Today we’d like to introduce you to Marline Duroseau.
Hi Marline, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in sunny Miami, FL. I can confidently accept and describe myself as a grounded, humbled and accomplished woman.
Born to Haitian immigrant parents and raised in the neighborhood of Little Haiti, I remained destined to make my parents proud. I am a successful CFO, CPA, and Management Business Professional with a 20-year career. I am also an Educator, a Doctoral candidate, and an Entrepreneur. Author is the latest accomplishment I can now add to the list.
What started off as an outlet to cope and express my feelings while dealing with Infertility and child loss, has resulted in my first published work, titled “It’ll Happen By 30: A Relentless Journey of Faith | Delayed but not Denied.” On a continual mission to help others on their journey and spread awareness of Infertility, I am very proud of the book, which can also be found in the Library of Congress.
The book has catapulted me into the next phase and role in my life as a Fertility Advocate and an Advocate for all things Women. After launching the company, MCD Business Enterprise LLC, I am now an Entrepreneur who sets out to empower and help build confidence among my fellow female cohorts. “Where Women Matter” is the motto behind the driving force that keeps me going.
Keeping in line with the Christian teachings of offering time, talent, and treasure, I hold volunteer roles in a multitude of capacities. I proudly serve as the Chairperson for the Finance Committee at the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I have served as a CCD (religious education) instructor for the church in an effort to give back to the faith community and enrich the younger generation.
As the Treasurer for my local Homeowners Association, I volunteer my time to ensure the residential community functions well to meet the needs of my fellow homeowners. Furthermore, I am an Ambassador and CFO with the non-profit organization, Filling Empty Wombs (FEW). FEW was founded with the purpose of further assisting, bringing awareness, and advocating for those families who are suffering with Infertility or have suffered loss and feel voiceless.
I am blissfully celebrating 20 years of marriage to my husband, Kevens. I am a mother to 4 sons, Richard, my bonus, twins Kason and Kamden, and the youngest, Kevens Benjamin (KB). When not working, Kevens and I invest in spending lots of time with our boys and coming up with new ways to nourish our family dynamic.
All in all, we overcame and beat Infertility. The end of everyone’s journey may not look the same. However, I am here to serve as living proof that it can happen for you. I want to provide the support needed on your journey. I am a proud Author and a Fertility Advocate and aim to help shine the light on the struggles that still exist. I want to offer hope and be a resource to those women and families currently on their journey, all while empowering women across the globe to share their stories and use their voices.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My mother, and father too, always told me that nothing good in life or worth having comes easy.
Although challenges exist, I relied on my inherent talents, wisdom, and discernment to help navigate the tough decisions and obstacles that arise. When faced with an obstacle, I remember what my parents told me. I use that reminder as a way to ground myself, re-center, and try to figure out either the next steps or brace myself for the challenging ride.
Never did I imagine that I would birth a business that is focused primarily on advocating and empowering women. Not that I did not think it was important, rather I was not counting on the heartbreak and loss I experienced being the foundation it would be built on.
My husband and I endured a 15-year Infertility struggle. After trying for about 10 years, we found success with our first IVF cycle. The joy and happiness did not last long. At 22 weeks and 1 day, I delivered our daughter Angel Grace. Unfortunately, after taking about 1 and a half breaths, she passed away. To say we were devastated was an understatement.
My faith, therapy, family and close friends helped me get through as best I could. That helped me find the courage to try again. We were successful with our 2nd IVF cycle and I birthed twin boys via c-section at 26 weeks and 1 day. After a close to 4-month NICU battle, they came home and are thriving!
Of course, trying to overcome such challenges was not an easy feat. I am still not even sure how I am getting by. To add, there were more fertility, parenting and even relationship challenges along the way.
One of the main struggles for me was learning how to find my voice, learning how to speak up and advocate for myself, and learning to build confidence to believe I was worthy enough to even validate my feelings. In that struggle, my newlyfound mission and purpose were built.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Before becoming an Entrepreneur, I worked towards and established a very fulfilling academic and professional career.
I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Business with a major in Management and Int’l Business. I earned a Master’s Degree in Accounting and Financial Management. I am also a licensed FL CPA. I have since embarked on Doctoral studies and am currently working towards a Doctorate Degree in Organizational Leadership.
