Mental health and burnout are not just temporary hurdles but reminders that the way you care for yourself today shapes the life you’ll live tomorrow. In this episode, hosts Dr. Sylvia Morris and Dr. Angela Walker open an honest conversation with Vee Caldwell, an entrepreneur and educator who learned firsthand how success can collide with exhaustion. Together, they explore how self-awareness, faith, and intention can turn burnout into breakthrough—and why protecting your peace is the most powerful move you can make. Through V’s story of resilience and reinvention, we are reminded that slowing down isn’t a setback but a strategy for living with purpose and joy.
Music courtesy of Dealer’s Choice Sound Recordings, Inc.
Music artist: djezi
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Your Future Is Now: The Power Of Resilience And Reinvention With Vee Caldwell
From Cosmetology To Entrepreneurship & The Importance Of Mental Health Days
Welcome back to Boss Leap. My name is Dr. Sylvia E. Morris. I am here with my lovely co-host, Dr. Angela Walker. We are having an awesome conversation with Vee Caldwell. Vee started her cosmetology career at just thirteen and became an instructor at 21. Now, she’s an Entrepreneur, Educator and Trichology Practitioner.
She’s the author of the upcoming book, Girlhood Math: Predicting The Woman You’re Becoming. Vee is here to share her journey of resilience, reinvention and empowering young women to own their future. Before we start our conversation with Vee Caldwell. We are going to talk about a mental health day. Angela, tell us your ideal mental health day or maybe when you feel like you need a mental health day.
I can probably tell you the sick days that I’ve taken in my life.
We don’t take sick days.
They have been called sick days but they were essentially mental health like at a time in which you were just at the end of your rope, or I’ll say at the end of my rope. Not that I haven’t had an actual sick day for physical illness. In our business, when we call out sick, it’s not just obviously us that’s affected but it’s the patients that may be scheduled that day. Someone else that’s going to have to work the extra load because you’re not there. It’s very rare that we will take a day off that wasn’t already scheduled like a vacation day or PTO day. It has to usually be a lot.
There is value in recognizing when you need that mental health day because technically, you’re at that point where you’re at the end of your rope mentally. Whether it’s emotional or just all the baggage that you’ve been carrying around. You’re not going to be effective anyway. I don’t know what answers your question in terms of what it looks like for me. What it has looked like is probably definitely starting off with a cup of tea, going outside and getting some fresh air. It might be laying in the little Sevi time for sure.
Any of the doggies that I’ve had in my life have always been involved in mental health day and just not having to think about a whole lot. There are times where we just have to take that for ourselves. I don’t know that I have anything extraordinary to add other than just taking the time for myself. Hopefully, it’s a time where it’s quiet in the house where I don’t have to share the time that I can do whatever I want. How about you?
It’s funny when you talk about the number of sick days you’ve taken off. I think about residency. I had diarrhea and vomiting. Those are the reasons why you can’t come to work. You cannot round patients if you have diarrhea or vomiting. One day every year during residency, so that would be three days. Probably, it was during the month of March. Those were always my toughest months in Seattle, if I’m being quite frank.
When I think about my work career when I’ve been working clinically. The only time that I have mental health days is honestly when my father died, where I was intentional. I was like, “I can’t come to work. I’m going to be off for the next six weeks.” I don’t care what happens to the schedule. I don’t care who comes to work or who doesn’t come to work.
I just know I cannot mentally be there for the patients. It says a lot about our industry or profession that we take care of people, but it is hard for us to take time off and have mental health days. I hope that in the future, we can have a much more in-depth conversation about this because our readers would want to hear more on this topic.
Agreed. I’ll say several things. Number one, thank you for your transparency because saying vomiting and diarrhea goes along with our transparency in this entire episode. At the point of just mentioning mental health day is the fact that we usually don’t say it. If you even mentioned that, then for the way it’s perceived by others it’s a weakness.
You can toughen up and push through. We’re always pushing through being strong.
We have to normalize those points where sometimes physically we just can’t make it, but sometimes mentally we just can’t make it. Your PTO time or vacation time is time that you sometimes need to take for your mental health.
