Interview with Vanessa Törnblom - Coaching Leaders Be Incredibly Ambitious and Feel Holistically Well

Vanessa: My background is in corporate and tech law. After my legal career, I worked as an HR Manager and a freelance consultant before transitioning into writing and eventually part-time career coaching.

So, you could say that high-pressure work environments were my reality for many years. Slowly, my career coaching started to take on a wellness angle, as it became clear that most of my clients lacked energy – not just a sense of direction.

Performance Atelier was born from all of this. Through it, I offer 1:1 wellness mentorships, strategy sessions, and curated wellness experiences. It’s not a pivot, but more like a natural evolution. I’ve always been helping ambitious minds operate and feel better. Now I'm just doing it through a lens that feels both deeply aligned and essential in today's world.

What was the defining moment you realized you wanted to help women live a more holistic life and focus more on their wellness as a success factor? 

Vanessa: I had a burnout in my early legal career. That experience stayed with me, not just physically, but it also changed my view of success.

Since then, I’ve become obsessed with the questions: What actually sustains high performance? Can you be both incredibly ambitious and feel holistically well? 

These are important questions, especially now that burnout is a worldwide epidemic. So many high-performing women are operating on low energy levels, and I'm determined to change this.

Also, I’ve seen firsthand how wellness is often dismissed as something soft or “nice to have”, and not something that delivers real impact or ROI.

So, it was not one single moment. But somewhere along the way I just knew this was the work I was meant to do. Not just helping others achieve more, but helping them do it in a way that feels sustainable and good.

Vanessa: I couldn’t agree more. The idea of success without wellness feels outdated to me. What’s the point of building something impressive on paper if you’re too stressed or exhausted to enjoy the life you’ve built?

Unfortunately, the world largely still operates on old values. In my work, I often see clients who’ve achieved a lot, but still feel scattered, overwhelmed or deeply exhausted. The good news is that these are often the people most motivated to make a change, because they're done measuring success by traditional metrics like money or titles.

To me, wellness is not a separate pillar. It’s the architecture that holds everything together. When your energy levels are high, your mind is clear, and your habits support the life you actually want… that’s when magic starts to happen. 

Explain to us in more detail how your work is different from other health coaches and trainers. 

Vanessa: First of all, I don’t identify as a health coach or trainer in the traditional sense. I come from a background in law, leadership, and performance, and I work with busy clients who don't need pre-planned workout routines or traditional coaching.

What they need is a tailored structure, out-of-the-box strategies, accountability, and a space to think clearly.

I call it wellness architecture. Above all, I'm a wellness mentor and curator, who helps clients build sustainable work habits and everyday rituals. This way, they can focus more on what energises them, and let go of what drains them. The goal isn’t to “add” wellness to an already full life, but to integrate it so deeply that it becomes part of who they are. 

My approach is minimalistic, deeply intuitive, and intentional. The word atelier felt right for that reason. I think of my work the way a tailor approaches a perfectly fitted garment: it only works when it’s crafted to your measurements, shaped to your lifestyle, and in harmony with who you are. There’s no one-size-fits-all here.

But it's not about perfection, because let's face it: our lives are messy and unpredictable. Becoming a mother added a whole new layer to this. It's one thing to talk about perfect morning routines, and another to try and fit one in when your toddler wakes at 5am and all you manage is coffee on the go. That’s the reality I design for.

If you could give some advice to high-performing business women stuck in the hustle culture on how to start their wellness journey, what would you say? 

Vanessa: You don’t need to change everything. But you do need to choose something, and commit to doing it differently and unapologetically. 

Most of my clients aren't new to wellness. They may even have a good understanding of what they “should” do. But they’re overwhelmed, stressed, and stuck in a reactive mode both at work and in their bodies. What they need is structure, support, and a plan that makes sense in the context of their actual life and responsibilities.

So I’d say: start with honesty. What’s draining you right now? What’s non-essential? From there, choose one thing to protect, whether it's your sleep, your mornings, or your focus, and build from there.

Vanessa: I joined Crush Movement because I was drawn to its energy: bold and ambitious, but also very human. I’ve built a lot of things on my own over the years, and I’ve reached a point where I’m ready to surround myself with women who are also building something meaningful.

The fact that it’s called a “movement,” not just a group, says a lot. I’m hoping for support, sharp conversations and a sense of shared momentum. It feels good to be part of something from the get-go, especially with women who are brave enough to question the old ways of doing things.

Tell us how you are a Rebel Leader.

Vanessa: I’m a rebel in the sense that I don’t follow the typical wellness industry rules. I’m not selling rigid solutions, generic lifestyle tips, or the idea that a certain blueprint alone will fix your life. It's much more complex than that, which makes my work both incredibly challenging and incredibly rewarding. We have to embrace the chaos and friction that's part of life. For instance, I’ll revisit an idea over and over again until it feels just right.

To conclude, I'm relentlessly, 100 % committed to my work, to my clients, and to what I know is possible when we stop hustling and start designing our lives on purpose – even if that means doing or saying the uncomfortable.

What do you offer for the Crush community, and where can we find you? 

Vanessa: For the Crush community, I bring wellness insights, thought-provoking reflections, warm support, and a slow, curated take on what it means to thrive in business and in life. I'm especially interested in sharing new trends, powerful rituals, and ways to rethink success through the lens of well-being, without the fluff.

You can find me on my new Instagram account and on LinkedIn. If you want to build a life where ambition and well-being don't rule each other out, why not join my newsletter where I share insights for working and living well.

Photos: Lotta Leskiö