Johanna Vendel (Award-Winning Author, Speaker, and the CEO & Founder) was recently interviewed by TheCelebrity.Online Magazine and here is the Q&A session we had with Johanna.
Johanna Vendel As Cover Story Interview – April 2026 Magazine Edition
How do you introduce yourself?
I am Johanna Vendel, an award-winning author, speaker, and the CEO & Founder of The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards, as well as the host of the podcast Give Me Hope with Johanna. My mission is simple, yet deeply personal, to turn pain into purpose and to create a global platform where stories of hope, resilience, and faith are honored and shared with the world.
But before any title, before any platform, I am a woman who has lived many lives within one lifetime.
I began my journey as a medical massage therapist, a profession that has been my trade and passion for many years. Alongside that, I built a career in the skincare and beauty industry for over 30 years. Through dedication, discipline, and heart, I was honored with multiple awards, recognized as one of the best therapists in my state, and later as one of the top therapists in South Africa. I am also an immigrant, someone who chose to come to America not for ease, but for opportunity. I followed the rules, walked the proper path, and built a life from the ground up, all with one purpose in my heart: to give my children a better future. It has always been my dream to see them receive their citizenship by 2027; a dream rooted in sacrifice, faith, and perseverance.
But life changed in ways I could never have prepared for. By 2020, I had lost my entire family, my mother, my father, my three sisters, and my brother. That kind of loss does not just break your heart… it reshapes your entire existence. There were moments when I didn’t know how to carry the weight of that grief, moments when simply breathing felt heavy. And yet… in that brokenness, something began to rise.
When I could no longer live with the pain silently, I turned to writing. In 2024, I published my first book, Life? Think Again!!… not just as a story, but as a release, a testimony, and a lifeline. I am strong, but I am also someone who has been deeply broken. And I no longer hide that. Because it is in that brokenness that I found God in the most real and undeniable way. My faith is not just a belief; it is the foundation that carried me when I had nothing left to stand on. So, when I introduce myself, I am not just sharing titles or accomplishments. I am sharing a journey. A story of loss, resilience, faith, and rising again. And today, I stand not just for myself, but for every person who is still finding the strength to keep going.
Struggle – What hardships have you gone through in life?
My life has been shaped by deep loss and unimaginable grief, experiences that many people could never begin to comprehend, yet I have lived through them. I have stood in moments where life changed in an instant… where trauma became real in front of my eyes. I witnessed a friend being shot right in front of me, an experience that leaves a mark on your soul forever. I lost my mother after she, too, was shot. She survived that day, only to pass away a year later from the stress her body could no longer carry. My twin sister died after suffering a miscarriage and complications from preeclampsia. I lost my younger sister in a hijacking, the car rolled, and she died instantly. My father, my older sister, and my brother were also taken from me, each in different ways, each loss carrying its own depth of pain.
All of this… before the age of 46. This is not just loss, it is a lifetime of grief compressed into years that should have been filled with family, laughter, and shared memories. There were moments when I felt completely broken… moments where I questioned how anyone could survive that level of pain. There were days I didn’t know how to take the next breath, let alone the next step forward. But this is where my story does not end. Because even in my deepest brokenness, I found God in a way I never had before. When I had nothing left, no answers, no strength of my own, my faith carried me.
I decided that my pain would not define me… it would refine me.
Every tear became part of my testimony.
Every loss became a reason to help someone else hold on.
I am living proof that even when your world falls apart, you can still rise. Not because you are untouched by pain, but because you choose, through faith, to stand again. And today, I rise not just for myself… but for every person who feels like they cannot go on. Because even in brokenness, with God, you can wake up in the morning… and still make a difference in someone else’s life.
What do people usually not know about you?
What many people don’t see is how quiet and reflective I truly am. While I lead a global platform, speak publicly, and carry a strong presence, I am, at my core, someone who processes life deeply and often in silence. Most people don’t know that I am a twin. And losing my twin sister is a pain that cannot truly be explained, it is not just the loss of a sibling, it is the loss of a part of yourself. There is a connection between twins that words cannot fully capture, and when that is gone, there is a silence that no one else can fill. I carry that loneliness with me every single day. I miss her… and I miss my entire family in ways that people around me cannot always see or understand. Yet… I still show up with a smile. I still lead. I still encourage others. And most people have no idea how much I carry inside me.
There is a quiet strength in learning how to hold both grief and purpose at the same time. Another thing people may not realize is that writing came easier to me than speaking. My voice was first found on paper, through pain, through tears, through moments where I had no one else to speak to. Writing became my safe place, my release, and my way of making sense of a life that felt shattered. Everything I have built today started in those private, unseen moments, moments of surrender, honesty, and faith. “Read my book Unseen Tears, Beneath the Mask”
So, while people may see strength on the outside…
There is a very real, very human story of loss, longing, and quiet resilience behind it. And perhaps that is what makes my voice real, because it was never created for the stage… It was born in the silence.
What sets you apart from others?
What sets me apart is that everything I do is rooted in genuine purpose, not recognition. I don’t just speak about hope, I have lived it, fought through it, and rebuilt my life because of it.
At the core of who I am is truth. Trust is something I hold very deeply, yet it is also something I have struggled with. I have been hurt many times in my life, and because I give my whole heart to people, I have often been taken advantage of. There is a part of me that is still very open, very giving, some may even say naive, but I have never allowed the way others treated me to change the truth of who I am.
