We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vanessa Autrey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vanessa below.
Vanessa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?
More recently, I was a guest at a young adult literary festival in Tampa Bay. Initially, I thought my messaging around wellness and mental health advocacy would be lightly displaced, after all, I don’t remember being a super-stressed teen growing up in the 90’s. That could not have been further from the truth. As teen after teen approached me post panel, I discovered something huge: Our next generation of leaders is suffering, not only with their mental health, but coping with the ever-increasing pressures of life. One young woman in particular stood out. She had recently attempted to take her own life, but she finally found her courage to ask for help. Hearing my story inspired her that where you are is not where you’ll always be. Her tears flowed freely; it was an awakening for both of us. I assured her this moment is temporary, life does get better and that she is not alone on her journey. Her frown transformed to a glimmer of hope, smile and all. It warmed my heart to see the depth of impact in such a finite moment, and it’s something I strive for each and every day.
Vanessa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
At my core, I am passionate about teaching others how to live well.
I am a Yogacharya, wellness advocate, mentor, philanthropist and the international best-selling author of The Art of Balancing Burnout.
I have worked in the health and wellness industry for 15+ years, teaching yoga globally, working with women in recovery and spearheading philanthropic campaigns with The Outlier Foundation.
I have been featured on Fox News, Voyage Magazine, and various podcasts, including Health with Maria™ and Talkin’ St. Pete™.
I currently teach Wellness Workshops nationwide, and have most recently begun hosting Wellness Retreats to help individuals restore, recalibrate and rejuvenate their lives so they can get back to living life, and living it well.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
My business partner just so happens to be my life partner as well.
Oddly enough, we met at yoga. He wandered in with his close friend, stared at me for the entirety of the class, and asked me out to lunch the very next day. We’ve been inseparable ever since. We’ve launched 4 successful companies together thus far, but beyond our professional success, it’s our marriage and the life we’ve built that we are most proud of.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I’d like to say my life has been a fairytale, but that’d be a stretch from the truth. My mother was young when she had me. We were on welfare and I can remember eating generic saltines with single-sliced, plastic wrapped cheese. That was my version of a grilled cheese sandwich and I didn’t know any different. We’d sit together in our rented, maintenance-neglected, single-wide trailer. There was a gaping hole in the floor, and it’s an image that’s never quite left my imagination. Resilience in its most raw form is about adaptability; our innate drive to evolve as life throws difficulties our way. I feel as though the entirety of my life has been one big evolution, slowly growing from one challenge to the next and learning to celebrate the small victories that life graces us with in the in between.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vanessaautrey.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessaautrey/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanessa.autrey
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaautrey/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/vanessaautrey
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vanessaautrey
Image Credits
Steven Le @ Thee Photo Ninja – https://www.theephotoninja.com/