Meet Rosa Nice

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

Hi Rosa, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

As a young girl, I moved around a lot from city to city as my parents were in the military and then divorced. When I finally settled into a suburb of Philadelphia, PA, called Radnor, even though I was there from 5th grade -12th grade, I was mercilessly bullied by the boys and girls of my school. I remember when the same kids that sat next to me on the bus would make whale sounds as I passed by in the halls. I recall the same girls that I went to youth group with, would ignore me in the cafeteria. This led to an extremely low self-esteem for an overweight me.

When I went to college in New Orleans at 18, I quickly got lost because I didn’t know who I was, and I had no self-confidence. I found myself a college dropout, in an abusive marriage, and with a newborn infant.
I started going to community college when my daughter was four months old, and I quickly realized that the abusive marriage could impact her growth and development. I left the abusive marriage when she was 10 months old. I had to rebuild from scratch. I left my life, my friends, my favorite city. I left my car, my clothes, my house, and pretty much everything that I had built and worked so hard for. I took a flight at 1 AM for the promise of a better life for my daughter and myself.

I moved back home to Radnor with my mom. This is where I received support from the community they allowed me to pursue my dreams. I was able to finish my Associates of Art in Psychology while I built a career in the entertainment industry. As I continue to build my platform, I use my life, my voice, and my passion to continue to find myself and help others find themselves, too.

Music is where my confidence comes from. Admitting that I had a voice, and that I should use it, is how I started to build self-esteem in a way that I never had before.

Making music helped me use my voice. I stopped being silent when people said or did things that hurt or offended me or others. Music helped me become the social advocate that I am today.
Armed with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology, a certificate in the Trauma Informed Approach, and only two classes away from achieving my Masters of Public Health, concentrating in community health sciences, I use my music, my platform, and my education to uplift myself and others.

I started boudoir modeling in February of 2020, and when I saw the results, it also changed the way I look at myself and how I build confidence. My ability to pose for and publish photographs that resonate with others, also helped me look at myself as beautiful in the way other people do.

It’s a hard journey, and it’s a daily journey to love myself and build myself up. I remind myself every day that I’m only human, as are all of us. It is important to remember that we all have flaws. Life is all about growing in developing, so if there’s something that you want, for example, I wanted self-esteem and confidence, you have to just go ahead and actively search it out and find ways to build it.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Rosa Nice is a singer, songwriter, model, social justice advocate, and a dynamic force in the entertainment industry hailing from Jacksonville, NC. Based in Philadelphia, Rosa is the CEO of Not So
Nice Records & Promotions, NSNRP, where she used her passion for music, the arts, and creativity to own and operate one of the only women-owned record labels and oh pushing companies in Pennsylvania. Rosa has cultivated a
reputation for her mesmerizing melodies and consistently high quality content through her music releases such as ‘Revolutions’ in 2019 and her inaugural EP ‘Rosa Nice to Meet You’ in 2020. Rosa was accepted into the Recording Academy as a student member in 2022 through GrammyU where she has been able to network with other student members as well as help advocate for musician rights with voting and professional members.

Educational Bio:
Shelby ‘Rosa Nice’ Richardson is a research-oriented professional, and MPH candidate, specializing in Community Health Sciences at Tulane University. With a background in psychology, the trauma-informed approach, and data science, Rosa combines her analytical skills with a passion for public
health, particularly focusing on trauma-informed anti-racism training for healthcare providers. She has researched several initiatives that address racial health disparities within the social determinants of health.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. My knowledge of music theory has helped me significantly. I studied musical theater and the violin at a young age. I was also always part of the choir. This helped me to understand basic music composition, which in turn helped me to start writing and singing my own music.

2. I graduated with a certificate in the trauma-informed approach. The TIA teaches you all about compassion for yourself and others. It teaches you how to avoid burnout and helpers fatigue. This has been very impactful on my journey because it allows me to give space for myself, including self-care like yoga and spa days, while being able to get back to my community, make my music, create content, and take care of my daughter, Noemi Reign, who is eight now.

3. I think what has also helped me is my love for people. I love to get to know people, help people, and share and get knowledge with and from people. When I left my abusive marriage, I leaned on a community of women and nonprofits that helped me get back on my feet. My mission in life is to continue educating people about the resources that are available to them, and to reach my hand out and across to others.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The recording Academy student program called Grammy has definitely been the most important factor in my development as a musician and a member of the entertainment industry. I joined Grammy when I was accepted in August 2022 as I entered by in public health program, and since that day my life has completely changed. This program has tracked me into the music industry in ways that I have never imagined. I’ve been able to meet with voting members into community service, I’ve been able to meet with voting members and lobby. Our government officials for bills like the ticket act which are from musician rights, I have been able to attend Grammy week in Los Angeles, where I made invaluable connections in the Music entertainment industry, and was able to really, initiate myself as an up-and-coming star .

Not only have the connections in Grammy. They also have events like the Grammy conference where we learn from people who are active in the music industry or on Broadway for example, we got to hear from Billy Porter in April. It has been really one of the most amazing experiences of my life Grammy you interviewed me live on the recording Academy, YouTube page which I can provide the link to you guys for, monumental moment in my life.

A lot of developments, two years to Grammy, you and all of the fellow members and the Academy staff and voting members that are all advocating for the students to become the next voting members.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Pink bathing suit pool – eleven pics photography (Atlanta, GA)

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