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Making It in Hollywood With Gabrielle Ruiz [ARCHIVE]
596 Plays1 year ago
Gabrielle Ruiz or most of you guys know her as Valencia Perez from The CW musical comedy-drama series Crazy-Ex Girlfriend joined Wild & Basic podcast to talk about how she made her way to Hollywood as a Broadway star from New York City.
Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/2TF3VnS
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Transcript
Introduction and New Year Greetings
00:00:00
Speaker
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Interview with Gabrielle Ruiz Begins
00:00:56
Speaker
Hi guys, so welcome to Wild and Basic. Today is a special, special episode because we have a guest. I think every episode with a guest is very, very special. I mean, solo episodes are cool too, but I really, really like interacting with people as this is the closest human interaction I'm going to get these days. So I'm so excited, but I'm also excited because today's guest is actually someone I never thought in a million years, honestly, that I would interview her.
00:01:25
Speaker
Not because like it was just, I just thought like, you know, that would just never happen because our paths wouldn't, you know, like we would never cross our path. So, but it did. In a random event that I never thought it would happen, then it just happened. So I'm so excited for this.
Impact of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Host's Life
00:01:41
Speaker
Her name is Gabrielle Ruiz. Most of you guys know her as well and see a Paris.
00:01:47
Speaker
from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. This is like one of my favorite comedies from CW. I remember when it first came out and I was literally going through, I think, breakup or I was just not in a good place. I was definitely going through some mental health, mental break. I don't know. It was, I was definitely going through something. I just can't remember exactly what.
00:02:07
Speaker
So it was definitely not, I was definitely not in a good place, but I remember this show really helped me so much just to get out of my, I don't know, from that place and have the courage to just, you know, talk to people, socialize, just, you know, get back to myself and be happy. So that really helped me a lot. And
00:02:27
Speaker
I really liked Van Cipara's character. She was so funny. She was always such a badass and always good looking. I don't know. I really liked her vibe. And from even the event when I met virtually Gabrielle, I really liked her vibe, how chill she was, just like in the TV show. So I thought it would be cool to bring her into the show and talk about a little bit about her career, what she's up to, and also her mental health journey on this episode.
Naming the Podcast and LGBTQ+ Themes
00:02:56
Speaker
So let's get started.
00:02:59
Speaker
I remember when I was starting this podcast, even just naming it, I was like, oh my god, I really wanted to make it something that actually matches my personality, but also something my followers would actually want to listen to, because initially I wanted to make a podcast about
00:03:17
Speaker
you know, like being, you know, about the career and like building your business stuff like that. That's what I wanted to be. But then, you know, everyone was like, Oh, I want to talk about like life relationships and like, I don't like personal stuff. I was like, Okay, let's go into it.
00:03:33
Speaker
and I remember I got this idea actually from this show that like you're part of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend that
Valencia's Character Development and LGBTQ+ Representation
00:03:41
Speaker
show literally like saved my life I remember when it was airing I was going through a breakup and like not in I was not in a good place like I was definitely in like a bad place and I remember I would like always watch and like laugh and like not feel bad about myself like it would just really help me just it would just take you and escape
00:04:00
Speaker
Yeah, it really did. It really did. And your character, Valencia, she was like, yeah, she was so chill, like so like down to earth. I was like, oh, my God. I think that's the first time everyone has described Valencia as chill. So thanks. She's pretty. I mean, usually she's like, she's a bit. She's intense. For me, that is actually chill because like. All right. Then then then it's a valid description for you then. Yeah. In case you stay.
00:04:30
Speaker
I think she was like intense in terms of her emotions like how she was like so like all the time that her reactions and everything was like okay but for me it was like that's normal because that's literally how I deal with people sometimes I think so like okay
00:04:45
Speaker
Right. You're just like, I'm not sorry. Yeah. You know, it was really fun to play her. She was she was what I loved that was basic about her was how she discovered her sexuality when she met Emma. Emma Wilman's character, Beth. And for it being such a song and dance show, I loved how there was no song and dance about her coming out. That to me was a brilliantly thoughtful
00:05:16
Speaker
way for our showrunners, our creators to share what it's like to find out who you really are. You know, like there's a lot of LGBTQ
00:05:29
Speaker
plus characters have to like hold this almost torch that can be considered a burden for character, for like an entire, if you look at an entire like cast, it's like that LGBTQ person, that character like has to make this point, has to be thrown out of their house. And like those stories exist, you know, those stories need to be seen and have, you know, sympathy and empathy and feel like that person needs to feel seen too. But then it's really nice to see the character that's like, listen, this is it.
