GOT TO GIVE BACK w/Rob Roman

There’s reality TV. And then there’s reality. My guest today knows both worlds better than most. Rob Roman is more than a breakout contestant on Hulu’s new adrenaline-fueled series Got to Get Out, where he held his own alongside legends like Spencer Pratt and Omarosa under the watchful eye of host Simu Liu. He’s also no stranger to competition from his appearance on Squid Game: The Challenge on Netflix. But beyond the screen, Rob’s true legacy lives in the lives he touches every day. A decorated Police Sergeant and former SWAT officer, Rob is also the founder of HomeCare Roots, a Georgia-based home healthcare organization that provides free, compassionate, in-home nursing for medically fragile children under 21. For families in the Atlanta area who have faced the unimaginable, Rob’s mission is personal: give every child the care they deserve and every parent the peace they need. From the intensity of national TV challenges to the intensity of real life, Rob Roman is a man driven by purpose, service, and heart. ​

ALLIÉ: Let's start by rewinding, shall we? Let’s rewind before Hulu, Netflix, and everything in between—growing up in New Jersey. Let’s go there. What drew you to serve your community as a police officer and ultimately become the youngest detective and sergeant in your department’s history?

ROB: Yeah, I mean—Jersey. Shout out to Jersey. We love New Jersey. New Jersey has my heart, my soul, my everything. So basically, where I started was fifth grade. 9/11 happened when I was in fifth grade. I was born and raised in a city called Hoboken, New Jersey—right across the river from the Twin Towers. My mom used to take the train into work every day. That train went under the towers.
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I remember that day like it was yesterday. My mom picked me up from school very late because she was stuck in New York City. I remember going to the waterfront and seeing the Hoboken police officers go back and forth on boats, bringing people back—people covered in blood and everything you can imagine. As a fifth grader, I was just drawn to that. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew the world was shaken up. I saw those officers as heroes. Hoboken was like the center of the world for me that day.

So, I designed my life to work in law enforcement. I graduated with a degree in cybersecurity—Bachelor of Science. I wanted to work for the FBI and do counterterrorism. That was going to be my thing. But I wanted to get experience first, so I started working for my city. And I just fell in love with it. I rose through the ranks quickly because it was my community—I went to school there, played sports there. I knew the city. So yeah, that’s how it all started.

ALLIÉ: Talk about a single day and moment that can change a life—so many lives were changed that day, yours included. Now, fast forward to a different kind of moment on a different kind of day—what was going through your mind walking onto the set of Gotta Get Out as a rookie surrounded by all these reality icons? What was that like?

ROB: Yes, I like to say I was at an advantage—because I didn’t know. I laugh about it now, but I didn’t know who they were. We weren’t told it was going to be half reality stars, half rookies. We were just told: you’re going to walk into this mansion with 19 other people. Good luck. We were kind of given the rules, but I didn’t know I was among people like Spencer Pratt and Val from Dancing with the Stars. I didn’t recognize them because I’d never watched their shows. So to me, they were just regular people.

I found out very quickly—like, after a day—who they were. And it actually ignited me more. I thought, okay, I’m with people who do this for a living. These are seasoned. If I really want to win this money, I’m going to have to earn it. I’m a competitor, so it raised the stakes. But yeah, I didn’t know who they were at first. People laugh now—especially with TikTok—because Spencer Pratt’s all over TikTok with his wife, Heidi. And everyone’s like, “Oh my goodness, Spencer Pratt!” But I just know him as ‘Spence’. He’s not “Spencer Pratt from The Hills” to me.

ALLIÉ: Yeah. At the end of the day, people are people.

Okay, I’m switching gears again. Let’s go to HomeCare Roots. You founded HomeCare Roots with a mission—a powerful one. Can you tell us what led you to start this company and why providing care for children and families means so much to you?

ROB: I want to say first that life is about making decisions. Most people have a lot of ideas but don’t execute. I don’t have anything special about me. I like to say this—I’m as normal as they come. I’m just an average person. But if I had a superpower, it’d be my ability to make decisions, take risks, and trust myself.

This business I started—I love it. It has my whole being. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. And I’ve done some pretty cool stuff, but this is the best—hands down. It started with a TikTok. Crazy, right?

Long story short, I started making TikToks in 2020 to relieve the stress of law enforcement. I was a SWAT operator for five years. COVID hit. There was a lot going on. I just wanted something fun. That led to You Bet Your Life with Jay Leno—they found me through TikTok. That led to Squid Game. And on Squid Game, I met some of my best friends in the world. One of them was a guy named Brad, who has had a home healthcare agency in Georgia for 15 years. He’s kind of a pioneer—because when you think of home health, you think geriatrics. But he focused on helping children with medical and complex disabilities. For a year and a half, me, him, and two others just traveled the world together. We were inseparable.

One day, Brad said, “You guys should come down to Georgia and start this business. I’ll help you. It’s a lot of paperwork, but I’ll help.” So we did. We took a leap of faith. I left New Jersey. My partner left St. Louis. Our other partner left Canada. The three of us—who met on Squid Game—started this home healthcare agency.

