She can’t just be the internet’s favorite lover girl…

Vanessa Smithers, the woman of 101 lives, has always found solace in writing, using it as a powerful outlet to express her thoughts and emotions since childhood. Born in Toronto, Ontario, with deep ancestral roots in the African Canadian community of Truro, Nova Scotia’s, The Hill, a historically Black neighborhood known for its resilience and resistance. Vanessa's life took a significant turn at age 10 when she entered foster care. Seeking stability and peace, she bravely left the system at 12, armed with a one-way ticket to Toronto from the ‘burbs. Despite being unhoused and experiencing food insecurity upon arrival, Vanessa's determination motivated her to break barriers and pursue higher education, earning degrees from Toronto Metropolitan University and The University of Guelph-Humber in her early 20’s. 

With 20+ years of leadership, human resources, and frontline experience in community advocacy, employment, and education, Vanessa has collaborated with organizations such as Toronto Community Housing, 360 Kids, Youthlink, The John Howard Society, The YMCA, Big Brothers and Big Sisters (US and Canada), The Salvation Army, The Roy McMurtry Youth Centre, The Toronto District School Board, The Peel Board of Education, City of Toronto, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Rikers Island. Throughout her career, she has been trusted with countless stories of joy, hardship, and growth, reinforcing her belief that storytelling is a form of love. It fosters vulnerability, empowerment, and freedom, enhancing communication and understanding, allowing folks to be safe and seen.

In 2017, Vanessa launched a full-time narrative consultancy rooted in truth-telling, creative expression, and cultural clarity. As a narrative consultant, she helps people name and shape their lived experiences, aspirations, values, and identities, on paper, online, and out loud. Her work spans career document writing, pitch decks, brand messaging, website copy, grant writing, speeches, mission/vision statements, and personal essays. She specializes in helping folks say what they’ve been trying to say for years, clearly, confidently, and in their own words.

In Vanessa’s world, stories are liberation, strategy and power. Through her work as a narrative consultant, she helps clients wield story as a tool for reclaiming space, generating income, building legacy, and telling the truth on their own terms. To date, she has supported over 2,800 clients around the world, 95% of whom are Black, and she makes no apologies for centering cultural clarity, ancestral wisdom, and unapologetic voice in all she does. Her client list spans industry giants and grassroots changemakers alike, with collaborations including Apple, Spotify, Salesforce, Netflix, Vayner Media, Hey Black Girl!, Rise in STEM, Blacks in Technology, Inside Projects, Dreamin’ in Color, the Government of Canada, and many more.

Vanessa approaches everything she does with love, which she views as the foundation of her practice. Whether she’s guiding someone through a career pivot or building a brand narrative for a new business, she crafts with care, context, and courage. Her community-focused social media presence is an extension of this philosophy, where she reminds people of the power in their own stories, especially the parts they were told to bury or shrink.

Additionally, Vanessa is the Director of Programming at Fifty for Free Youth Community Initiative, a Canadian non-profit organization where she plans, manages, and implements youth programs in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This program is dedicated to breaking generational cycles and intercepting crime to promote long-term success, nurturing education through sports, financial literacy, and life skills for African Nova Scotian youth.

Her exceptional work has earned her over 500 glowing testimonials and features in prestigious publications such as Toronto Life, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, CBC, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

On a more personal note, Vanessa lives for travel, hip hop, visual arts, avoiding text messages, eating delicious foods, wearing oversized t-shirts, and dancing around her kitchen with her dog, Girl. She believes in vacationing as often as possible, so if you catch her OOO auto-response, she’s more than likely on a beach or at a restaurant in another city.

Vanessa believes reinvention is freedom; that there is no singular path to becoming and no one way to be whole. She defines generational wealth as more than assets: it’s the language we inherit and reclaim, the legacies we construct through story, and the courage to name ourselves on our own terms. Her mission is to help people stand on the stories they didn’t think mattered, and speak them with the power they’ve always had.