One more point. When I think of athletes, a name Naomi Osaka comes to mind. She was like, “I need a break.” That’s not what she said or how she said it but certainly she took a break. I think it has become much more acceptable now. Granted, she’s an entire entity and incorporation to herself, but I imagine even at that point, there is enormous pressure to keep going.
When you’re at the top, you don’t stop.
You keep pushing. Pedal to the metal.
Vee reminded us of that but she gave us so much more content and things to admire about her, but also things to think about. We hope that you will enjoy what she had to say as much as we did. Without further ado, we give you Vee Caldwell.
We have an awesome guest. We welcome Vee Caldwell to the show.
Welcome, Vee.
Early Inspirations: What Sparked A Passion For Hair And Education?
We heard so many wonderful things about you and cannot wait for the readers to hear about your journey, but I want to roll back to the early years. I understand that you started your cosmetology career at age thirteen and became an instructor by age 21, but I get that part. I get the entrepreneurial spirit at an early age. If you can just take us back to those early years. What sparked your passion for hair and education? How did you become you?
I don’t know if you guys remember hair back in the day, hair salons like in the ‘90s and early 2000s. It did have a different feeling and vibe going into it. I’m from Atlanta. Going to the hair salon in Decatur, Georgia, of all the hair products and to me, it was just a different art, skill, community and women networking and talking. The whole industry just had a different feeling and I fell in love with it. I fell in love with updos, the Black Sophisticate’s Hair Magazine, and Hype Hair Magazine. It’s all about art forms that I just fell in love with and being in there. I wanted to be around the environment. For me, Christmas was mannequin heads and magazines. That’s all I wanted.
Was someone in your family in the hair salon business or hairstylist?
I am the only person in my entire family that does hair.
You are very important and very popular.
That is fascinating. This is interesting. You’ve come a long way and I can understand if you started at such an early age how you could fall into instructing others, particularly with just this brief episode of you talking about your passion. I understand passing that on. Was there someone in your life, though, at that early age that made an impression on you that took you under their wing or told you, “This is what you need to do?”
We were close family friends with two different salon owners, June Griffin and Cheryl Baptiste. They own hair salons in different parts of Atlanta. They knew I had a love for the industry. They would always let me come in and work under them. I was the assistant at the hair salon from thirteen all on up.
You were like a shampoo girl initially.
Shampoo, braids, and then I just started evolving into everything. I would watch. All I needed to do was see somebody do something one time and I got it.
The Many Hats Of Vee Caldwell: Shaping A Woman Of Resilience
You’ve worn so many hats. You’re an entrepreneur, a hair stylist, an educator, and a soon-to-be author, and we’re going to get to that. How have all of these hat shaped the woman that you are now?
I will say my personal life pushed me into some of the roles. I am a young mother. I started the hair industry very young, but I also had kids very young. I have my first child at seventeen, but I’m always ambitious and I’m always about my business so to speak. That pushed me to get my license at an early age. By the time I had my second daughter, I’m like, “I don’t have the freedom to be in a hair salon all hours of the night.”
I had to choose that’s more stable, but I want to remain in the industry. That’s when education came in. I was naturally always teaching people this is how you do this and this is how you do that. With accessibility, led me to conform to corporate education. That’s how I’m an educator at 21. I had my second daughter at 21. That’s how that came into the picture.
Let me ask you this because sometimes there are older students that come back to get their license. How were you received as a 21-year-old woman? You are a mother. You had almost a decade of experience by then, but how did some of the older students respond to you?
There is value in recognizing when you need that mental health day. Share on XThat was a hurdle. I learned very early not to tell your age. I made that mistake once and it took a while for me to be able to bounce back because it automatically challenges you. They challenge you in everything that they say.
You’re young enough to be my daughter.
Exactly. I heard it all almost every single day. I’m like, “Yet instructor, so I need you to treat me as one.” Even when parents used to come in. They would come in and greet me. They look around and be like, “Where’s your teacher?” I’m like, “It’s me.” That was challenging. I learned my lesson and I never told my age. Even to this day, I don’t tell my age because I’m still a child. Can I be transparent?
