Detroit influencer's new book, “Sis, I Get It” explores black girl empowerment and sisterhood

Over the last 11 years, Randi Rossario Maples has literally talked her way into an impressive portfolio of creative endeavors. She launched Oh So! Radio in 2014, toured with a national podcast, and hosts the “The Randi Rossario Show” on Tubi. She’s also Detroit’s biggest influencer with over 600 thousand Instagram followers. 

In her latest undertaking, Maples has authored a new book, “Sis,I get It!” which is described as a journey through the ups and downs of womanhood. Throughout the book’s 145 pages, Maples shares various moments from her own life, hoping to trigger healing and understanding of the issues that women face. 

This is not Maples’ first time behind the pen. She authored “Good Day Goals: Let's Meditate: Meditation For Beginners” and “CoParent Like A Boss”. While those two bodies of work focused on particular subject matters, “Sis, I get It!” pulls from the past and recent turmoils. 

“The way I felt with these recent experiences, I felt like I couldn’t be the only woman who felt that way,” Maples says. “I know some people don’t necessarily grow from situations, sometimes you go through things and it lingers and it hurts and keeps you in a bad space so I kinda’ just wanted to write something that lets others know they weren’t alone in their experiences and they deserve better and they can get better.”

In one instance, Maples shares a story about a dispute she had with a long-time caucasian friend she originally met when she attended a predominantly white high school. The friend attended a party at a former slave plantation and shared the experience on social media.

“She tagged the plantation’s name, and it made me feel a way. And I asked her, ‘Could you have just gone without tagging it and all that, or did you consider me in this space?’” she says.

Maples admits that since she didn’t grow up in a household where it was emphasized how society could be combative against African-Americans, she had to learn how to voice herself later in life.

“I realized in that space I never knew how to vocalize myself as a black woman and as a black woman to her. So I have a story in the book about us not seeing eye to eye on politics and how that affected our friendship and things like that,” Maples says. 

Another delicate story Maples shared is about being pregnant during the pandemic. She states she had to be admitted into the hospital for a week, was only allowed one visitor a day, and her son was born 2 months premature. The entire ordeal left her feeling exasperated and insecure. 

“It was a wild experience...I felt less of a woman, just less of a person because of how I couldn't carry my baby full term,” she says.

Maples says after the release of her book last month, several NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) moms affectionately contacted her, sharing their own experiences. 

“It's difficult. You don’t even consider leaving your child at the hospital or even going through things like that when you’re in the early stages of your pregnancy,” she says.

The book is filled with more of Maples’ narratives about being a black woman and can be purchased on Amazon. A “Sis I get It!” podcast is also in the works with the first episode to be filmed at the “Black Girl Picnic" this upcoming August.