vanessa mckenzie
At the heart of everything I create is a simple belief: there is power in creating space for people to be honest, to be seen, and to have conversations that reach beyond the surface.
I’ve always been someone who sees possibility in people, ideas, and spaces. I love bringing things together, taking what may begin as a thought, and turning it into something people can actually experience. What began as a desire to create meaningful spaces has grown into something much bigger, a creative home for experiences, community, storytelling, and work rooted in purpose.
The work I do today was not born from a desire to simply build a business. It has grown through years of becoming, learning, creating, surrendering, and paying attention to what God was placing in front of me. Vita Jai Studios is one of the ways I get to steward it.
A Little More On The Woman, The Work, & The Vision
'Vita Jai' is Personal
“Vita” was a nickname given to me years ago during a chapter of my life that carried great trauma and more weight than I could have known at the time. In Latin, vita means “life,” carrying a meaning far greater than the circumstances in which it first found me.
Knowing that vita means life, I wanted to find a way to honor my late father, Jarvis, and the legacy he left in my life.
That's where "Jai" comes into the picture. Together, Vita Jai represents legacy, identity, and the parts of my story that have shaped the woman and creative I am today, while continuing to shape the woman I am becoming.
Vita Jai Studios is more than a business name. It was created as a place to steward the people, conversations, ideas, and creative work entrusted to me with intention and excellence, and it is a reflection of what I believe can happen when we allow God to redeem our stories and turn the most unfavorable parts of our journey into something meaningful.
The Work & The Becoming
I wholeheartedly believe God is at the center of what I am building, even when I am still figuring out what the next step looks like. There have been seasons of surrender, redirection, stretching, and learning to trust what I could not always see clearly. Those seasons have shaped the way I love, lead, create, and connect with people.
They have taught me that purpose is not always loud, but it leaves a lasting impact when aligned with God. Obedience does not always come with an immediate blueprint, but each unknown step forward is an opportunity for my faith to develop.
God often deals with me in questions, each one unraveling me in the best way and leading me to a place where I can be truly honest and introspective. I have always been drawn to what happens when people feel safe enough to address the questions beneath the questions.
That curiosity became part of the heart behind Unfiltered Conversations. I wanted to create spaces where people could take off the mask, bring their real thoughts, questions, and experiences to the table, and engage in conversations that go deeper than what we usually say out loud. Not because anyone has everything figured out, but because there is value in listening, sharing, learning, and growing together.
What I love is that these spaces are not just for others. They are for me, too. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, I have not arrived.
I am still becoming, learning when to lead, when to move, when to wait, and when to begin again.
Vita Jai Studios is a reflection of that process, and I am grateful to be building it one yes, one conversation, and one step at a time.