A little more about me

Welcome, I’m Glad You're Here!

You’re not here because something is wrong with you.
You’re here because you know there’s more.

MEET THE FOUNDER & CEO

hey, I'm VANESSA!

Before I became a Strategic Career & Business Consultant, I spent 15+ years inside legal and business worlds, culminating in my elevation to Partner at a 230+ attorney national law firm. I was an award-winning corporate/M&A attorney and dealmaker, serving as outside general counsel to hundreds of companies — from start-ups and solo founders to private companies and publicly traded corporations. My experience gave me a front-row seat to how careers and businesses actually succeed… and where they quietly fall apart. I learned how power really works inside elite systems (from the one I was in to the ones I served): how people rise, how money moves, and how authority is earned and exercised. I saw what works, what breaks, and what separates the leaders who build real power and freedom from the ones who stay stuck inside systems that slowly drain them. And I learned something most people don’t ever realize: the leaders who win aren’t the ones who sacrifice themselves the most. They’re the ones who trust themselves early, make decisive moves, protect their time, and lead like CEOs of their own lives.

I watched too many brilliant, capable leaders stall out because no one ever taught them self-leadership. Because the system was designed to build good employees, not leaders. They were underpaid for the value they carried, overextended because they were reliable, and conditioned to accommodate instead of lead. The more competent they were, the more the system depended on them staying exactly where they were. That’s where my work comes in. Today I help leaders, founders, attorneys, executives, and business owners — many of them high-achieving women — step into their authority and build careers or businesses that actually work for them. Because the goal is never just money or prestige. It’s alignment, freedom, and leverage. It’s building work that brings meaning to your life, and allowing your unique gifts to shine. Because success isn’t something that just looks good on paper. It isn't something you secretly want to escape from. It’s something that actually feels good to live.

This is what I do and more:

  • I help high-performing leaders step into real authority so they earn more, work less, and stop overworking to prove their value.

  • I help professionals rise into leadership roles inside their current organizations without burning themselves out or shrinking to fit outdated expectations.

  • I help professionals strategically pivot into new industries or career paths that have been quietly calling to them for years by identifying their transferable skills and positioning them for work that actually lights them up.

  • I help leaders redesign their careers so their work supports an actual life, with more influence, space, and freedom instead of burnout and quiet resentment.

  • I help founders redesign their businesses so the business works for them — not the other way around.

  • I help leaders develop the self-trust and decision authority to stop waiting to be chosen or second-guessing themselves and start leading their careers and lives on their own terms.

Fun Facts About Me

Proof I don’t do life by the default setting

  • At sixteen, I accepted a full four-year athletic scholarship to play NCAA Division I soccer at the University of Hawaii. College life included a moped as my primary mode of transportation, and an apartment across the street from Waikiki Beach my junior and senior year.

  • I was born and raised in the Metro Detroit area. Which explains why I peaced out and went to school in Hawaii for all the sunshine I could want and then some.

  • I double majored in Finance and International Business while juggling an NCAA D1 soccer schedule because why the hell not get two majors when the school is fully funding your education?

  • I practiced law for eleven years. I began in commercial litigation, even though I was told early on that moving out of it would be difficult. I ignored that advice and went on to build the rest of my career in outside general counsel work, corporate transactions, and mergers and acquisitions.

  • I walked away from the legal career I spent over a decade mastering at the exact moment most people would’ve doubled down. I had just had my highest-earning year by far, originated six-figures in business as a first-year Partner, was named a 2025 Notable Dealmaker by Crain’s Detroit Business, and picked up my fifth consecutive Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Star award (for the 2.5% of attorneys who get nominated).

As Featured in..

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FOLLOWED BY A SUB-HEADLINE

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I launched this journey with a passion forlorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit and have since been able to lorem ipsum and more lorem ipsum.

Through my work, I’ve been able to deliver results that matter—lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur, including some cool stuff like:

  • Proven credibility in the [specific industry/service]

  • Data-driven strategies that get resultsInsert bullet point or statement here.

  • A personalized approach to every project

By utilizing Vanessa's consulting services, you acknowledge, understand, and agree that (i) the information or advice provided in Vanessa’s consulting services is not legal, financial, therapeutic, mental health, or medical advice; (ii) VLB Consulting, LLC is not a law firm; and (iii) Vanessa is not acting in her capacity as a lawyer when providing consulting services and is not creating an attorney-client relationship with you.

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