We were lucky to catch up with VS Griffin recently and have shared our conversation below.

VS, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?

My hero was born March 8, 2001. His name was Sencire V. Griffin, and he was my very first child. It may come as a surprise to those that know me to learn that I never, EVER wanted children. I was selfish and self-centered at that time in my life. It goes without saying that my parents and certain others didn’t count in regard to who was on the receiving end of my selfishness. I watched and greatly appreciated all the sacrifices my parents made for me, and I was honest enough to accept that I never wanted to be that way for anyone. I was miserable throughout my entire pregnancy. I was not happy with the trajectory that my life was now headed in. Sure, it’s easy for some to say, “Get an abortion.” or “Give the baby up for adoption.” However, I was raised to face the consequences of my actions and decisions, so I did. Not a day goes by that I’m not thankful for choosing to keep my son.
“You’re just thankful for him because he died.”
That couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m thankful for him. Period.
So, why is my son my hero? Because, from the moment he transitioned from inside of me to my arms…
He. Changed. My. Life.
The person I am today is only possible because God used him to bring out the best parts of me that I never knew existed.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I became a writer by pure involuntary determination. It’s ironic that the very thing I loathed became one of my greatest loves. I had a strong sense of urgency to share my life story and being the perfectionist I am, I wanted to hire a professional writer to bring my story to life. I ran into a major problem: Ghostwriters are super expensive, and the great ones are booked and busy.
So, one New Year’s Eve, I was invited to a house party of someone I had never even met. I went to the party and left with a new friend. Her name was Cecilia Austin aka The Yellow Bandit. To make a long story short, once we began the story outline, she informed me that she would not be writing the story for me. She told me that she would become my mentor and guide me through the entire process but that no one could deliver the emotion the story deserved, like I would be able to. The rest is now history in the making.
In January of this year, I launched a mobile app on iOS and Android called “ON THE ROX” and it is a new social platform similar in nature to what’s currently available, except there isn’t any “jail” or posting censorships. My app is respectful of all cultures and their colloquialisms.
Now that Ceci no longer here in person, I choose to give back to her memory by raising funds to develop a feature “ROX RIDES” to add to the app. Once fully operational, this feature will allow inebriated, tipsy or intoxicated individuals to request a safe ride once a day 24/7. I believe that this type of service shouldn’t only be provided around the holidays but every day. This feature is being developed through my nonprofit organization, the PGM Foundation and all donations are tax deductible.

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For majority of my life, I worked in a creative field. At the age of 11 years old, I began to play the piano professionally at different churches and functions around Houston. In addition to that, I obtained my operator’s license and became a manicurist. Then in 2018, I became a published author. My family is supportive. They buy my books, share my posts, attend my events…
They will also ask when I am getting a “real job”?
I have accepted that majority non-creatives do not understand creatives. There’s no explanation available that will help in trying to explain it. The reverse of that is also valid, I do not understand waking up every day, to go to a building and be around
a group of people that you don’t like or that don’t like you, Plus, deal with the politics of elevation and all the other hassles in Corporate America. Then to put the icing on the cake, just deal with being miserable instead of leaving and at least attempting to find another company that will appreciate you.
So, I have decided to not judge non-creatives for their decisions and hopefully they will in turn learn to respect the lives of the creatives. We need each other to make this world function.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe word of mouth helped to build my reputation. My dearly departed mentor, Cecilia Austin would regularly invite me to various industry events, and I always heard her say, “This is the writer I was telling you about.” when making introductions. I have received speaking engagement requests based on word of mouth about my books. So, for me, word of mouth has been the main factor in building my reputation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vsgriffin.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/authorvsgriffin
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/authorvsgriffin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vs-griffin-33b90438/
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/authorvsgriffin
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GinOnTheRox/about
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits:
Gin on the Rox cover – Omar Auzenne of Auzenne Photography