Rashelle Y.
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Birth month? August
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Marriage anniversary date? September 04
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What is your family heritage? We can trace my dad’s side of the family back to the Bahamas 🇧🇸 and they made it to the United States through Key West, FL before dispersing as far north in Florida as Bartow. My mom’s family also happens to have Bahamian heritage as well as Native American.
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What is your spouse’s family heritage? My husband actually did his ancestral DNA and it showed that he had a high percentage of West African heritage, from Ghana 🇬🇠to be exact, which makes perfect sense, because most of his roots on his dad’s side can be traced back to South Carolina! Then his father’s people dispersed into parts of Georgia, mainly Augusta. It also showed like 12% of European on my husband’s DNA kit too, that goes to show you where the “blending” came in once his enslaved people were brought to America. He can only trace his mom’s people to where most of them still reside right now and that is Plant City, FL.
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How many children? I have 2 beautiful boys: RJ and Christian.
RJ will be 23 in September and Chris will be 19 the end of this month. -
Do you have pets? I have one grand dog, his name is Hemi, like the engine. He belongs to my son, Christian.
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What is your occupation(s)? Up until COVID hit, I was working in my husband’s business as his Office Manager. Due to the horrific hit we took when businesses shut down and the PPP not truly being available to small businesses, he had to furlough me. I have a couple of start-up businesses that I am working on perfecting in the meantime:
The Bling Scene and Lovingly Ever After
I’m taking this time to work on a Shopify website for The Bling Scene however, Lovingly Ever After’s site is up and running due to the lovely Mrs. Consie! -
In the morning coffee, tea or smoothie? Pepsi! Yeah, it’s bad!!! I know it! I hate the taste and smell of coffee, it actually gives me headaches. I don’t like the taste of tea, although there is one that I will drink when I have a cold but it has bourbon in it, so I can’t drink that every morning, and I don’t make my own smoothies. I will only drink one of those if I’m out and I buy one.
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In the evening wine, beer or spirit? Wine! I just simply love Moscato and will drink it with any type of food. I don’t care about pairing!!
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What is your favorite phase when you get upset? “What kinda foolishness?”
(That’s the PG version, that’s one that you can publish. Trust me, there are many more, but you can’t publish those!) -
What makes you feel overwhelmed? Honestly, LIFE! Sometimes life just gets in the way!!
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What gives you strength? My kids. Even though they are young adults, they still give me strength. I still imagine that they need me (because they really don’t, they are so self-sufficient). I want to be here for them in case anything ever goes left and they need me to make it right!
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Who inspires you most? What qualities do they possess that inspire you? My husband inspires me the most. I have watched his evolution. I used to think I upgraded him, but no, he upgraded me and I now tell him that all the time. We truly complement each other. He’s my buddy! He calls our family the Fantastic Four. He takes such good care of us. I mean, our children don’t even want to move out!! He gave them the rules, he set them up with credit (both of their credit scores are better than mine), they have cars, they have full-time jobs (the oldest works for him, the baby works for Verizon), and he’s teaching them to save. All the things he didn’t know to do, all the help he didn’t have, he’s passing on to them. I’m actually crying typing this. I LOVE THAT MAN!! I was 15 and he was 17 when we met. We came from 2 different worlds. But by the grace of God, when we finally got those 2 worlds to align, we created our own universe!
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What do people mostly ask your help with? God blessed me with the ability to think. I’m pretty good with common sense and thinking things through (most of the time). They seek relationship advice because I got married so young (he was 22 and I was 20) and we’re still married, fundraising (I will help raise money or donate my own for anyone in need), political advocate (getting people to understand why they should vote and for who), and some medical advice as well. In another life I spent quite a bit of time in the medical field, OB/GYN in particular, and I believe in patient advocacy.
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Complete this sentence with anything other than your job title: I am respectful and I acknowledge the power of God.
16. You want to write a book on? Patient advocacy.
​17. If you had a warning label, what would yours say? Warning: Extremely Lovable but Lethal When Crossed!
