DewDish: Vanessa Emerson

In My Story, Print Issues by Anne Duffy

What is the best part of your job?

My favorite work-related activity is providing business advisory services to dental speakers who want to grow their business.  Helping a dental speaker develop a diverse, robust, business back-end and achieve greater career success as a result of our advisory sessions brings me great satisfaction and personal joy.

What do you do to turn around a bad day?

Meditate!  Or call my daughter, Jen, on Facebook Instant Messenger and play with the filters while we talk.  It always makes us giggle.  I love spending time with her!

What is your guilty pleasure?

My guilty pleasure is collecting cats!  Well, cat rescue, actually.  In 2011, we brought our first community cat home.  He was 5 months old and living on his own.  Since that time, my husband, Jeff, and I have trap/neuter/return-ed, adopted out, and (my personal favorite) foster-failed 55 cats from our community.  We operate a cat sanctuary in our home and also work with a few Phoenix area rescues to help find good homes for these cats.  I am proud of my work as cat advocate.  One of my lifetime goals is to help establish and run an outdoor cat sanctuary in the Phoenix area where we can help hundreds of cats at a time to find shelter and their furever homes.

What famous person living or dead would you like to have lunch with and what would you ask them?

I’d love to spend time with Jason Mraz and Sara Bareilles.  I love their music and their vibes.  It would be delicious to sit in their presence with no expectations and allow what will unfold to “be”.

What is the best gift you ever received?

When my children were small, we read a book before bed each night.  We had many favorite stories and authors.  My son, Mike, was an avid reader.   After he was grown and gone, he gave me a hardback copy of Love You Forever for my birthday with a special inscription inside.  To this day, the thought of it takes me back to those very special moments reading a bedtime story to my two most favorite little people.  I’ll love them forever.  I’ll like them for always.  Forever and ever, their mother I’ll be. 

What is your motto?

My motto is:  “Life is Good. All is well.”   I am a glass-half-full person.  I can see that my life gets better and better the more I focus on gratitude, giving, and what I want (vs. what I don’t want.)   

Obstacle or opportunity? 

I believe that everything that happens in life can serve our growth.    And there is always a silver lining.  

Share something about you that someone would never guess?

About 20 years ago, I earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.  My husband and children also earned their black belts at that time.  It was a wonderful experience and a powerful bond builder for our family.