Her Story
About Roseline
My journey into advocacy and entrepreneurship began after I left an abusive marriage when my children were just 2 years old and 1 year old. At the time, I was working as a paralegal at a major law firm here in South Florida. I decided that as a single parent, I wanted to be present while my kids were growing up, so I went into entrepreneurship and created my own business consulting firm. I noticed that there were a lot of people within my community who looked like me who didn't have the knowledge or skill set to know how to start a business the proper way and build it up. That led me to start my advocacy work. Twelve years ago, my cousin had a heart attack and quadruple bypass at age 42, which led her to start a foundation called Heart Sisters. She called upon me to be the Vice President because she saw my journey and the skill set that I had. Over the past 12 years, we advocate, educate, and empower women, especially women of color, when it comes to heart health. We know that heart attacks and strokes are the number one killer for women across the board in America. About a year ago, I wrote a bill that's in the House of Representatives, HR8260, in reference to early detection of a genetic component called lipoprotein A that can lead to heart attack or stroke. The bill would include that in your lipid panel. We've partnered with companies like Bayer and Amgen, and we do a lot of grassroots organization locally and globally. Professionally, I currently am the operations manager for a real estate company called Humble Beginnings, where we do luxury home buying across the country. My advocacy work and professional work intertwine - I do a lot of speaking engagements around the country empowering women to take control of themselves. I just completed my journal book called 'Unapologetically Boldly Me: A Journey of Learning How to Forgive Yourself.' I'm raising two kids, now 26 and 24. My parents are immigrants from Haiti, I was born in the Bahamas, and I'm first generation. My mom barely had what's equivalent to a second grade education, and my dad didn't know how to read or write, but here I am with legislation in the United States government.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Roseline
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
When it comes to the nonprofit field, make sure that the work you're doing is something you're passionate about and that you believe in. If you don't believe in the cause and you're not passionate about it, it won't work. Be determined and make your voice known. Stand on educating yourself in the area that you're in and making an impact. Don't worry about the numbers - it's never about the numbers. Worry about the one-on-one. It's about that one person change. Reach one, teach one, and that person can go on and do the same. That's been my motto in life. Be passionate about what you do and believe in your cause. Don't give up. It may seem like if you have an event and only two people show up, but it's okay - you just affected two lives. Never look at the numbers. Always look at the impact and all the people that you're serving and the change that they're doing in your life. Don't give up, don't ever give up. It really is literally that when you're doing advocacy work - not to give up. Don't let your path define you. Don't let the circumstances make you think that you can't make it.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I lead with intention in everything I do. I know that I have to make an impact and see how it's best for the company overall, so it's never about myself. One of the things that I always say is put ego out the door, because if you're doing anything and you put an ego in it, it will never succeed. I'm a big component of therapy and taking care of our mental health. Mental is key, because if your mental is not there, how can you take care of anything else? I believe in the healing process - it wasn't something that happened overnight, it took a lot of work. I believe in continued learning and being educated, getting the toolset, doing research. I'm very health-conscious and believe in taking care of yourself. As women and moms and wives, we always put everybody else ahead of us and think of ourselves last, but we need to prioritize our own wellbeing. I believe in sharing my story and platform because if I can overcome abuse and adversity, others can too. There's no stigma or face behind abuse - it could be your sister, aunt, or daughter, and you never know.
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