Today we’d like to introduce you to Rose Jones.
Hi Rose, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story really begins in Cleveland, Ohio. I grew up in circumstances that taught me some of life’s greatest lessons before I was old enough to understand that I was learning them. We didn’t always have much, and there were periods when my family had to rely on the kindness of others. I remember going to the City Mission with my mom to get clothes and feeling embarrassed about it.
I remember us carrying our belongings down the street because we didn’t have a car. My mom would tell me, “Who cares? These people don’t know you.” At the time, I just wanted the embarrassment to go away. As an adult, I understand what she was teaching me. Keep going. Do what you have to do. There is no shame in surviving a difficult season.
There were also people who opened their homes to my mother and us when we needed somewhere to stay. What makes that even more meaningful to me today is that they weren’t family. They simply saw a family that needed somewhere to land and made room for us. Looking back, that was a blessing. It taught me very early that it truly does take a village, and sometimes your village includes people who don’t share your last name. You never forget the people who extended kindness to you when they didn’t have to.
Those experiences gave me humility and shaped the way I see people today. When you’ve needed help yourself, it becomes harder to look down on someone else for needing it. Circumstances can tell you where someone is at a particular moment, but they don’t tell you who that person is or where they’re capable of going.
I was also a very observant child. I noticed things people probably didn’t realize I noticed. By fourth grade, I understood enough about myself to recognize that some of what was happening around me was affecting my ability to be fully present in school, so I put myself in tutoring. Looking back, I see an early version of the woman I am today. Even when I didn’t have all the answers, there was something in me that wanted to find a way forward.
My teenage years brought another lesson in independence when I had to leave home. My educational journey wasn’t perfect either, but I learned that a difficult season or setback did not have to become the final definition of what I was capable of. When I went to college, I pushed myself tremendously, sometimes taking more than 18 credit hours in a semester and attending during the summers. I ultimately earned my bachelor’s degree a year early. Today, I’m continuing my education as a graduate student at Wayne State University.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that the accomplishments aren’t necessarily the most important part of my story. It’s what happened between the obstacles and the accomplishments. It’s the decision to keep moving when life doesn’t look the way you imagined. It’s learning not to judge someone by the season you happen to meet them in.
That perspective is part of what eventually led me to create Speak & Inspire Foundation. I wanted to create something centered around people feeling seen, heard, supported and reminded that they belong here too. I’ve always wanted to understand people beyond the surface. I want to know what keeps someone going, what they’ve overcome, what they still dream about and how many mountains God has already moved in their life.
My name is Rose, and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found so much meaning in my name. Roses are beautiful, but people sometimes forget about everything happening beneath the surface that allows them to grow. My faith, the people God placed along my path and even some of the difficult seasons helped strengthen my roots.
I don’t look back at where I came from with shame. I look back with gratitude, humility and perspective. My story has taught me that where someone starts is not a prediction of where they’ll finish. I’m still growing, still learning and still becoming, but if my story can remind even one person that a difficult chapter does not have to become their entire story, then there is purpose in sharing it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I’ve learned that a smooth road isn’t necessarily what builds you. Some of my greatest lessons came from seasons I probably would not have chosen for myself.
Growing up, I experienced instability, financial hardship and having to become independent earlier than I expected. There were also times when things happening around me affected me emotionally and academically. For a long time, I think I became good at smiling and continuing on even when there was much more happening beneath the surface.
One of the greatest losses of my life was losing my father on September 9, 2017. I was on a Greyhound heading home when the doctor called me, and I remember breaking down crying. A complete stranger saw me and comforted me. I will never forget that. It was another reminder that sometimes God sends kindness through people who may never know how much their presence meant in that moment.
My dad was a man of faith, and one of the greatest things he ever told me was to make sure I developed my own relationship with God. At the time, I don’t think I fully understood how important those words would become. As life continued and I experienced grief, disappointment, uncertainty and moments when I felt alone, I began to understand. Faith became more than something I believed. It became something I had to lean on.
I’ve also learned that resilience does not mean pretending something didn’t hurt. I think sometimes we celebrate people for being strong without acknowledging what strength actually costs. There have been times when I cried, questioned myself, overthought things and had to find my footing again. Fortitude, to me, is not never falling apart. It is having the courage to put the pieces back together and continue forward with greater wisdom.
Another lesson I’ve learned is not to judge people by the chapter of their life that I happen to witness. Someone can be struggling financially, grieving, starting over, lacking support or simply trying to find their direction, and none of those things determine their value or their potential. I know that because there were chapters of my own life that would not have predicted the woman I would eventually become.
