Joy Vanichkul appears to be an amalgamation of inner and exterior beauty, with Zen-like calm radiating from her porcelain face. Her poise, calm demeanor, and grace are deep-rooted in meditation that she adopted as a way of life when she was seven. Joy Vanichkul, Asia’s top supermodel, TV host, actor, and now an entrepreneur, is nothing less than an inspiration. An avid learner, Joy has scaled the ladder of learning and come a long way from Thailand, her country of birth, to California, the place of possibilities and dreams.
The Joyful Journey
While echoing her own story, Joy says, “progress is not achieved by luck or accident.” From modeling, entrepreneurship, being a Yoga trainer, and pursuing a Ph.D. in natural sciences to sharing inner peace practices, Joy Vanichkul says that there is an innate hunger in her to learn and improve every day, which is reflected in all her endeavors. And she believes in giving out to the community.
“I want to see empowered communities which are fueled by inner peace and consciousness attained through meditation,” Joy says.
Joy herself practices meditation religiously. Back in Bangkok, Joy grew up watching her mother and grandmother practice meditation every day. She considers it as one of the critical factors that influenced her life and helped shape it for the better.
The Discovery of Joy
Tall, with chiseled and exotic Asian features, a 16-year-old Joy was discovered by a famous Thai makeup artist when she walked into a departmental store in Thailand wearing her school uniform. Joy was only in Grade 11 then, yet stepping into modeling gave her such fame that she was soon found on magazine covers. “It was like a dream come true,” Joy says, adding that she considers it to be pure destiny at play. Joy still remembers those days with a pinch of glee and nostalgia.
“It was an exciting period of my life. I would have to go in with my uniform when I went to school, but the driver would have to be discreet while picking me up. I’m friends with all of them even now, and they often tell me that it looked like they had to kidnap me to take me to the shoots,” she laughs.
As she traveled to a plethora of places, the modeling field exposed Joy Vanichkul to diverse cultures. It led her on another path: she leaped into entrepreneurship and founded Zense Of Joy Spa.
Onset of Entrepreneurship
Always ready to explore new horizons and plunge into new roles, Joy established a chain of spas wherein she combined the magic of Thai herbs with the world’s best spa techniques. Soon, the spa enterprise grew into a multi-million-dollar business. Joy’s level-headed leadership and dedicated team of 200 people earned her spa venture a nomination for the Best New Spa.
“I opened Zense of Joy Spa to create a comprehensive haven that blended inner beauty with the outer beauty,” Joy comments.
Joy added a medical spa center and forayed into the beauty product line to diversify the business. She used social media as a medium to spread the message, and her slimming product range became a humungous success.
"Containing and controlling emotion is extremely crucial for an entrepreneur.” ―Joy Vanichkul
From Modeling to Teaching Inner Peace
When Joy Vanichkul came to the United States eight years back, she decided to attend a yoga school. Her intention was never to teach. “I just wanted to learn. But I promised my yoga teacher that I would impart my learning to others, and I am keeping that promise,” she says while reiterating her commitment to spreading peace in the world.
Joy is a certified hypnotherapist, a 500 RYT yoga instructor, a certified children’s yoga teacher, a meditation instructor from the Middle Way Meditation Institute, a HeartMath Institute certified trainer, and a Ph.D. scholar in Natural Medicine. Additionally, she studies and trains in health, nutrition, neuroscience, and quantum physics, among other subjects.
“My only focus is now to see what I can bring to the community and contribute to making this a better place. I want to be able to teach other women. I’ve learned so much already. I want to contribute to others now,” Joy aspires.
Joy believes in transferring her learning to those around her. She provides one-on-one mentorship and consultation that can last anywhere between one and six months. Her co-founded program, Inner Peace Life Education, a meditation and yoga program at Tree Academy, a private middle and high school in Los Angeles, is something she is proud of. She points out that she has seen students report less stress, have increased concentration ability, and can reconnect peacefully with themselves.
Joy has founded many meditation programs that are aimed at helping people discover the actual reality and understand their own potential. She has also traveled to distinct parts of the world to host peace events. The ‘ World Peace through Inner Peace’ gathered over 100,000 people, and the ‘Light of Peace’ event was acknowledged by the United Nations for bringing many spiritual leaders together to bring peace to the world.
Women and Consciousness
Determined to spread the learnings she had amassed over the years, Joy categorically highlights that even deeply knowledgeable, great-looking women struggle to find a connection with themselves. Joy’s wellness programs are specifically targeted toward women. “Women entrepreneurs have so much up to their sleeves: work, children, relationships, chores, etcetera; all must be handled in a manner that is not overwhelming and does not take a toll. Body, mind, emotions, relationships, and work must be in balance for an entrepreneur to chart the path of success,” Joy says.
Keeping all this in mind, Joy is launching specific wellness programs for women, one of which is Intelligent Beauty. This program is specifically aimed at women leaders to regain their power through consciousness.
Nurturing Wellness
Emotions can make or break a situation. That’s how crucial they are. Managing emotions is not something that is taught in school. Joy believes that this is the first thing that needs to be taught. “Containing and controlling emotion is extremely crucial for an entrepreneur,” Joy comments.
Joy takes up one-on-one sessions with clients to talk to them, understand them, make them aware of their own emotions, and chalk out specific situations under which emotions need to be controlled. “Be it a leader or a subordinate, it is important for everyone to take care of their emotions and maximize the output,” says Joy, who staunchly believes in connecting to our authentic selves.
Advice to Entrepreneurs
“Pick the right business that synchronizes with your heart and brain. It’s important to choose what your heart says to follow and where your intelligence fits in. Once you choose an area where your calling is, you will be inspired to go to the workplace and deliver your best rather than just dragging there,” comes the most honest piece of advice from Joy, who herself has reached the pinnacle of success but still wants to do much more. Living to the fullest, learning to the best of one’s abilities, and implementing it to the most is what Joy believes in.
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