Yes, please. That’s what we do there.
It’s the age that’s a struggle getting over and outside of that is my race. Outside of that is me being a woman. You put all of those in one melting pot, it’s a lot.
I’m just curious about the industry. Are there more male instructors then? I would assume all the stylists I’ve been to are female and Black, to be quite honest. I just assumed that there would be plenty.
There aren’t a lot of male instructors, to be honest. Whenever we find one, even me now in a position I am, I love to have a male instructor. They just bring a different authority and vibe into the environment. Women respond differently naturally to me. There’s not a lot of male instructors, to be honest. There’s a lot of men stylists but even in that arena, I feel like women prefer it or it’s just a different interaction with a male stylist, versus a woman stylist. You always see it. You can feel it. It’s just a difference.
Can we go back and unpack a little bit when we talked about being a woman, being Black, being young, and being in the industry. Talk about how you’ve seen that not necessarily determine but color how you’ve been able to evolve in those things. Give us a little bit more detail.
You see bits of that as far as the challenge and the hurdles getting over it as a salon owner. People are taking you seriously. People are not trying to run over you or take advantage of you. They negotiate your prices and miss handling you because they look at your age as though you’re not White.
You don’t just deserve this because you’re too young.
They just feel like they can handle you any kind of way but I got an eye opener once I moved up the corporate ladder to director of education, assistant director, and now executive director. I became an Ed when I was 33.
Congratulations. That’s fantastic.
Thank you. I’m working in a mixed environment and as you said, now you’re over people that truly are old enough to be your mom. Now you have the coach and redirect. That is very hard. It’s hard but I’m good at separating my emotions. I remain very stoic. I understand that people perceive assertiveness from us. They try to be aggressive and you have to just live in a mindset of, “This is not personal. This is their image of me.” As long as I have a good work ethic and spiritually, I’m doing everything correctly. I don’t allow it to bother me.
Stay true to yourself.
Unpacking Trichology: Understanding Hair, Skin, And Scalp Health
I want to move in a little different direction because I find it fascinating. You specialize in trichology and I want you to explain what that is for our readers. I’m curious what led you to pursue the certification in trichology. How is it deep in the way that you serve your clients and students?
You have to live with the mindset that it’s not personal — it’s just their image of you. If your work ethic is strong and you’re grounded spiritually, don’t let it bother you. Stay true to yourself. Share on XI dived into trichology when I was a salon owner. I’m a trichology practitioner. There’s three different levels. Trichology is the study of the hair, skin, and scalp. We specialize in hair rejuvenation. Anybody that suffers any type of alopecia, hair loss, whether it’s traction, universalis, we can scope the scalp.
Traction, my braid is too tight and my weave is tight. What was the final one?
Alopecia areata is basically spots throughout the head just different patches. Universalis or universal is when you lose hair all over your entire body.
No lashes and no brows.
We can pretty much identify what’s causing the alopecia if we can catch it. Some things we can’t treat, especially when it’s universal. We can’t treat that. If this thing’s like traction alopecia or areata, there are certain minoxidil, which is an oral prescription or even the laser therapy. If we catch it in five years, we can possibly put those hair follicles back in the antigen stage, which is hair growth. What I wanted to do or what I did when opening a salon, I wanted to be different from my competitors. I wanted to be able to do something for women more than just give them a salon. More than just offer them a wig. I want to correct what was causing hair loss, and that’s how I got into trichology.
Probably a lot of people have heard of minoxidil, but the laser therapy. Is that something that you do in the salon?
I’m not in the salon anymore, but it was something that I offered to those clients.
Very important to recognize that for those that are reading if they have problems within the first five years. Do you also advise particularly those with universalis to seek the advice of a physician as well or a provider?
