Wow! All I can say is just Wow. What a journey this has been to get to this day. A million thoughts are going through my head right now, good thoughts but nervous ones as well. But nerves are good right? Right...okay Veronica, you can do this. Before I could even reach this new chapter for Ronnie M, I had to set a lot aside to get here. But before we get into that, I want to let you all know exactly who I am.
I am Veronica Salazar, designer, and owner of Ronnie M Jewelry. I create, design and make all of these beautiful pieces you see online, by hand in the comfort of my home office and the sounds of some 90’s R&B in the background. You will learn that I love me some 90’s R&B but that can be another blog post in itself!
Back to Ronnie M. This is my passion, this is what fuels my creative fire and I am so very excited to finally share this passion with all of you. I am your everyday #hotmess Mom of two beautiful children (who occasionally drive me cray), Wife (married to my college lover and friend) and oh on top of that lifestyle...new blogger and online business owner, so NBD (insert strung out emoji here if one even exists).
I reside in the sunny So Cal and have lived here all of my life. I am super duper sassy, a closet hippy, a ball of energy and my mind is always on the go with creativity and imagination.
I have been designing Ronnie M Jewelry for over 5 years now, and looking back, the line has truly evolved from what once was to what it is now. Because I am a closet hippy, I choose to use high-quality natural stones and elements to create every piece that you see online and in person. Quality is everything to me, I am an avid shopper at heart and fashion is always on the forefront of my imagination. So I can say, what you see online is truly the quality you can expect with Ronnie M.
So back to the things ‘I had to set aside to get here’ thought. I have come such a long way as a designer and I still have such a long way ahead of me. Perhaps one of the biggest obstacles I had to set aside to get here, right now, writing this new blog post was the big F word...fear. Even taking the initial step to open an online storefront was HUGE for me. I truly had the fear in the back of my mind and would question my thoughts all of the time. I have always been a fearful person...I mean, not in a bad way...but always doubtful and fearful of what could come from perhaps...investing my time, full time, into my passion for Ronnie M.
I have always been a full-time employee, working and grinding for someone else. Always trying to stay on top of others, being managed and feeling beside myself by not holding true to my identity as a creative soul and not a caged soul. I thrive in open spaces, not confined ones. I think I may have been a bird in my past life.
Getting pregnant and having my son this year gave me a new aspect life. I often asked myself, if the quality of the life I was living worth all the stress and feeling fatigue after working for someone else all day? And I continued to ask myself, why I was not allowing my passion to grow into something beautiful? The fear of not succeeding outside of corporate America, the fear of not being here for my kids and not being the Mom they need me to be. But most of all, the fear of pursuing my passion and balancing Motherhood and being a Spouse on top of all that.
There came a time this year that I told myself, ‘Veronica, you just have to try. You are 34 damn it and you aren’t getting any younger!’ I knew, this year would determine so much for me. One thing that it determined was me being open to the fear and taking it head on and placing the fears aside.
I began to look at my life differently and I have a lot of people to thank for that. Having a supportive husband and my best friend (who is also a closet Hippy...and yogi...Shannon I love you) by my side made my decision to pursue this passion of mine so much easier. Having the friends to encourage me along the way and let me know that fear is a good thing and confirming that this passion can manifest into something so much larger pushed me harder.
So, in April of this year, I decided to open up the flow of energy between the Universe and my passion and here I am, October 1, 2016. Writing this blog post, taking the actions needed to grow my business, balancing being a Mom and Wife and you know what...I am okay. I am actually, the happiest I have ever been in my ENTIRE 34 years of existence.
Today marks a day in my personal growth and history for Ronnie M. I couldn’t be happier to pursue this passion, fuel it with positivity and take every day as another day for growth and new beginnings.
I am here, I am now and I am present.
New beginnings and the reality of Ronnie M…and I cannot wait to grow with all of you.
Namaste my friends!
Photo Credit: Tanya J Photography, Follow @tanyajphotography on Instagram today, now booking Fall/Winter sessions.
Site: Mission Inn, Riverside, CA
Clothing: Ronnie M, Boho Mama Long Sleeve, listed in the shop, Steve Madden Boots, H&M leggings