A Conversation with Jessica Ruiz and Hannah VanDuinenA Conversation with Jessica Ruiz and Hannah VanDuinen
Recovery Recharged with Ellen Stewart Pushy Broad from the Bronx
Two completely different women with one thing in common: They are pursuing their dream. Jessica Ruiz is a Social Worker, therapist, and Life Coach. She works to empower single women, to achieve their personal and professional goals with confidence....
56:15•28 Oct 2020
Women Who Push for More: From Bronx Therapist to Creative Mumpreneur
Episode Overview
- Set clear, flexible goals and break them into small daily actions to build confidence and momentum.
- Use tools like journalling, music, dance and reading to release emotion and manage anger or stress.
- Stay rooted in your culture and faith, remembering your "raíces" while still pushing towards new dreams.
- Treat relationships as partnerships based on trust, communication and compromise rather than sacrifice.
- Give yourself permission to start creative habits at any age, using simple materials and short, consistent practice.
“"It's not too late for you... make your journey yours, not everybody else's."”
Experience the emotional and inspiring tales of women pushing for more as Ellen Stewart, the self-described Pushy Broad from the Bronx, brings together two very different voices with one shared drive: refusing to settle. First up, social worker, therapist and life coach Jessica Ruiz talks about growing up Peruvian-American in the Bronx, shifting from pre-med to social work, and building a career in mental health and private practice.
Now based in Florida and proudly single, she focuses on helping single women set and reach personal and professional goals, especially within the Latino community.
Her online venture, "Strength, Patience, Trust", is built around the idea that, as she puts it, "Sometimes it's hard for us women to realise how strong we are." She shares practical tools like goal-planning, journalling, faith practices, coping skills for anger, and the importance of remembering "mis raíces" while saying gently but firmly: never lose hope.
The conversation then shifts to artist and entrepreneur Hannah VanDuinen, a stay-at-home mum in Michigan with two young daughters, a technical writing job, and a growing art studio. Juggling family and business, she talks about turning pandemic limits into creative momentum, launching her first full collection, and starting a free 14-day creativity challenge aimed at anyone with just a pen and paper. Her message is disarmingly simple and powerful: "It's not too late for you...
make your journey yours, not everybody else's." Across both chats, you'll hear honest talk about ambition, culture, faith, relationships, creativity, and how tiny daily actions—whether planks, prayer, or doodles—can add up to something bigger. If you're rebuilding life after alcohol, anxiety, or any major change, these stories offer gentle proof that goals can be reset at any age and that you really don’t have to settle for less than your worth.
So what small, slightly scary step could you take today to push for just a little bit more?
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