FEATU R E
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I T W A S H E M I N G W AY T H AT O N C E S A I D,
“Every man’s life ends the same way – it is only the details of how he lived … that distinguishes one man from another.” In those details are one’s adventures in life. Vanessa Richardson’s passion lies in those adventures. “I love anything and everything new,” she says, “visiting new places, meeting new people, taking on a new challenge – it makes me feel awake and alive!” Vanessa graduated from the prestigious West Point United States Military Academy and spent almost six years in the US Army where she traveled the world. Two things Vanessa loved about the Army were the opportunity to lead highly capable men and women, and to travel and live in different places.
vanessa richardson CYGNAL CONSULTING, LLC Huntersville
“There was a lot of thinking on your feet and adapting to a changing battlefield,” she describes. She realized that risk management is a defined process that mirrors how she naturally approaches problems.
“Life is a series of struggles and challenges, so we must remember that nothing is constant – everything changes so we should cherish and find joy in the moment.” Segueing that military experience into civilian terms has been a bit like translating a conversation between an English rugby coach and an American football coach. You have to understand the nuances of each world to be able to seamlessly fit one into the other. That’s exactly what Vanessa has done with Cygnal Consulting, LLC – her risk management consulting firm. In the Army, she was a Logistics Officer who planned, resourced, and led teams to successfully complete equipment recovery and maintenance operations.
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As her service time took her across the world, she came to understand how emersion in other cultures expands our views. “People are a reflection of their experiences,” she says. “Living in different cultures enriches our perspective, and I have found that it also allows one the ability to see problems differently and apply solutions from a unique vantage point,” she adds.
Now that Vanessa is stateside and married with a toddler daughter, she still makes an effort to travel. “It’s hard to identify a single favorite place,” she explains. The quaint town of Davidson is home now. “It has a home town feel – and it’s a place where kids can learn to be individuals, go to the playground, or ride their bike by themselves – where people smile and say hello,” she smiles. “Life is a series of struggles and challenges,” Vanessa says, “so we must remember that nothing is constant – everything changes so we should cherish and find joy in the moment.” Vanessa suggests that when things get hard, remember to pick your head up, look into the future with hope and determination, seeing the many adventures that lie ahead. w
WRITER MICHELLE LOVE
PHOTOGRAPHER CHELSEA BREN