I’m still learning. I still have moments when I don’t have everything figured out, and I think being able to admit that is part of growth too. What has changed is that I no longer believe every difficult season means something has gone wrong. Sometimes a season is teaching you patience, humility, discernment, compassion or simply how much strength God has already placed inside of you.
Looking back, I wouldn’t call the road smooth, but I can see purpose throughout it. I can see the people God placed along the way. I can see the lessons my parents gave me. I can see moments that once felt like setbacks becoming part of the perspective I carry today. Most importantly, I’ve learned that you can experience difficult things without allowing them to make your heart hard. I think that may be one of the greatest forms of strength.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Speak and Inspire Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization built around a simple belief that every person has a story, every voice has value, and sometimes people just need to know that someone sees them.
Our work focuses on community outreach, youth and student support, storytelling, encouragement and creating opportunities to help people move forward. One thing that is important to me is that Speak and Inspire never becomes an organization that only talks about making an impact. I want us to be present in the community and willing to meet people where they are.
Most recently, we hosted a Back to School outreach in Lansing where we distributed approximately 36 bags filled with school supplies and personal hygiene essentials to students. I didn’t just want to set up a table and wait for people to come to us. I walked up to families, introduced myself and invited them over. That may seem like a small detail, but to me it represents what Speak & Inspire is about. Sometimes you have to go to people instead of expecting them to come to you.
Our initiatives extend beyond education. We are continuing to develop outreach for people experiencing homelessness, support for college students, scholarships, community giving initiatives and opportunities that allow people to share their experiences and encourage someone else through their story.
The storytelling component is especially important to me. I want Speak and Inspire to create space for real people to talk about real life. I’m interested in the person behind the accomplishment, the person rebuilding after a difficult season, the person whose story may never make the news but could change someone’s perspective if given the opportunity to be heard. Sometimes inspiration isn’t found in having the perfect story. Sometimes it is found in somebody being honest enough to say, “This is what I went through, and I kept going.”
I think what sets Speak and Inspire apart is that I don’t want service to ever feel transactional. If we give someone a backpack, a meal, a hygiene kit or another resource, I want dignity to come with it. I don’t believe someone should have to prove that they are struggling enough to deserve kindness. I also don’t want people to feel like their difficult circumstances are being used for content. People deserve to be helped whether or not there is a camera present.
Brand wise, I’m most proud that Speak and Inspire is beginning to become something people can actually experience. Seeing our logo on the table at our Back to School outreach was special, but watching children walk away carrying our bags meant more. A brand can have beautiful colors, a logo and a website, but ultimately people will remember how your organization made them feel.
Our message is “Your voice is your power,” and I want people to understand that we mean it. Your circumstances do not erase your voice. Your age does not erase your voice. Your financial situation does not erase your voice. Your story does not have to look perfect to have value.
Speak and Inspire is still growing, and I’m actually proud to say that because readers are getting to see us in the building stages. I have a much larger vision for where we can go, but I also believe impact starts with what you can do right now. If today that means helping 21 students prepare for school, feeding someone who is hungry or simply sitting down long enough to hear someone’s story, then that matters.
Ultimately, I want Speak and Inspire to become a community where people don’t just receive encouragement. They eventually realize that their own story may be the encouragement somebody else has been waiting to hear.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I wouldn’t necessarily describe myself as a risk taker. I’m more of a person who, once I decide I want something, I work toward it until it gets done. I believe there’s a difference between taking a risk and being reckless. For me, the risks I take usually have purpose behind them.
Looking back, moving from Cleveland and building a life in Michigan, continuing my education while working full time, taking on new career opportunities and starting Speak & Inspire all required me to step into something without knowing exactly how it would turn out.
Starting Speak and Inspire has probably taught me the most about this. I could have waited until I had the perfect amount of money, the perfect team or everything completely figured out, but sometimes you just have to start. Once I decided I wanted to create it, I started figuring out what needed to happen and doing it one step at a time.
I’ve learned that fear doesn’t always mean stop. Sometimes it simply means you’re doing something you’ve never done before. My faith plays a big role in that too. I believe in praying for direction, but I also believe faith requires movement. You can pray for the door to open, but when it does, you still have to walk through it.
That’s probably how I approach most things in life. If I truly want something, I’m going to work toward it. I may not know exactly how I’ll get there when I start, but I’ll figure it out along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.speakandinspirefoundation.org
- Instagram: SpeakandInspire_foundation