00:05:59
Speaker
Do you want to get some coffee? They just moved on. And they just cut to that part where they were in love. Done. For Valencia, who's so intense, she did have, I would say, a really proactive, basic moment, which I appreciate. Yeah.
00:06:14
Speaker
I'm so glad you mentioned that because that's why I liked the show so much because it was so normal that they liked each other. It wasn't about some dramatic story about her coming out and everything. Because that's literally what we have seen on TV.
00:06:32
Speaker
Which is like, I feel like I get it. There are so many parties of the world or even like, you know, in the middle of America that like, that's still going on. But I feel like it's so tiring to go through that process. Everything that we were watching it, because I feel like we passed that point. Like I want us to just make it like normal. Like it just kind of like, like, do you ever just come out saying like you're straight? Like I want us to be like, just, you know what I mean? I want us to be just like regular, like it's just the preference. That's it.
00:06:59
Speaker
Yes, I agree. And I think I think Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, our creators, Aline Brush McKenna and Rachel Bloom, they did a really good job with doing that. And I remember Aline, you know, pulled me aside and she said, are you OK with that without not being a, you know, we're not going to give you a song about it because Pete Gardner's character, Daryl, had getting by. It was really great, like 80s, getting by, I'm getting by. And like, that's one of like the most
00:07:24
Speaker
funnest songs when we did the live shows because you could see how, you could see the people in the audience or fans that just felt celebrated and represented like YMCA or Firework, Katy Perry, you know, like when that song really shows, you know, really celebrates you and you were like, that's my song. It was really cool to be a part of that too, but Valencia didn't get one and that was Slay.
00:07:50
Speaker
I thought that was so cool too. I was like, yeah, she doesn't need a song. She just needs to just be her. I really am glad that you love the show and so many people adore the show. And also, Valenci had a really great growth arc in Four Seasons.
00:08:05
Speaker
Yeah, and I think what I also loved about, and I also saw like this interview that you're mentioning it that like in the show, like Valenci character was always about her like attitude and like her like her personality rather than like just her heritage about like being Mexican or like then after that being like lesbian.
Personal Anecdotes: Meeting and Podcasting
00:08:25
Speaker
Like I just feel like it was never about that. It was just about her personality. And you also mentioned like how you like that like so much, which is something, you know, you never see so much on TV.
00:08:35
Speaker
That's why I like this so much because I feel like you I can totally relate to that because I feel like I don't want us like I don't want people even me like when they see this like oh this person because he's gay or whatever like I I feel like I want people to define me as based on my personality based on how they know me
00:08:53
Speaker
Yeah, like exactly. Like, you don't have to define me as like, I don't know, like, oh, he's gay, or he's this, or he lives here. Like, I feel like I'm wanting you to define me saying like, oh, versus this kind of person, like, stuff like that. And that's why I like so much about like, when I was reading of like, that makes like, that's why I like this so much in the way they portrayed it.
00:09:11
Speaker
I mean, I think when I met you briefly on that seminar that what was that thing that we met? That was interesting. It was like a caravan caravan social club. Yeah. Social club of like vendors and product people meeting celebrities. And it's, I mean, I don't know if you've ever been to an in-person one, but caravans like parties like that are so much fun. And when I met you, I was like, Merce is wild and basic.
00:09:37
Speaker
And then that was your podcast title. That just completely worked out. No, I'm kidding. That's not what I thought. That's not what I thought that you were very sweet, very handsome, and also had like a really cool platform. And when you were asking me to come on, I was like, yeah, let's do it.
