Vanessa Simmons Talks Beauty, Wellness, and U4IA

Credits

Photographer: Malik Daniels 

Hair: Nina J. Potts 

Makeup: Gabriela Lara Davis 

Wardrobe Stylist: O’Chante Lafellé

1. What first sparked your interest in beauty and wellness? What made you decide to share your interest with a larger community on U4IA?  
   I’ve always been into beauty and wellness, but my interest was sparked even deeper when the pandemic of 2020 hit, I feel like we were all in a state of fear and wanting to be as healthy as possible. I started doing a lot of research on how to keep me and my family as healthy as possible and started sharing this information with my close family and friends. One of my close friends was going through a difficult time personally and I would always share tips on how to stay mentally clear and happy. Together, we started archiving this information and decided we should start a business highlighting wellness, really putting it in the spotlight through my platform to give people hope and inspiration into living their best life, to live their most euphoric life and from there U4IA was built, and we continue to grow off the notion that you do not need to break the bank to live your best life.
   

2. What does a typical day look like for you? Is every day different, or do you keep to a general schedule?  
   My days are often very diverse because I do balance mom life with acting and entrepreneurship. I usually start my day with a workout between 5-6am with my trainer and jump into Mommy Mode to take my daughter to school and have that quality time with her in the morning. Then I go back home to handle any company needs, researching and writing blogs for the website, occasional interviews and take meetings with the team. We are a startup and have a small team so I’m very hands on with everything regarding U4IA.  I’m currently in Maryland working on a stage play called ROTTEN APPLE. On days where I’m acting, it’s usually a lot of rehearsals and preparation.  It’s a lot of work and hard being away from home but I absolutely love being able to excel in acting. It has always been a dream of mine to do it on a professional level and I feel very blessed I am able to do so.
   

3. What motivates you to keep growing and developing your brands? Was entrepreneurship something you’ve always been passionate about or is it an interest you’ve developed more recently?   
   Entrepreneurship has always been the Simmons family business. Watching my family start successful businesses growing up played a huge role in inspiring me to do the same, but my love for developing companies really took off when I was a student at St. John’s University majoring in business and communication. I really enjoyed my marketing classes the most and used everything I learned to help jump start my first company, Pastry that I built with my sister. It was a huge success and fueled me to want to do more, not only for the success, but seeing how we were able to inspire people with the company touched me the most. I’m always looking to serve a need with the companies I build and I’m hoping to touch lives with U4IA.
   

4. You are someone who works in a variety of different fields, how is it balancing all of your passions such as acting and modeling with your entrepreneurship as well as motherhood? 
   Motherhood always comes first, and it is my most important job in life. I feel so very lucky to be a Mommy! I truly am very blessed to lead the life I do and thankful for all the opportunities I have. It’s not always easy to balance so much but I am able to do it because I am passionate about everything I choose to get involved in. It’s important in life to only do things you believe in that way you feel confident to give it your all.
   

5. With your busy schedule, how do you find time to unwind and relax? What types of self-care do you prioritize most in your own life?  
   Self-care is so important! Balancing so many different endeavors, it can be easy to get mentally burnt out, I like to say self-care is how you show yourself love. I try to practice mindfulness every single day, which includes prayer, meditation, deep breathing and positive affirmations to keep myself motivated and in a positive state of mind. Working out is also a form of self-care and I try to get that in daily. It’s important to take time for yourself and do things that soothe the soul so I’ll take myself on dates every now and then, ranging from spa days to hanging by the ocean, which is incredibly relaxing and purifying.
   

6. What has been the most important thing that you’ve learned as an entrepreneur thus far? If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring entrepreneur what would it be?  
   Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. You have to be willing to give more than you have sometimes to make the vision work. What I mean by that is you have to be willing to give over 100%, there’s always more to learn and you have to stay persistent no matter what circumstances are presented. It’s all possible, so dream big, have a clear vision, a strong team and work ethic like no other. 
   

7. What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome and how did you overcome it? 
   Challenges are the name of the game when it comes to being an entrepreneur and you have to be ready to face them head on, even if it’s uncomfortable. I remember starting a swimsuit line after the success of Pastry and thinking because I had success in one field, it would be no problem to jump into building another brand. I went headfirst into it without having the right team, and when you don’t have a team that has had success or knowledge in the field, you likely won’t see favorable results. It happened to me, and instead of picking myself up and restructuring, I left that business on the cutting room floor, and I will always regret that choice. Looking back on that experience, I learned that you have to pick yourself up from what seems embarrassing and keep rocking to find success. It ain’t always going to come easy. 
   

8. Are there any role models in your life or people you look up to for inspiration?  
   I’m always inspired by my family. I’m so thankful for my foundation and everything they have done to help me excel in life. My mother has always pushed me to continue education and never stop learning and that has been a huge benefit for me in everything I do. My role models will forever be my parents.
   

9. What are you most looking forward to in the future of your career? Are there specific projects or campaigns that you want to highlight? 
   I’m looking forward to continuing to grow as an artist and growing the U4IA community helping to truly put wellness in the spotlight and inspiring people to live life as their best possible selves.