The question becomes when do you know that you’re on the right path? What if you start down one path and realize it wasn’t the right business choice for you? Can you stop midway, or should you keep going and stick with what you’ve invested in? It’s a question only you can truly answer.
Antonio Ruiz recognized his original plans weren’t the right path for him, and yet his past experience came in handy when he took a fork in the road. In business and life there are no guarantees, and learning to be flexible and adapting to your circumstances is as much of the battle as getting off the ground.
In fact, in Antonio’s case, it was recognizing how his audience responded to specific information that led him to change his focus. In doing so, he knew he was onto something. Originally, he thought he’d go into acting, but his gut told him to shift into digital marketing. It felt right. Once he got there, he refined his path.
Antonio found strength in inspiring others. He laser targeted his message on personal branding and spoke of differentiating yourself. With this change, and noting the response, he saw his future. Expanding on the desire to spread his message, he created a podcast called The Candid Creative, where he shares a mix of inspiring, thought-provoking content mixed with helpful tips on branding yourself and creating the right mindset to push forward.
What surprised him was how his experience with acting school and a year-long ecommerce venture fed into his future success. Each piece of his life gave him knowledge that would help him grow into his new business.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, he moved to Miami nearing adulthood. Once he’d graduated, he headed west and landed in California with his intentions in acting. But just like trusting his instinct and shifting into digital marketing, he learned to refine his voice and narrow his niche.
His goal is to go deeper into the topics he speaks of, and delve into lesser exposed areas of personal branding and mindset. He wants to explore areas that are overlooked, while still staying true to his brand.
One thing he cautions new entrepreneurs who are looking to build a brand is don’t be fake. It’s important to be yourself and trust your personality. Don’t create a fake persona. You’re unique in your own life and the experiences you’ve had, and that’s what people will connect with. He says it’s easy to fall into that trap, but being yourself is the key to success. What differentiates you from others? While you may think every idea is fresh and new, usually it’s not as new as you expect, but it’s in using your voice to showcase the idea that will make it your own.
Antonio Ruiz is hoping to inspire other entrepreneurs and help them build a brand that is sustainable and true. He loves the idea of helping others on their path, and is excited about his podcast (TheCandidCreative) as it expands. He’s dreamed of interviewing others, and today because he chased that dream and didn’t give up, he gets to do exactly that.
How do you stand out from the masses when everybody seems to be doing the same thing? Find what’s different about you, look through your varied experiences, and see what you can bring to the table that’s not what everybody else is doing. What’s your particular niche? How can you bring a unique spin to it? Finding this key factor is the path to success.