If it’s universal, I would say find a dermatologist that can help with that and speak to it. It’s very interesting. A lot of people go to dermatologists for scalp issues and it’s limited knowledge there. Even though the same skin here and here is the exact same, but the way you treat it is different. If you do have universal alopecia, I would say go to a dermatologist. If it’s something like your hairline is thinning or there’s patches. That could be something that you’re doing as far as hair care and maintenance.
Thank you.
From Burnout To Breakthrough: The Decision To Pivot
Certainly, you mentioned having your own salon and being an entrepreneur. That’s certainly fantastic. You closed your salon in 2020. Can you talk about how you made that pivot? Was is COVID? What was it that said, “It’s time for me to move forward?”
It was a burnout. That’s the best way that I could put it. It was burned out because at this time, I now have three kids. I always had my salon in conjunction with being an educator, so I did both.
You basically had two jobs, plus mommy and partner. All those things.
Everything.
You were burned out.
When opening a salon, I wanted to be different from my competitors. I wanted to do something for women more than just offer them a wig; I wanted to actually correct what was causing hair loss. Share on XI was like, “Which route do I need to take for my family and just ability?” At that time, I was still climbing the corporate ladder. I said, “I’m going to let this go for a second. I can always go back. I can do this with my eyes closed. Let’s see what waits for me in this arena,” so I chose to pursue corporate.
Can you share with our readers what burnout looked like for you? Certainly, for some people, they’re not sleeping. Their patience is very short. They’ve gained weight.
All the things that you just said, very low on patience. I can’t handle it. I can’t hear my kids if they need my attention. I don’t have it to give to them. I’m always tired. I’m never sleeping or resting. My mind is constantly going. I’m constantly thinking a hundred different directions, and I can’t finish or give my attention to the things that are needed the most. You’re just being stretched. You’re stretched and poor. Success is not busyness. Only because you have your hands in a lot of different things.
Say that again.
Success is not busy work. Only because you have your hands and you got all these different things going on. If you can’t accomplish it, if you’re not meeting deadlines, or pushing for a long time, you’re just busy. That’s it.
The hamster on the hamster wheel. For our readers, you’ve identified that it was burnout. Can you tell us if you recall what made you realize that you were burnt out? What were the steps you took to get out of it? Other than just closing your practice. You wanted to see what else awaited, but what was the process like? How did you identify that you were burned out? Maybe you didn’t call it that at the time.
I realized at some point that I was never available for my kids. When they were having events or things at school, I was always asking my mom, my sister, or my brother, “Can you pick them up? Can you take them?” Although I was able to financially provide, they didn’t want anything. I was never available. That bothered me the most. As far as burnout, I’m self-aware.
I’m aware of my mood swings and never being able to listen and always want to be like, “You guys be quiet. Give me a second.” You’re pushing them away. I also realized that that’s a space I was living in. For me, I thought I was doing everything I needed to as a single mom to make sure that they were okay. There’s an emotional component in this ability that your children need more so than tangible things.
You were providing and they had all the things. They had a safe living environment, food, clothing, and the latest phone and all that stuff. As far as you being mentally present and being there.
Do you know what they’re also caused by? I have older daughters. I saw myself forcing them to raise up or grow up and be a lot more mature in third grade and fifth grade because they have to be self-sufficient. I was pushing them, “You got to conquer this. You got to learn how to unlock the door. Look out for your little sister.” I’m forcing them to raise themselves because I’m not visibly there and I didn’t like that as well.
It’s important for you, the reader and all of us to recognize that when you are a busy professional, there are sacrifices that we make. Some deal with those sacrifices in different ways. I’m like you. When I got so busy I felt like I was not being emotionally available to my kids. That’s when I realized I needed to make a change. I don’t necessarily think that it’s a bad thing to be doing all the things. If you get to that point where you recognize a deficiency in what you’re able to provide and that’s bothering you.
That’s when you need to take stock and take inventory to determine what’s still working for you. Thank you for sharing that. I appreciate your transparency. As an educator, can you tell us maybe one lesson that you tried to instill in every student that you teach? Whether it’s in cosmetology or just in life in general.
