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

Hi Vanessa , thanks for joining us today. Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job

Prior to owning my own business, I worked in corporate radio and entertainment. As I look back, that career path groomed me in so many ways and there are many lessons and tools that I still use today as an entrepreneur. My first lesson – understand early that this is your job not your life. Setting boundaries on your time is key. How many of us have looked back on previous roles and thought about how much time we invested into a company that we are no longer with? I’m sure the answer is, alot, so be mindful about the time you dedicate to your company and make sure that you are creating balance. Secondly – be malleable. One of my mentors taught me that invaluable lesson early on and that was to be open to new ways of doing things, especially if it improved efficiency and gave me more time.

Next – lead with heart. One of the best compliments that I have received from fellow co-workers and now as a business owner is that people always felt appreciated, heard and seen when working with me. Leading with heart and understanding that building a culture and team of excellence will always keep you top of mind for future opportunities and also foster a culture of positivity for young future leaders to look up to. Lastly, understand your position and its purpose and act accordingly. Giving 200% is great but not at the expense of burnout. Understanding your companies goals helps you to manage your expectations while in your role. Learning early on there was alot of turnover in my industry helped me to navigate best how to flow into new opportunities and ultimately all of those lessons culminated in the opening of my own business, VJMedia which is now in its twelfth year.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I am the proud founder and CEO of Vanessa James Media, LLC. I started my company in 2010 after a decade in radio and entertainment and a sudden layoff which propelled me into becoming an entrepreneur. Bucking the trend to jump from one corporate job to another, I used the transition from corporate radio to tap into my community and the freelance clients that I had built relationships with over the years. Media is an ever evolving industry with many faces an facets. I knew that I had a captivating voice and sound along with on-camera and writing skills so I utilized those talents to create a company that offered those services to brands and organizations in need of elevating their awareness and market presence. Now, after a decade in business, VJMedia has evolved into a full service media brand where I provide Voiceover services to stations and companies around the world, serve as a multimedia host and content creator and create community and mentorship for future leaders in the media space looking to break into the industry. From Nissan to Netflix, I’ve collaborated with global brands and clients that I now proudly call partners.

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

As a female entrepreneur and even during my time in corporate one of the things I needed to unlearn was the need to “do it all”. Do it all mentality stems from insecurity and leads to burnout. When I am at my best is when I’m able to delegate and have confidence in my team members to lead and meet their goals. IF you’re of the “only I can do it” mentality, you’re actually starving creativity that could foster even grander ideas and efficiency. Learn to lead with clear goals, open communication and inclusivity and let go of the desire to handle “all the things” at the sacrifice of your time and sanity.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

April of 2020, the world had to pause, pivot and do it quickly. This once in a generation pandemic has revealed so much and created a shifted about what was important. Zoom became everyone’s BFF and opened our minds about connecting and engaging with colleagues and clients differently. For me, I went from traveling to studio auditions to elevating my at-home studio to a level that clients like Disney or Infiniti couldn’t tell the difference. I also used the year to learn, learn and learn some more. From acting classes, workshops to educating myself on investing – I wanted to come out of this pandemic better groomed and prepared for the next decade of my business and life. Now with all that I’ve learned, I’m ready to reach greater heights and growth opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vanessajamesmedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessajamesmedia/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VanessaJamesMedia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-james-media/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/msvanessajames?lang=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/vanessajamesmedia

Image Credits
All images of property of Vanessa James Media, LLC

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