Vanessa Chow is entering her boss era and she’s not interested in simply continuing a legacy. As the woman helping usher MR CHOW into its next chapter, Chow is carving out space for herself within one of hospitality’s most recognizable names, challenging the familiar labels that so often define women as someone’s wife, daughter, or girlfriend before they are recognized for who they are.
But her evolution is bigger than business. With a background in clinical psychotherapy and an instinct for fashion, art, hospitality, and entertaining, Chow is building a world that feels distinctly her own. Here, she opens up about ambition, motherhood, independence, and what it means to make people feel seen: all while redefining what the next generation of the Chow legacy looks like.
What does entering this new “boss era” mean to you?
We’re not passing the torch, we’re enhancing the brand. Having a woman at the forefront of a classic brand couldn’t have come at a better time. This is the next generation.
To me, entering my boss era is about building yourself up independently of anyone else and their opinions. I think as women, we tend to get pigeonholed into categories, the wife, the girlfriend, the daughter of. Being in your boss era means using all of your talents and abilities to create something of your own and really challenging those narratives.
How has your relationship with ambition changed over the years? Is success something you define differently today than you did in the past?
I never saw myself in hospitality, but being a mom has taught me one thing: we can’t fail. I’m incredibly driven to succeed and to provide an amazing experience for both my children and our clients.
When I was younger, success felt much more one-dimensional. As I’ve gotten older and stepped into this new career path, I’ve realized that success is incredibly multifaceted. It’s about family, creativity, leadership, financial independence and building something meaningful. When it’s done right, it’s so much more rewarding.
Chow is one of the most recognizable names in hospitality and beyond. What lessons from this world shaped the leader you are now?
It is an honor for me to carry a name with such weight. It’s been such a gift to take part in this legacy. Every day is a lesson in thoughtfulness. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a privilege, and I recognize it and own it.
MR CHOW is truly a legacy brand, and Michael, the man behind it, is truly one in a million. The lessons I’ve learned from him are precious. He changed and helped shape hospitality as we know it today.
He has a saying, “Be kind and be real,” and I try to adopt that philosophy in both my personal and business life. Being kind and being real is harder than you think! It takes courage to be real, and sometimes it takes thinking outside of yourself to be kind.
I also learned “everything now” from the MR CHOW philosophy. There’s never been a better time than right now.
With your impressive background as a trained clinical psychotherapist, in what ways have you applied this knowledge to your own growth as a leader and as a person?
Hospitality is based in psychology. It’s about providing a place where people can be themselves, feel seen and experience a world you’ve created.
That’s the alignment I’ve always wanted in my life, so in many ways this feels like a very natural transition. Nothing makes me happier than making people feel good and making them feel seen. Whether I was sitting across from someone as a therapist or welcoming someone into the world of MR CHOW, that part of me hasn’t really changed.
Can you tell us a bit about the exciting projects you have coming up?
I’m really focused on building the next chapter of the MR CHOW legacy while continuing to grow Mrs Chow as something of my own. I’m working on some exciting projects around fashion, art, hospitality and entertaining, bringing together all the worlds I genuinely love.
I can’t share everything just yet, but there’s a lot coming, and I feel like I’m only getting started.
Photography: Chris Martin