How I Turned My Pain Into My Platform: The Story Behind Rose Colored Glasses

By Janelle Alexis | My Journey

People ask me all the time: “Why a book? Why now? Why share something so personal?” And every single time, my answer is the same. Because I needed to read this book when I was going through it, and it didn’t exist. So I wrote it.

Where It All Started

Rose Colored Glasses isn’t a motivational book in the traditional sense. It’s a raw, honest, 28-chapter memoir about what happens when the life you built — the relationships, the identity, the image you projected to the world — starts to crack. And then shatters. And then how you decide what to build from the rubble.

I spent years seeing my life through rose-colored glasses. I minimized things that hurt me. I told myself stories that kept me comfortable but kept me stuck. I smiled for the camera and kept it moving. And for a long time, that felt like strength. It wasn’t. It was avoidance wrapped in a pretty filter.

The Moment I Decided to Write It

There was a specific night — I won’t share all the details here because that’s what the book is for — but there was a night where I was sitting in my car in my own driveway and I just started talking into my voice memos. Not crying, not ranting. Just talking. Clear and calm, like I was finally ready to tell the truth to someone who deserved to hear it.

Those voice memos became the skeleton of Rose Colored Glasses. Over 18 months, I turned them into 28 chapters that move through betrayal, identity, entrepreneurship, motherhood, faith, forgiveness, and ultimately — power. Real power. The kind you can’t lose because it comes from the inside.

What I Want Readers to Take Away

More than anything, I want women who read this book to feel seen. Not inspired in a vague, Pinterest-quote kind of way. Actually seen. I want you to read a chapter and think, “Oh my God, she said the thing I never said out loud.” I want the book to be the permission slip you didn’t know you needed — to stop performing okayness. To actually process. To actually heal. And then, to actually rise.

I also want the women in my life who are entrepreneurs, beauty professionals, or both — to see that your business does not have to be separate from your story. Your vulnerability is not a liability. Your truth is your brand differentiator.

Working With Beyond Publishing

Publishing with Beyond Publishing was an experience in itself. They understood from day one that this wasn’t just a book — it was a movement I was trying to start. The support I received throughout the process, from manuscript to cover design to distribution, was exactly what a first-time author needs. I’m grateful for that partnership every single day.

The book launched in 2026 and is available on Amazon and Apple Books. If you’ve already read it and it meant something to you — please leave a review. Those reviews mean more than you know.

What’s Next

The book is just the beginning. I’m taking it on the road — speaking, book signings, women’s events. If you want to have me speak at your event or organization, visit my speaking page. And if you want to be first to know about everything that’s coming, get on the newsletter.

Thank you for showing up for this story. It wasn’t easy to tell. But I’m so glad I did.

— Janelle Alexis