My 1st Gig: From Taco Bell to City Hall with Rosalynn Bliss

Welcome to My First Gig, hosted by me, Ryan Brown.

This is a show that explores how professionals and politicians enter the workforce, and the lessons they learned along the way.

On today's show, we have the honor of talking to Mayor Rosalind Bliss.

Let's be honest, Rosalind needs no introduction, since she has one of the more distinguished resumes of anyone here in Grand Rapids, but I'm gonna try.

As mayor of Grand Rapids, she led one of Michigan's fastest growing cities through periods of real momentum and real challenge.

From economic development to community trust, from public health to city services, Rosalind was at the center of it all, making decisions that didn't just shape policy, but shaped everyone's lives.

Her time as mayor wasn't about headlines, it was about impact, about listening, navigating complexity, and bringing people together to move a city forward.

But leadership like that doesn't just happen.

It's built over time, starting with the very first job out of college where the fundamentals take shape.

How to communicate, how to lead, and how to earn trust.

In this episode, we trace that journey, the early experiences that set the foundation, and how those lessons carried all the way through her time in public office.

Today, Rosalind has taken that experience and brought it to a new kind of leadership role as Assistant Dean and Chief External Relations Officer at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

There, she's focused on building partnerships, strengthening community connections, and advancing a mission that sits at the intersection of health, education, and impact.

Because sometimes the path from your first job to where you are today isn't a straight line.

It's a series of moments that prepare you to lead when it matters most.

Mayor Bliss, welcome to the show.