I’ll say one thing that I always find myself repeating. It’s just because your location changes, it doesn’t change who you are. I say that to them because they come in displaying themselves one way, the character, personality, work ethic, and professionalism. I always ask them, “Are you going to be like this in your salon? Are you going to show up an hour late with no communication? Are you going to treat your guests this way? Is this how you’re going to communicate? Is this how you’re going to solve the problem?”
Their response is always, “No, because then I’ll be getting paid. I’m working at that point. I’m getting paid for what I do.” I’m like, “Only because your location changes, it does not change who you are like the habits, the way that you deal with people, your respect for yourself and your business.” I always say that to them.
That reminds me, “Doing one thing is how you do everything.” I probably butchered that one.
Girlhood Math: Predicting The Woman You’re Becoming – A Book’s Inspiration
That is a wonderful transition because you are a soon-to-be published author of the book, Girlhood Math: Predicting the Woman You’re Becoming. Tell us about the book. What inspired you to write the book and what the take-home is. What do you want people to get out of it?
It’s interesting that I wrote this book. For one, I’m not a reader by nature. This is not my thing. I will read for knowledge when I’m doing something business-wise wise but just to sit down and get a book, no. I’m spiritual also. Let me say that I’m very spiritual so far. Everything in life, everything is connected to God, for me. Being behind the chair was ministry. Being in the classroom was a ministry. Trichology was a ministry.
Tell us how being a hairstylist is your ministry.
A lot of women talk. They open up. That’s their session to get it all out. I am an introvert. It may not seem like it now, but I’m very quiet. When they’re talking, I can feel it. I can read in between the lines the things they’re not saying. I am always asking for permission. I’m like, “Do you give me permission to respond or do you just need to listening ear?” I never give advice. I would just try to get them to see other signs of things or perspective. Perspective is everybody’s reality. However they see it, that’s what’s real to them.
Confidence. It’s a moment to love somebody. Somebody who doesn’t think that they’re beautiful. I’ve given away so many free hairstyles and colors just because I wanted to make somebody’s day. I know some women, when it comes to salon, that’s their interaction for the day. They go home and they may not have anybody to hug them or love them or give them something. That was a ministry for me.
That’s beautiful.
That is. We all know that our stylists can be our therapists at times. I value the ministry that you say, but certainly, it points to the fact that it was a calling for you.
I interrupted you because you were telling us about Girlhood Math: Predicting the Woman You’re Becoming. Tell us how you came to write the book.
It was this past summer. My kids are gone and I just feel like I have this story to tell. I still didn’t get it all out, but I tried to keep it focused in this book. Again, my ministry is typically young women. That’s anywhere from middle school to young adult hood. I’m like, “I just need everybody to understand,” because I’m still very young. I need everybody to understand that the future is not some far off version of you.
If you want to know what your future looks like, look at the decisions you’re making now. You could tell. We can’t control every variable, but there are some things that are based on your choices. I’m always talking to my daughters about, for every action there is a reaction. Every decision you make, there’s going to be a response. I just watched my oldest daughter through the years and I’m like, “If I could have just been where you were at 13, 14, 15, or all throughout the years. I would have been just so much further in life.”
It wouldn’t be you and you wouldn’t have the stories and the knowledge to share. I’m just saying.
Touché. I don’t regret any decision, but my life is a testimony. I wanted to put it in a book and speak to women in the masses, young girls in the masses. I’m very unfiltered and unapologetic. I’m like, “I need to be real with you all because I wish somebody would have been real with me.”
I love that part. It can definitely identify with that. The book that we wrote, THE GAME PLAN: A Woman’s Guide to Becoming a Doctor and Living a Life in Medicine, one of our authors, she too said that she doesn’t read. Clearly, she reads a lot, but it’s not something that she does for her pastime. I found that funny, but we all came from a point of we wish had known this. In writing a book, it’s similar. You just want to pass on anything that you can to those coming behind you.
