Rose Barroso Built an Empire, But First She Had to Break the Silence

For years, Rose Barroso did what survivors are praised for doing best…she kept going.

She built businesses in male-dominated industries. She raised a family. She showed up polished, capable, and successful. From the outside, her life looked like proof that she had “made it.” But inside, something was missing.

“I realized survival without a voice is still a form of silence,” Rose says.

That realization became the breaking point, and the beginning. In her debut memoir, Indestructible, Rose draws a clear line between enduring life and owning it. With unflinching honesty, she confronts childhood abandonment, buried trauma, and the quiet loneliness behind public success, revealing that strength isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you build, brick by brick, truth by truth.

This story is about what happens when a woman stops asking for permission, refuses to be diminished, and decides that healing isn’t weakness; it’s power.

And once Rose Barroso found her voice, there was no going back.

Check out the interview below. 

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Your memoir is titled Indestructible. At what point in your life did you realize survival alone wasn’t enough, and you wanted transformation?

Rose: When I realized survival without a voice is still a form of silence. For years, I acted normal, built businesses, raised a family And sure, from the outside it looked like I had ‘made it.’

But I failed to escape and bury my past. This was the moment I understood that if I didn’t speak the words out loud, it would continue affect me. This book was the line between surviving and owning my story

You write candidly about childhood trauma. What was the hardest truth you had to confront while writing this book?

Rose: The hardest truth to tell was admitting that I felt abandoned. People see me now as strong, capable, unshakeable, but strength is something I built, not something I was born with. Writing about that loneliness forced me to expose a vulnerability I’d long outgrown. Admitting I once felt that way was uncomfortable, but it was also necessary. You can’t tell a story about resilience without first telling the truth about the cracks.

Many people see your success in luxury real estate and construction, but not the internal battles behind it. How did unhealed trauma show up in your professional life?

Rose: The unhealed trauma showed up in the moments I wasn’t being heard. When my voice was dismissed, when I was reduced to someone’s wife or daughter instead of being seen as the decision-maker in the room, those moments hit deeper than people realized. But they also shaped me. I learned to stand firmer, speak more clearly, and show up stronger, not to prove myself, but to refuse being belittled. 

You’ve built success in two male-dominated industries. What did you have to unlearn about power, confidence, and self-worth to claim your space?

Rose: I had to learn that power does not need permission. I already knew I deserved a seat at the table; I just had to claim it. I learned that confidence doesn’t come from arrogance or loudness, but from speaking with clarity and conviction. When you communicate from that place, respect follows. I never backed away from a room or a table. I stayed, I spoke, and I owned my presence.

The book challenges the idea that healing makes you “soft.” What does healing actually look like for high-performing women?

Rose: Healing doesn’t make you soft; it actually proves how brave you are. For high-performing women, healing is survival. It’s choosing movement over stagnation, growth over staying stuck. It’s the willingness to break cycles instead of repeating them. Healing is the act of strength that allows you to move forward with clarity, power, and intention.

Were there moments you almost didn’t publish Indestructible out of fear or self-protection? What pushed you forward?

Rose: Absolutely yes. I stopped for over two years. No writing, no thinking, I completely stalled. I questioned whether my story mattered and what value it would bring to the world. What pushed me forward was realizing that my daughter’s friends, and so many young women like them, needed role models, support, and guidance. They told me they felt stronger after talking with me. That thought became bigger than my fear. I finished the book to show up for those who feel alone.

What would you say to women who are thriving publicly but still struggling privately?

Rose: I would say that struggling is absolutely fine. There are more of us struggling privately than anyone realizes or cares to admit. Struggling is okay. Crying is okay. Taking a moment, or even a break, is okay. The only problem is stopping altogether. That’s the real enemy. Keep moving forward, even in small steps, and you’ll find your strength.

How did becoming a wife and mother reshape your understanding of strength and vulnerability?

Rose:  Becoming a wife didn’t change me much, I don’t think. I was clear about my independence and where my finish line was. But becoming a mother changed me in ways I never expected. I became vulnerable because I wanted to be truly present and supportive. I became strong because I wanted to teach my children how to show up better, day after day. Motherhood taught me that strength and vulnerability aren’t opposites.

If readers walk away with just one lesson from Indestructible, what do you hope it is?

Rose: We all carry trauma in one way or another, but the lesson I hope readers take away is this: there is hope. The universe has a different plan for you, even when it doesn’t feel that way. Set dreams, move forward with passion and compassion, and believe that you can. 

You’ve received powerful responses from readers. What reaction has stayed with you the most?

Rose: I’ve received so many messages, but what stays with me most is when readers tell me they needed to hear “this”. That the book spoke truths about trauma, life, and love that are often swept under the rug in life in order to keep moving and feel sane. They leave knowing what they need to do next and what they have been missing. And that makes every word I wrote worth it.

What’s next for Rose Barroso both personally and professionally, now that your story is out in the world?

Rose: Personally, I’m not entirely sure what’s next. But I do know this: no one will ever be allowed to blow out my flame. The love I give must be returned in the same currency. Professionally, there’s never been anything that stopped me, and that won’t change now. I’ll keep pushing forward, and most likely, I’ll write more. I may want to write about professional/career passion, about women, and about the role models and support we can be for one another.