Today we’d like to introduce you to Calvin Roberson
Hi Calvin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in the small southern town of Halifax, VA., population 7500. We were a very poor family and my mother worked hard to provide for the five of us. It was a racially divided town bereft of positive examples for young black boys. I was pushed by my mother to do well in school. Before graduating from high school, I was advised by my guidance counselor to forget about college because I didn’t have the “stuff necessary” to get accepted. So, I determined to prove her wrong. I applied to three colleges and was accepted to two.
After graduation, I received a scholarship to grad school. After completing it, I began pastoral ministry at the age of 24. Later, I completed a Masters of Divinity degree with an emphasis in pastoral counseling, and then went on to post graduate studies in law at Capital University Law School, doctoral studies in counseling and leadership at Ashland University and Leadership studies at Cornell Univ.
I never knew what I wanted to do as a profession, but I knew I had the ability to influence others. So, I spent the next fifteen years in multiple careers, searching for one that truly matched my talents. I spent many years as a senior pastor, then a Wall Street registered financial executive. I also served as the Regional VP of Allianz life and then Dean of Arts at Duke Ellington school of the arts. In addition, I spent some time as an adjunct professor at Columbia Union College and Virginia University of Lynchburg.
Although I explored many vocations, the one consistent path I always maintained was couples’ marriage and relationship counseling. This culminated into international exposure when my wife and I were approached to counsel couples on a larger scale on Lifetime TV. I was asked to be a relationship expert on Married at first Sight and has been doing so for fifteen seasons.
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?
I have overcome numerous personal tragedies and obstacles to prepare for the journey I’m on today. In 1991 my life was changed when I received the news that my only sister had complete renal failure. After much prayer, in 1994 he donated a kidney to her. Though this was an incredible experience, the donation only lasted for three days when it failed. His sister went back on dialysis and subsequently passed away five years later.
After the market downturn in 2002, I found myself divorced, bankrupt, out of work as a single dad, living in my friend’s basement. This was undoubtedly the lowest point in my life. But it was also a turning point in my journey. I found that I had to dig deeper than I had ever done and pray hard than I had ever prayed in order to find personal strength and tenacity. It was through this faith that I recovered and within a few years, I was remarried and fully engaged in a successful counseling career with my wife Wendy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
For the last fifteen years, Wendy and I have been the co-founders of Marriage Aint for Punks LLC. We have traveled internationally presenting relationship conference to diverse audiences. In addition, we have the owners of three financial services franchises. I also had the experience of releasing my first traditionally published book, “Marriage Ain’t for Punks.” It has been critically acclaimed had seen a plethora of five-star reviews.
More recently, due to the numerous weekly requests for counseling, we’ve developed a relationship app by the same name, “Marriage Aint for Punks,” under our startup tech company Affiance Systems Corp. While our intention was just to create an app, it’s turned into so much more. Under the company, Affiance Systems, it’s scheduled to be released this summer and is a one if its kind app. One app with three applications, for married persons, seriously dating or pre-married and single marriage minded persons.
In addition, I’m a regular keynote speaker at Fortune 500 companies, conferences, financial institutions and non-profit organizations.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
We love Atlanta due to its pleasant weather and then its livability. Every city in the metro area, has its own little picturesque downtown. In addition, the energy of the city is intoxicating, with its festivals, concerts, music and sports. Wendy and I are foodies, so we thoroughly enjoy finding new places to eat and sampling different cuisines.
The one thing we don’t like is the fact that once you leave metro Atlanta, you’re in Georgia. And Georgia is not as diverse as Atlanta proper.
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