If we hadn’t gone through what we went through, or you haven’t gone through what you went through, how does someone else learn? It is those life lessons if you can evaluate them and then say, “If it had gone a different way, perhaps I wouldn’t have had this happen to me.” It’s valuable if we can just get the young people to listen. Since you are, as you say, still young. That is valuable in and of itself. I would imagine being able to identify with some of those younger readers. What are your daughters saying about the book?
They’re excited. They were very shocked. It was like, “You wrote a book?” I’m like, “Yes, I did.” I put them in it. I let them read the intro and they were very proud. My oldest is in the intro, so she was almost in tears. They’re happy. I’m excited when it launches, which hopefully would be at the end of 2025.
Breaking Stereotypes: Overcoming Challenges As A Black Woman Entrepreneur
Please let us know when Girlhood Math: Predicting The Woman You’re Becoming gets published, and then we can pass on to our readers and where they can buy the book. Congratulations.
Thank you.
You’ve spoken about breaking stereotypes. You talked about being a woman, a Black woman entrepreneur, and a youthful entrepreneur. What are some of the most common stereotypes that you’ve encountered? How did you then combat them or break the mold?
I can tell you. One day, it just came to my mind. The first stereotype that I heard from a family member was I was pregnant with my daughter when I was a senior in high school. I heard it because they said right in front of me and they trickled through the family, “She’s not going to graduate from high school. She’s not going to go to college. Be prepared to take care of her the rest of your life.” It was that stigma that was put on me. My stubbornness works and I was called bullheaded.
Success is not busy work. If you have your hands in all these different things, but you can't accomplish it, aren't meeting deadlines, or really pushing along—you're just busy. Share on XI’m going to call you persistent.
I heard it, and because I heard it, I said, “I’m going to prove to you,” only because you said that. That was the first stereotype and it continued because I made mistakes.
You’re human. We all make mistakes.
People are, I call them magical. They forget that you are making mistakes. You’re not perfect. I could point the finger back as many times you pointed it at me. That’s not my nature. It’s not them. It’s as you. Let me talk about your flaws and everything that you do. Another stereotype that I feel like I’ve broken. I would just say my success and it’s all because of God. It is because I have a supportive family. If my mom wasn’t my mom, I don’t know.
Tell us your mom’s name. Can we say your mom’s name?
My mom’s name is Linda Coleman. She’s about a strong woman, just a rock. I tell my daughters, I’m like, “I’m not Linda.” I live in that reality, but my mom is so supportive and her ministry is just caring for people. She’s a nurse. You see that care just through friends and everywhere. She’s just a rock in so many people’s lives. Her strength in which she has shown just raising me, I’ve carried that in raising my kids.
Let’s go back to that 21-year-old self. Normally, we’re thinking about somebody that’s just getting started but you’re already on the fast track there. If you could go back and sit down with the 21-year-old Vee, what advice would you give her about the journey ahead?
I would just tell myself to slow down. Life is important. The way you make decisions are important, but it’s not a race. You don’t have to have everything now. I was in a rush, to be honest, to get married because I had two daughters. I was like, “I need a husband. I want them to see what a family dynamic looks like.” I rushed into that. It was the worst decision I’ve ever made. It would just be to slow down and make great choices. Continue to pursue your career, but live in the moment. Be present.
I just read an episode. I do a lot of reading episodes. These Harvard professors talk about mindfulness, but just living in this moment right here and being mindful of what you’re doing right here and now. Instead of always projecting down the line would be valuable to a lot of us in different aspects of life. Good advice to that young one, slow down while preparing for the future, though.
Can I ask one more question for our readers? When you got married, did on your wedding day that maybe I shouldn’t be doing this? Did you have an Inkling?
I heard no loud and clear.
If I can understand the season I'm in, I can understand what's going on around me, and then I know how to handle myself within that season. Share on XThat’s all I wanted to get out.
I heard it loud and clear, and I was just scared. I was scared because people were already there. I was scared because I was already in my dress. I did not know how to walk away at that moment, but I heard know as loud as I hear as you all voices now. I was petrified and I went through with it just because I’m here.
You spent all that money. I get it.
I get it, too. What do you tell that person at that moment?