It’s 100% Medicaid-funded. Medicaid pays our company. We hire nurses who go into the homes of children with medically complex disabilities. Most are non-verbal, wheelchair-bound, suffer from seizures—they have incredibly difficult lives. And the parents, typically moms, are doing everything they can. Just having a child is difficult. I know I was a handful for my mom. Now imagine that plus a disability. So, we’re here to help lift that weight. But yeah--it all started with a TikTok that led to Squid Game, and now I’m in a business that feels destined for me.

ALLIÉ: Isn’t it interesting how all these connections come together? Like—Squid Game?! And now this incredible work.
I’ll say, I wish I’d known you a long time ago. I’m a mother of six. One of our children had special needs. And I didn’t have the care or support of a program like yours. So let me pause to say, as a mom who knows that world—thank you.

ROB: Yeah, you’re welcome. And people don’t know—most people don’t know this service even exists. Even in Georgia, people don’t realize Medicaid provides home healthcare. I didn’t do it in Jersey because there’s a lot of red tape. I didn’t know how to get started. Brad helped me navigate all that—the policies, the procedures.

Now we serve the entire state of Georgia. And every state has something like this. But parents don’t know. It’s hard. When we meet a parent and tell them, “Hey, we’ll send a nurse into your home completely free. Oh, and we’ll pay you to do the work you’re already doing for free”—they don’t believe it. But it’s real. And it’s an incredible service. I just wish everyone knew about it.

ALLIÉ: I do too. I wish I had when I needed it. The fact that you’re doing this work—it’s awesome. Thank you.

ALLIÉ: I do too. I wish I had when I needed it. The fact that you’re doing this work—it’s awesome. Thank you.

So, as someone who’s navigated extreme pressure in so many ways—on national television, in the line of duty—how have your experiences in law enforcement shaped the way you lead, serve, and show up for people, whether in the community or on set?

ROB: I’ll say this: my business is my favorite thing in the world. But law enforcement is the greatest career on earth—because it sets you up to navigate the rest of your life, if you do it the right way. I worked for one of the greatest departments in the world. They trained me right. They gave me experiences, mentors.

In law enforcement, you show up to everyone’s worst day. We live in a dark corner of the world. No one calls us to say, “Come to the birthday party.” Every call is someone’s trauma. Five days a week, every week, for 25+ years. So, you reach a point in your career—especially in inner cities—where you have to figure out: How do I navigate this trauma? You can spiral down—panic attacks, anxiety, depression, alcohol… or you can spiral up.

For me, I built a toolbox. Number one is a support system. I have the best parents in the world. I have the best friends in the world. I made sure I attracted those good friends. Number two is therapy. I have an outside person who doesn’t know anything about me and doesn’t judge me. And I just talk to that person. Number three is faith. I’m a Christian. I go to church every week. I read the Bible. I didn’t become a Christian until I was 26 years old because I was navigating this world of trauma. That ultimately helped me the most.

It’s having that faith, having a therapist, having family and friends… and then going on adventures. Reality TV, to me, is an adventure. It’s something else I get to do in this beautiful life that I get to live.

So, pressure doesn’t really get to me. There’s a lot of negative and bad that goes on in the world, right? If I have the ability to freely move my body and my mind is okay and healthy, I can do literally anything I want. And if I fail, who cares? I have people who love me.

That’s how I navigate all this.

ALLIÉ: I love how you say it’s not just one thing—it’s a mix of all these different things. 
Let’s go here… You’ve now had your feet planted firmly in two worlds—entertainment and service. Looking forward, what’s next for Rob Roman? What mark do you ultimately hope to leave, whether on screen or off?

ROB: I will say, I’ve thought about this a lot. I want to be—and I’ll give you two answers. First, I want to be remembered as someone who made people’s lives better because they met me. No matter how or in what way, if we met—when we crossed paths—and you think of Rob Roman, I want you to think, “Ah, you know, he was funny, or he helped me, or he inspired me...”, or there was just something I did that left your life a little better because you met me. That’s my overall 30,000-foot view of how I want to be remembered.

What’s next in terms of what I’m going to do? My number one focus is growing my business. I want to reach as many families in the state of Georgia as humanly possible, help them, and continue to cultivate those relationships.

And I also want to do more reality TV. I mean, I love competing—it’s fun. I can’t stress enough just how fun it is. Whatever it is you’re interested in, go all in. Have fun. Do it. Experience it. Fail, win, lose—just navigate this human experience we’re all having. So, I want to do more competition shows. I want to grow my business. And I want to have more adventures.

Really, my favorite part about all of this is meeting people. Again, in law enforcement, I was surrounded by incredible mentors—amazing people who took me under their wing and helped me navigate that. With Squid Game, I met some of my best friends in the world and my business partners. With Got to Get Out, I’m now incredibly close with half the cast. I mean, when I go to California, I stay at Val’s house from Dancing with the Stars. People lose their minds when they hear that—I stay with Val and Jenna. I hang out with their son. Steven from the show comes out with us. That’s what life is about, right? Life is about having good people around you, serving them, and—hopefully—things come back to you.

So yeah, that’s what’s next for me: grow the business, get on more shows, and live more life. ∎

Find & follow Rob on Instagram:
@itsrobroman
Learn more about  HomeCare Roots:
www.homecareroots.com