18. What is your favorite movie of all time? Oh goodness, I really can’t pick-but for the sake of answering this question, Steel Magnolias popped in my mind. It’s definitely one of my top ten. The original, not the remake! I love movies!!
19. If you had to teach a class, what would you teach? How to become a patient advocate. I have actually written a course outline already. It’s something that I think we need. We need to learn how to advocate for ourselves and others.
20. If you could master one musical instrument, what would it be? Singing. I would consider my voice a musical instrument, I would master it, and I would use it-ALL THE TIME. You wouldn’t be able to shut me up! That’s why God didn’t give me that gift. I sound horrible! My stage name at karaoke is “Can’t Sing A Lick!”
21. What is your guilty pleasure? Shopping and traveling, just spending money in general I guess. I’ve worked hard, now I want to play harder.
22. What fictional superpower would you like to have and why? The ability to read minds. I want to know what people truly think. I’ve been burned by too many people that I thought loved me but come to find out, they didn’t have good intentions at all.
23. What's your superpower, or what's your spirit animal? My superpower is love. I love love.
24. What would your autobiography be called? I Survived.
25. What do you do for fun/relaxation? Craft, shop, travel.
26. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go? I really want to support all Black Owned establishments all over the world if I could. My first destination when COVID is over is to a Black Owned hotel in Grenada 🇬🇩 I saw in a magazine.
27. What's your favorite holiday? MY BIRTHDAY!! To me, that’s a national holiday!!! Other than that, I don’t know. They’ve all become so commercialized. Maybe New Year’s Eve.
28. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? Spend all day with my husband seeing things we’ve never seen before, laughing and talking, with not a care in the world for just that day. Wining and dining and having fun.
29. If you could bring one fictional character to life, who would it be and why? Wonder Woman because she’s my alter ego.
30. If you could change your age forever, what age would you choose and why? Probably this one, I just turned 47 and I’m loving the mindset that I’m in right now. I love where I am in my marriage and I love the things we have accomplished.
31. What did your parents teach you that you appreciate now? Hard work, honesty, and “keep living.”
Don’t go looking for a fight, but if it’s brought to you, finish it.
32. If your name was on a product, what would that product be? Common Sense!
33. If money wasn’t an issue, what would you do with your time? Travel, see the world.
34. What would you say is your proudest accomplishment to date? My children.
35. What do you geek out about? Seeing other people wear my tshirt designs.
36. What or who has been your greatest influence in business, career and/or personal life and why? Husband. See question #13, "Who inspires you the most."
37. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Hard to say-I get thoughts or ideas based on current events.
38. What’s the best advice you have received in business, career and/or personal life that you wish to pass on to our readers? Whatever is for you is for you. You don’t have to be afraid to help the next person or even someone that’s in the same field as you. Now that doesn’t mean give them each step word for word, but you can point them in the right direction. You may find that you can even collaborate on some projects or refer back and forth to each other.
In your personal life, that’s just what it is, PERSONAL! You don’t tell it to everyone. Not everyone has your best interest at heart. Not everyone is praying for you. Some are praying against you or preying on you.
39. What are some challenges, difficulties, and hardships you’ve overcome or are working to overcome? How can what you've learned help others? I am spoiled. I pretty much always got what I wanted within reason. I wasn’t afraid to get out there and work 2-3 jobs at a time when I had positions that didn’t pay much but I wanted to live a certain way or have certain things. I went from living in my mother’s house with her husband to living with my husband. I have never lived on my own. My dad always lived in Atlanta. When I wanted something and I couldn’t pay for it myself and one of the 3 people around me wouldn’t get it, I called daddy. Daddy always came through. I was in my early 40’s before it was the first time daddy told me NO and I almost passed out. I had never heard those words come out of his mouth before. I thought I heard him wrong. Then he said, “I’m sorry sweetie.” That’s how I knew he was talking to me. I had to sit down in a chair. They had to get me a glass of water. My whole world had been “shooketh.” But being who I am, I hoped that what I wanted would still be there and I went back 2 weeks later and got it myself. I don’t give up!
