Meet Rolanda Pyle

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rolanda Pyle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rolanda , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I’m not sure if I found my purpose, or my purpose found me. As a young girl, all I knew is that I wanted to help people. I grew in a home with my siblings and my dad. My mother left when I was toddler, and my paternal grandmother stepped in to help my dad raise us. But I never felt complete and knew that somehow through my own experience that I wanted to help others. I was quiet and introverted as a child, but loved writing. I always preferred writing to talking. My 8th grade teacher told me that I had a creative writing ability and that stuck with me. So I kept journals and then began to write poetry and short stories. I also became a social worker and worked in several aspects in the field.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My profession is a social worker and I have worked in a couple of areas during my career. I started out in foster care and then moved to foster care prevention where we helped families in need of services. I would recruit volunteers to help the mothers learn how to raise their children. I found that older volunteers worked better and were better received by the mothers and they learned more. A friend who I worked went to an agency where they received funds to start a program for grandparents raising grandchildren. He asked me to come on board to run it. The program grew and later the NYC Department for the Aging asked me to come on board as the Director of their Grandparent Resource Center. Later I went to work for the national Brookdale Foundations Relatives as Parents Program . So I what I started doing locally, I ended up doing at the city level and then nationally. I realized this had become one of my callings because I had lived it.

I was always writing poems for special occasions- birthdays, anniversaries, holidays special occasions along with other things. Folks started telling me I should publish my poems. So I did and my first book was, “Finally”- a collection of inspirational poems. Since then I compiled a devotional anthology – “Beneath His Everlasting Wings” and published my first children’s book, “Grandma’s Hands”. In 2003 I was the Winner of the 2023 Poetry Is Life Book Award and they published my 2nd poetry book, “ALL THINGS”. My work has been published in religious and community newspapers, magazines, anthologies, collections and journals. I have received many recognitions and awards. In April 2004, New York’s Daily News named me one of the “100 Women Who Shape Our City.”

More information about my books can be found on my website, https://www.roroscommunications.com

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think for me with writing it was the creativity, inspiration and motivation and knowing that I wanted a way to express myself. I think when you self publish it also takes stamina because the process can be challenging and long . Sometimes you have to overcome writers block and other life interruptions but once you know your purpose, you keep on going, so focus is also important.

I would advise someone early in their journey to hang in there. First it is always good to get with others, who can advise, instruct and mentor you. So join an author’s group or get with other authors.

I would also say to seek and know what direction you want to go in. Do you want to publish a book or write songs or write plays or just tell your story verbally? Once you know the direction, find out the best way to get to your destination.
But most of all, don’t give up and stay strong through the process. Sometimes the process can be long and tiring but stick with it.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

The book that played an important role in my development was Maya’s Angelou’s “I know why the Caged Bird Sings”. Her book helped as a young girl because she grew up without her mother in the home and I was able to relate and felt I was no longer felt so alone in the situation. But what it also did for me , was helped me realize that everyone has a story to tell and that someone else is waiting for and will be blessed by your story. It doesn’t also have to be told through writing, but can be through other methods, but tell it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.roroscommunications.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roroscommunications/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rorosrainbow
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolanda-pyle-b91ba314

Image Credits

Rolanda Pyle