00:09:52
Speaker
Thank you so much. Yes, so You also have like doing your own podcast. Like how was that? Yeah, what are friends for? Yes What a basic title that was not taken. I can't believe it wasn't taken in the podcast land like everybody has a podcast and it's like what our friends for you're like You know, that was my gonna be second question I'm like how like did you like how did you like came up with that?
00:10:19
Speaker
I was like, oh, it was just available randomly because I was literally looking up so many names for my podcast because everything was taken.
Lifestyle Changes: NYC to LA Transition
00:10:27
Speaker
Everything was taken. I joined on season two. Paula V. Sastry is my co-host and creator of the show. She developed the show with another friend on a road trip. And that other friend wanted to keep it more on a hobby level. And Paula V. really wanted to kick it up a notch.
00:10:47
Speaker
When Sam left the the show basically like she gave us she gave her blessing Paula V came up approached me and Paula V and I have known each other for about 15 years And we have like a lot of like chap like every five years We have like a really big chapter that we kind of grow with each other and she's always told she's always described me as her least complicated friend and At the same time like living in New York both of us lived in New York most of our 20s So I was in New York for 10 years
00:11:15
Speaker
And then Crazy Ex-Girlfriend brought me to Los Angeles and I realized when I got sleep for the first time, I wasn't starving.
00:11:25
Speaker
all day. I wasn't dehydrated because just having coffee all day, not water, whatever. I settled. I had time in Los Angeles versus the time that you don't have or allow yourself to have in New York because of the energy. That's just the way it is there and you love it. I also don't miss it. As much as I loved it, I don't miss that energy because it kept me a little on edge.
00:11:50
Speaker
Like I couldn't even have coffee in New York because I was just always overly like angsty. Yeah, this is something like because this is such a hot topic. This is also such a hot topic in this podcast. Literally, I think every guest I have because I have so many guests, like literally actors like from L.A. And I always ask them a question like they're always also like going back and forth between New York City. I was asking a question like what like comparing to New York City or like L.A. to New York City.
00:12:18
Speaker
What do you say? Like what is your preference? Like right now you're in LA, but like what is something that you're actually missing from New York City? And what is something that you're like, Oh my God, like, I don't know why am I here? It's like a lighting flat, like a lighting round for you.
00:12:33
Speaker
Listen, I, when I moved to, well, when I just flew over visiting Los Angeles for season one of crazy X, cause Valencia was just a guest star. Yes. I remember that. Yeah. I remember that two episodes and they just kept keeping me around and keeping me around. And I remember like the first weekend, first of all, I was getting paid like
00:12:59
Speaker
one day getting paid on TV like I would get paid for a whole week on Broadway. That was first of all mind-blowing. Second of all about mind-blowing was like there was free food everywhere on set.
00:13:11
Speaker
endless amounts of food. Sold. Sold. Sold. Like free food and free coffee all the time. And I had like a little headache and like a medic would immediately show up. And except like versus Broadway, you're like, you're like, Kurt, it's falling off. Get your ass on stage. Just go because you have a five, six, seven, eight. That's all you got. OK. Show must go on. And it was the week. I remember on Friday, like my first week there working on Crazy X, they said, all right, well, have a good weekend. See you on Monday.
00:13:41
Speaker
And I had no idea what that meant, Merce. No idea. Like Broadway's five show weekends. And I love Broadway. Disclaimer. I appreciate everything it's given me. Lin-Manuel and I did In the Heights together. He recommended me for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. He's one of my very good friends.
00:14:01
Speaker
And so like, I just remember feeling like, like Stockholm syndrome where I was kind of held captive. And then when I was free, I felt bad about it. You know what I mean? Like I just was like, hi, can I have a good time? And I'm still making money. Like I have a job on Monday. I was like, this is normal.
00:14:19
Speaker
No, I can actually, what do I do? And I talked to my manager at the time who had some clients that were bi-coastal and he was like, let me connect you to one of my bi-coastal
Pandemic Reflections and Self-care
00:14:28
Speaker
actors. I'm going to have him give you a call. And he moved from Los Angeles to New York because Fiddler on the Roof was happening and he was a part of that show. And what he said was like, listen,
00:14:37
Speaker
You cannot be a New Yorker in Los Angeles. You have to lean into it. Go out to dinner. Go hiking. Have a coffee like at three o'clock with a friend. Go to Alfred. Go to Alfred. He was like, he's like, wear heels again. And I was just like, what? Like completely mind blown. And then once I realized like the light switch, you know, I switched gears.
