Vanessa Mitchell, Inspiration Award Winner
Wellness Coach. Hairstylist. Woman of Faith.
Vanessa Mitchell helps women feel cared for, whether she’s doing their hair, guiding a conversation or helping them reconnect with themselves. A hairstylist, holistic wellness coach, yoga instructor, wife and grandmother, she brings her own experiences with loss, caregiving and growth into her work. As the co-founder of Faith, Love, Oneness, Wellness (FLOW), Vanessa creates spaces where women can show up as they are, speak honestly and feel supported.
How do you help women feel safe enough to open up?
You have to show up and be the peace. Women need to trust that what they share stays in that space. My transparency helps build that trust. I share the good, the bad and the ugly, but also what it looks like to move through it. My grandmother raised me after my mother was killed. I became a mother in high school. I lost my son, and I cared for my grandmother through Alzheimer’s. So when someone talks about marriage, loss or caregiving, I can say, ‘I understand. I’ve been there.’ Losing my son taught me about unconditional love, forgiveness and embracing the good memories.
My experiences have helped me turn pain into purpose and meet other women with compassion.
What do you believe women need most right now?
To feel seen, to be heard and to know that they’re not alone. We spend so much time showing up for everybody else that we forget we need that same care.
At FLOW, our Soul Searching Saturday conversations begin at 6 a.m. We come together, speak honestly and grow together. We ask: ‘What does joy look like for you? How do you maintain peace? What needs to change for you to feel more like yourself?’ You know it has to be good to get up that early on a Saturday!
Through yoga and breathwork, I also help women slow down and connect with themselves. We know how to keep doing. Sometimes we need space to learn how to just be.
You help others through some heavy things. What brings you joy?
A good book, some tea and good conversation. I love friends who can go deep with me and still find the laughter. I enjoy working out—especially how I feel afterward! Being with my family and grandchildren brings me joy, and my husband keeps me laughing. I’m usually the serious one, and he brings the fun. We balance each other well.
“Vanessa has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know. Her chair is a place where women laugh, cry, process life and leave feeling lighter than when they walked in.” —Jennet Jackson, FLOW Co-Founder
