As a little girl, Venessa’s favorite film was The Little Mermaid. And now, she has taken her joy of under-the-sea life and turned it into a business. Dressed in a colorful and lifelike mermaid tail, Venessa often spends time meeting with children and taking photographs in the community as The Louisiana Mermaid. But that’s not all! Venessa is a Renaissance woman as a wife, mother of two, web designer, and small business owner.

How did you meet your husband? 
While he was stationed at Fort Polk, I actually lived nearby, and we met through 
a high school friend.

If your life were a song, which song would it be?
 “Welcome to the Jungle.” It describes all of the chaos!

Three things you always have with you? 
My iPhone, my kids, and a cup of coffee.

Three words to describe yourself? 
Organized, creative, and reliable.

How do you like to spend time? 
On the weekends, it’s always family time. We go to the park or to the movies. We like to stay together.

First thing you notice about people when you meet them? 
I’m a good judge of character. I can tell if someone is trustworthy or not. 

Most recent proud parenting moment?
Potty training my three-year-old and my son making straight A’s!

Last mommy fail? 
I lose my patience far too quickly and more often than I like to admit.

How do you keep everything balanced? 
All of my work is done from home, but when the kids are home, I make sure that we 
are having family time.

Number one rule your kids aren’t allowed to break? 
We don’t allow hitting. We encourage them to use their words and resolve conflict peacefully.

Favorite spot around town for date night? 
The Little Village in Baton Rouge. The bread is to die for!

What’s something parents shouldn’t feel guilty about? 
Parents are often device-shamed. But with those devices, I am able to capture even more moments. You don’t want to be on it constantly, but it does enhance our lives. I’m able to be with my kids more because of technology. I can answer emails without having to sit in an office.

What do you wish you had more time for? 
Traveling! There are so many places I want to visit on my bucket list. When the kids get older, we want to take them to Europe!

What good habit do you have that you would like to pass on to your children? 
Our family is big on showing affection and we aren’t afraid to hug one another. I hope it stays that way for them as they get older.

Any bad habits you would not want to pass on? 
No quick tempers! I want them to have more patience. 

Last gift you received? 
My husband gave me “just because” flowers!

What’s one piece of advice you often give your children? 
Always tell the truth.

How was it adjusting from one child to two? 
It wasn’t hard at all. With our first, my husband was deployed for the entire first year of our son’s life, and it was extremely hard. When we had our second, we just lost a little more sleep!

What’s one thing you would invent to help make your life easier? 
I wish I could clone myself. I always feel like I need an assistant or that I need more “me.”

What’s your favorite time of day? 
Late night around midnight when it’s quiet in the house, and I am just working or relaxing.

Any advice for other parents? 
Don’t sweat the small stuff!

What’s something you always have in your fridge? 
A lot of fruit–blackberries, strawberries, blueberries–whatever is in season! We have our own garden in the backyard, and my children and I work on it together.

How has parenthood changed you? 
It makes me question my decisions more. Before, I didn’t really think of the consequences as much, but now I think about how my decisions will affect the kids. ■