00:15:04
Speaker
and try to stop being a New Yorker. I finally stopped walking in Los Angeles with all like, it's not the same for pedestrians. LA pedestrians are not New York pedestrians. You know what I mean? Get a car, rent a car, enjoy, use your trunk. You don't have to carry everything on your back anymore. And it was just mind blowing to me. And then I ended up loving it. And now we live here and we're about to have a baby in Los Angeles. I know. Congrats on that.
00:15:31
Speaker
I'm so glad you mentioned these because like this is one thing I'm gonna say maybe you can like disagree or agree with that because I feel like in New York it's all about like the you know hustle like one project another it's always like back to back this is literally how I feel sometimes even like sometimes like I feel like this is like my like not super busy season then it feels still busy but whenever I'm in LA even for work it feels like a vacation to me
00:15:56
Speaker
No, I mean, Phillip and I, my husband and I are always like, look at these people at this restaurant. Nobody works. Nobody works in Los Angeles. But then people do disappear for three months at a time because they're on set or they're on location. They're in New Finland. Who knows? You know, she's a movie. But then when you have time off, you have time off. And I'm a church person and my husband now works for our church. And it's just so nice to like kind of be like a Mrs. Church lady on Sundays.
00:16:24
Speaker
You know what I mean? Even if it's virtual right now. Yeah. And just like take a break from my New Yorkaholic that still functions now virtually even more. I'm a little more on edge because I don't have to be in the L.A. scene. I'm in my house all day. Yeah. But my mom still is like you're still a New Yorkaholic like in Los Angeles. It's fine. And so like there's there's sometimes a little bit of a clash in Los Angeles with that.
00:16:48
Speaker
attitude of hustle, but it keeps, but Los Angeles keeps me like, it keeps like a short reign on me to like chill and lean back a little bit. So it's a nice balance. I can have coffee again is what I mean. I got you. I got you. Cause I couldn't in New York, like it would just like make my heart like jump to my throat and I get 8am and I couldn't like finish a sentence without being out of breath. And so now it's, it's a nice balance here in Los Angeles.
00:17:14
Speaker
Yeah, sometimes I have to stub myself like in here because I'm like, wait, this is my third coffee. I need to really stop. I need to hydrate. Yeah. Oh, my God, there's water. My organ's always like, oh, my God, he's drinking water. Like what?
00:17:29
Speaker
I always like get so cramped. I remember like the beginning of COVID. I don't know if you ever had this, but like, Oh my God, I have a sore throat. I'm like, do I have COVID? Like, do you have that? Like the first. Yes. So many times I was asking my boyfriend, I'm like, do you think we have COVID? Do you think I have COVID? Do you think you're just going to stuck home like forever? We're going to die. And, and like, no, no, you know, so much love and sympathy to everybody that has it. I haven't had it yet. Hopefully I won't, especially pregnant. But I remember before I was pregnant, like in March,
00:17:58
Speaker
Philip and I would have those paranoia moments and I was like no, I think it's because I just had champagne and pancakes.
00:18:07
Speaker
Well, because you're home and you're drinking, you know, and you're like, well, I got pancakes. I'm just going to like at 3 p.m. Like you get that sugar crash and you're like, oh, my God, I think I have covid. You're like, no, it's just a sugar crash. Have some water, Gabrielle. Why don't you hydrate yourself? You'll feel better. Your body's like, what are you doing, man?
00:18:28
Speaker
That literally happens with me because
Gabrielle Ruiz's Dance and Broadway Journey
00:18:30
Speaker
like nowadays like I do like podcast recording right before this I do like my YouTube video and everything So like I sometimes like drink nothing in between or I just drink coffee then towards the end I'm like, oh my god. I'm like, it's so like what is happening? Do I have COVID? No, I just don't have water. Yes, it's amazing how much water like fixes so many problems.
