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

Esmeralda, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Absolutely!! I’m happy as a business owner. After 15 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, I’ve had my fill of people telling me exactly what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. Running Busy Grizzly gives me the freedom to make my own decisions, build something meaningful, and align my work with my personal values.

Most importantly, it allows me to be a mom first, to be present for my kids, show up for the big and small moments, and build a business that works around my family instead of the other way around. While being a small business owner comes with its challenges, the flexibility and fulfillment it gives me are worth far more than any “regular job” could offer right now.

For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc, what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.

I’m Esmeralda Ramirez, founder and CEO of Busy Grizzly, LLC — a veteran-owned business built from my heart, my hands, and my passion for meaningful gifting. After proudly serving 15 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, I transitioned into entrepreneurship with one clear mission: to create thoughtful, high-quality, and personalized products that help people show up for life’s most important moments.

Busy Grizzly specializes in personalized gifts, postpartum care boxes, and curated bundles that blend practicality with heart. Our most celebrated line, The Mama Bear Collection, focuses on supporting new mothers through maternity and postpartum care with items like Earth Mama products, Saalt wear, Kindred Bravely apparel, keepsake books, photo frames, and custom ornaments. We also work with clients on custom care boxes, personalized designs, and corporate gifting — all with an emphasis on partnering with American companies and makers whenever possible.

What sets us apart is the intention behind every product. We’re not a faceless, mass-production brand. Each piece is thoughtfully selected, often through collaborations with American brands who share our values, then carefully personalized and beautifully packaged so the recipient feels seen, valued, and celebrated. Our gifts aren’t just items — they’re experiences, messages of love, and tangible ways to connect in a world that often feels too busy for meaningful moments.

I’m most proud of the way Busy Grizzly has allowed me to merge my values as a veteran, a mother, and a maker. My military background taught me discipline, resourcefulness, and resilience. My role as a mom reminds me daily why flexibility and family-first values matter. And my love for creativity fuels everything I design.

If there’s one thing I’d want potential clients to know, it’s this: Busy Grizzly is here to help you give better — to help you create gifts that will be remembered and cherished long after the wrapping paper is gone. Whether you’re celebrating a birth, honoring a milestone, or simply showing someone you care, we make it easy for you to send something meaningful — all while supporting American companies, personalization, and authenticity.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My greatest test of resilience came while I was still serving in the Marine Corps — and still pregnant with my son. During a routine check, doctors discovered he had a serious heart defect that required life-saving surgery before he was even born. I underwent fetal heart surgery to give him a fighting chance. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life — balancing the risks to myself, ` the unknowns for him, and the weight of knowing that every decision mattered.

However, my higher command deemed this procedure “elective surgery” and reported me as UA (unauthorized absence), even though I had been directed by competent medical authority to undergo the surgery for both my son’s survival and my own. The complications of the pregnancy took a severe toll on my body. At a time when commands should have been supportive and protective, I was blindsided by legal action and further oppressed by leadership. Instead of receiving compassion during a critical and dangerous time, I found myself fighting a high-risk pregnancy while simultaneously defending myself within the military system.

The pregnancy ended in an early delivery, and despite all his bravery, my son’s fighting chance was lost. After his birth, we faced more heart surgeries, hospital stays, and complications until we ultimately lost him. Three months after his passing, the charges against me were officially dropped, clearing me of everything — but by then the damage had already been done. It crazy how much one person can do when they are power hungry and in charge. Losing my son was the deepest heartbreak I have ever endured, and the experience left me with a profound loss of confidence in the system. That chapter ultimately set the stage for my medical separation after 15 years of service.

Two years earlier, I had started Busy Grizzly as a small creative outlet. In the wake of my son’s passing and my separation from the Marine Corps, it became my anchor and my way to turn pain into purpose. Today, every personalized gift, postpartum care box, and curated bundle I create carries the belief that love, care, and connection are worth prioritizing — because I know firsthand how precious and fragile life can be.

Resilience isn’t just surviving hardship — it’s rebuilding after it. Busy Grizzly is living proof that even in the darkest moments, you can create something meaningful that brings light to othersOkay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

Yes, many of Busy Grizzly’s products are manufactured or customized in-house. When I first started the business, I didn’t have a background in manufacturing — my experience came from a completely different world after 15 years in the Marine Corps. I learned everything by diving in headfirst: researching materials, testing processes, and teaching myself how to personalize and assemble products that meet the high standard I wanted for my customers.

In the beginning, I worked from my home workshop creating small-batch, personalized items and hand-assembling curated gift boxes. Over time, I expanded into sourcing specialty products from trusted American vendors, focusing on partnerships that align with Busy Grizzly’s values of quality and meaningful gifting. Finding the right vendors took time — I learned quickly that it’s not just about price, it’s about reliability, communication, and a shared commitment to excellence.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about manufacturing is that quality control is everything. Customers remember how they feel when they receive a product, and if something falls short, it can undo a lot of hard work. I’ve also learned the importance of building strong relationships with suppliers — when they understand your mission and trust your consistency, they’re far more willing to go above and beyond for you.

Today, some of our items are made entirely in-house, while others are sourced and then personalized or packaged by hand. That blend allows Busy Grizzly to keep the personal touch our customers love while also scaling to meet demand. For me, manufacturing has been less about machines and more about crafting experiences — products that aren’t just bought, but are felt, remembered, and cherished.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.busygrizzly.com
• Instagram: @busygrizzly
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17DMHK4fRx/