Meet Roshawn (Ms. Ro) Dorsey | CEO/Founder Ms. Ro’s Dance Closet

We had the good fortune of connecting with Roshawn (Ms. Ro) Dorsey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Roshawn (Ms. Ro), we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Before opening Ms. Ro’s Dance Closet I had previously had a dance studio (at the time I did not know it was called entrepreneurship or any kind of title. I just knew I wanted to teach dance. SO, I DID. After 10 years and recovering from major injuries (Broken Neck and ruptured disc in my back from previous car accidents) I had to close my beloved school. Depression set in. One day I walked into a dancewear store to purchase something for my daughter. I literally stood there and said this is what I will do next. I realized I needed to “create a new twist to my dream”. I had never had one desire to sale clothes or own a retail store. I did not know how many shoes and what sizes to order, or what a credit card machine was. I did know the need in our community for a store like this, a store that could cater to the skin tones of our brown and black dancers, a store that could keep funds in our community. I saw this as a way of empowering the next generation. By fostering a culture of inclusivity. I wanted to make a positive impact and knock down barriers. SO, I DID IT. I did it scared, I did the research, and over a decade later we are still here.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Ms. Ro’s Dance Closet was opened in 2012 it is currently the only Dance-Wear Boutique located in South Fulton County. If my research is correct I am one of only two black-owned brick-and-mortar stores in the state of Ga and only 6 in the United States
I am very proud of the impact that Ms. Ro’s Dance Closet has had on the lives of dancers, especially young brown and black girls who have found representation and validation through our skin tone attire. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see dancers of all backgrounds walk into our boutique and leave feeling seen, valued and celebrated for who they are. I like to tell the story of … A mom who came into our story in a hurry running late for dance class and she grabbed her daughter’s skin-tone tights (coffee colored), but when she got to the car the little girl (about 6 years old) was crying so bad because she didn’t want those chocolate/coffee colored tights. After all, nobody else in her class would be wearing that color. And so her mom stopped what she was doing and came back into the store she said, “Could you please talk to my daughter because she’s not listening to me. She’s not hearing that this is for her”. My daughter (a young adult) who is a “coffee skin tone” talked to her and told her how beautiful she was. And she said, This is what color I wear. And this color will be beautiful on you. And right at that moment, another customer walked in. I said Hey! What color tights do you wear and she said “Coffee”
The little girl just looked at both of them and she was just enamored with the fact that here are two girls, that I can look up to, and then she skipped out of there with her coffee tights. … we’re the village, we are the example.
I am very proud of the customer experience we offer, I am excited by our community involvement and the non-profit 501c3 organization that was founded by myself and a former student. Permission To FLY (Fully Love Yourself), geared toward women and girls with rare visible medical conditions (vitiligo, bell’s palsy, alopecia, albinism, scoliosis, eczema, and more) we mentor through advocacy, inspiration, and the performing arts. Again, this ties into our brand of inclusivity.

One of the biggest business challenges for me has been learning to let go of the reigns and let other people help, delegating. It’s hard because as much as you get tired of wearing every single hat, you don’t believe anyone else can do it. But you can’t truly scale your business if you are continuously in the business and not out being the CEO and running and growing the business, It is also essential to find people who know more than you so that you continue to learn.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am profoundly grateful for the unwavering support and encouragement of my loving family, especially my mom. From the very beginning, my mom has been my rock, my biggest cheerleader, and my source of strength. Her strong belief in me, she never questioned what, where, when, or why. She would just say OK. Let’s not forget those motherly financial handouts when needed. The fact that she is heavy into arts and crafts was a bonus and allowed us to create some of our own products. I am Ms. Ro she became known as Mama Ro

Website: msrosdancecloset.com, permissiontofly.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msrosdancecloset/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roshawn-ms-ro-dorsey-326a7423/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msrosdancewear

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsw9yc_N6E7SsiRV087Zc_g

Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIAXxa8-XQHHdFP6tjkKBzQ Permission To FLY youtube

Image Credits
Shocphoto, Sakina Bennet Lauren Love Bree Buxton, Jonesie D. Photos