From a young age, I learned that honesty is one of the most powerful gifts you can offer another human being. Because when you live truthfully, you don’t just speak, you impact lives. You create safe spaces. You become someone others can trust, even when trust feels rare. And that is what I believe makes a person truly different.
Not perfection… but purity of heart. I have come to understand that being someone who loves deeply, gives freely, and remains honest in a world that is not always kind, that is rare. Like a diamond formed under pressure, that kind of heart is not easily found. That is how I lead. That is how I built The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards, not just as a business, but as a mission. A place where people are seen, valued, and honored with integrity.
Because I know what it feels like to not be seen… and I decided that others will feel it through me. And even after everything I have been through, I still choose to love, to trust, and to give. That… is my strength.
What are your upcoming major events?
One of the most significant and meaningful milestones in my journey is that I am preparing to host my very first gala. ✨ The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards Gala, taking place on October 17, 2026.
This is more than just an event; it is the beginning of a legacy. A moment where authors from around the world will come together to be seen, honored, and celebrated for stories that carry hope, healing, and transformation. As we continue to grow, this gala will become an annual tradition, where we recognize not only our monthly winners but also the Author of the Year crown, a global celebration of voices that are changing lives through their stories. In addition, I am expanding the vision of The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards through the launch of our Hope Anthology Series, beginning in October 2026. This anthology will bring together selected winning authors who wish to take part in a powerful collection of real stories. Stories of brokenness, resilience, faith, and purpose.
This will not be just another book.
It will be a book that people turn to when they feel lost… a book filled with voices that say, “You are not alone.” A collection of testimonies that remind the world that even in brokenness, healing is possible. We are proud to be partnering with a respected Christian publishing company, Trilogy Christian Publishing, ensuring that every author is treated with fairness, integrity, and honor throughout the process. This anthology will become an annual release, each edition growing stronger, deeper, and more impactful than the last.
Alongside this, I continue to grow my podcast, Give Me Hope with Johanna. While my audience is still growing, I believe firmly that every great movement begins with one step. This is my gift to the world, a platform where real stories are shared, and hope is restored. I have also recently launched my official merchandise line, created with high-quality Gildan apparel, designed to reflect the message behind everything I stand for, hope, resilience, and purpose.
To date, I have written six books, each one carrying a piece of my journey. But my latest release, Still Standing: When Grief Couldn’t Finish Me, is different. It is not just a story; it is a surrender. A reflection of how God softened my pain, opened my eyes, and showed me that even after everything I have endured… I am still here. “This book is not about surviving the storm… It is about discovering who you become after God carries you through it.” I am proud of everything I have built, not because it is perfect, but because it is real, it is honest, and it is rooted in purpose.
And this… is only the beginning.
What expert advice would you like to give?
If there is one thing I would want people to take away from meeting me, it is this: “You don’t have to be unbroken to be powerful.” So many people wait for the “right moment” to share their story… the moment when everything is healed, everything is perfect. But the truth is, your story is already powerful because it is real. It is in the middle of the journey, not just at the end, where lives are changed. I am not someone who stands before you as someone who had it easy. I stand as someone who has been broken… and still chose to rise.
Pain is not the end of your story, it is often the very place where purpose begins. Stay rooted in your faith, especially when life doesn’t make sense. Keep going, even when no one is watching, even when it feels like your efforts are unseen. Because consistency in the quiet seasons is what builds strength for the moments that matter most.
And above all, live with integrity. In a world where it is easy to pretend, choose to be real. Choose the truth. Choose compassion. Because when you build your life and your work on those foundations, what you create will not only stand, but it will also impact lives.
If you walk away from me with anything, I hope it is this: That even if you feel broken… you are not finished. That your voice matters more than you think. And that your story, just as it is, can become the very thing that helps someone else keep going.
Because that is who I am. Not someone who avoided the storm… but someone who learned how to stand in it still becomes a light for others.
Your social media handles and website links?
- Website: http://prestigious-international-hope-book-awards.com
- Amazon Author Page (Book):
“Still Standing! When Grief Couldn’t Finish Me” http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GRM7SKGH
“Life? Think Again!!” http://www.amazon.com/dp/BOD4XTKS31
Navigating Through Losses and Grief? Think Again! http://www.amazon.com/dp/BODW48P1R2
Unseen Tears, Beneath the Mask! http://www.amazon.com/dp/BOFF2QZB6
Plotting the Murder of Sabrina http://www.amazon.com/dp/BOFQ45DRVZ
Echoes of an Orphan’s Heart http://www.amazon.com/dp/BOFY44WPFN
- Podcast: Give Me Hope with Johanna
- YouTube: www.youtube.com/@JohannaVendel-z7u
- Email: givemehopewithjohanna@gmail.com
The Prestigious International Hope Book Awards
- Merchandise: https://www.prestigious-international-hope-book-awards.com/pihba-gmhwj-merchandise-store
Jose R. Harwood is a the Chief Editor and Author at TheCelebrity.Online and expert in Entertainment Industry working with TheCelebrity.Online Magazine – You can reach Jose R. Harwood via Contact page! – Read more on our About Us page.