00:18:52
Speaker
Yes. So let's roll back a bit. So you are. Yeah, I don't know where we went with that. Yeah. So you are originally from Texas. So how did that like move like from Texas? I'm assuming from Texas, you went to New York or there is like some by way of Oklahoma City. Oh, OK. Yeah. OK, I was like not expecting that.
00:19:19
Speaker
Before the YouTube days, I was in high school and or in middle school and I was the first kid at the ballet bar and the last kid after class in ballet class working on my fuedes, you know, and I just was a dance studio
00:19:39
Speaker
rat, you know, and I and I loved it like gym rat. I was a dance studio rat. I loved being there. I loved dancing period. And it was it was not a competition studio. It was just a performative hobby studio. So there was no like company or anything. Right. There was there was a company. But like in South Texas, the amount of exposure, the reason I start this always story, I always start the story with the before the YouTube days is that
00:20:04
Speaker
there was no exposure like there is now, right? Where you can see and compare yourself to anyone around the world with what you aspire to be like these kids can do now. Yeah, exactly. Before you saw you think of dance and, you know, like you can watch, you know, London ballerina on Instagram and be like, oh, I would love to be her. And you're watching about a professional ballerina in Europe. A South Texas kid can do that now. I didn't have that. And so I just all I knew is that I love to do it. And then we went to New York as a family trip when I think I was about 12.
00:20:34
Speaker
And I saw Phantom of the Opera. This is my first Broadway experience. Phantom of the Opera, Grease, and Big the Musical, and Romeo and Juliet at the ballet at Lincoln Center. And of course, Romeo and Juliet was just dreamy and beautiful, but still kind of like a pipe dream, still far away. You know, like it's this magical thing that you see and you're like, oh, that would be so beautiful to
00:20:57
Speaker
Yeah, like I would want to do it. But like, yeah, right. It's like such a far away idea. And Phantom of the Opera is a classic and you just get to experience the full thing of Broadway. Grease, you know the movie and you watch that and you have a good time. But big is the Tom Hanks film, like from the 90s. And it might have been on Broadway for like two weeks.
00:21:19
Speaker
but everybody was my age, right? It was like middle school kids and they were probably like full fledged adults acting as 11 year olds. But I remember getting like autographs from them at the stage door and these kids autographed and then got on their skateboard and left. And it was a matinee that we saw. And like they were like, they said to their other cast member, all right, see you later. Cause they had an eight o'clock show. And that's when like the curtain was revealed. I got to see behind the curtain. I thought, oh, this is a job for people.
00:21:46
Speaker
Like it's legit, like this is legit. I wanna do that. I just remember thinking that and I told my mom that I was like, this I can do. And I just, cause they were my age or they were at least acting my age and it made sense. Like I could compare myself realistically with that idea. And so my mom suggested that I get into choir in seventh grade and all of my vocal performance education is from public school, which I'm very proud to always share.
00:22:15
Speaker
And my dance training, I pursued that in college as a dance performance major in Oklahoma. That's where I went to school. Okay. Okay. But I auditioned for Juilliard. I auditioned for NYU because the movies told me, you know, Oh, I see. Yeah. You're like, Oh, this is where people go. Yeah. Uh-huh.
00:22:35
Speaker
Yeah. And then I had no idea, no idea, Merce, that a musical theater degree was a thing. That just didn't like in any way cross my mind or was never told to me because musical theater performing arts was a hobby in South Texas at this time in comparison it is now. And I really give social media a big reason that there's more kids that feel like I can do that. I want to do that.
00:23:01
Speaker
And so I went to school in Oklahoma City because I got accepted only to that dance school. And I'm so glad and grateful that I went there because it's a very musical theater dance program, not just ballet and modern. So you learn tap, jazz, ballet, contracts, anatomy, pedagogy, how to teach dance, which I also love to do. And
00:23:24
Speaker
It was a really awesome four years for me to like really get it to get there on how to be just more of a professional performer. Just a just instead of like a an aspiring struggling performer being a waiter in New York, you know. Yeah. Yeah. And that's what the movies tell you. Like, oh, you're going to be poor. And yeah, you're going to have like three jobs and you're going to have this magical break. Somebody's going to find you on stage and pluck you out of the other. And there it is star. Yeah. And it's like, no, no, no. That's not how it works.
