Meet Vanessa Gavin-headen

We recently connected with Vanessa Gavin-headen and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Vanessa , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Since I was young, I have wanted to be a clothing designer. My mother taught me how to sew at 8 years old and I loved it. Anything having to do with fashion, fabric and colors interested me. It was understood that I would go to college; fashion design school wasn’t something I knew about and I didn’t think my parents would go for it. I knew I needed a career that was stable. I discovered public health. After getting my bachelor’s degree, I pursued a degree in Master of Public Health. (I should add, I remember asking myself when I started in the masters program, how this path would get me to being a clothing designer?) While in my masters program, I met a Black female family physician who became my mentor. She talked to me constantly about what she did as a family physician and told me that I should go to medical school because we needed more Black female physicians. I felt so strongly that this is what I was my direction in life, I immediately told my parents. I was excited about my decision to apply to medical school. After medical school, I did my residency in family medicine, just like my mentor. Sometime during the middle of my medical career, I realized I didn’t know who I was anymore. Medical training had made me into a physician but “Vanessa” was not there. I had to REMEMBER what my passions were. I started sewing again and realized I needed to keep Vanessa alive in me. I needed this for my wellbeing and balance. I decided I would start a small business after retirement. I knew it would involve sewing but I did not know to what extent.

The more I thought about sewing and clothing design, the more excited I became. Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, healthcare workers were wearing scrubs more than ever. I was not happy with the fit of some of my scrubs and neither were some of my co-workers. At that moment, I realized I would start a line of scrubs designed with ‘curvy women’ in mind. I wanted to help address some of the fit issues my co-workers were having.

The more I thought of it, the more clearer my vision became. As I work on this project, I know this was my purpose. I tell people that God said I could be a clothing designer but He needed me to be a doctor first. I had to live and work in the industry that I am now making clothing for so I could understand what healthcare professionals need. I am proud of the contributions I made to my patients lives but now it is time for my dream to be realized. I am living my purpose and I am excited to travel on this journey. I have always felt grateful to the experiences I have had in my life. Listening and being open to new ideas has lead me this way and helped me to find my purpose. I have the faith that this path was meant for me. I am taking the risk and trusting God.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I practiced medicine for over 25 years before I stepped away to work on my clothing brand, Valmasi with 360 degrees of fit. Scrubs designed with curvy women in mind. I have felt for years, I was not pleased with how my clothes fit, mainly my pants. Having a round buttocks means that some pants will not fit well and there is always extra fabric in the back at the waistband. Some times my waistband would hang too low. I am not plus size but there are women who are ‘curvy’ but not plus size. I want to address these women. The same can be said for a small woman with large breasts, there are fit issues that could be addressed.

Valmasi comes from “almasi” which means “diamond” in Swahili. I added the “V” in front for Vanessa to make it my own. All women are special like a diamond and I want my customers to feel special when they see this was designed for them. I want my scrubs to make women feel good in what they are wearing because it fits their bodies well. The graphene polyester elevates the look of the scrubs. Among many other properties, it is breathable, anti-microbial and helps the body in temperature regulation.

I am now focusing on building my brand and being a physician has become my part-time work. I am preparing to launch my newly re-designed website and launch with pre-orders. I am passionate about people having a hobby or passion that keeps you going. Just going to work and coming home is not living life to its fullest. I emphasize to young physicians the importance of having your own hobby or interest that keeps you grounded to who you are and who you were before becoming a physician. The same can apply to any career.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. I believe in myself and I felt if I put in the time/work I can achieve what I put my mind to. This may sound cliche’ but I am putting my mind toward developing a clothing line. Each step along the way will challenge my belief but having worked hard and had achieved in my life, I realize as long as I put in the work I will not feel bad about any of my successes or failures. Success in the business world is not all hard work, there is an element of luck, timing and who you know. I have no control over these but I can control how much work I put into my project. Failures just mean there is more to learn and more work to do.

2. One quality I have that shapes my image, I present myself as confident. I was taught (and have passed onto my kids) to stand tall. When you stand tall, you look tall and confident to other people. When you shake hands, have a firm grip that makes the other person take notice of you. This does not apply just to men. Women can have a firm hand shake and still be feminine. I want people to know I am here and I deserve to be here just like anyone else. As a child, I remember walking with a dictionary on my head to stand straight and tall, now it is ingrained.

3. Another quality that goes a long way, when you make a mistake, make it big. If I error on something, I own up to it. That is the right thing to do and people respect you when you own up to your errors. It makes for uncomfortable conversations initially but once you get past it, that guilt and ill-feeling is not hanging over your head. You can stand tall again. We are human, and we make mistakes. No one is perfect. I look at an error as a learning opportunity so that I can get it correct the next time. Making a mistake does not make me dumb, it makes me better the next time. I remember when I was playing the viola in my first recital around 10 years old, my dad told me “If you make a mistake, make a big one.” Of course, I made a mistake, I calmly went over to my teacher who was playing the piano and I pointed out where we would start the song again. It was smooth after that. My dad later told me the thought that my teacher made the mistake. I don’t know if he just said that to make me feel good but the world did not end when I made a mistake and I remember that story over 45 years later.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

When I feel overwhelmed, I find that making a list helps keep me focused. Working as a physician, I found myself frequently overwhelmed at the amount of work I had to do. I constantly had lists to make sure nothing was missed. Taking time for myself or reaching out to others who have ‘been there’ before helps give me some direction. I try to say something when I am overwhelmed because others may have the resources or the people who can help . Seeing my TO DO list get smaller is empowering. By following a TO DO list, I can prioritize what I need to do now and what can wait. I try not to get overwhelmed because there is a tendency to get sloppy and miss important details.

Not having trained or gotten my education in the fashion industry, I am cautious about decisions I make. I have to say I have made some bad decisions on this journey but when I feel overwhelmed, I try to pause and think about the situation. I ask myself what (or who) do I need to make this task easier? I am enjoying the journey, no matter where it takes me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.valmasi.com
• Instagram: @valmasibydrvanessa
• Facebook: @valmasibydrvanessa
• Other: I have not developed my YouTube and Linkedin pages yet. Pinterest will be coming.

Image Credits

Vanessa Gavin-Headen
Erica Norman
Lejeune Lockett
Kayla Hinds
Denise Hart
Whitney Pires
Rebecca Alleyne
Seyha Meas
Alyssa Saraceno
Angela Weathers
Rosie Vital