COVER STORYEDITOR'S PICKGIRL STRUT!HER JOURNEY

GET YOUR MIND RIGHT: RANDI’S TRUTH ON MASKING THE PAIN

Randi Rossario is no stranger to stress. As the owner of Oh So Radio, Go Get Published, and The Mom Gang she knows what busy means. The successful serial entrepreneur and media personality have been through the mud and back. Although, you may never know it by looking at her. But when she opens her mouth the wisdom that comes from her soul reveals a wealth that can only be gained through hard experiences. In fact, if what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger as a person, it would be Randi. Now the mindset queen has sat down with us to share how she keeps strutting despite deep losses, abuse, career transitions, and most recently a pandemic pregnancy. Her transparency serves as an inspiration for you to do the same. Sis, it’s time to follow along with your notepad as Randi shares all the gems.

HOW TO GET THROUGH LIFE WITHOUT THE MASK

So you’re scrolling through IG and you come across a review video with a woman speaking straight no chaser about cultural events. Chances are it’s Randi Rossario Maples. And what we love about her is that her words aren’t wasted or used for chasing clout. Instead, she is releasing wisdom that so many of us need to hear.

But it’s not always easy. How does someone get the courage to strut her opinion on social media for everyone to see and remain unbothered?

TRUTH 1: Tailor Your Approach and Your Audience

“I’ve sort of always been this way. But before it was rougher. I was trying to push people where they needed to go. Then, I realized I can’t force them. They were either coming or not. And so I had to not only tailor my message but also choose who I was speaking to. I chose to speak to those who wanted to listen.”

If we can be real, most of us have experienced what it feels like to be voiceless, ignored, or pushed aside. Whether that’s on the job, in a relationship, or with your family. But stress less, sis. The problem is probably not you. It’s about learning how to deliver your words and knowing who’s ready to receive them. Sounds easy, but this lesson came through trials and turmoil for Randi.

In 2011, she woke up in the middle of a nightmare discovering her fiance was killed by a drunk driver. The pain, questions, and numbness pushed her into isolation. The life she thought she would live instantly disappeared. Where do you go from there? What do you do? You build up your life, again. So she got to work. She poured herself into her job at a prominent Detroit Radio station, built up her business, had a band, and was living life. 

PHOTO CRED: SHAWN ROCHELLE PHOTOGRAPHY

But deep down that anger was still there. The pain was still suffocating and it was evident in relationship choices. She was a heartbreaker, living life for herself. Partying, masking what happened to her. Not just with her fiance, but in her life period. So many of us walked around with a mask on, pre-COVID-19, and tried to pretend that everything was okay. But no matter how hard we try to hide it, something just isn’t right. But how do you know when it’s time for a change? And how do you transform in the middle of a mess?

TRUTH 2: Decide You want to Do Better, Feel Better & Be Better

“In 2017 I walked away from the most toxic relationship in my life. After six or seven years, I found out the man I was in love with was lying about having a child. That hurt more than anything I ever experienced. It was way worse than losing my fiance, because [this was] betrayal. I was attacked, it turned physical. But in some messed-up way, I still wanted it to work. I still wanted him to want me. And that’s when I decided I can’t live like this anymore. It was my turning point.”

… I can’t live like this anymore. It was my turning point.

Randi Rossario

Decisions decide your destiny. Randi knows this all too well. In fact, it’s her number one piece of advice when you’re looking to get your mindset right. It doesn’t have to be a long-drawn-out process. Instead, it’s the moment that you decide this no longer feels good. You have permission to walk away from what no longer serves you, sis. And not in a cliche cultural way, but for real. Randi is proof of that. Because since that moment in 2017 she’s been on a healing journey that has elevated her life more than imaginable. 

The decision to live better impacted her entire life. She decided to quit her job where she wasn’t valued and create her own radio station. Instead of being limited to the struggle, she created multiple streams of income. Randi learned the power of lifting other people up and providing opportunities for them to grow. And she reconnected with a man who turned out to be the love of her life and a major key to her healing. 

But it took work. Mindset is not magical, it’s intentional. It’s painful, but the result is ultimately peace.

PHOTO CRED: SHAWN ROCHELLE PHOTOGRAPHY
  • But it took work.
  • Mindset is not magical, it’s intentional.
  • It’s painful, but the result is ultimately peace.

“People lack the spiritual maturity to heal. We’ve been so used to functioning in dysfunction, that healing is uncomfortable. You have to be okay peeling back the layers. You have to look at your childhood trauma and get that sh*t together. When you see what’s messed up about you, you can fix it, and it’s a lifetime adjustment.

However, there are moments that life hits you with that you never expected. 

Randi married her life partner, Jay. They healed together, blended their family with her bonus kids, and their business skyrocketed. Then just like all of us, 2020 threw a wrench into their lives. But for Randi a different toll. She was pregnant during the pandemic! It’s one thing to be isolated, hiding behind masks, working from home, and navigating a new normal. It’s a completely different thing to do it while pregnant.

Nearly impossible. 

TRUTH #3 You Need Solid People in Your Life

“I don’t have a large circle. But the people I do have held me down in this season.”

The pandemic wasn’t the only thing that impacted Randi’s pregnancy. After having emergency surgery to save her baby’s life, she went into early labor at 32 weeks. She couldn’t believe her water broke. But it did! Which meant sitting in the hospital, alone, during COVID-19, with no visitors. Talk about a toll on the mental. She was quarantined during quarantine. Then after birth, she had to leave her son in the hospital to receive the care he needed. 

If you’re a mom you know the impact that childbirth has on you. But there are few women who managed it in a pandemic. Randi was one of them. When we asked her how she shared this with us. 

“You have to have people to lean on and that you can communicate with. My husband is an awesome life partner. We literally switched off. He made sure I could sleep and he handled Peace at night so I could rest. And he knows when my energy is off. He gives me space, he takes over, he helps me.”

You need people in your life too. Maybe it’s’ your husband, sister, or best friend. No matter who it is Randi encourages you to share your expectations and what you need with people you trust. And you have to communicate with them. “Having silent expectations is a way to play yourself.” Instead `Randi encourages you to vocalize when you’re not okay. No longer can you suppress your feelings in your relationships if you want to get and keep your mind right. You need to express yourself consistently. 

Vocalize when you’re not okay. No longer can you suppress your feelings in your relationships if you want to get and keep your mind right. you need to express yourself, consistently.

These truths are themes that are evident and life-changing in Randi’s life. And now she is sharing them with you. Not because she’s so much better. But because she’s gone through enough pain to produce peace. And she knows that if something has hurt her, then someone else has to learn from it too. So instead of keeping all the knowledge to herself she’s finding a need and serving the solution to the world. In hopes that you will pass along that same energy to someone else.

Today Randi is running an empire, raising her kids, creating a legacy, and building a business with her life partner. While she doesn’t know what is coming next, she knows it will be greatness and she’s ready to share it with the world. If you want to be inspired by Randi even more, make sure you follow her on social media and learn to keep strutting with the mindset queen.


The Production Team