00:23:52
Speaker
You've got to have a great resume. You've got to have right contacts. You've got to make sure you show up on time. You've got to make sure you're prepared for the right material and all of these things that are not necessarily the most magical thing to share in a movie. No. Like, say the last dance. That was like the dance movie when I was a kid.
00:24:09
Speaker
It was just so, I was so grateful that I had from like the ages of 18 to 22 or 21 to train a little bit more and more intensely to then go to New York at 18. I mean, to then go to New York at 22 after graduating. And things really hit off. I started with a chorus line, a first national tour. I was Deanna Morales, which was a dream role of mine, the only Latina in the whole show.
00:24:34
Speaker
Yeah, you didn't mess around the playbill. Yeah, it's a show about dancers Yeah, and it's also you have to be able to sing sing well Especially that role that role has a long like I would say about five minutes solo and then she sings the Iconics song what I did for love that everybody knows even if you're not a performer
00:24:51
Speaker
But if you are, and especially if you're a dancer, that song really, really means a lot. And I've been able to perform Deanna like in different later chapters of my life. And that song just gets more important and means more in different ways. You can really, it's so universal. And so, um, and then after a chorus line was my in the Heights debut. Um, and I was after that was my first slump in New York. Like I became poor and I didn't make, I didn't, uh,
00:25:19
Speaker
Didn't book a lot and I realized do I love New York City and I did Luckily, I did like I got a great restaurant job and I Auditioned and made sure things work. I even tried MLM like, you know pyramid scheme stuff and it was oh, yeah I almost earned a car. Okay, honey And so like it worked out for me but um, I have to say New York was kicking my ass and I still loved it
00:25:43
Speaker
Yeah. So would you say like at that time, you know, when you were, um, like doing, like you were doing the job, like other jobs, but like still going to auditions, you were like, is this really something I'm passionate about? Like were you ever questioning it or you were like, no, I am set in stones. This is definitely like something a little bit of both. The middle of it of that is I would call my mom.
00:26:06
Speaker
Okay, so like I would have like callbacks for the next ensemble Broadway show. Yeah, and those callbacks start at 10 a.m And then you sing so you dance and you sing like around noon and they keep you maybe to read some lines So you're done like at 1 so 10 to 1 is like the callback time and you start getting to know everybody at those auditions like the same dancers or the same people and by then, you know the team you know the creators and you know the director and everything and
00:26:32
Speaker
And so like from three PM to six, you get the phone call or you don't, right? Like that day, you're going to get it. And so there came, there came a, that's part of my slump season where I just was always close, but I would always call myself like B team. Like I was close, but not the first choice. And I would call my mom and cry and just be like, I don't know how to get to a team. I don't know how to get, what else do I need to do?
00:26:58
Speaker
I think I need to get my ass back in class, right? Maybe like I need to learn more like trying to learn more I spend more money and I would be sad and my mom would say well she you know, she'd feel sorry for me and listen, but at the same time I think her like Motherly instinct is he's like would say like do you want to come home? Oh, yeah That's very generic. Yes, that's literally every parent would say Literally every parent
00:27:25
Speaker
And I have to say, I'm very lucky that my parents were very supportive. Yeah. You know, just as financially as they could be, but also like aesthetically, like Gabrielle can, we believe in you. Like that's also from like a, you know, a Latina, a Latinx community. That matters a lot. I have to say that. Yeah. And I would say, it would say it's more typical the other way. Like, why aren't you being a doctor? That worked for us.
00:27:47
Speaker
You know, that's what my parents did. They're like, you have to study computer science. Like, what are you doing? Content created. Like, what? Like, that's not what Russian people do. That's not that's not a real job. So I was lucky that they were supportive, but she said, do you want to come home? And I told her every time I said, no, I just need to cry about it. And then I had to wash my face, go to sleep and then just try again tomorrow.
Pandemic Productivity: Podcasting and Life Changes
00:28:11
Speaker
Tomorrow I'll be in a better mood. But right now I am on a low.
