Iyanla Vanzant, is, by many accounts, the premier African American teacher, writer, speaker, on the subjects of spirituality, personal development and loving relationships. The former talk show host is the author of 15 titles, that include 5 New York Times Best Sellers. The founder and Executive Director of the Inner Visions Institute For Spiritual Development conducts workshops and classes around the country, throughout Africa and the UK sharing her brand of practical spiritual and personal growth skills which is a blend of ancient African wisdom and New Thought Christianity. As an author, Vanzant has touched the minds and heart of more than 8 million readers in 23 languages. As a orator, she is a major attraction at conferences, expos and awards ceremonies for large national organizations and small community groups. As a recurring guest on shows like The View, The Oprah Winfrey show, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, The Michael Baisden Show and many other national talk shows, Iyanla has made a major contribution to bridging the divide between men and women; black and white; youth and the elders; Christians and others. She offers something for everyone that makes day-to-day living a little easier to understand and navigate. Her motto, AYou’ve got to do the work, the real hard work, on yourself, from the inside out,@ makes some people a bit uneasy, but for others produces real and lasting change.

From her peaceful presence and disposition, you would imagine that life has been easy for Iyanla Vanzant. It has not. A difficult and Adysfunctional@ upbringing resulted in her being raped at the tender age of 9; a teenage mother by age 16; a long-time welfare recipient; a partner in an abusive relationship and the survivor of two suicide attempts. These are the same experiences that led her to Medgar Evers College (City University of New York) at the age of 30, where she earned a B.S. Degree in Public Administration and Early Childhood Education, Summa Cum Laude. From there she went on to earn a law degree from City University Law School at Queens College, which propelled her into the number one ranked Public Defenders office in the country, the Philadelphia Public Defender.
Iyanla shies away from being called a celebrity. She does not believe that Areal celebrities@ do their own laundry and shop at Walmart as she does. The loyal and faithful viewers of, Starting Over, the NBC daytime reality drama which featured Vanzant as a Life Coach for two seasons, beg to differ. "She changed my life." "She helped me through a very difficult time." "She was my therapist," are common accolades among those who recognize her in the supermarket. While she is open to another opportunity to do television, she is not actively seeking any projects. "What God has for me will come to me." One might wonder how she copes with the demands of her career and the pressures of her personal life. AI do my very best to live one moment at a time. I treasure the joy of little things like scrapbooking and Law & Order reruns.@ From all accounts, she seems to be coping pretty well.