Elise Roberts is an award-winning news reporter and TV producer with over a decade of experience. Tireless dedication to her craft catapulted Elise from broadcast journalism to producing segments for one of the most respected and recognized news networks, CNN/HLN. When she’s not in front of the camera, Elise enjoys hosting community events, fashion and interior design. Multi-talented and beautiful, she transitions from role to role with ease and confidence. It was my pleasure to speak with Elise and learn more about what has influenced her most. Get all the details in her interview.
What did you dream of being as a child?
Funny enough, I always wanted to be a ‘news lady’ when I grew up. Every night, my family would tune in to the local news and I always thought the women handled themselves with so much poise and grace. not to mention, they were confident in their delivery and knew what they were talking about. It didn’t take long for me to figure out, this is exactly what I want to do. I would read out loud to my Barbie’s. In fact, I would read just about anything out loud that had words on it. By middle school, my love for writing also grew. I did the school announcements, won essay projects and scholarships. I even contributed an essay for the program of my high school commencement. No one was surprised when I became a journalist.
Was there a person in your life who heavily influenced your career choices?
You know the saying: It takes a village. That is definitely the case for me. I have friends and mentors who help me along the way. And like many women on TV, Oprah laid my foundation for media. Much like myself, she heard no countless times but her perseverance made her one of the most successful women of our time. She’s never boxed herself in to just being a TV News anchor. She knew when and how to move on in a way that used all of her talents. I’ve the pleasure of meeting and interacting with her on two occasions where I thanked her for being unapologetically herself. I also gained some valuable career advice that I have kept to myself for quite sometime.
On the other hand, there are people whom I’ve never met who helped shape my career. Tamron Hall is at the top off the list. She writes her own rules and it’s nice to see a confident beautiful woman of color who can hang with the best of them and do it with sass.
What’s your favorite room to style and why?
My love of fashion easily translates to my love of decor. I’ve always said if I weren’t working in TV, I would definitely be in design. Whether fashion or home decor. Lucky for me, my friends and family always call on me to help design their spaces so I get to dabble in it quite a bit. The living space is my favorite space. I love finding great anchor pieces of furniture and then layering fantastic rugs, art and accessories. I’m currently obsessed with the designs of Monet Masters. These ladies are phenomenal!
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t worry. You’ve got this.
What’s something that most people don’t know about you?
There’s a lot. Despite what you see on my Instastories, I’m actually pretty private. But there are a few things: I read a passage from my bible every morning, I love to dance, I don’t drink coffee, I love old school hip-hop, I think I’m the best TeeTee on the planet, and if there were a movie about my life: my family and friends would suggest that Gabrielle Union play me. How’s that? 🙂
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