Meet Veronica Rogers | Artist/Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Veronica Rogers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Veronica, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After receiving the news in 2021 about the tragic loss of my oldest daughter, I wanted to figure out a way to survive and keep her legacy alive. I knew I had to figure out a way to move forward and figure out who I was without her. I found I was not able to be as reliable as an employer would need me to be anymore after my horrible loss. My emotions were scattered and my life was derailed. In this case, I was unsure of what steps I needed to take to survive. I had many years of experience in a wide variety of areas ranging from customer service to sales. Because of this, I was able to harness this experience and turn it into a business where I could work on my terms. My prior experience always had everything to do with helping others. So, I started a DBA where I was able to begin my new journey. I started my “Life After Loss” collection in memory of my beautiful girl. I created artwork, making not only original artwork in paintings but a clothing line as well. I not only began healing through my artwork, but I also have been able to continue my healing by helping others with everything I do. It is crucial for me to be able to spread awareness about the dangers of addiction and at the same time help others who have had loss heal as well. My business has everything to do with spreading love.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My “Life After Loss” collection was born after the tragic loss of my beautiful daughter, Ashley Nicole Rissi. One day while showering the words, “The bravest thing I ever did was learn to live again” entered my mind. I felt that I needed to do something with this. So I began a clothing line stemming from this. I also do both acrylic paints and sketching mixed into my art. I love photography where I make my own arrangements of flowers and candles, then photograph them putting them on canvas or in a frame. All of my artwork sends a message of hope, healing, and love. It is made to bring all of us together who are suffering through times of grief so we can all make it through together.

This was in no way easy. While I have a lot of experience in many areas, to be able to get to this place in my life, starting this business has been difficult. Not only have I had to keep my mind organized and clear in order to move forward, but I have been financing everything needed on my own. I am overcoming my everyday challenges with the main focus of keeping my daughters memory alive.

I learn lessons every day about resilience strength and the importance of organization. I also am learning to be open to new things along the way. I am learning self-confidence and to trust myself as well.

I want the world to know that those of us who are grieving are not alone. Life can be unbearable at times, but there is always hope and love to keep us all going. Regardless of what you are dealing with and what brought you to this horrible grieving process, you are never alone and we are all in this together.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting, I would take them to the river in Arizona of course! This is one of my favorite places, where there is so much to do. We would relax and catch up for a bit and from there I would take her rafting down the river. I would plan to have a car waiting for us where our stopping point would be so that we would not need to worry about paddling back up the river. From there we would change and I would take her to my favorite restaurant on the golf course! We would just spend the day relaxing and chatting. In the evening, we would go to Laughlin where there are a million things we could do!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a big shoutout to my best friend and husband, Brad Rogers. Without him, as my life partner, I do not feel I would be here today. He is an amazing man who always puts others before himself. He has carried not only my weight but the weight of our devastating loss recently. He is the motor behind everything I do and for this, I am truly blessed and thankful.

Website: https://www.ashleyrissicharities.org/

Instagram: @artbyveronicahazel

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