Testimonials

I have been fortunate to work with Rosie Molinary on several fronts, but primarily as an attendee in a Thrive Retreat and as a conference facilitator where she was a featured speaker. As an attendee, I walked away from her session armed with confidence to set and hold boundaries and create the balance I needed to be a more thoughtful leader who also has the time and space for peace and joy. If that seems like it might be a tall order – I assure you, for this neurodivergent people-pleasing mom – it was. Those couple of days with Rosie made a significant impact for me personally and professionally. So, when the opportunity came to share her work with the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers audience, it was an easy choice. She has presented at our annual conference several times and the sessions are well attended. At our 2024 event, she presented, “Practicing Care in the Workplace,” and 100% of our attendees rated it as “excellent” or “good.” One foundation leader said, “I left with some great ideas on how to build more care into our culture!”

One bonus of working with Rosie is that you will learn something just in the planning of events or in casual conversations. Her professionalism and thoughtful approach means each learning opportunity will be well-planned and exceed the expectations of our audience. I believe all associations like our’s should focus on caring for staff and stakeholders as much as traditional professional development, and I know NCNG members will be learning from Rosie for a long time to come.

Sarah Mann Willcox, Executive Director of NCNG

Rosie is both a great storyteller and powerful advocate for self-care. She practices what she preaches, so the tools are useful and she has a realistic approach and an engaging style to the way she presents the information. Her passion is felt from the onset and inspires and motivates the audience she is speaking to, plus she has a lot of credibility as a nonprofit founder and board member herself. She was a favorite in our onsite program because of both her delivery and her content. Look no further for a charismatic personality with a message that resonates!

Valerie Stewart, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC Foundation

Rosie Molinary lights up a room the moment she enters. Rosie’s contagious enthusiasm for helping each woman live the life she wants inspired our group beyond my expectations. I hired Rosie to speak at to the Charlotte General Electric’s Women’s Network about the tools she developed to help women create their own “Hopeful Year” based on the recommendation of a colleague that had participated in a similar workshop with Rosie at the Charlotte Junior League.  Rosie taught us to use information to make changes rather than to be judgmental and self-critical. She taught us how to be more purposeful rather than getting wrapped up in a list of to dos created based on others’ needs. Rosie’s real life examples hit home for all of us. Her casual, down-to-earth style led everyone to be an active participant. Rosie drove us to dig deeper into what we each really want and to examine why we aren’t giving it to ourselves. Then she gave us the tools we need to make changes in our lives and to be proud of ourselves for who we are and what we want to do with our time. Rosie was an inspiration to all of us. Every woman in attendance raved about how inspiring Rosie was and they all left talking about how they are going to make their lives happier. I cannot thank Rosie enough for the gifts she imparted on our GE community.

Lisa Firestone, Wharton MBA

Over 200 students, faculty, and staff members gathered for Rosie’s “10 Truths for Your Self-Acceptance Journey” workshop at Middlebury College. Between reading to us part of her newest book, sharing meaningful anecdotes about her own life, and teaching us how to identify images that have been poorly constructed and often butchered in Photoshop, Rosie was the perfect combination of funny, powerful, and moving. She articulated clear and practical advice for individuals to move towards self-acceptance while simultaneously engaging the audience to consider the power of passion and purpose. Rosie’s warmth and positivity were contagious throughout the room, and I left feeling energized and inspired to both respect myself and encourage others to recognize their self worth. 

Sayre Weir, Middlebury College

Thank you so much for coming to talk to my class today. I hope you enjoyed presenting to my Adolescent Development psychology class as much as I enjoyed listening to it. I sat in the front and center during your presentation and was inspired from the very beginning as you started off with how when figuring out and presenting who we really are during our interactions with other people, the only consistent reaction we should expect must come from ourselves. I am a sophomore… and your talk today not only served as a deep inspiration to the kind of research I hope to accomplish one day, but also allowed me to note that there are other people in this world who have gone through remarkably similar challenging experiences and, furthermore, were able to use those experiences to inspire them to achieve great things. Your talk today led me to think through all of my personal experiences and view them, as you illustrated, as yet another piece of the unique lens that all individuals see and can share with their own perspectives. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you coming to share your research and perspective as well as the perspectives of hundreds of Latina women and people of color in general. Thank you.