July 9th marked 20 years at my place of employment. I am the Chief Financial Officer in the skilled nursing and healthcare industry. I began as the Payroll Coordinator my senior year of college and worked my up the ladder. I worked various positions including Payroll, Accounting, A/P, A/R, Governmental Reporting, Audits, Management, and now CFO.
I manage a direct staff of 26. I also manage the entire financial operation that oversees 10 non-profit facility locations with 1,200 employees. I am known for my leadership and management style. Employees continually express their appreciation for my innate ability to listen and effectively manage while providing leadership and guidance, day in and day out. My team wonders how I do it all without losing my cool or making anyone feel less than, especially during really stressful and hectic days.
After being mentored by the CEO, former CFO, and HR Director, I was able to practice and build on the required leadership skills in order to continually succeed within the company. Over the past 20 years, those 3 individuals took me under their wings. They saw something in me. They became dedicated to my success as much as I was. That, in part, is what propelled me along all these years.
I am most proud of my ability to help and empathize with others. When you take the time to effectively listen and understand where others are coming from, only then can we work towards proper resolution and make the best decisions for everyone involved. Ultimately, life is about living up to our best capacity and helping each other up along the way. There comes a time in all of our lives when we will need that helping hand.
What sets me apart is my inherent need to keep going and not give up. Education is extremely important to me. My parents reminded me of this almost daily growing up. What stands out about this reminder is they explained education is not only obtained in school. Each day we live offers an opportunity to educate ourselves and learn.
We can learn from anyone on any given day. On your darkest days, a lesson exists, even if not visible right away. My quest to continue to learn is what sets me apart. The more I learn, the more I grow.
I am open to and even welcome honest and open criticism. Often difficult to hear, it serves as an opportunity for me to learn and improve. I never solely relied on my titles, roles, intelligence, academic accolades, experiences, etc. Instead, I defer to my ability to exercise discernment, in order to make the best decisions possible at the time, and continue to learn and help others.
My professional experience serves as the foundation my company, MCD Business Enterprise, LLC, is built on. The motto of my company is Where Women Matter. Woman, You Matter, is among the motivational messages I will lead with to empower those that appear on my path. Hopefully that gives my clients the trust and strength they need to share their stories and seek help. Given the complexities and vulnerabilities involved when dealing with Infertility, pregnancy and child loss, and the labyrinth of just being a career woman and a female overall, I aim to offer and serve as a resource for the voiceless and those in need of help. Providing talks as a Fertility Advocate and Leadership Professional are services I am currently and actively working on at this time as well.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
It is important to ask questions. Never forget the reason you started out. When a dream is birthed, it does not come without ups, downs, twists, and turns. It is important to stay the course and exercise all the options available before giving up or changing course.
Once you know you’ve done everything you can, more than likely you won’t have regrets, as you cannot go back and change ‘what if.’ It is important to remain focused when trying to build your business or build your brand. You may have to make sacrifices like time, energy, family, and friends. Just keep in mind it is temporary and for a good cause that will pay off in the end.
I wish I knew how important it is to ask for help. As much as we’d like to think we can do everything, you cannot; at least not all at the same time. I also wish I knew how much power we women have in all we do. That inherent power is what we need to exercise in order to help other women and people along their own journeys.
Through every stage of my life, I wish I was more open to asking for help and not thinking it was unbecoming to do so. I needed help as a rookie management professional. I needed help as a new wife. I needed help as a new mom. I needed help as an author. I needed help as a new business owner.
I am happy to now ask for all the help I need and welcome it openly and without feelings of guilt or unworthiness.
Pricing:
- www.happenbook.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Etsy, Books and Books, Libreri Mapou Little Haiti
- It’ll Happen By 30 – Hard Cover $35
- It’ll Happen By 30 – Paperback $25
- Speaking Bookings…in progress; still to come
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/mcduroseau
- Instagram: @itllhappenbook
- Twitter: @LadyMarDuro
- Youtube: Marline Duroseau
- Other: www.marlinecduroseau.com
Image Credits
The Echelon Firm, South Florida Fertility Expo, IVF Florida, and Little Haiti Book Festival
