We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rozia Bell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Rozia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business
The craziest thing that happened to me wasn’t in business, it was life itself. I spent five years in prison. That experience could have broken me, but instead it became the soil where my creativity and resilience grew. Sitting in a cell, I started writing pieces of what eventually became The Ache Within Me. Fast forward to now, I’m not just launching a novel, I’ve built Banks & Bell Legacy, a brand that turns stories of pain and survival into legacy and community. The craziest part? What was once my lowest point is now the reason I stand here as an author, business owner, and mentor. It’s proof that even in the darkest places, stories (and people) can rise.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Rozia Bell, founder of Banks & Bell Legacy, a storytelling brand built on resilience, creativity, and community. My journey started in a prison cell, where I spent five years rediscovering my voice through writing. What began as journal entries grew into my debut novel, The Ache Within Me, a raw, emotional drama about trauma, love, and redemption.
When I came home, I turned my story into a business. Banks & Bell Legacy isn’t just a publishing imprint, it’s a platform. I’ve launched journals and apparel to honor everyday stories and help others preserve their own.
What sets me apart is authenticity. I don’t hide my past, I use it to light the way for others. My mission is simple: to prove that you can be down, but you’re never out. Your next chapter is waiting to be written.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I didn’t start with investors or loans, I started with my trade. I’m a Journeyman Wireman, and the skills I built in the electrical field became the foundation for funding my dream. I worked long hours on the job, sometimes through exhaustion, and I made a commitment to treat a portion of every paycheck like seed money. Over time, I saved enough to invest in the essentials: editing, publishing, inventory, and building Banks & Bell Legacy from the ground up.
Being in the trades taught me discipline, structure, and the value of steady, honest work. That mindset carried over into entrepreneurship. I didn’t wait for the “perfect time” or outside backing. I used what I had, where I was, and trusted my ability to build something meaningful with my own hands.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
One of the biggest tests of my resilience came during a major life transition where I had to rebuild everything: career, reputation, stability from the ground up. I was starting over with no shortcuts, and the road ahead wasn’t glamorous.
What carried me through was the decision to treat every obstacle as raw material, not a dead end. I leaned into discipline, creative expression, and self-accountability, skills I’d sharpened in some of the toughest seasons of my life. I wrote, I planned, and I refused to let fear decide my future.
That mindset is what ultimately led to my debut novel, The Ache Within Me, and the creation of Banks & Bell Legacy. My resilience isn’t about a single moment, it’s about the daily choice to build something meaningful, even when the foundation has to be laid brick by brick.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Roziabell.com
- Instagram: Roziabell
- Facebook: Roziabell9
