That experience taught me a valuable lesson: in business, things will go wrong, often without warning. The key is to stay calm, think creatively, and adapt quickly. Not only did we keep the kiosk stocked for the rest of the holiday season, but we also expanded our product line in a way that brought in new customers we may not have reached otherwise.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

When I launched Lilli An’s in January 2021, I didn’t have a large investor or a big grant behind me. I started with my personal savings, and one thing that really helped me build my initial capital was trading in the foreign exchange market. Whenever I made profits from trading, I put that money right back into the business—buying supplies, upgrading equipment, and expanding our offerings.

Along the way, my family also stepped in to support me, whether that meant helping financially, pitching in with labor, or simply encouraging me to keep going when things got tough. I’ve always believed in reinvesting as much as possible into Lilli An’s so it can grow strong.

I’m still on the journey of getting my numbers up and scaling the business, but every step—every trade, every sale, every bit of support—has built the foundation for where we are today and where we’re headed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lilliansllc.com
• Instagram: Lillians_llc
• Facebook: Lilli An’s Sea Moss
• Linkedin: N/a