Vanessa is a freaking rock star! She is one of those people you meet and immediately know you want to be her friend and have her on your side. She is loyal, loving and inspiring.
Vanessa is an event consultant to entrepreneurs and corporate entities. She has over 17 years of experience working for high level executives at United Airlines, GE Healthcare, and AT&T. She is a jack of all trades and specializes in event management, positive change management, and leadership. She also moonlights as a relationship coach. After a corporate lay off in January 2016, she decided to venture into her own event management business and so far successfully navigating entrepreneurship.
What does IMPACT mean to you?
Impact means the positive effect I have on another human being by teaching them something new or bringing awareness to them. Changing the world one person at a time. I love impacting kids to senior citizens, we are never too young or old to learn something that improves our lives and bring us joy. It warms my heart to see someone smile after they are enlightened by a new piece of knowledge.
What gives you the drive/passion to do what you do? In other words, what is your WHY?
My why in this world is to make a difference by impacting children in orphanages. The kids enter the orphanage without knowing what it is to have a Mom or Dad. They need a tremendous amount of support and understanding. I feel that going into the orphanages and teaching them about faith and mindset is critical to the way they perceive the world. By teaching them this at a very young age, we can prepare them for success. This allows them to dream as big as they want and have the confidence and faith in themselves to go after it.
The impact the kids will have on society as adults in the future cannot be measured. It is a huge shift from the typical kids growing up without this awareness at a young age. As adults, they will be our future Presidents, heads of state, corporate professionals, Olympians, musicians, artists, etc. They will continue to make their own impact in the field they are in and the ripple effect will be felt worldwide.
Did you know the opinions we have as adults are seeded in our brain before the age of 9? That’s why I want to target orphanages at a young age to plant the positive seeds of perception and allow them to grow without limitations.
HOW do you get your mission out into the world?
The best way for me to get my mission out is to introduce a new curriculum of faith and mindset to orphanage leaders and educate them as well on this. We need their full support in planting the positive seeds and nurturing them as the kids grow. I plan to be a part of the kid’s life for as long as I can. Be a mentor to them and enroll others to join me as lifetime mentors to the kids so they always have a support system, consistently, as they grow older. Ideally, I would love to provide them with their basic school needs as well, so they are not lacking. Create an environment so they are not growing up with the mentality of lack, instead feeling loved, supported, and well educated in their purpose in life.
I have already made initial contact with Maestro Cares. They have 3 orphanages in Latin America and I’m looking to implement the same here in the U.S. Eventually I see this vision implemented worldwide! Why not?
What advice would you give to your 20 year old self?
I would advise my 20 year old self to lean on my faith. Not just faith in God and the Universe, also in myself. In addition, trusting my instincts. My gut instinct has not steered me wrong, however, I didn’t learn that until I was almost 30 years old. I finally stopped fighting the instinct and listened to it. Recently, I did not listen to my instinct and it took me down a very dark rabbit hole that I do not wish upon anyone. I am picking myself back up and 100% listening to my gut in every step I take forward. Faith and instinct are critical to our future success.
When was the last time you belly laughed until you cried?
I am blessed to say that I have an incredible husband and he makes me belly laugh a lot! It usually happens when we are lying in bed in the dark and just talking. His love for me is beyond anything I could have dreamt up and the bonus is he has a great sense of humor. So after 25 years together (July is our anniversary) and with a bit of ups and downs, I am proud to say that I’m still madly in love with him and we have the best time together.
What trait do you most admire in people?
Honesty, integrity & humor.
If you were stuck on a desert island with three people, who are they and why.
Jesus Christ: I ask a lot of questions and I want to hear the real stories from him directly. Not the various versions written by so many. I would love to know what he taught and saw while on Earth and how he envisioned our future.
Henry Ford: Now here’s a man without an education that built an empire. I am building my own empire. I would love to hear about his childhood and what his perception was at that time. At what point did he know he was going to change the automotive industry and what he thought of that.
An Egyptian or a Mayan: The architecture, the agriculture, the astrology, their tools, just fascinating and I want to know the whole story! What in the world happened to you guys, would be my question.
With these 3 individuals on a desert island, we’ll build our own empire and start all over again.
Andi Wickman is on a mission is to help elevate women. To lift them into the entrepreneur world. To hold their hand when they think they can’t go bigger. To help them realize the fire within themselves. To help them share their mission with the world.
She is hosting a MASTERCLASS to help start-up online coaches learn what it takes to be successful online and offline and GET CLIENTS.
You can also hang out with her in her Facebook group for kick-ass women who are building empires while having fun!