00:28:14
Speaker
So what do you say like during this time like the 2020? Because everyone definitely went through something. 2021, Merce, it's 2021. Oh my god. No, because like you know what they say about 2021? It's like they're saying it's 2020 but with a wig.
00:28:35
Speaker
it's like I mean what day what day is today January 27th it's like January 57th for us like yes I mean no December 50 because I genuinely like don't feel like this is new year so I'm like 2020 chapter 2 you know what you know I'm sorry for correcting you you are so correct
00:28:56
Speaker
So would you say like you did something positive that like you just let go or you did something so different out of your comfort zone to like keep your stuff sane? I got pregnant. That's okay. I didn't think that. I produced a podcast and I got pregnant.
00:29:20
Speaker
Yes, those are two huge changes. I would have never made time to make a podcast. Paula Lee, when she talked to me about it, what are friends for? We talked about it like in December of 2019, January, February, was like, what studio are we going to rent? She's also an actress. So pilot season is also going to, of course, take precedence on our schedule. Let's book a show. Let's both of us book a show, whatever.
Pre-Pandemic RV Adventures
00:29:43
Speaker
And when COVID happened, we were like, well, this is all we have to do and let's get on Zoom and let's figure out what Zencaster is and let's find a production assistant if we can. And we did. And it was just so nice to fill our time with that as much as we did. And we grew like 1500% faster than I think we would have grown without COVID.
00:30:07
Speaker
Yeah, that I 100% agree because I feel like I wasn't even expecting to like launch a podcast. Like before, like before I had actually was going to have a contract with a podcast network, but COVID happened and contract fell through. So the network out. So, um, but yeah, it definitely changed like the whole dynamic that I was not expecting because this is like the kind of way for me to like talk to people. This is my social. Yeah. Like I don't get to see people except my boyfriend.
00:30:37
Speaker
Well, except my husband, right. But like, I have to say it was nice since my husband works for our church. The church is empty. Yeah. And there's a vocal room with like cushioned walls that are like acoustic walls and stuff. And those panels and that space, especially in the summer when it's hot in our apartment, our condo.
00:30:54
Speaker
there's central AC at the church and it's quiet and our dog can literally run around it's like the apocalypse there like he and I are there with the dog and like nobody else's and so I get to like run my podcast company there while getting some work done we you know there's a there's a kitchen so we kind of have like an a mini a mini apocalypse escape building from our condo which is very very nice and
00:31:20
Speaker
Um, we sometimes, we see a few people on Sundays when we do our virtual live stream service and it's very, it's very contained and controlled and safe. But I have to say like, I was ready to get pregnant in 2020 and January, when I miscarried in October of 2019, I waited three months or two months. We did like this huge RV cross country trip. My husband and I, that sounds so fun. I like really, I really want to do something like that. We got.
00:31:49
Speaker
So lucky we did the pandemic. I know. I'm like, oh, fuck. Like we went from L.A. to Grand Canyon. We saw friends and we went to Muleshoe, Texas, which is like near Lubbock that nobody needs to go to. But except for me, because I grew up there in the summers and it was like my home summer town. And I lived in a house. We lived in a haunted house. And so like I saw it for the first time in my adulthood. It was just so funny and cool. We stopped by Roswell, North New Mexico, where the aliens are.
00:32:18
Speaker
And then we stopped by like Mississippi, picked up my niece, not my niece. We went to Mississippi to see our, and Louisiana to see Phillip's really good friends. Went to the Panhandle floor to pick up my sister-in-law and we drove all the way up to see my family in Virginia where my sister lives. And then we went to Pennsylvania for Christmas where Phillip's from.
00:32:37
Speaker
It was so much fun. It was also soy heart. I bet. You have to be a team player. You have to be a MacGyver. But at the same time, you have to be teachable when something breaks down or something is not working on your RV.
00:32:54
Speaker
You got to get on YouTube and be like, why does not, why does the heater not work anymore? And then you can find, you can find the video and be patient to learn it. But there were some moments where like the ascending automatic staircases wouldn't go down or they wouldn't come back up and they won't, the car, the RV won't go. It won't go to, it won't even let you shift to drive. Oh my God. Cause like the door has to close and lock. Yeah. Safety issues. Yeah.
