Inspiring Conversations with Veronica Njodinizeh of VNIZEH Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Njodinizeh.

Hi Veronica, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The night before my life and work would change forever, I prayed to God and asked for three things: my mother’s health to overcome all odds; my little brother’s commitment to his education to change for the better; and for God to make my life a testimony. That next day in May 2006, my God answered and asked me if I was ready for my testimony.

My mother was found murdered in our home in Dayton, OH and my fifteen-year-old brother at the time was in custody and would eventually be convicted for her death. My testimony was already being written long before this life-defining loss and I knew that the same God who heard me ask can answer and use my life for His Glory and he did. In 2016, ten years after my mother’s murder and brother’s imprisonment, my independent consultant journey led me to the White House for President Obama’s national convening for the work I was leading in the City of Long Beach – the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative (MBK). MBK was created to change the lives and opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color – birthed out of the tragic loss and murder of young Trayvon Martin. It was at this moment the tragedy that nearly took out my whole core family made sense: My God would use my greatest loss to fulfill the great purpose he put in me. I continue to build and grow my business VNIZEH Consulting, Inc. with the ultimate goal to utilize my revenue, hiring, and client projects to change and impact the lives of boys and young men of color. I took the intense training and developing I obtained working in management consulting both nationally and globally and have infused those skills into my business practices. The work continues…

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Hell no, it has not been a smooth road but I am not giving up because my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ goes before me! My faith is the foundation of who I am and all I do. I understand that I am privileged to not only know my purpose but also do that work. This self-awareness opens my life for attack from the enemy that comes to put a stop to the work that must be done. To be clear, I want to use my business and testimony to gain capital to help shut down prisons and reallocate funds back into the lives of communities and families that need it most. As a ‘blindian’ (that’s black & Indian) immigrant, Christian, woman business owner, I consistently have to define and communicate my value over and over to clients, some who even look like me. I have to justify my invoice amounts and have people tell me what they want to pay me. When starting and growing a business, it is so important not to cut corners or compromise because this will set a tone for how I engage with larger contracts. With COVID, I am the primary parent and teacher for my son, so right now I can’t engage in large long-term projects or go after them the way I know I can deliver. But I know this moment is not forever and I’ll get through it…

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
People First. Project Second. I am the proud and honored founder of VNIZEH Consulting, a purpose-driven firm focused on creating equity and opportunity for young people, specifically focused around the efforts of the MBK Initiative. As a single-parent and minority business owner, my hustle is real! After spending nearly a decade at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where I learned not only how to deliver projects but go-to-market strategies to grow businesses, I branched out on my own. I wanted to work on my terms…after the loss of my mother and later father, I understood the true opportunity costs of how I spent my time. I never wanted to ask anyone permission again about spending time with people I love. I am my own boss. I choose passion projects that allow me to do the work that matters to me and spend time grooming and raising my son to reach for the same. I can’t be out here trying to change the world if my home isn’t together.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
During the COVID-19 crisis, I learned that all the other crises I faced were preparing me and positioning me for this one. I chose to take my COVID lemon and made some lemonade. I published my poetry book & writings that was long overdue to help me fund the work that matters to me. The book is available on Amazon and net proceeds will go directly to hire and train youth, some with lived experiences. I also bought a house at a crazy rate to give my family and busines the stability needed for long-term personal and career growth. The most important thing I have learned is this crisis is taking care of our “mind health” is so critical to recovering from the multiple levels of trauma so many of us are facing right now. I remember my old volleyball coach’s quote: “You play your best game when you are tired”. It’s Game On right now for me!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.vnizehconsulting.com/

Image Credits
Jake Petite III