Davidson College Student 

We invited Rosie to speak to our campus community as a prelude to National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. With enthusiasm, compassion, and humor, Rosie talked with our audience about how to identify barriers to positive body image and advice for eliminating those barriers. She also walked attendees through a critique of several mass media artifacts, including examples of both male and female images. Rosie spoke from a place of experience and authority, and nothing sums it up better than the words of one attendee: “This event changed my life.”

D. Milton Stokes, PhD, MPH, RD, CD-N, University of Saint Joseph

Rosie Molinary was a big hit on our campus! Faculty and students were very pleased with her presentation. Ms. Molinary has an engaging and natural presentation style that draws the audience in. Even though I read her book in advance of the workshop, I gained further insights and information that I try to incorporate into my daily life. After the presentation, students were eager to talk with Ms. Molinary privately to get her advice on some of their personal concerns, and several campus organizations want her to return and be a part of their events.



Judith Porter
, Gaston College


Working with Rosie at visionSPARK is the best form of self-care to start the new year with intention, community, and reflection.  Rosie creates the kindest, most welcoming space for this workshop. One of Rosie’s superpowers is her ability to see people, and with kindness support them to reach the next level of love for themselves. I walked away from visionSPARK deeply rooted in my intention for the year.  I can see the actions of my intention and how I can call in my intention as a daily practice.  I deeply appreciate Rosie, her leadership and her contribution to me. 

Jennifer Fowler 

As a psychologist, my job involves helping others ask themselves questions and reflect on patterns that may lead to better insight and emotional health. Too often, helpers fail to help themselves. Giving myself the gift of a morning with Rosie at visionSPARK was a wonderful way to start my year with intention and self-care. I was especially grateful for the materials provided in advance of the session, which gave me time to thoughtfully prepare. The workshop helped me generate a word to guide my year, and I really do think of it daily as a touchstone in my decision-making.  Rosie has a wonderful way of engaging a group. Her own warmth, honesty, and vulnerability invites others to join her there, and the results are powerful. 

Susan Campbell 

I attended Rosie’s VisionSPARK workshop with the hopes of setting some clearer work goals for myself. Those hopes were met and far surpassed. Just by spending time with Rosie I felt smarter, more grounded, and more capable. One of her coolest gifts is the ability to listen to women and extract the truth about what they are feeling. I think this has something to do with her amazing insight and incredible vocabulary… Rosie is like a modern day shaman and midwife; she sees your best potential and then helps you deliver it to the world.

Michelle Icard
, Author and Speaker

Attending a visionSPARK workshop has become one of my favorite holiday traditions. It’s nice to have a special time to reflect on the previous year and to set intentions for the new year. Rosie is gifted in asking questions that cause you to think more deeply and to see things more clearly. I love the spirit of camaraderie and encouragement that always seems to occur among attendees. Having a vision board to take home that reminds you of your hopes is a gift that lasts all year.

Mary Sherrill Ware 

Rosie’s welcoming presence, her insistence that we all deserved to and could live up to our full potential, and the support of the other participants, were the encouragement I needed to start moving forward again… Rosie shows you how to open your mind and heart to the possibilities of your own life. In a few short hours, we learned how to identify, then neutralize, the fear and negativity that stood between us and our desires…Thanks to VisionSPARK, I’ve been more creative, more willing to step out of my comfort zone, and kinder to myself in general. Signing up for one of Rosie’s workshops is one of the best gifts you can give yourself!

Lisa Rubenson 

The visionSPARK workshop changed my year!  I had more focus than I ever have. My word for the year really guided me through some difficult times which in turn helped me to shape two new career opportunities. Rosie was so easy to open up to and to work with, she makes the vision process easy and fun!  I hope to make this a part of my new year routine EVERY year!

