The following is the third installment in the CNJ series on the hit crime drama, Vindication.
Venus Monique, lead actress on the hit crime drama Vindication, is a powerhouse on every level and she’s not slowing down. She is the founder of Personal Powerhouse, a company that helps guide young adults into adulthood with easy-to-follow video courses and advice. She also recently launched The Sisterhood to mentor and to inspire girls.
Christian News Journal caught up with this elusive young actress, who rarely grants interviews, to find out more about returning to set during the pandemic, and her innovative company.
Monique, who plays newbie Detective Kris Tanner on Vindication, said it was “absolutely amazing,” returning to set since last year lacked physical connection. “[It was] interesting to see how fear and self-preservation causes people to behave,” and it helped her “appreciate the people I know who don’t allow fear to consume them. There’s definitely a difference in fear and wisdom, and I pray I’m never a subject of the former.”
Related: Because We All Want “Vindication” These Days
She noted an upside. “A neat side effect of this mess has been people adapting to technology, which is exciting,” and this included The Sisterhood.
“When I got out on my own for the first time, I felt like I wasn’t fully prepared for what was to come, so I want to make sure others feel confident and competent when it’s their turn to step into adulthood,” Monique said, regarding the origin of Personal Powerhouse. For The Sisterhood, “I wanted to have more of a direct impact on young women, and God slowly revealed to me how I could…achieve that.”
Who are the mentors for The Sisterhood?
Mentors are actresses Stephanie Parker, Jeannie Garcia, Sharonne Lanier, Meggie Jenny, Julie Crisante, Stephanie Haff and Leanne Johnson.
Shark Tank alumni, Stephanie Parker, founder of Sleeping Baby sleepwear, told CNJ, “I hope to impart the lessons God has taught me over the years about learning to live out the Word of God in the midst of the ups-and-downs life can bring our way.”
Parker, on Season 1 of Vindication and an award-winning screenwriter, said, “God is truly a God of the hills and valleys and the place where abundant life, identity, and our God-given purpose can be found.” She prays girls “will learn to find their purpose and satisfaction in Him!”
Former Chanel and Ferragamo haute couture model, Jeannie Garcia, told CNJ, “I can speak from experience what it is like to be defined by society or by others.” Garcia, who stars in The Dreamfactory with Jeremy London and Sharon Oliphant, said, “I know what it’s like to find my identity in who God says I am, and I want young women to experience that freedom and joy. To embrace their identity as true princesses, daughters of the King!”
Sharonne Lanier, who played Rosa Parks in Son of the South, with Julia Ormond and the late Brian Dennehy, told CNJ her personal mission statement as a mentor is, “Empowering women to be all that God has created them to be.”
Meggie Jenny, an ICFF nominee for People’s Choice Actress of the Year, told CNJ, “I’m blessed to…have a voice in their lives to guide [girls] along the path God has set before them.”
Monthly guest speakers include a firefighter, K9 officer, pilot, and give-aways.
“I’m excited about [The Sisterhood],” Monique said, “because I absolutely needed this when I was younger.”
Find out more about The Sisterhood at https://www.personalpowerhouse.com/sisterhood.
Kristen Collier has a BA in English Literature and is co-founder with her husband, and Roku developer, of Creative Motion Network, a cutting-edge, free indie Christian Roku channel. She is also co-founder and animator of Collier Animation Studio, producer of Benny the Barnacle (2021).