Today we’d like to introduce you to Rita Verreos
Rita, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela. My father Jim Verreos (of Greek decent), was a Director of the Diplomatic Couriers of the US State Department based in Caracas. At the age of 5, inspired by renowed Prima Ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn (who was married to my mom’s cousin Tito Arias) In Venezuela, I began my ballet lessons because I wanted to be a professional ballerina until at age 14 what could have been crippling Achilles tendón injury ended my dreams of becoming a professional ballerina. I would have probably fallen into depression had it not been for my most amazing mother, Raquel, who reminded me to have Faith in God’s plan. Looking back I know without a shadow of a doubt that my Faith in God gave me the strength to align myself with what God wanted for me. By then, we had emigrated to San Francisco, Ca. where several months after my achilles tendón injury, I was spotted by the Venezuela Cónsul of SFO who suggested I consider competing in the Miss Venezuela Pageant.
Years later, I went through a divorce where suddenly I found myself having to provide for my 2 children on my own. At that point in my life, I had been out of my country (the US where my family had emigrated to from Venezuela when I was 8 yrs. old) and also put pursuing the career I wanted as a TV Host aside-for 10 yrs. because I married someone from Mexico City where I relocated to and where I began my family, becoming the mother of the 2 MOST amazing children, Alain Dimitrios and Casia Maria. My marriage had been failing for quite awhile. Thus, a couple of months after relocating from Mexico to San Antonio, TX we got a divorce. I was in a new city, where I didn’t know anyone. I had to find a way to start making a living for my children. I prayer to God for strength to get me through this difficult chapter.-mainly something that would reasume my kids that they had a strong mommy and that everything was going to be ok. A week later, God began anwering my prayer, in parts. Part 1: My wonderful brother, Nick, reminded me that I was a former Miss Venezuela and that perhaps I should reach out to the Miss USA organization to see if they needed a Judge for any of their pageants. Minutes after sending them an email, I was invited by the Miss Texas USA to be a Judge. There I met Mr. Keith Lewis who went on to become my 1st Boss of sorts. He knew the of the world renowed training that Miss Venezuela candidates receive so he hired me as the Miss California USA Beauty Pageant Coach…for 6 yrs. I went on to Coach 2 Miss USA’s: Nana Meriweather and Crystle Stewart-who can be currently seen in the Netflix hit show “Beauty in Black.” Part 2-the answer for something to reassure my 2 children (who were 6 and 9 at the time) that they had a strong mommy and that we were going to be ok. While Coaching the Miss California USA candidates in 2006, I was spotted by an Casting Agent for the CBS Reality Show, SURVIVOR. I became the 1st (and only to this date) Venezuelan Castaway on Survivor Fiji. Just a few months after having the experience on Survior, my children’s father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This made my participation on Survivor even more poignant and I heard God’s voice “Rita, you have the strength to provide for your children, now as their mother and father.” He also Blessed me with EXTREMELY supportive parents without whom I couldn’t and wouldn’t have made it. Becoming their one and only parent, I didn’t want to accept full-time jobs, even though I needed to. I also made the decision to work in something that would leave me with a smile on my face whenever I would return back home from work to be with my kids. Thus, began my finally going after my dream/goal of becoming a TV Host. For almost 2 decades, accepting part-time TV Host gigs until both my children had graduated (which they both did w/honors) from High School. Because in this line of work is so very hard to find a stable position, I struggled for almost another 10 yrs., but I NEVER gave up and it paid off. I auditioned for and was hired by the #1 Homeshopping Television network for jewerly-JTV. Since 2022, I have been making history, Blessed to have helped launch the first jewelry homeshopping network of its kind: JTV Español as well as the JTV Español YouTuve Channel as the 1st Bilingual Host of these programs-a first of their kind in Spanish. I also Coach of the new JTV Español Hosts and provide expertise I acquired in previous positions as a Director of Social Media for the the City of Coral Gables. Because I’m fully bilingual (I’m fluent in 4 languages: I earned a Magna Cum Laude degree from UCLA with a Double Major in French and Italian ). We’re all going to have struggles along the way. I will share the advice I gave on the Survivor Fiji finale. “If you have a dream or a goal, have Faith in God’s plan. Don’t Give up!” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItFZjdlchiM&feature=youtu.be)