Malone Lockaby

I am so grateful for the retreat and all that it offered. Rosie’s message is exactly what I needed. Rosie’s story is inspirational and through that I was able to find my own story. The real story, not the one I have imagined through others’ eyes. Mine. I have new tools to continue the search growing ever closer to my truth. I am excited about the possibilities and I look forward to the next retreat.  

Tonya Rush   

visionSPARK was just what I needed to really fine tune my vision for the year. I left with a clearer perspective than I came with. I have always had a vision board of sorts in my head but something about laying it out in a tangible way proved a more interesting and revealing process than I expected. Rosie is awesome at asking the right questions to get you thinking about what you really want. I use my ‘word for the year’ daily in making decisions and in my approach to everything.

Allison Andrews 

I have had the pleasure of introducing staff I supervise at two different agencies to the talents of Rosie Molinary. My work is in the field of community mental health and child welfare and my colleagues and I work with challenging subject matter. I have chosen to spend staff appreciation funds and time engaging in motivating and uplifting activities rather than the traditional meal out together. This has proven to be incredible for team cohesion and for me to provide high-quality and meaningful supervision. Reflecting on how we want to show up in the world, how we spend our time, and what is important to us, is an incredibly important grounding practice that helps us do our work better and to be able to sustain our commitment to the challenges we face. I would highly recommend Rosie and her tender, thoughtful, creative approach to group facilitation and professional development. 

Mary Kathryn Elkins, Pat’s Place 

Rosie Molinary spoke to a group of our high school girls in a small forum. The message she brought from her two books was an incredible gift to all who heard her speak. Rosie is so affirming in her manner and openness to dialogue wherever the student enters the conversation. She uses energetic, fresh language students can relate to and her examples are connected to the experience they are presently engaged with. Our students were thrilled to hear her speak, wanted to read her books and could not stop talking about the conversations they had one on one with her after the presentation. We were particularly pleased with the role modeling Rosie provided to our young Latinas. In her they saw a strong, educated and ambitious woman who was proud of her heritage, confident in her abilities and open to engage the world around her.  

Clinton L. Carbon, Dwight-Englewood School 

Rosie Molinary has presented for Davidson College students many times. She is a dynamic speaker who speaks openly, honestly and with humor about her research and books about Latina women, self and body image, and her current writing projects. Rosie is a wonderful facilitator of self-exploration. It is her ability to relate to her audience and draw them in that has been particularly meaningful to our students. We feel so lucky to have such a wise and wonderful speaker in Rosie and look forward to having her back on campus again.  

Georgia Ringle, Davidson College 

I came in contact with Rosie as I was organizing a diversity training for our staff at the company I work for, and had the bright idea of bringing her in as a guest speaker. I didn’t realize what a treat it would be until the moment Rosie shared her brilliant ideas with me on how to make this experience unique. Our staff of about 30 people expected a typical training with a monotone speaker in a “not so fun” environment. The workshop was the exact opposite! Rosie’s talk was interactive, informative, dynamic, and personable. Rosie’s ability to read a crowd, keep the group interested and involved is spot on! Staff members thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and complimented her work for days after the event.

Rosanny Crumpton, Developmental Disabilities Resources  

I attended Rosie’s presentation on Hijas Americanas at UNC-Wilmington. As an avid reader… I was excited to have her visit campus to talk about the challenges facing young Latina women today. She is a terrifically warm, engaging person, willing to take the time to give everyone she meets individual attention and respect. Meeting Rosie, you realize that the mentorship she promotes with Circle de Luz is something she practices in everyday life. Her presentation was truly an eye-opener for me–she blends statistics and personal anecdotes in a way that is sure to capture the attention of many college-age audiences. If you have the opportunity to bring Rosie to your campus, attend one of her workshops, or buy her books, I recommend it.  

Hope Bordeauz, MLS/MFA

Rosie’s genuine warmth and powerful personality made her presence and her message a gift to our students and school… Rosie’s message about the truths that we need to focus on in order to counteract all of those negative voices in our lives impacted not only me, but especially the female students at my school. Since the presentation, I have heard girls correcting each other when they hear someone making a negative comment about either their bodies or some other element of themselves. I have also heard girls talk more openly about some of the pressures that they internalized.
You should absolutely book Rosie or go to one of her workshops or retreats! I’m thankful for her books, blogs and other written work because they give me daily reminders, but it was amazing to have Rosie here to share her message and talk through so many of the lies that hold us back from living full lives.

