Iyanla Vanzant

Some people will tell you that keynote speaker Iyanla VanZant is a speaker in a class all her own. For 18 years she studied everyone and everything that spoke to personal strength, personal growth and empowerment. She then integrated that information into her own experiences and developed a common sense approach for addressing life’s challenges: “Change is an inside job! If you want to change your life, you must begin within!”

Some say she is not a speaker. They say she is a teacher. Delivering more than 100 keynote addresses annually, she teaches the importance of discovering your “spiritual self.” She shares, from her own experiences how to move beyond, whatever has happened in your life, to what you came to life to do. “You cannot expect to evolve politically, socially or economically until you evolve spiritually,” is at the heart of every message she delivers. As Founder and Executive director of Inner Visions Worldwide Network, Iyanla teaches about the spiritual principles of living. She lives her life, and runs her ministry in a way that offers hope and inspiration to people of all ages, races, and nations.

Still others say she is a spiritual visionary. Iyanla’s commitment to the spiritual evolution of humanity, particularly women and children, is evidenced by her tireless efforts on behalf of those who are battered, homeless, or seeking deliverance from alcohol and substance addiction.

The world knows Iyanla as an author, the best-selling author of seven books, including the award winning, Acts of Faith: Daily Meditations for People of Color; The Value In The Valley; A Black Woman’s Guide Through Life’s Dilemmas; and the #1 New York times Best-seller, In The Meantime: Finding Yourself and The Love That You Want. Over 2 million readers can attest to the transformational and healing power of Iyanla’s message.

So, just who is speaker Iyanla VanZant? Teacher. Writer. Internationally sought after speaker. Women’s Rights Activist. Children’s Advocate. Visionary. Attorney. Radio Talk Show Host. Mother. Grandmother. Wife. Shoe “diva.” Someone once called her, “Our Guru from the hood,” noting that Iyanla travels through the often forgotten neighborhoods of the emotional and spiritual lives of people in order to, bring them out of the darkness of pain, fear, and shame, taking them into the light of love. Iyanla laughs as she responds saying, “I used to be just another Black woman, but today, I am a child of God! This means that I am unique, but I am not special I am an ordinary person who is dedicated to doing extra ordinary things.” According to all accounts, she  does very special things to and for anyone who is in her presence.

In her “spare” time, she teaches personal growth classes at the Inner visions Spiritual Life Maintenance Center and Bookstore in Maryland. In addition to maintaining a hectic travel and public appearance schedule, Iyanla is committed to doing a monthly speaking engagement for a non-profit, or community service agency free of charge.

Iyanla is a member of the Advisory Board for Heart & Soul Magazine, the National coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the African Street Festival in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York.

She has been on various television shows such as Oprah and CBS Sunday Morning, and has been heard at many affairs, like the Los Angeles Book Fair and Miami Book Fair.

A Conversation with Iyanla Vanzant