We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ruth A. Muñiz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ruth A. , appreciate you joining us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
While it’s not necessarily the best course of action, the fact that I was so greatly unsupervised in my childhood, I had a lot of time for introspection. This was crucial at this stage of my life because of trauma that I incurred a fews years prior. This time alone was spent gardening, drawing, playing in nature, sun gazing (without even understanding what it was), writing poetry (as young as eight years old), meditating on my front porch, roller skating up and down neighboring streets (albeit throughout the early hours of morning), and simply exploring the world around me. I was dangerously fearless. But it also gave me a taste of independence and freedom that I have only recently realized is what I have subconsciously yearned for throughout adulthood. That is where my mind and heart wander off to when I’m suddenly at extreme peace in the NOW of any given moment. I am grateful for those days and the lingering feelings.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
Absolutely, the name of my business is called Universal Inspirations by Bazillionheir and I handcraft artisanal crystal jewelry. Without rehashing too much of the negative side of what brought me to doing what I love, having been afforded the opportunity to de-stress by making jewelry, being able to flow with my creative juices, and allowing myself to slip into deep meditative pause is something that has been nothing short of extraordinary. My heart swells with gratitude for everyone that has played any role in helping make all of this come to fruition.
I think what sets me apart in my particular industry is that I genuinely care about the energy I put out into the world. Be it through the quality of my work, the way I represent my business brand, or the manner in which I interact with potential customers, I make every effort to ensure that my activities add value to something meaningful. I’m often approached by customers seeking guidance on information regarding specific crystals and their associated metaphysical properties, answers to questions about chakras (or energy in general), or simple inquiries regarding custom pieces that they’ve been in search of—for whatever personal reasons they might have. I do what I can, but also won’t if it doesn’t feel right. For me, energy doesn’t lie. Plus, there’s a certain freedom that comes with being able to say no when you’re instinctively drawn towards doing so.
Because I’ve been sensitive to energies since I was extremely young, I can often pick up on things my customers are inherently seeking answers to as well. Of course, I would never state that I’m an expert in any area of life—but even without me knowing it at any given time, this is apparently one of the things I do. I’ve learned to go with the flow, and trust my instincts. Doing so has truly opened me up to being of service to so many in all the ways that I’m needed. It’s in this that I feel most like an instrument outside of myself. And also where I feel most filled with peace and gratitude for what I use to term as a curse. Inside, I laugh slightly at the thought of how secluded this truth used to keep me. But all these years later, it’s what continues to bring me some of the greatest peace. It’s quite a humbling experience for me, with a welcomed sense of catharsis.
I will say that I am most proud of my persistence, my genuine desire to grow in my craft, to fall deeper in love with my failures as equally as I am with my successes, and of my ability to evolve into greatness despite the unknown. Only truth can lead the way…love only helps the journey feel less bumpy.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
My primary avenue for social media is with Instagram, and I think it’s fair to state that I currently have a modest audience. I initially started out with my personal profile, @Bazillionheir, long before I began my Universal Inspirations by Bazillionheir business. And it was shortly after that I created my other profile for my business, @Universal.Inspirations. It has actually worked out well for me to keep it separate. For my business profile, I tend to keep my posts directly related to works in progress, photos of my completed works, upcoming events, blog post notifications, and other posts pertaining to the industry. This is especially handy when people I meet want a quick peek at what I create. For my personal profile, I include the same posts as my business profile, but also in addition to all the things that interest me, such as: family, food, art, literature, random things that I find humorous, and everything in between. I do make it a point to avoid any sort of interaction pertaining to religion or politics. Those are two areas that I prefer to share only with my inner circles. As for any additional advice, honestly… just trust your instincts when navigating this area of your business. Remember to always use discretionary caution regarding who you choose to communicate with. Take notice of profiles that are questionable – pay attention to the telltales. (And I’ll leave that subject alone now.)
Speak naturally, as though even one single person is sitting in front of you. How would you address them? And if it was you that you were speaking to, how would you want to be addressed? I believe that people respect truth in presence. I don’t “do it for the ‘gram”. I decided long ago that I would utilize social media as a tool and as a platform solely for me to learn to be more open, communicative, and expressive with my thoughts. If someone chooses to take a seat for a bit, wonderful. If not, that would be wonderful as well. There are some individuals that started following my social media profiles a couple of years ago, yet only recently began interacting with me in the comments section or inquiring about my business. That right there is my tribe. They’ve remained a supportive community to my small business by being present, and that sort of loyalty is golden. They understand my love language.
I don’t force anything, I prefer everything to remain organic. And I make every effort to respond to everyone that reaches out to me, even if I only “like” their comment or respond with an emoji. I simply feel it out and act accordingly. If someone is inappropriate or disrespectful (to me or others in my space), I am SO VERY not afraid to delete, and even block, where necessary. And finally, I would say most importantly—show up. Something can certainly be said about consistency, but that’s for another day.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
A story from my journey that illustrates my resilience? I think the sheer fact that I am still standing is a testament to that. Having experienced the loss of two children and a husband by the time I was 26 years old, well, it’s been a difficult journey towards healing, but I find inspiration in anything and everything around me to forge forth. I do struggle like everybody else to stay on track, to see my goals in the distance, to harbor the strength and sufficient faith to hold steady. I’m fortunate to have a genuine love for myself and of all of the lessons that I’ve learned along my path. I grow weary from time to time, and I think that whatever it is that allows me to make it on through to the next day is an illustration of that resiliency. Self doubt lingers at times, causing me to question my worth and my talents. But I am quick to remember that this craft of mine, it’s for me, no one else. It is what has aided much of my healing, which is why Universal Inspirations by Bazillionheir is much more than a small business or entrepreneurial journey for me. And because of all of this, I get to choose my own value. I am not out here just surviving, I am thriving.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.BAZILLIONHEIR.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/universal.inspirations & https://instagram.com/bazillionheir
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Universal-Inspirations-by-Bazillionheir/
Image Credits
Ruth A. Muñiz