Venessa Lewis - Inspirational Women

FULL INTERVIEW

MG: Where were you born and raised?

VENESSA: I was born in Alexandria, Louisiana and raised in Bordelonville, Louisiana.  It is a very small rural town on Bayou de Glaises in Avoyelles Parish.

MG: In which city do you mostly reside?

VENESSA: I built a home in Denham Springs about 12 years ago and have been here since.

MG: What is you educational background and/or experience?

VENESSA: I have a B.A. in Mass Communications and an English Minor from LSU.  I am also an APR (Accredited Public Relations) professional designation. I’ve worked as a graphic designer for 25+ years.

MG: Currently, where are you employed?

VENESSA: I own two of my own businesses!  I launched Lewis Graphic Design in 2007 in which I have provide freelance graphic design services for a number of clients in the area. I also purchased a children’s entertainment company in 2015 and rebranded it as the Petite Princess Company which I own and operate. We are the largest fairytale character company in the state.

MG: What is your job title?

VENESSA: Owner and “Queen” of my princess company. For a few years I was also known as the “Louisiana Mermaid” and traveled the state entertaining children in the water and teaching them about ocean conservation.

MG: What is your favorite part about living here?

VENESSA: Definitely the unique food as well as the spirit of the people here in the face of numerous natural disasters and other challenges.

MG: What is an event in your life that significantly changed the course of it?

VENESSA: In 2016, my home took on 3 feet of water in the flood and destroyed everything we owned. It was extremely hard to relocate for 6 months with our children while going back and forth to rebuild our home.

MG: What negative impacts did that event have for you, even if only temporary?

VENESSA: It gave me a sense of anxiety that I have yet to overcome regarding the weather/disasters. I am always worried when hurricanes or prolonged rain events are forecasted.

MG: What good came out of that event for you? How did it improve your life?

VENESSA: I appreciate material things less and my family more and all of the material things were able to be replaced. I also realized that I do have it within me to overcome hard things, and my children were able to witness how their parents handled adversity.

MG: How do you feel you have overcome that event?

VENESSA: I prepare much more when bad weather is predicted. I also am more conscious of donating to organizations that provide disaster relief as I saw firsthand how vital these organizations are.

MG: What advice would you give to someone who is going through something similar? 

VENESSA: Never think that it can’t happen to you and realize your whole life can change very quickly. Have a “disaster fund” that you can live on for at least 2 weeks and cash on hand. Have a route you can take when you need to get out of the state and people you trust in other areas that can help you.

MG: When was a time that you stuck up for yourself and how did that enhance your life?

VENESSA: This is more of an ongoing process with me; the assertion of boundaries for problematic family members in my life. I am learning to not compromise on my values and beliefs for the sake of making others comfortable AND that family is not always blood. 

MG: Have you received any special awards, recognition, or acknowledgements?

VENESSA: I have received several awards for excellent design or communication programs throughout my career. I was awarded “Communicator of the Year” by the Public Relations Association of Louisiana in 2014.  I am also extremely proud that my company, Petite Princess has been awarded the “Family Favorite” entertainer for the past several years in both Baton Rouge and New Orleans markets, a designation voted on by our customers!

MG: What quality about yourself are you most grateful for?

VENESSA: I am a big time dreamer!!!  My head is always in the clouds dreaming of the next princess ball we are hosting or the next character I want to add to our cast. However, my feet are always firmly planted in the ground and reality in a business sense. I love creating magical moments for the children of this state but it takes lots of hard work, leadership and a real love for my business to do it successfully.

MG: What about yourself are you most proud?

VENESSA: I am most proud of my two children who are also major creatives; my son is an award-winning photographer and my daughter already works hand in hand with my running the princess business. I have no doubt in 10 years she will completely run the show. I am also extremely proud of my team of princesses as they are always striving to make the company better and make every child they encounter feel special. I have very loyal and dedicated employees and they are like family.

MG: What do you consider to be your life motto?

VENESSA: You really can make a career out of your own childhood dreams!  Don’t let people’s laughter deter you. When I told people I was investing in a silicone mermaid tail 10 years ago people thought I was crazy.  I then got national media coverage wearing that tail and a large contract soon after to promote tourism in my state as a mermaid!  I later parlayed that into buying and expanding my own princess company. Now I send out over 20 girls in costumes every weekend to make children’s dreams come true. It is the best feeling.

MG: Who inspires, or has inspired, you in your life?

VENESSA: The WOMEN of this country inspire me. We are the child bearers and rearers while ALSO having careers and at times carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. We have to be hard and soft, warriors and mothers. We have the greatest capacity to lead, as well as the empathy, but are often passed over and/or paid less simply because we are women. I hope we continue to rise up and claim our spaces at all tables and make our voices heard.

MG: Here can be the hardest one for many, tell us about yourself. Anything additional you want to share? It can be anything from your favorite recipe, to the worst time of your life. Anything more you want to share with us.

VENESSA: I am obsessed with Scotland!!  I just returned from my second trip there and it is truly my happy place. I love the breathtaking natural beauty of the country,  its history and of course it’s magnificent castles.  I also love how there is so much folklore and romanticism woven through the country’s culture and history; stories of mythical beasts, fairies, queens and knights of the days of old. I feel as though I can escape into my very own fairytale when I am there!