We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ana Rios a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ana , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

What do you define as success? This is the question that opened up my eyes to a different perspective as to what success is supposed to look like for me even if others don’t see it as success. Success can look different for many depending on how they view life or perhaps “The American Dream”. I come from what society calls “the lower class” an undocumented little girl with her also undocumented teenage mother alone crossing the border in hopes of a better life away from the generational trauma and cycles my ancestors have been forced to face for generations. My mother crossed not knowing where and when we would have somewhere to call home from working in the fields in the North to coming down and finally settling in southern California. So, when I went to trade school to try to become someone important like every other Mexican parent aspires their children to be, I tried to become. I graduated with my license degrees in Medical Billing and Coding, EHR, and Medical office Administration and I was fortunate to find a stable job in the medical field a few years after graduating. I still remember the words of my professor “Ana, do you know how I know who out of everyone in this class will be the most successful person?” I didn’t understand what she meant or what she was trying to tell me in the moment perhaps I was naive at the time. But she said, “Even though, so and so, has straight A’s very smart always knows her stuff I know you’ll be able to go further because of the fight and determination I see within you”. At the time I was in my early 20s and was a single mother of two who would commute 3-3.30hrs on a bus to and from school and no matter what I would constantly face on a daily basis I never gave up and continued to persevere for a better future.

After a few years in the medical field after working towards an administrative position I finally got it and at the moment I felt on top of the world and very successful like damm I’m making something out of the sacrifices that took to get me to where I was. That successful feeling didn’t last very long after 2 years or some in this administrative position I couldn’t help but feel unfilled and guilty for even having the thought that there’s still more that the world has to offer me.

Once the illusion broke as to how success is supposed to look like for me, I was able to take a risk and quit my career in the medical field and take a drastic change in where it would challenge all the norms especially the mindset that raised me. I started my own spiritual practice with no incoming revenue, no plan B, freshly moved into a new apartment on my own and had bills, car payment, kids to take care of.

I am grateful I never doubted myself and answered the call to building more. I have been running my own business since 2020 and have felt more successful than all my past life’s put together. I may not have a million dollars, (yet), nor the million followers but I am successful because the flow of my business is consistent. My clients are consistent and have a high rate of not only returned clients but referrals as well. My revenue is consistent as it gives me space to continue to nurture new streams of income in the process which than allows for my needs to always be met. Many might not be seeing this as “being” successful, but I do because I am chasing a dream and not the bag and that to me alone is success!

So how does success look like for me?
Success looks like being able to use my own talents and gifts to generate my own wealth that can extend to generational wealth by not only teaching my descendants but also those who are willing to listen. In how you can use your own talents to create wealth and or stability for however success may look like for you. I on the other hand, so far, success looks like creating my own work schedules, spending more time with my kids, exploring the world, finding happiness in what I do and hearing how I’ve helped so many people using my spiritual gifts as a Curandera. I love being creative and expressing myself authentically to a world who sees “the American dream” as being successful.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi, My name is Ana Rios, I am 31 years old, and I was born in Tlaltenango Zacatecas, Mexico and come from a long-lost line of Curanderas. In English it can translate to “Medicine Women” or “someone who carries the wisdom of her people”. I have a spiritual practice in where I share my spiritual gifts with those in search of medicine. My practice consists of offering several modalities of spiritual healing through womb healing sessions, Limpia sessions (which is a form of clearing energies), Intuitive readings, tantric drumming, and many other spiritual tools I create by hand.

If you experience it, I mostly might have gone through it, and this is what I have noticed with the clients I attract and find myself being the perfect guide through the similar life lessons I’ve experienced.

I offer some free services by posting daily guidance on Instagram, weekly pick a card intuitive readings on YouTube, witch tips videos on ticktock and Instagram and hoping to offer longer videos on YouTube in the future.

I’m also the creator of The Dark Feminine Oracle Deck that is made up of 37 cards that have the energies of some of the Dark Goddesses like Kali Ma, Lilith, Santa Muerte etc. as well as architypes energies of the dark feminine. This deck was made with the hopes of awakening your own dark feminine architype to help you tap into the wild within as many are meant to be embody this energy as their life purpose.

You can find my deck and or any other handmade spiritual tools on my online Etsy shop.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Being the owner and creator of a spiritual business, we can tend to receive a lot of scrutiny as many tend to see us as pseudo. So, growing my audience on social media requires me to be very authentic to my craft, clients, and of how I use my spiritual gifts. Therefore, I knew I had to start somewhere so I started by making an Instagram page for my spiritual business before I started to offer my services to the public. I started with doing my daily readings so that my indented audience would gravitate towards me in where I would be able to build a community, my soul tribe, those that I’m meant to cross paths with and influence in a positive authentic way.

If you’re wanting to build your own social media presence than you must remain authentic to yourself because just how you download an idea another 20 might have also gotten the same idea as well but what will help you stand out from the crowed will be your authenticity. Many tend to do things just for power, money, and trends. Those are usually the ones you see grow the quickest but like I tend to say, “easy come easy go”. Empires are not built over night therefore take your time and ride your own wave your time to shine will come and when that time comes make sure you stay true to yourself as it is easier to fall from the top than it is at the bottom.

The numbers! Don’t allow the number of followers or of how many likes your post received dictate the success of your social media presence, I’ve known people who have 20, 30, 40M followers or even just 1000 followers more than me that don’t have the same consistency in their business as I do. I never post or go on social media when I’m not feeling myself because energy never lies and if I’m confusing tolerance with passion than what makes me think it won’t confuse the audience I’ve already started to build. Instead go on social media and share why you’re not feeling like posting and have your audience relate instead of putting up a fake front for social media numbers.

Last but not least, it’s important to remember that we’re not for everyone therefore never let the fear of not being liked, being afraid of persecution, and or lose followers because of what your truth calls you to share/post. On the contrary you will only filter out those who will not benefit from your social media presence and make room for those you’re meant to inspire.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I’m a very raw person therefore if you would ask every client of mine what is it that attracted them to my spiritual services many will say that it is because I’m very honest and tell it like it is. Integrity is very important in my line of work because many already see it as a pseudo line of work therefore being truthful from beginning to end is what keeps my clients coming back and referring me to anyone being open to getting a dose of reality.

I share my spiritual gifts because I was given an opportunity to use them for the betterment of myself and the collective. I use my gifts because I love what I do and not because of what I charge for my time in sharing my gifts as I know many have abused their gifts for greed and power. I rather see my clients for their yearly limpias instead of feeding them lies and fears to keep them coming back and spending endless amounts of money and not get the help they desperately seek from spiritual healers like me.

This is why I’m always referred because they know I will give them nothing but the truth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://charmedwisdom.etsy.com
• Instagram: @charmed_wisdom
• Youtube: @charmedwisdom