Walk away because you don’t know what you’re walking into. That no is obviously there for a reason. That’s the difference between jittery feet. I’m just nervous, versus you know you’re about to make a mistake. This is a bad decision and it took me five years to realize how bad of a decision that was. That five years to get out of it, but then it was also four years later, turmoil that was connected to it. I’m like, “I would have just,” but I would never get my son so I still don’t regret it. It is important to listen.
I’m going to follow up because Sylvia asked the question. We went down the road. Maybe as women, just giving permission to those other women in our lives that it’s okay to rethink your decisions and it is okay to walk away. I’m not going down the path of how you decide to do that, but when you are feeling those feelings to take that inventory, stop and be mindful of why you feel that way. We got into a lot more than hair. This is great.
Thank you.
The Art Of Self-Care: Prioritizing Well-Being In A Busy Life
Can you share with our readers how you practice self-care? You mentioned early on, certainly, you’re an educator, the executive director, if I’m not saying that incorrectly. You’re a mom and you’re a daughter. How do you pour back into yourself because you pour into so many people?
I know how to slow down now, I’ll tell you that. When I’m tired, I take a day off. I’m like, “That business was there before me. It’s going to be there after.” I will take a day off. I will go to a 24-hour spa. I communicate with my children. That’s a difference for me. I told my kids when I’m tired. I’m like, “I’m tired. I need a second. Give me one hour and I’m going to come back around.”
They respect that. They understand. I do retail therapy. I can put where I am in life. I’m connected to a season. As I said, I’m spiritual, so I pray all the time. If I can understand the season I’m in, I can understand what’s going on around me and I know how to handle myself within that season. I take days off unapologetically.
I love the idea of telling the kids for that matter of being anyone, you’re a significant other. I just need an hour and not feeling guilty and being proud of the fact that you’re modeling that for them. Sometimes, our communication is just so much better if we can just take the time to have our space and be mindful and separate yourself. If you don’t mind, we’d love to end with some rapid-fire questions. They’re very easy as yes or no. Whatever is on top of mind. What’s your favorite hair tool you can’t live without?
Blow dryer.
Pressing comb or flat iron?
Flat iron.
In everything you do, just pray, seek understanding in whatever you believe, and everything around you will make sense. Share on XFinger waves or roller set?
Roller set.
I love a good roller set.
Celebrity hair that you’d love to style.
Yolanda Adams.
That’s a good one. I like that. The hair trend you’d wish would go away.
Frontals.
What’s a frontals?
I don’t know what a frontal is.
A frontal.
I know what a frontal is.
Go-to song that always boost your mood or artist.
Fred Hammond’s Bless.
That’s a nice one. One word that describes the woman you’re becoming.
That’s a hard one or give us three. Whatever you want to do.
Spirit led.
Thank you so much, Vee. You have offered our readers a whole rainbow of things that we’ve gone through from living life as a young child, being inspired and led to some burnout and maybe some life lessons that you would have or life that you would have done differently but then prompted you to write your book.
Without those things, we would have never known what’s coming in your book. We love all the things that you offer for women and your passion behind what you’re doing. We wish you all the best. Certainly, if you have anything that you love to add to our readers at this time and how people can reach you would be wonderful.
I haven’t established my social media handles. Those who come later, but just remember quick offers in everything you do. Pray. Seek understanding or whatever it is that you believe in. Seek understanding on that level and everything around you will make sense. Be unapologetically you. Live for you. Be you and allow others to accept you for who you are. That’s it.
Vee Caldwell, we thank you. Our readers, thank you. You told us at the very beginning that you were going to be transparent and you held up your end of the bargain. We are so grateful that you were here with us. Thank you from Boss Leap.
Thank you for having me. I enjoyed it so much.
Until we meet again, Vee. May you be well.
You, too.
—
Sylvia, what an awesome interview with Vee Caldwell. We had such an amazing time. She shared her life from starting her career at age thirteen until where she is now as a mother, author, entrepreneur, and educator. I just loved everything she had to say. Most of the pearls she dropped herself, so I don’t know that we’ll go on and on.