I said all that to say that I had to grow up. I was horrible with budgeting and money. I would spend all mine then expect my husband to take care of me. By the time I turned 45, he got sick of it and started trying to make me “responsible.” Took away my credit cards and wouldn’t give me any more money when I spent mine, no matter how much I whined and begged. It was awful. A horrible learning curve! I didn’t think I was gonna make it!! I even let him sell my car! We were at a standoff! But it’s the best thing he could have ever done for me. Now I’m very responsible, I’m fixing my credit, I’m into buying stocks, CDs, I let a lot of my materialistic habits go, and I’m even investing in my home.
He wanted to make sure I could function if anything were to happen to him. Being a “kept” woman is cool and all, but it’s not so cool when that man is no longer here and you’re stuck to fend for yourself and you must absolutely live off of a monthly budget.
40. What advice would you give yourself 3 years ago? 3 years from now? Advice 3 years ago- let it go, you can’t save everyone, listen to your husband.
Advice 3 years from now- keep it up girl, you’re on the right track, full speed ahead and don’t look back.
41. What’s something you keep telling yourself you’ll do when you retire, or when you “have the time”? Read more. I see myself reading a book under a palm tree on the beach. I just keep having that vision.
42. What’s something about yourself or your life that might surprise others to learn? I am a strong Black woman and I can handle whatever comes my way if I have to, but I really don’t want to. My weakness used to be money. It’s not anymore. I was REALLY bad with it. Sometimes I do get weak, but I know I can’t stay there. I do suffer from depression and anxiety and I do take medication for it.
43. What’s your theme song? Why? "Fine" by Mary J. Blige. Most of the words speak to me and it’s a catchy tune.
“I ain't gon' let nothing get in my way
(I ain't gone let nobody bring me down, no, no, no)
No matter what nobody has to say
(No way, no way, no way)
I ain't gon' let nothing get in my way
No matter what nobody has to say
Feels so good, when you're doing all the things that you want to do
Get the best out of life, treat yourself to something new
It's a really good thing to say
That I won't change my life, my life's just fine”
44. What’s a quote that inspires you and why? I can’t believe what you say, because I see what you do.” -James Baldwin
Because my mama used to say, “Actions speak louder than words,” and as I got older, especially as an adult, that resonated with me more than ever. People can tell you anything with their mouths but turn around and do something totally different with their actions. The mouth will say I love you but the actions will say I hate you and I always have.
45. What is one thing you really appreciate about your spouse? How he loves on his boys, his precious boys. From the time they were born, he doted on them and he hasn’t stopped. People think it’s me that spoiled them, but nope, it’s their dad. Now don’t get it twisted, he makes them do right. They have to listen, follow the rules, he didn’t play about those grades and all that, but whatever their little hearts desired, they got it.
46. What tv show(s) or movie(s) do you and your spouse enjoy watching together? We love watching anything funny together and my husband likes to hit when he laughs, so I’m constantly getting beat up the whole time we are watching whatever!!! We still laugh off of old episodes of Martin and watching old movies like Life, Harlem Nights, and things like that.
47. What chores does your spouse help you with around the house you really appreciate? He mops the floors.
He’s also the one that cooks breakfast on the weekends.
48. How often would you like to go out on a date night? Once a week.
49. If you were ruler of your own country what would be the first law you would introduce? That’s a hard one - Universal basic income for everyone!
50. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers? I am a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, Zeta Eta Zeta Chapter, Ft. Pierce, FL
This is our Centennial year for Zeta Phi Beta but due to COVID, our gathering in Washington DC was canceled. We had to celebrate virtually at this time, but when all of this is over, I’m sure the sea of Royal Blue and Pure White will proceed with it’s DC takeover that’s been 100 years in the making so look out for us!
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