Vanessa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In my early twenties, I did an internship in the newsroom department at KTLA channel 5 and thereafter started my career as a Journalist at Univision; the # 1 Spanish-language network television station in the country. I started as an intern and was shortly after hired as the Executive Assistant to the News Director. My dream at the time was not to be an executive assistant but rather to become a news reporter, but I accepted the offer to continue growing in the industry. Within a year, I moved to Washington D.C. to work at Univision’s affiliate in pursuit of my dream.
My life from the surface suddenly seemed as though I had reached the American Dream, yet I felt unclear. My unclarity came from not knowing why I didn’t seem to have the passion to work on the stories I was assigned to cover. I knew many would jump on the opportunity to be in my shoes, yet I was not engaged despite all the work, time and effort I had put into becoming a reporter. Life later showed me that the unclarity came from not knowing my niche.
I moved back to Los Angeles to explore in hopes of discovering my niche. It was not easy. At the time, the economical downslope of the war between Afghanistan and the U.S, left little opportunities for work in journalism. It was a tough time not just for journalists but for the world at large. This led me to a depression which at the time I didn’t know I was experiencing. All I knew was that I felt helpless and unmotivated.
Being the naturally optimistic woman that I am, I didn’t feel like myself and that alone triggered so much inside of me. But instead of drowning in my feelings I chose to stay afloat best I could by freelancing in various media outlets to continue growing while also taking on other unrelated work to make ends meet. But the most enriching experience I had was when I later began to work as a child care provider for high profile families. It opened my eyes to see the world from a whole new lens. It allowed me to witness that money, fame and success does not necessarily equate to happiness. The most miserable people I have met are precisely the celebrity families I worked for. The children however helped me to open my heart and brought me back to life. I never saw the children as my “job” but rather as my angelic guides that were there to teach and redirect me. In return, I embraced them with all the love, nurturance and care children deserve.
During this time, I spent countless of hours reading books on spirituality, psychology, theology, child development and self development to be able to understand myself, the children and their families better. This became the catalyst to strengthening my relationship with myself which is what synchronistically led me to my niche.
Fast forward years later, I went back to school to obtain a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology and I am a PhD candidate in Depth Psychology with a specialization on relationships. This has opened up doors to teach, present my work at different conferences around the globe, embrace my intuition and mysticism, build a thriving coaching business and the ability to combine journalism with spirituality and psychology which became my niche. I’ve had the privilege of having my own radio show on KPFK 90.7 FM called Transforming Consciousness where I’ve interviewed renowned authors and scholars in the field of spirituality and psychology, in addition to offering 1-on-1 coaching sessions live on air.
To say I am happy to have found my niche is an under-statement. I am immensely grateful. It has truly been a humbling experience and I wouldn’t change my path for nothing in the world for it has allowed me to cherish life more deeply. It has given me the courage to take risks, learn to surrender and be adaptable to change, which are essential elements to thrive.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
If you’ve read this far, you know the answer is no. In addition to the aforementioned, I witnessed first-hand racial discrimination and stereotypes of what a Latina women “should” look like. As a Mexican-American woman with beautiful olive skin and distinctive features that represent not only Mexican women but all of Latin America and the Caribbean, I allowed what I witnessed at the time to impact me. I thought I had to “look” a certain way to reach my dream of becoming a news reporter, which impacted my overall self esteem and self worth. Thankfully, that is not my story anymore but I do hold a lot of compassion for all the lived experiences of my younger self.
We’re impressed with your journey– tell our readers more what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I am proud of the woman I have become. What sets me apart from others is that I am no longer striving to be liked or accepted. I know my value and worth and I love to support others in getting there too; whether that be working directly with me or in other forms. As a journalist and spiritual psychologist; both involving interest in people, I am deeply passionate about people’s stories and holding a safe container for my clients to begin their inner healing journey.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
After years of focusing on my vocation, education and inner transformation, I have stepped into the next stage of my life: Sharing my life with my beloved. I tribute the smooth and synchronistic flow of this stage to the inner work I’ve done. I focused on becoming the woman I would need to become to attract not only the right niche/vocation but also the right man for me. So, for all the women (and men) reading this who yearn to be in a meaningful relationship with potential for marriage, children or whatever else you desire, my heartfelt advice is not to settle over societal demands. Focus on becoming that which you seek first and it will be worth the wait. Meanwhile, I encourage hiring a professional, it could be me or anyone else that can help you get where you want to be. I personally know that I would not be where I am if it wasn’t for the guidance of my amazing teachers, coaches and mentors. This is something I struggled with at first as I used to think that I could figure things out on my own, but the truth is you can’t. As relational beings, we are not wired to figure life on our own. We all need guidance and support. The question is.. how DEEP is your DESIRE to live the life you DREAM of? I offer a free 15min consultation. To schedule, you can email my team at TransformingConsciousness@
Contact info for services:
- For those interested in working with me for private 1 on 1 sessions, I offer a free 15min consultation. To schedule, you can email me at [email protected]
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