I hope my story is an example of the power of having blind Faith in God and the beyond perfect plan that He has for all of us.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road, but thanks to my faith I realized that each set-back, was God setting me up for something better suited for me. It was a road filled with the injury that killed my original dream of becoming a professional ballerina, starting in a new country with no one but my husband when we were newlyweds, divorce, starting once again to start a career at 36 yrs. old in a field where youth dominates, juggling being mother and father trying to find jobs to provide for them while finding a way to be present for them. ecoming a single mother after the untimely passing of my children’s father. The hardest struggle by far has been having to see them so young see their father die so painfully and still seeing the pain they feel because they’re father isn’t on this earth to see them flourish as they have.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Currently, I am deeply grateful and feel Blessed to be making history as the first bilingual Host of the largest Jewelry Home Shopping Channel, Jewelry Television. I’m honored to be making history as the 1st Host of programs-a first of their kind in Spanish on a brand new 24/7 Jewelry Home Shopping Channel: JTV Español. What sets me apart as a Host is that not only do I present you with gorgeous, unique, stylish jewelry pieces of high quality at truly unbelievable affordable prices, I fill my shows with super interesting stories and facts about jewelry made from gems that you may have never heard of. I earned a degree as an Applied Jewelry Professional to learn everything about precious gems so you don’t have to study. All you have to do I join me in my shows were I will share with you “did you know? details about precious gems like Larimar from the Dominican Republic, named after it’s founder’, Miguel Mendez’ daughter Larissa and the Sea (Mar-in Spanish) or did you know that Emperor Montezuma’s favorite crown was made out of turquoise? I share these stories because I feel that just like us, when we share our stories, we strengthen our relationships. My hope is that when you know more about the jewelry/gems I present in my shows, you’ll treasure them even more. Those are some examples of the plethora of gems and jewelry on my shows. I also share daily posts on my social media pages where I hope you can Bless me with a follow on Instagram: @jtvhost_ritaverreos or on Fb: @JTV Rita Verreos. I’m such a people person that it’s really important for me to be able to connect with you beyond my shows and .continue to earn your trust and hopefully become your new jewelry shopping amiga on my shows. My JTV Español shows are airing in select markets on over the air antena television , live-streaming 24/7 on the JTV website: www.jtv.com/Español and on JTV Español You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JTVEspañol/featured. I hope you can JOIN me. Besides sharing the aformentioned, I could never get the dancing bug out of me so along the way, thanks to my Hispanic culture, I picked up some salsa, merengue and flamenco dancing which I incorpórate on my shows. How? CHECK out my most recent show in the following link to find out: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B8gvChems/
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My mentor has been God. He has given me the health, the talent, the desire, the perseverance, the patience, the gratitude, the people and last, but not least,..the Faith that I needed to NEVER give up.
My advice for networking is to simply try to accept all the invitations to events/gatherings that you may receive. You’re being invited for a reason. You may not understand the reason, but you will never find out unless you go. You may meet the person who is destined to give you your big break at one of those events! In my case, it was my auditioning for pretty much every audition that came my way even though the description might have said “blonde,” when I’m as brunette as they come,LOL. I went because of the “you never know!” factor.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ritaverreos.com and https://www.jtv.com/show/hosts/rita-verreos
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/jtvhost_ritaverreos/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ritaverreostv and https://www.facebook.com/JTVRita
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritaverreos/
- Twitter: https://x.com/ritaverreos_jtv
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RitaVerreos and https://www.youtube.com/@JTVEspañol
- Other: https://ritaverreos.blogspot.com
Image Credits
CBS-Survivor photo
Suzy Gorman Photography-Beauty Queen Photo
