We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Crystal-Ann Roberts a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Crystal-Ann, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

Thank you for having me. When reflecting on my journey, I can’t help but attribute a significant part of it to my mother. She’s a remarkable woman, the embodiment of determination and hard work. Though she struggled financially she single-handedly raised my siblings and me. Her journey took her from Jamaica to the U.S., leaving us behind at first, only to return three years later, this time bringing us along.

During those years, my mother faced unimaginable challenges, yet she never once considered giving up. Her unwavering resilience, determination, and fortitude served as a source of inspiration for all of us. Her life and story have fueled my drive to pursue my dreams against all odds. I dedicate this piece to her – a tribute to her incredible strength and the endless opportunities she created for us.

Crystal-Ann, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Sure, I’m Crystal-Ann Roberts. I’m a wife and mother of two boys, family is the first joy of my life. I am also a registered nurse, and the owner of Jonah’s Birth, a childbirth education company. My passion lies in women’s health. This began in childhood and has only grown ever since. Currently I am a High-Risk Obstetrics nurse, working in this field I’ve witnessed the lesser-known complexities of pregnancy. It’s given me a deeper love and appreciation for pregnancy and the work we do in this unique field. It’s my work and personal birthing experience that inspired me to start Jonah’s Birth. I saw a need for better childbirth education, particularly among black women, to reduce complications and improve birth outcomes. There were so much these families just didn’t know. I knew educating them early could impact the outcomes we were seeing. My mission intensified, my purpose in life, aside from my family and faith in God, is to help women achieve safe and trauma-free births.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Yes, there are several books that has impacted me. I would like to mention 2; The one that has helped to shape my voice and confidence most recently is My Brand Compass by Terri-Karelle Reid. This book is a practical guide to helping anyone discover who they are in this world, guiding them towards their purpose in a world where being authentic can be very challenging especially when much of our interactions are web based. This book has helped me to deep dive practically into how I think and how others see me and allowed me to reflect on whether those two line up. If they don’t I’m offered specific tools and activities to create manful change.

The book that has solidified my purpose and need to create impactful change for women’s health is Pregnant While Black by Dr. Monique Rainford. Wat this book did for me was to offer a deep dive into why we are seeing the outcomes present in the US pertaining to black maternal health. The passion was ignited even more after reading this book; I have a lot of work to do. Everyone should read this book.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When my husband and I just started Jonah’s Birth we quickly found ourselves working around the clock to build the foundations of this business. I realized that I wanted to do it all and save the world all at once. I started to see my life especially my personal life suffer. I started to feel overwhelmed and burnt out, and the business was just in its beginning stages. I had to learn the tough lesson of putting me first. It’s easy to put work and everyone else in-front of yourself. But now I know the importance of slowing down and taking time to focus on 1 main thing and making time for rest and family. This is a lesson that repeats itself, based on life’s seasons, but I make it a constant reminder to evaluate my time and make time for what matters most.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jonahsbirth.com
• Instagram: @jonahsbirth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonahsbirth
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/crystalannroberts
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jonahsbirth

Image Credits
Keis Photography