Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Clavijo.
Hi Vanessa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
For a long time, volunteering was something very personal to me, usually something I did on my own. I started volunteering when I was around 11 years old in animal shelters and assisted living homes, and over the years that passion to be involved in helping others never left me, it only grew. The more involved I became with different organizations, the more help I would see that was needed. For years, I volunteered alone, and didn’t see the interest to join from friends and family around me so I accepted that it was something I did for myself. I saw a huge need throughout different communities, for connection, supplies, education, etc. Seeing how much help the world needed was something that was emotionally draining, trying to do what I could with my two hands, my limited time. Alone, I have volunteered or taken parts in service projects in or for Thailand, Ukraine, Peru, Uganda, and of course, locally.
One day, I planned and hosted a hygiene kit making night for a few of my girl friends as a fun activity to do together not thinking much of it. In 45 minutes, we put together over 150 kits between just a few people. Something clicked for me in that moment. How much more impact can we have on this world if only more hands were involved? My friends loved the “girls night” of putting on music, chatting, having snacks, and giving back. The feedback I got was that it was so easy for the big difference it would make, it was fun, and they recommended we do it again, soon!
That’s also when I thought that maybe more people do want to give back, they just don’t know how easy it can be. Especially for women who may be students, mothers, busy professionals, when do they have time and who do they go with? I realized it was just the space that was missing and that’s how Girls Do the Work was born.
Girls Do the Work has become a growing organization full of busy women who show up to give back, and multiple times! We host monthly service projects and see repeat faces often. We see women who show up alone and leave with friends. Women who ask when the next project is while they are in the current one. It’s a movement we have created for a space that women have been not-knowingly needing. Our events have become a time to not only give back, but to enjoy with other women in our community and build our own. We are redefining service to be a fun time that busy women actually look forward to and fill up their calendars with.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve had to push through a lot of self-doubt. Starting Girls Do the Work meant putting something very personal and vulnerable out into the world. Especially as a Latina woman building something community-focused in Utah, there were moments where I questioned whether people would take it seriously or if I was capable of growing it into something sustainable.
I think another challenge has been balancing ambition with humanity. I care deeply about keeping Girls Do the Work genuine and accessible as it grows. I never want it to feel performative or transactional. Protecting the heart behind it while also building structure, partnerships, and long-term sustainability has been a learning process.
As you know, we’re big fans of Girls Do the Work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I leaned into entrepreneurship to remove barriers that limited me in what I could help others with through the work I was in. For example, through my photography business, Royci’s Pet Studio, I’ve been able to photograph hundreds of shelter and foster dogs at no cost to help them get adopted. I think I’m known most for being genuinely involved in my community, no matter what project or business I have, I will always connect my work with what it can do to help others.
Everything I have done in my life has prepared me and naturally led me to create Girls Do the Work. What sets me apart is that the type of environment I’m creating in the service world. Girls Do the Work is genuinely fun, approachable, meaningful, and community-driven. I have endless exciting ideas for service projects and a hunger to continue to provide this experience to all those involved.
I’m most proud of building Girls Do the Work from the ground up. Over the past year, I’ve poured countless unpaid hours into this organization simply because I believe in the mission so deeply. Seeing volunteers form friendships, discover purpose, and realize they can make a difference, no matter where they are in life, has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life. At the same time, watching the communities we serve feel seen and supported reminds me why I started.
I feel incredibly grateful to have found something that combines so many parts of who I’ve always been: my love for community, creativity, hosting, planning, storytelling, and bringing people together around something meaningful. That combination feels rare, and I don’t take it for granted.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I always think about worst case scenario. What happens if it doesn’t happen? For a long time I lived my life in the structure my family expected of me. I went to college, worked my way up the corporate ladder, My immediate family were not risk takers, as immigrants, they couldn’t afford to lose the little they came with and always worked on the safe side. It wasn’t until I had a senior level corporate job that I began to question how much time I had left in life and what I was going to do with it. I looked up to many empowering women but what was I doing to empower others? Quitting my job with no plan b was the biggest risk I ever took. This was before Girls Do the Work was born and I had no idea what I was capable of if only I widened my perspective on what was possible. I quit a solid and steady salary to figure out what it was I was meant to be doing full time. I wanted the fulfill my purpose with all the hours in my day, not just my evenings and weekends. My worst case scenario? I would go back to the corporate world. That’s what I kept in my mind and continue to do so in everything I do. What is the worst that can happen if I reach out to a partnership or event sponsor and they say no? The world won’t end. I have a strong believe that things will always work out in the end if we do our part.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.girlsdothework.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlsdothework/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560353350473
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-clavijo/
