We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Valerie Moses a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Valerie, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents have always encouraged me to embrace what makes me unique. Throughout my life, while I always had strong relationships, I struggled to feel that sense of belonging — I was the cheerleader who was too “dorky” for the cheerleading squad, the Honors student who struggled to stay focused on grades (and seemed to be “smart but missing something,” according to one memorable history teacher). I really began to find my footing in college, where I first began blogging and was able to take classes that truly interested me, but leading up to that time, my parents never made me feel like I was lacking something even when I felt a little lost. They always believed in me and encouraged me to be authentically myself, follow my creativity, and pursue my interests. They also really inspired me to become involved in my community and look for ways to give back. As a creative, a leader, and a human being, I believe so strongly in using your gifts to help others and to create a world better than you found it. That belief really stems from my childhood, watching my parents get involved in the local food pantry, dog rescue and other volunteer work. My parents always placed a much higher importance on giving back and doing the right thing than on areas like earning a certain salary or social status, and I’ve carried those priorities with me throughout my life.

Valerie, 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?

In my full-time job, I manage public relations and corporate communications for a credit union based in Central Florida. Outside of that role, I’m proud to be the founder of Wellness & Wanderlust, a podcast and blog focused on demystifying wellness trends and creating our best lives through small shifts in our habits. I’ve been a writer since before I can remember, but I began to pursue writing more professionally in 2007, when I began writing for a teen-focused tabloid style magazine published by The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. In 2010, during my freshman year of college, I launched a blog focused on college advice, pop culture, relationships and other topics that interested me, and the blog really began to take off. Over the years, the content made a natural transition to wellness (as I was dealing with my own autoimmune conditions) and travel, so I eventually rebranded to “Wellness & Wanderlust” and the name has stuck ever since!

In the heart of the pandemic, I decided to transition into the podcasting space, and started the Wellness & Wanderlust Podcast in September 2020. Every week on the show, I interview a new guest on topics like nutrition, healing from trauma, mental health, entrepreneurship, relationships and more. I absolutely love having the opportunity to connect with so many amazing experts and guests from all over the world, and I hope my show creates a safer space for listeners to feel a little more seen and understood.

I also provide freelance writing services and am always looking for other ways to help companies elevate their brands through the written word! I love learning about new industries and helping others share their knowledge with the world.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

There is a quote I aim to live by: “Always bring your own sunshine.” In everything I do, my goal is to use my voice for good and to leave the world better than I found it. Through my blog and podcast, I always want the content I share to help others through the challenges they may be facing, and to shine light on some of the amazing and inspiring people who are making a difference in the world. I believe that by having conversations, being vulnerable, and sharing our stories, we can have a positive impact on the world around us.

I also try to share the causes that I believe in and really be an ambassador in any way that I can. Currently, I serve as the incoming chair of the Young Professionals Board for Harbor House of Central Florida, a non-profit organization that provides critical services to survivors of domestic abuse. I also volunteer as a mentor to a high school senior through the Take Stock in Children program, and regularly look for other ways to donate my time to help others. As leaders, I believe it is our responsibility to identify the causes and organizations that are most meaningful to us, and find ways to give back our time or talent. Along every step of my career journey, this will always be a pillar of everything that I do.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I think that most of us have grappled with this at one time or another, but I have always struggled with imposter syndrome. From a young age, women are often taught to diminish their light and to make themselves smaller, and this always made it difficult to own and embrace my talents. To this day, I’ll find myself in a room wondering how I got there and how quickly everyone else will realize that I don’t belong! I have had to really work hard to unlearn that and to shed those self-limiting beliefs, especially when they don’t have any real basis. It’s a work in progress, but I am slowly taking the time to recognize my worth and what I bring to the table. I will always aim to learn new things and develop new skills, but I am also working to slow down and acknowledge that I am more than the sum of my parts. I am worth more than the hours of work I put in or the two dimensional version of myself that social media depicts me to be. (And so are you!)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wellnessandwanderlust.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellnessandwanderlustblog
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellnessandwanderlustblog/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-moses-mba-a75a3124/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moses_says/
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wellness-and-wanderlust/id1533526862