Today we’d like to introduce you to Marisa Roberson.
Hi Marisa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a mother, serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, creative and social justice advocate. I’m a native Louisianian, therefore, I LIVE for cajun food, dance and music! I attended Louisiana State University, in which I earned a B.S. in Marketing. I have plans to complete my MBA in Spring 2022. I relocated to Frisco, Texas, with my handsome and inquisitive eight year old, Ryan Patrick, in January 2020. My work ethic, character and heavy involvement in the community has allowed me to be a pillar in my hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. My career experience has been in Higher Education, Government Administration, Non-Profit, Diversity and Inclusion, Financial Services, Student Advisement, Instructing, and Mentoring. I plan to continue being my authentic self and make a difference in my newfound community.
My pathway to real estate was influenced by my mother, as well as advocacy. At the age of 42, my mother was the first on my maternal side of the family to own a home. She was extremely proud of this accomplishment for herself. . She had been a stay-at-home mother for almost 20 years. My father took care of the bills and she took care of the household. However, their relationship became tumultuous and ended. My mother ventured out on her own, without any hesitation! My mother began working in social work, in which she started working with the homeless population as a case manager.
Over the years, she continued in social work and retired from the YWCA of Shreveport as a Domestic Violence Advocate. As I began to work in the community, whether it was a volunteer or a paid position, I definitely covered my mother’s footsteps. My interest in real estate was primarily because I believe that homeownership is a pathway to obtain and transfer wealth. I love to share resources with people. I will continue to be a vessel to as many people as possible. I have always advocated for many areas such as entrepreneurship for women, fair housing, higher education, juvenile justice reform, social justice and children with disabilities. Each of these areas has personally affected me and I am a VOICE in the community.t
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My path has not been easy but I always persevered! I think to truly understand me, you have to know my story as a rebellious teenager. Although I haven’t been a teenager in almost 20 years, I had a pivotal moment to make the right choice, that’ll lead me to be the relentless woman I am today. I was always a high-level academic child, which I prided myself on being an honor roll student. However, in high school, my behavior took a turn for the worst. I went through most of my teen years, in and out of juvenile detention centers. I was even expelled out of my neighborhood school and went to an alternative school. I had so much defiance and anger inside of me.
After years of defiant behavior, a juvenile judge sentenced me to a year in a juvenile jail for girls in South Louisiana. After I was released, I went back to my neighborhood school and completed my high school diploma. I began thinking about college and the rest of my life. It was a pivotal time to overcome my emotions and get back to being an avid reader and learner.
One of my full circle moments for me was when I was invited to the juvenile detention center as a guest speaker. I helped create a program for the “at-risk” girls with one of the administrators, in which I met many years ago. I mentored countless young girls and women in the power of choices, personal image and style and career counseling. I know what it feels like to not have many people, including family, not to believe in you. This is one of my life’s purposes is to relay to individuals that made mistakes or “imperfect” people, that they can change for the better. Just believe in yourself.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Frisco Stars. I also have my designation as a Texas Affordable Housing Specialist (TAHS). I serve the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. I work with individuals who want to buy, sell, invest and/or lease real estate. Also, provide a free apartment locating service. I work with all price points, including 1st time homebuyers, down payment assistance, luxury and beyond! I take pride in working with first-time homebuyers and low-income families. The areas that set me apart from other realtors is my advocacy stance and eclectic personal style. As a professional, black millennial woman, I am a firm believer in being my authentic self. I value honesty, integrity and fairness, in myself and with my clients. You will always receive a competent, caring, and FABULOUS agent!
I mentioned earlier about personal styling. I created my image consultant business, Style Repertoire Inc., in 2013. It is a Louisiana-based business, which I started in my hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. I’ve always enjoyed expressing myself outwardly! As I was in college at Louisiana State University, I worked at various retail stores such as Zales Jewelers, Dillard’s (Contemporary), BeBe, etc. I received many compliments on my style and had many customers that requested my assistance. Well, it became serious for me when my niche market, the professional woman, asked me to style them for various events and to recreate their looks from their closet. The business developed into more once I delved deeper into the motivation of a look. I went on to eventually speak at community organizations for teen girls about personal imagery. I plan to expand my business in Frisco, Texas, in which I reside. It’s coming soon!
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
As a child, I was very shy. I loved reading so I delved deep into books. We had an encyclopedia set (yes, I’m an older millennial) and I used to read and learn as much as I could. I was definitely an inquisitive child. My mother introduced me to the arts. I took ballet and piano. I didn’t enjoy ballet much but I did like the piano. Today, I consider myself a self-taught artist. As a child, I loved to sketch. I have so many sketch pads with so many drawings. To this day, my mom still has paintings and sculpture in which I created.
Contact Info:
- Email: marisaroberson@kw.com
- Website: marisaroberson.kw.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marisainthecity/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marisainthecity/
Image Credits
Styled by: Styles by Marisa
Photography by: For Beauty Sake
Makeup by: For Beauty Sake CFT Flyer
Photography by: Kim Leeson
