Meet Ria Rueda | Public Relations Pro & Founder/Editor in Chief of @thebuzzct

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ria Rueda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ria, how do you think about risk?
When we get comfortable — whether in a role, a relationship, or a career — it’s easier to stay there. Our brains and bodies are wired for homeostasis (a state of relative stability). So when we feel comfortable, anything that takes us away from that state seems like a risk. Unfortunately, just because we’re comfortable with our current state doesn’t mean that we’re thriving. In order to flourish, we need to have a sense of accomplishment and opportunities for growth. That means stepping out of our comfort zone.

Here are the benefits I’ve experienced by taking risks:
1) It might feel scary to start, but taking a risk — even if it doesn’t go exactly as planned — can be exhilarating because I was brave enough to take the risk.

2) Taking risks challenges you in big and small ways. As you have new experiences, you learn more about who you are and what drives your behavior. New challenges give out a chance to impress yourself and grow.

3) With each new challenge and risk, you’ll become convinced of your own ability to handle evolving circumstances. This will make you a more confident, flexible person and a better leader. Improved confidence (tested through experience) can also have a positive effect on your decision-making skills.

4)Stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to all sorts of new opportunities, both professionally and personally. You might find yourself opening your own business or becoming a trendsetter in your industry.

5) Taking risks can also help you learn how to handle adverse outcomes and setbacks, making you more resilient in the face of adversity. You’ll know that you can thrive no matter what happens, and become more adept at finding multiple routes to success.

6) Finally, calculated risks are often worth taking, even if they don’t always result in positive outcomes. Without taking them, we would never know what could have been.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It wasn’t until about five years after graduating college that I decided to pursue a career in public relations. That wasn’t the original plan. In fact, I was interested in going to law school but that plan obviously changed. My PR career consisted of working at a Los Angeles – based p.r. agency as the Account Supervisor in the fashion department representing a variety of luxury brands such as the Diamond Information Center, Salvatore Ferragamo, and J.P. Tod’s to name a few. After working several years at the agency, I accepted a position as a Senior P.R. Manager in the Girls Division at Mattel overseeing national public relations for the Barbie brand and other girls products. My Los Angeles experience at these two wonderful companies provided me so many opportunities professionally and personally. I worked with so many dynamic and intelligent people. I truly loved going to work every day. My husband at the time was an Entertainment Marketing executive and was given the opportunity to move to the East coast so we took it. At that time, I was the mother of an eight month old daughter and we moved to Westport, CT. I am not the type of person who can stay home full time. I love working for stimulation and I love volunteering and giving back to my community so I did that. I eventually entered the hospitality industry as the Director of Public Relations for the largest restaurant group in Connecticut. I worked for the company for a few years until the company was about to be sold. I like job security and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to me after they sold so with the owners’ blessing, I started my p.r. and marketing company, Bread & Butter Marketing, and eventually the instagram page @thebuzzct. After a few years running my business, I was approached by a luxury appliance manufacturer, Monogram Appliances, and the number one dealer in Connecticut to come in house as a Designer Engagement Leader and manage their newly built Monogram Experience Center in Fairfield County. While I had no experience in appliances nor did I have interior designer/architecture/builder contacts, I accepted the position because it was a new challenge. I took my experience in p.r., event planning and sales and used it to generate awareness about the Monogram Brand among the local home & design industry via cooking demonstrations, creating a Design Council, and brand partnerships.

Each job I had was one more step up the ladder. I was fortunate enough to have supportive bosses who taught me best practices and they didn’t micro-manage me. My bosses had an open-door policy so whenever I had a questions, I was not afraid to ask questions. When I got to the position where I had an assistant, I made sure to manage them properly and give them the opportunity to grow — the way my bosses did for me. Earlier in my career, I had friends who were assistants at other firms and they didn’t have the same positive experiences I had. I will never understand that type of business practice nor do I condone it.

I think it’s important to accept change and be flexible. As we all learned during the pandemic, pivoting is important because there is never one way to do something. I think it’s equally important to know the following:
1) You are not expected to be perfect and be everything to everyone.
2) Create boundaries
3) Take small risks. You never know if you don’t try.
4) Manage your clients; expectations and take responsibility when you’ve made a mistake when managing you clients’ accounts
5) Support others – community over competition

I’ve experienced so many wonderful things and I’ve had some hardship too but I’m still here persevering. I’m really happy that I took some professional risks because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I could have taken the path of least resistance but I didn’t. When I look back on my career, and even now, I am proud of being a good manager, having the ability to pitch business to a room of skeptic strangers, being a good content creator and for being a passionate small business advocate.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If someone was visiting me in L.A. here are some of the things I would plan for my bestie: 1) Hiking up in Runyon Canyon
2) Spend the day at the beach in Malibu and spend the night at Nobu Hotel. Grab lunch at Malibu Farm
3) Take a drive up for an overnight trip to Santa Barbara
4) Dine at the original Katsu Ya in Studio City, Saffy’s in East Hollywood, Bestia or Bavel in DTLA, Gjelina in Venice, Elephante in Santa Monica, grab a bite at Farmers Market at the Grove, go for Korean BBQ in K-Town, get some tacos in Highland Park, brunch at Republique
5) Watch a concert at the Hollywood Bowl
6) Check out the design district in West Hollywood and dine at Gracas Madre

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My father was my number one fan and he encouraged me to do my best, be curious, and be not afraid of engaging others and meeting new people with the goal to learn from these individuals. As a child, my father’s company transferred him often so I was forced how to learn to assimilate and meet new people. I have always hung out with like-minded people and still do so to this day. My tribe of like-minded people have been supportive from day one and had more faith in me than I had in myself at times. I also want to give a shout out to my sister. She’s seven years younger than me but seems wise beyond her years in my opinion. From my dad and my sister to my good friends and some of my old bosses, I would not be where I am today without them.

Instagram: @thebuzzct

Linkedin: Ria Rueda

Image Credits
All of the photos belong to me