Lived experience is not a footnote. It’s a framework!
I work with healthcare, life sciences, and mission-driven organizations to integrate lived experience into strategy, education, and partnerships — so it actually drives decisions, not just storytelling.
Surviving something should change how systems are built — not just how stories are told.
Trusted by Leaders in Healthcare, Advocacy, and Organizational Strategy
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Take the first steps out of a crisis and towards joy TODAY.
Watch my F.L.O.W Forward Framework video and get:
Actionable steps that are broken down into four parts.
Inspiration to move forward in the next phase of your healing journey.
A mindset reset that will leave you feeling motivated and inspired.
Find inspiration on the blog
In my book, Make Room for Joy, I use my story of cancer, betrayal, abandonment, and grief as a tool to encourage readers to choose hope, take a leap of faith, and make room for joy no matter what's going on in life. Each chapter ends with a Make it Personal section, which helps readers embrace the connection between suffering and joy and experience a new kind of joy that is impossible to contain and easy to share.
Feeling stuck, under-motivated & hopeless?
Life’s disruptions have a way of stealing our focus, our clarity, and our joy. This is normal. But moving forward takes grit and determination – and it won’t always be fun. It’s hard to keep going after a major disappointment. It’s hard to stay focused and contribute amid a shifting personal and professional landscape.
Deconstructing, how crises or circumstances have changed/halted your life is an essential step to thriving after the crisis. I help people evaluate how their physical, emotional, and professional spaces impact their ability to move forward. I work with people to clarify the question, “What Next?” and help you create a plan to move forward with clarity, confidence, and joy.
Resiliency is Vanessa’s Superpower!
As a speaker, adversity coach, patient advocate, and found of the non-profit Living After Crisis Inc., Vanessa has spoken frequently in front of crowds of 3K+, facilitated difficult conversations for Fortune 500 companies, and supported hundreds of individuals to overcome personal health, and career challenges.