Episode 22: “It’s Never Too Early” with 12-year-old Kidtrepreneur, Inspiring Vanessa
Article by Josh Park
In this episode, Alexander Star and Kudo Biza chat with the youngest guest speaker to appear in the series, 12-year-old Inspiring Vanessa. Listening to her story, you’ll learn that it’s never too early to follow your dreams and to make an impact in the world. Don’t let age or experience stand in the way of pursuing your passion. If you find something, act on it, just like how Vanessa did.
When she was just 9 years old, Vanessa discovered her passion for public speaking. In 3 years time, she has since taken massive action to accomplish so much despite her youth.
As a multi-award winning international speaker, author, model, youtuber, kidtrepreneur, coach, and artist, Vanessa is not your average pre-teen. But amazingly, she still maintains a semblance of normal life by going to school and taking a fun Friday to spend time with her friends.
Eloquent, charismatic, and insightful, Vanessa shares her story of how she started when she attended an inspiration seminar and had the opportunity to speak on stage with one of the guest speakers for just about 30 seconds. In that moment, she found her calling to be on stage and to help other people. With the support of her mom, who is also an entrepreneur, Vanessa began building her personal brand and quickly rose to prominence.
But not everything was bright and bubbly for Vanessa. Throughout her journey, she had to endure several challenges including cyberbullying, and she recounts how she was able to rise above the haters and internet bullies.
Given her track record of success while still going to school and enjoying life as a kid, it’s incredible to think how Vanessa remains productive in her day to day schedule. But in her advice to listeners, she stresses the importance of being organized and keeping to-do lists to be focused. If you’re having trouble with productivity and need a way to get started, check out TIME’s 90 Day Planner, which can guide you to focus on the right tasks to achieve your goals.
Listen in on this episode to learn more about Inspiring Vanessa’s journey and how she was able to jumpstart life by following her passion.
Pull quotes:
- “Not everyone is going to like me. But I’m not going to focus on that one person out of this whole community that I’ve created in my career.”
- “Action is the foundation or key to all success.”
Connect with Inspiring Vanessa:
Connect with #ThisIsMyEra:
Join the conversation across all platforms with the hashtag #ThisIsMyEra
Episode Outline:
(2:20) Meet Inspiring Vanessa
(3:20) When Vanessa first started
(3:45) How Vanessa was inspired
(6:05) Vanessa’s role model
(7:45) How Vanessa organizes her life
(11:00) How Vanessa maintains balance
(14:00) Mindset of young people vs. adult
(15:20) Most common challenge to inspire people
(17:50) Vanessa’s confidence vs. introvertedness
(20:00) Visiting NYC
(21:45) Vanessa’s favorite quote that inspires herself
(24:05) Vanessa’s message to her 21 year old self
(25:30) Why this is Vanessa’s era
