Speaker and AuthorBA ’85 (College of Liberal Arts)Alumni Association Member About Pockets of Joy During her 20+ years as a television news reporter, author Roxane Battle told thousands of stories. Now she’s telling her own story in the award-winning bestseller, Pockets of Joy; Deciding to Be Happy, Choosing to Be Free. It’s a rare, behind-the-scenes look into the stressful world of TV news production, where Roxane reveals in striking detail, the quirks and challenges of being on television every day, while also maintaining an amicable co-parenting relationship with her ex-husband, and the impact juggling work-life demands had on her mental health. Her journey from anxiety and depression to mental well-being starts and ends with distinct and memorable pockets of joy; bedtime stories, trips to the farmer’s market, her weekly golf league, a single chicken nugget…and forgiveness, all tucked inside pockets of gratitude. Published by Whitaker House Publishing in 2017, Pockets of Joy became an immediate Amazon bestseller and continues to make the Top 100 bestseller category list. In celebration of its success, Whitaker House re-released Pockets of Joy in 2022 in paperback! Also available is the Pockets of Joy Journal, with prompts to help you create and remember your own pockets of joy. Click on gear icon to get your copies today or to book Roxane -- and be inspired! Shop Pockets of Joy Contact About RoxaneRoxane Battle is best known for her 20+ years as a Twin Cities journalist, most notably on NBC-Minneapolis, KARE-11, WCCO-TV, and FOX9. She is also a mental health and health equity advocate, and held executive-level positions inside Fortune 5 UnitedHealth Group, where she appeared as a video series influencer reaching 4 million subscribers. As a professional speaker, Roxane speaks to state associations and multinational corporations on the importance of mental wellbeing, belonging and psychological safety, often sharing from her best selling book, Pocket of Joy: Deciding to Be Happy, Choosing to Be Free. She is a proud alumna of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where she completed a B.A. in journalism, prior to completing a M.A. in journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She studied psychology through Harvard’s Extension School of Continuing Education, and earned a certification in Emotional Agility in the Workplace. She currently serves on the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management’s Women Global Connect advisory board, and is a featured speaker across the U of M campus, including Carlson’s Executive Education, Carlson’s Women’s Leadership Conference, and the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. She has an adult son, enjoys cycling, and makes a memorable mac and cheese.
