"I want to see more people come from the action of using love. And again, that's from being proactive. That's finding solutions. That is, you know, listening to people, seeing them, and letting them be heard.”
Ruben Rojas
EFR 445: Live Through Love with Ruben Rojas
In this episode, Chase speaks with Ruben Rojas, a Los Angeles-born artist and muralist, about his clothing line and print collection, Live Through Love, his art, and all things love. His mission is to ignite creativity and inspire others to see the world through the lens of love. Ruben is also the author of the book of the same name- Live Through Love.
In this conversation today, Ruben walks us through his journey in life so far, talks about the switches he made in his career, and how he finally decided to start with his current business. He shares that art had always been a significant part of his life- he enjoyed doodling and painting back during his school days. While at college, one of his friends suggested he try real estate investment, and he went on for it. But the business took him to the extent of bankruptcy, and he put an end to it.
Later, he tried his hands on investment and retirement services. That, too, did not go as expected. It took years of testing and switching careers to finally get him to start with what he has always been passionate about- art and the idea of love.
In his own words, "I would say it wasn't that clear. It was like, the I never is running through quicksand. So at first, it was really, can I do this? What does this look like? Can I sustain myself? Can I build a life off of this?"
The benefit Ruben says he's had in everything is he has always been self-employed. So whether it was as a personal trainer or as someone making sales commissions or in real estate, everything was still on him. He has never had a salary and never had to worry about just being comfortable in that space.
Ruben's decision to take on mural gigs and mural projects happened because he wanted to know if he could make money out of that. He wanted to know if that could help him create a business and sustain something while he continued to build.
A valuable takeaway is Ruben's advice on treating yourself with kindness, whether or not your choice in career gives you the anticipated success. "Maybe that wasn't your thing at the moment. And it's just another step to that next thing that actually gets you to where you need to go."
Follow Ruben @rubenrojas
Follow Chase @chase_chewning
Key Highlights
Ruben shares his backstory with us- trying and pursuing different professions before venturing into his dream business.
Holding on to something that keeps you from greatness, opportunity, and believing in yourself is worthless.
When you're on a service, the return is the validation and the acknowledgment you get from them.
Living a life ever forward, to Ruben, means taking responsibility for your decisions and actions. If we take responsibility for our actions, no one can let us down.
Knowing without doing is the same thing as not knowing.
Ruben shares his thoughts on what love is and what it is not. Love is free of judgment.
Episode resources:
More about Ruben:
Ruben is the founder and owner of Live Through Love, a clothing line and print collection, and has also authored a book of the same name. He works with companies to give businesses back, enhance workspaces, and raise awareness on important issues. He is also the co-founder of Beautify Earth, a non-profit organization dedicated to putting an end to blighted walls and fixtures all over the world by empowering artists, encouraging social responsibility, and instilling community pride.
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