She’s probably the most transparent guest that we have. All of our guests have been authentic, but she was so transparent.
I love that. Tell me what you take away.
I’m just going to shout out my mom, Willie Del Allen Morris. Vee talked about her mother Linda Coleman and the importance of mothers and how they support us. They are the iron or the steel in our spine. I wanted to be thankful for our moms, in particular my mom.
That’s beautiful. I can’t, in that, without shouting out my mother Beatrice Barnes, who remains now as a very strong presence for me and reminds me to live life to the fullest and to enjoy it now and to do all the things I can to make myself as healthy as I possibly can. I love your sentiment. I think I’ll end that as well. The last thing that I took from Vee is to slow down. She was telling her 21-year-old self that. It’s very hard when we’re at that stage in life.
I received it now in that moment of trying to be mindful about where I am living in the game, enjoying this very moment. I’m still planning for the future, but not necessarily living just for the future. I’m living for now. I’m grateful for this episode. I am grateful to you. We are certainly very grateful to our readers. We hope that you will continue to like, subscribe and share with your friends.
Anyone you feel like may enjoy or get something from this episode or any of our other episodes. You can reach us at BossLeapPodcast.com. You can go to YouTube at Boss Leap Podcast. We would love for you to share any ideas that you have about anything that’s working for you. If you again might share it with others, we hope that you would do so. Until we meet again. May you be well.
May you be well.
Important Links
- Vee Caldwell on LinkedIn
- Dr. Angela Walker
- Dr. Angela Walker on Instagram
- Dr. Angela Walker on LinkedIn
- Boss Leap Podcast
- THE GAME PLAN: A Woman’s Guide to Becoming a Doctor and Living a Life in Medicine
About Vee Caldwell
Veronique Caldwell, originally from Jacksonville, Florida, is a 35-year-old multifaceted professional, entrepreneur, educator, and author who has made Atlanta, Georgia her home. She discovered her passion for cosmetology at the age of 13, inspired by the vibrant salon culture in Decatur and Stone Mountain, and began working in salons by the age of 16.
By 21, Veronique had become a cosmetology instructor, and her career rapidly evolved. She advanced to lead instructor and academic director by age 27, took on her first assistant director role at 30, and was promoted to executive director by age 32. Alongside her professional journey, she balanced being a young mother, having her first child at 17, her second at 21, and her third at 24. These experiences not only shaped her resilience but also fueled her dedication to supporting other young women facing similar challenges—proving that perseverance, determination, and faith can break stereotypes and open limitless doors.
In 2016, Veronique took a bold leap of faith into entrepreneurship and opened her own salon, IHD Salons, which she successfully owned and operated for four years. From 2016 to 2020, she built IHD into a trusted beauty destination rooted in creativity, professionalism, and client care. In 2020, she made the strategic decision to close her salon in order to transition into corporate America, pursuing leadership in the cosmetics field while staying true to her foundation in education.
Veronique also expanded her expertise by becoming a certified trichology practitioner. This specialization allowed her to work on the medical side of cosmetology, focusing on hair and scalp health. She has helped numerous clients struggling with alopecia regain confidence through laser therapy treatments and customized regrowth programs—bridging beauty with science and wellness. Her life has been one of many hard lessons, but through each trial, Veronique sees how God used those experiences as footprints to ground her in destiny.
Each challenge has shaped and molded her for positions of leadership, equipping her with the strength to take on difficult conversations and the compassion to embrace women from all walks of life. Because her own journey has been filled with some of the toughest decisions one can face, she approaches challenges with a deeper perspective and a lens of empathy and resilience. Most recently, Veronique has embraced a new creative passion as a published author.
She completed her first book, Girlhood Math: Predicting the Woman You’re Becoming, which explores life’s challenges and the power of making intentional, calculated decisions. In her book, she emphasizes that we are all living our future right now through each pivotal choice we make. Veronique continues to inspire others with her blend of creativity, resilience, medical expertise, leadership, and the belief in living a life without limits.