Alison Holby
, Episcopal High School 

Rosie Molinary spoke with my adolescent development class at Davidson College on the experience of Latinas who are coming of age in the United States.  Rosie is a dynamic, engaging speaker who opened students’ eyes to an important problem in America. Her passion for education, inclusivity, and empowerment was thought-provoking and inspiring. Our class benefited markedly from hearing about Rosie’s perspective and research, and we would recommend her to any class.

Lauren Stutts, Davidson College 

The Passion Purpose Peace retreat hosted at Scarritt Bennett Center in Nashville, TN was truly a transformative experience. As a young woman, it was an amazing experience to get together with women from all stages in life and talk about what it means to have purpose and to uncover it. It is a really cool thing to learn that we’re all just trying to figure it out and you can be just as unsure about what comes next at 22 as you are at 42! Rosie’s techniques and resources allowed us as a group and individuals to move beyond fear and uncertainty and to focus in on what matters to us and why. Once I understood what I actually want out of my life, and not what convention, or magazines, or fear want my life to look like, the retreat propelled me into a space where I could grasp those newfound realities and turn them into meaningful and manageable action steps. What I really liked though is that the learning experience was balanced. We all had a ton of energy as we were revisiting the passions of our youth or early life or discovering emerging passions and patterns, but a large chunk of the day was focused on self-care. It is easy to go headlong into a dream or goal and then to get burnt out, but we learned in the retreat to stay grounded in wellness and self-awareness in order to make our changes sustainable.

My favorite activity of the retreat was creating mission statements. Not only is it great to have a visual reminder of what I want from my life and a way to regain balance and directions, but the process we went through to create our personal mission statement has been applicable at my job for writing organizational, project, and proposal mission statements. This retreat was one of my favorites that I have attended and I don’t think it will be topped soon. Thanks, Rosie!

Jaime Zito

Rosie brings the perfect balance of encouragement and practical wisdom to her retreats. When I was struggling with my professional future, I scheduled a Passion. Purpose. Plunge. retreat because I wanted a thought partner in thinking through my next steps. Rosie helped me tremendously in planning for my transition in a holistic way, and I walked away with a much clearer vision of what I wanted for my life and how I was going to achieve it. I have been singing her praises to friends and colleagues ever since.

Katey Zeh

If I could describe my retreat experience in one word, it would be REJUVENATING. Rosie has a great mix of wonderful, whimsical enthusiasm and specific, organized planning. These came together to create a plan for my upcoming year that excites me and challenges me. It’s no longer a clump of vague ideas wrestling with each other, but a set plan that purposefully moves me forward and offers many opportunities for growth and new experiences… Having Rosie as a mentor is refreshing and life-giving… No matter where you are or what you’re looking for in life, Rosie will provide a safe space and affirming ways to go forward. 

Claire Asbury 

The visionSPARK workshop was truly genuine and powerful. Rosie knows her authentic self and radiates her passion during the entire session. She is laser focused on her goals and it’s infectious. Sometimes that can be intimidating coming from the speaker because you think, “I can never be as pulled together”. Yet, she is humble, forthright and open to sharing her proven methods. The best part is, she takes you through the very simple steps of empowering you to develop your own authentic voice and leads you down a proven path toward achieving your own clear goals. The workshop is concise and turn-key; you walk out empowered, and better yet, laser focused on your steps for the next twelve months. 

Holly Schoolmeester

Rosie has the unique gifts of wisdom, discipline, focus and fun which makes her retreat valuable on every level. I came into the coaching confused and left with clarity, focus, practical plans and a sense that my life contains infinite possibility undergirded by a solid strategy. And I had a wonderful time! 

Ruth Pittard

Rosie is such an inspiring person to be around, but she doesn’t just throw out platitudes. Every minute spent with her is time well spent. Rosie gives specific and insightful information that helps a person move forward with their goals and dreams!

Retreat Participant