Vanessa Dean - WISE WOMEN 2024
“Women can have it all, they just don’t need to have it all at once.”
How wise are you? 51 Years Wise
Where are you from? Mount Martha, Victoria
Bio: I made the choice 14 years ago to fully immerse in motherhood & dedicate those years to the most important work of my life, creating a start to life rich with love and precious time. 10 years ago I launched a business designing & printing curated photo story books, Albumz. This year has marked the transition of Albumz from being a part-time creative pursuit to a passionate career.
The decade lying ahead could just be the most amazing decade of my life yet. Bring on 2025! And bring on being in my fifties, fearless & fabulous!
What about your life would you like to celebrate most? I am 51 and just getting started!
My choices helped me break free from a dysfunctional childhood and give my daughter the start in life every child deserves—one that instilled in her a belief in her awesomeness, faith in herself, and a calm yet fun and feisty nature. I want her to become a woman who treats people well, treats herself well, and confidently pursues what she wants from life.
I also want to celebrate my own success in determining what is right for me, being the master of my own destiny, and not being afraid to go after what I want from life.
A favourite quote I heard in my 30s from Australia’s first female Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, is: “Women can have it all; they just don’t need to have it all at once.” I chose to fully immerse myself in motherhood and have been a stay-at-home mum for the past 14 years, doing what I consider the most important work of my life to date—giving her a wonderful foundation for her future.
Now that she is 14, it’s time for me to take my hobby and passion business to the next level. To prove to myself that I can do it. To prove to those who consider me “past it” that I am just getting started. And to inspire my daughter and other young women in the making that their dreams can come true at any stage of life.
What 3 words best describe you in this phase of your life? Passionate, Motivated, Creative
What do you love about this time of life? I have achieved my goal of creating a better life for myself—and therefore for my daughter—than my beginnings could have preordained. Realising this at 51 has opened me up to explore what I want to achieve moving forward. It’s exciting and liberating. I am just getting started!
“90% of life is just showing up. That’s it. If you show up, there’s a chance that something might happen. You’ll never know what opportunities you’re missing out on until you just go out and do it.”
