We recently connected with Vanessa Castillo and have shared our conversation below.
Vanessa, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
The idea for The Rich Girl Mindset came to fruition organically, I came up with the idea before I came up with the name, even. See, this story stems back to a past version of myself, that would have never imagined this version of myself.
See, my whole life, growing up, I was the quiet, observant, shy, timid type. I didn’t really speak unless spoken to. I didn’t raise my hand in class to speak up about my ideas or questions, and I surely didn’t open up conversations with people I didn’t know. As I said, I was an observer. Loved to watch and listen, but somehow, my natural energy always attracted people to me.
When I was about 18 years old, I learned about The Law of Attraction. I didn’t fully understand it, but I understood enough, & I think on some level, my subconscious soaked up most of the information and beliefs about the power of the mind and thoughts.
I was 23 when I graduated from the University of Miami in 2012. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communications, with a second major in Art. Through both of these fields, I was able to start stepping out of my own comfort zone. With Visual Journalism, I had to caption each of my photos to tell the story I was shedding light on. This, helped me open up a little and get more curious about the world around me. The camera was my way in, people felt more comfortable opening up to me AND my camera. I fell in LOVE with storytelling visually. I started shooting short documentary films, and mini bio videos for businesses, and slowly but surely, this is how I started to make a living.
In 2015, I decided to take the leap and went from freelancer to business owner real quick. I founded a creative agency and studio called VCV Agency which stands for Various Creative Visionaries. What we do is help businesses expand their brand awareness and online presence through branding, content marketing, and community building.
Because of this, I got to meet a lot of inspiring people and I remember, it was at this point, 2018, that I realized just how many badass women I had been in contact with, and got the honor to work with. This was the moment that I decided, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, again. I wanted to interview these women and get to know them deeper. Not just the “about me” for their business, but THEIR about me. I wanted to know more about who they were, where they come from, and what motivated them to start their own businesses, take that leap of faith, take a bet on themselves and take the risk that is starting a new business but how would I step out of my own comfort zone in the process? Stepping in front of the camera…
So, I started The Rich Girl Mindset talk show, without even having the name “The Rich Girl Mindset” yet. I’ve always been one to just take action, and that’s why I did. I knew if I thought about it too much, or tried to make it a perfect production, I’d never get it done. Instead, I pitched my idea to some amazing women I already knew and had worked with, and people were on board. By the third episode, the name came to me organically, and a new brand was born; The Rich Girl Mindset.
Which started off as a talk show, but slowly turned into more than that. Today, I consider The Rich Girl Mindset to be a movement, a lifestyle, and a community. Through our talk show, our curated experiences and events, masterminds, book club, and membership community, we are truly trying to shape the way women (and people) use the power of mindset to live an abundant, fulfilled, and joyous life.
See, the “rich” in The Rich Girl Mindset isn’t about monetary richness, though we are inspiring others to attract anything that brings them joy so if more good-hearted, genuine rich people are born because of our movement then I wouldn’t be mad at that, at all. The idea is to have more happy people roaming this earth. But the real meaning behind the “rich” in The Rich Girl Mindset is that we all realize that we are already rich within. & once we can tap into that inner richness, we can create the alignment between our mind-body-soul and purpose, which truly brings in the fulfillment and abundance we all crave. No matter what that looks like for each of us individually because my rich life isn’t your rich life. But the idea is that we all feel rich.
Today, we have a global community, with members from all around the world, of all ages and walks of life, living and attaining The Rich Girl Mindset. & that, makes my heart flutter. I’m here to help others see the magic that is them, and I’m here to spread the good vibes.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Today, I serve my clients and community as a Soulful Biz Bestie because there are many ways I can help fellow business owners, but I take an intuitive approach.
See, I keep it real and make SHIFT happen. I’m a visionary who executes, a connector, and a creative. But I’m also someone who pours back into self, and knows the importance of mental health.
What fuels me is community, connection, and collaboration. I love helping others execute their goals, shift perspective, or even paint them a vision they couldn’t see before. I absolutely love helping others become the best version of themselves. Whether I’m building my own community, or helping others do the same, I’m always shining a light on the uniqueness of someone or something. Even brands and corporations are unique in some way.
I help with brand strategies and activations, and content creation, and I’m still a Visual Communications expert. Photography, Videography, Copywriting, Web Developing, and Graphic Designing are still my jam. I never stopped being an artist just because I became a business owner, a coach, or a speaker. In fact, In fact, I consider myself to be a multi-passionate and call myself a creative and soulful entrepreneur.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Being myself. Being authentic always works best. Bullshit reeks like an oil leak, and people can smell that from a mile away. When I first started my business, I was 23, & I had just dyed my hair purple. After that pink, then blue, then green, and every other color that exists for the last 8 years. I JUST let my hair grow out THIS year for the first time in eight. That authenticity, of me being so myself I didn’t care what others thought, is what attracted my dream clients to this day. I somehow met, connected with, and have worked with people who are on my same page, book, bookshelf, and library! People on my same wavelength, and that could be rare but it hasn’t been because I’ve put out in the world what I’ve wished to get back. Authenticity and genuineness. Both go a long way…
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Values, values, values + remembering that people are still people and everyone is an individual. Playing the fair game but still being the leader. Team-building activities go a long way too. Like weekly games or creating team gatherings, celebrations, and parties for birthdays or special days. Even creating your own special days or weeks. Keeping the fun alive and remembering that people do best when they feel known, seen, heard, and valued.
Contact Info:
- Website: therichgirlmindset.com
- Instagram: thebossladyvee & therichgirlmindset
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therichgirlmindset
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebossladyvee/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebossladyvee
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNYdPFxUFLWpawjhHXNdyKQ/featured
Image Credits
VCV Agency