Carolyn Wiley is the founder of Rose & Pearl Publishing, where she helps faith-driven entrepreneurs and coaches write and publish their signature book—one that builds authority, attracts aligned clients, and creates lasting Kingdom impact.

With a background in mathematics, higher education leadership, and multi-seven-figure book publishing, Carolyn brings both strategy and story to the writing process. She has co-authored a statistics textbook used by top schools across the nation and now serves as a prophetic publishing partner to CEOs who know they're called to more.

Carolyn believes your book is not just something you write—it's something you steward. Her work centers on helping leaders translate their message into a book that carries clarity, conviction, and legacy.

She lives in Mississippi with her husband and daughter and is passionate about faith, family, and helping others "write it anyway."

Website:

https://roseandpearl.net

Welcome to 12-Minute Converse with Jesus Believers.

God chose first to have a conversation with us, His creation.

Our prayer is that this listening space brings growth and transforms your life forever.

Praise God for you, Dr. Carolyn.

What part of the world are you in today?

I am in North Mississippi.

So if you think of the United States, kind of south middle right there at Memphis, that's where I'm located.

Sounds like a fun location, like you get to be between states if you need to, you just drive north, right?

Exactly, very easily.

So my first question, I'm really intrigued, I'd love to know how did your background in mathematics contribute to your success in the book publishing world?

Well, it's actually what taught me about book publishing, because ironically, God put both writing and mathematics into my DNA, you know, He builds into us the resources and the gifts that we need to fulfill the purposes that He has for us.

So I always had a love of both numbers and words.

When I was a college professor, myself and two friends of mine who are also instructors, were teaching statistics, and we just weren't thrilled with the curriculum that was available.

So we began writing our own, then we realized that what we had in front of us was actually a book.

So we began approaching some publishers, and our dream publisher said, yes, we would love to publish this.

And that was over 20 years ago.

And so through that process, I was able to be introduced to the publishing world, how that works, what editors do, cover designers, all of these different individuals that work within the publishing industry.

And it was such a fundamental education in how that industry works.

Having no idea at the time that 20 years later, God would call me to start my own publishing company, doing what you do similarly, but in word form, sharing God's stories through the written word in books.

How does it feel looking back from then to know the mistakes you may have made?

And of course, how they've helped you help others not make the mistakes?

Well, I would say the biggest mistake I made was fear based, right?

And God tells us do not be afraid, be strong and be of good courage.

And yet I fell into that mistake over and over, staying small, playing small, not realizing that I had the abilities, I had been gifted with them by God and that he would walk me through so that when he called me to these bigger stages and bigger audiences, I would be ready, I would have the capacity, I would have the skill sets.

And I just was too scared because I was looking at my own abilities.

I was looking at myself like, can I actually do this?

And when I finally was at just a very low point, I just came to the bottom of myself and realized, no, I can't do it.

But that's not the point.

God can do it.

But he has called me to it.

So I need to step up and do as he has asked.

When did you meet Jesus?

Oh, that's such a great question.

So I met Jesus when I was nine years old in Sunday school at church.

I had grown up in church, but there was just something about that day where I heard for the first time, oh, when he was on the cross, that was because of my sins.

It wasn't generic anymore.

The Holy Spirit really spoke to me about how that was very much about me.

But then in my twenties, I walked away from God for about 14 years, living a lifestyle of just all kinds of sin, very similar to the prodigal son story.

And God is so gracious and so kind that he just never gave up.

When you're his child, even when you turn and walk away and sin, he's not going to let you continue in that.

He's going to draw you back to himself.

He disciplines those children because he loves them.

And so he did.

After 14 years, he drew me back to himself and I returned with a fresh vigor, fresh hunger because of the fact that I had walked in that sinful lifestyle for 14 years.

I knew how much I needed Jesus.

Because of your mathematical mind, where does God not work or is it that he always works even in the maths?

One of the things that I have heard scientists say is that if you keep going mathematically and learning more and more and more, it just becomes even harder to fathom that there's not a creator because the mathematics and the science are just too perfect for there not to have been a creator that makes all of it.

When you think of time and how quickly it passes by, of course, the timer is always clicking.

What is something you wish that you could do going forward in the future?

Oh, that's such a good question.

I would love to see Rosenberg Publishing become such a big name in the publishing industry because of the number of stories that are being shared, that it creates a revival.

Very good.

All right, five years from today, you're listening to this conversation.

What's a message you'd leave for future you?

The way you get to where you want to be, oh, this even got me emotional, is by continuing to show up and do the things every day.

It's the boring everyday actions that will get you where you want to be.

Your emotions, which you've laid out in this conversation, run deep.

I've heard you confess your sins openly and then you've, as well, opened up again by expressing the emotions that go with what you just said.

How important is it for us to have that heart to God?

Oh, I think it's vital, but I think he gives it to us.

Understanding the depth of our sin and then the depth of his love, it's hard not to get emotional about that.

As long as we're not allowing our emotions to lead us away from God or to dictate what we're doing in a way that is counterproductive, they're really good and amazing and given by God and can be honored as such.

Well, let me get you back up to that place of joy, right?

Yes.

Oh, how happy life can be when serving a God who loves you more than you deserve, yes?

Yes, yes.

Praise God.

Praise God for you, my friend.

Hey, this has been a great pleasure.

In closing, is there anything else you'd like to share with our amazing audience?

When you feel like your story is too much the same as everybody else's or not good enough for everybody else's, know that if God is prompting you to share it, there is a reason and you need to lean into that obedience and know that he has a purpose and a plan for it.

Dr. Carolyn, again, a pleasure, a treasure.

Wow, amazing audience.

Links are in the show notes if you want to connect with Dr. Carolyn about Rose and Pearl Publishing.

Thank you, my friend, for being on What Is Inspired by 12 Minute Converse.