At just 12 years old, Inspiring Vanessa is an international, multi-award-winning motivational speaker. She’s a Youtuber, Author, Child Presenter and the ultimate Kidpreneur. She also happens to be our youngest Female Leader!
You are one of the youngest motivational speakers in the world! When did you decide you wanted to inspire others?
I decided to become a motivational speaker when I was 9 years old, in 2016! The idea of speaking came to me when I attended an inspirational seminar that had a speaker who we had been following on Facebook. He then asked me if I wanted me to go on stage with him. After being in two states of mind, I chose to go on stage and face my fears. When I was on stage, there was a spark. A spark of realisation, passion and excitement. I finally realised that speaking with impact, all around the world and helping people was the perfect career. I was so excited, I couldn’t wait till I was an adult, I had to start straight away and that’s what I did. Ever since that day, my attention grew as well as my Inspirators!
How did you gain the confidence to speak out?
It started at a seminar and to be honest I didn’t even know I had this talent and I am glad I had discovered it as I have been inspiring lives of others around the world. And now I teach confidence to the younger generations and adults too.
Tell us about your biggest accomplishments so far.
My biggest accomplishments so far were to travel to Kenya, Slovakia, Bali, Malaysia and New York. When I went to Kenya, I was doing volunteer work to support the children in an orphanage, in Western Kenya. This made me the youngest volunteer to go out, which makes me feel very honoured; I’m actually planning to go back at the beginning of 2019! When I spoke in Slovakia, I had the opportunity to speak in front of 1000 people and it was such an incredible experience. My other accomplishments include attending different movie premieres and meeting my idols as well as presenting shows like the London Fashion Week in 2018, February and September!
You wrote a book called “The 5 Secrets To Public Speaking Success” - What is your number one tip for anyone with a bit of stage fright?
My number one tip to those who are scared of public speaking is to practice because - practice doesn’t make it perfect but it makes progress. The more you practice, the more you will become better at what you do!
Earlier this year, we partnered with Disney for the European premiere of A Wrinkle In Time, which you also attended. What was your highlight and key takeaway from the evening?
My highlight of the European Premiere of A Wrinkle In Time is meeting the one and only Reese Witherspoon! It was so amazing to meet her and her kind heart lit a smile on my face! The movie was truly inspirational as it included many powerful messages which were shared through the empowering actresses that were cast in the film! Not only is the film itself beautiful, but every actress and icon made it all very more stunning! I would’ve loved to meet one of my top idols, Oprah Winfrey and Storm Reid, but unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet them.
You inspire others every day, but who inspires you? Are there any particular female role models or mentors who have acted as a source of support or inspiration for you?
I have a very long list of female idols who empower me to strive for the best every single day. My top three idols who I admire are: Ellen Degeneres, who is extremely kind and gives out so much positivity which is crucial on television. Zendaya, who is a massive idol of mine as she is such a talented actress, singer and dancer and she inspires me to follow my heart! Then it is Oprah Winfrey, who shares so much wisdom and power when she speaks, overall she motivates me to do the same for others.
How important is it to you to have female role models?
It is extremely crucial to have a female idol because it shows that no matter what girls and women are put through, they can still achieve their dreams. Having female idols and inspiration can be more beneficial as you can most likely relate to what your idol has been through. Female role models are representing what women can accomplish no matter what stereotypes or words are thrown at them!
What is your biggest piece of advice you would give to young girls your age?
My advice to girls my age would be - to believe that they can do anything and they shouldn’t be discouraged by what other people tell them, that they can achieve their dreams and goals if they put their work and mind into it.
And now what’s the biggest piece of advice you’d give to an adult?
My biggest advice to all the adults out there is - it’s never too late to follow your dreams!
Tell us about your dreams and what you would like to achieve next?
As I mentioned before my biggest dream is to meet Zendaya and to be interviewed on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, but my other dream is to create a Hotel for Homeless people as I believe that everyone should be treated equally. I would also love to travel around the world as I admire exploring and discovering different parts of the world. I would love to speak on the WE DAY in London next year, speak at schools in UK and US.
What is your favourite quote or a saying that keeps you going?
One of my favourite quotes is “Be Yourself, Everyone else is Already Taken” - Oscar Wilde
For more inspiration follow Vanessa on her website and social channels:
https://twitter.com/inspiringv10