00:33:17
Speaker
And so Philip and I were like, not stranded. Thankfully, we were at a gas station in Iowa and we had to like, we had to like get bungee cords and force the stairs to be closed.
00:33:31
Speaker
And it's getting cold and I just, I'll never forget, I was like, Philip, what do you think like our other couple friends would do in this situation? Like it becomes like a test, you know, variable, like a couple's test, you know, like. I would totally open TikTok, that's all I would. I literally get 90% of my news from TikTok, which I think I feel like 90% of it, this might be actually like wrong. It might not be even accurate.
00:34:07
Speaker
No, because literally all I see on tiktok is nowadays is like some people have vans now and they have like their You know van stories like I bought like how they like literally turned a van into a fucking studio Like it looks gorgeous. I'm just like yeah, like no, it just looks amazing, but I'm just like there's no way
00:34:28
Speaker
And like, friends of ours, like Sophia and David, we were like, Sophia and David would have left the RV and they would have called an Uber in Iowa and waited three hours for the Uber to arrive in Iowa and just found a plane and flew back. And I said, and then like, Polyvian Hari would have chewed out the owner on the phone and be like, you can't believe it. And so I was just like, the amount of like variables of the way this would go for couples is just like one of those like couples therapy tests.
00:34:57
Speaker
And I mean, it was so much fun. It was so much. It was so hard, but we loved it. I mean, we had a great time. We got to take our dog across the country and and see a lot and not sleep a lot and just make tons of sandwiches.
Pandemic Priorities and Career-Family Balance
00:35:09
Speaker
You know, I have to say when 2020 happened and all of that pilot season didn't it really didn't. It was my last like it was my last
00:35:21
Speaker
time to really go hard at the audition process to book another great show like Crazy X just like professionally and financially because we have we bought this condo we wanted to rent it out and buy a house which is very expensive in Los Angeles and we a good one especially like you want a good neighborhood nice one right right and like not under a male like not even a male
00:35:45
Speaker
Not even, it's like 1.4 minimum. Yes, I'm like that. And we were just ready to book another show like that, because that's why we moved here. And the fact that that didn't happen and we were still able to conceive and make time for that, it's just been a really cool reinvention of myself, because I've always wanted to produce. And producing this podcast has now become a live show. We have video shows.
00:36:13
Speaker
and just get to talk to people and monetize.
Podcast Growth and Community Support
00:36:16
Speaker
We even, we have a merch, we have a shop. It's called... Yeah, I literally just saw that. That's like something so cool that I would say merch is definitely a good idea. Like I launched mine before that. It was, I would 100% recommend it like for any podcasters.
00:36:30
Speaker
And so if anybody was interested in seeing what I'm talking about, WAFT podcast, W-A-F-F podcast on Instagram, we are also on TikTok, but I don't run it, thank goodness. Is it Madison who runs it? We got very lucky with hiring volunteers that love the show or loved Crazy X and they're either in college or they just graduated. And these poor kids, I mean, I'm 36, I think I'm allowed to say that. These poor kids, they're like stuck at their house
00:37:00
Speaker
their family home when they were wanting to intern in New York, you know. Yeah, exactly. So they're interning for us. And it's really nice because they know Canva. They know all the new stuff.
00:37:12
Speaker
I'm like, Kamala is my best friend because I taught that to my intern and she does like because I made like a template and she literally just switches the pictures. Like it's so easy. They do that and they're digital content creators in a very different way than what I am. And so it's nice to divide and conquer, but also mentor like I'm teaching them like.
00:37:32
Speaker
how to talk on an email or how do you talk to celebrities because we do have a less celebrities coming on on our podcast and yeah and how not to be just a fan but be professional and you know like exactly and also like we will be your rec we will recommend you and send referrals if you're gonna if you're gonna apply for npr because that's what you want to do so um it's not madison it's we have like a team of like five women and it's transcontinental two of them no i think it's like six and two of them are in mexico city
00:38:00
Speaker
that's amazing that is really amazing yeah that's one thing i'm like so happy like because this show wasn't just like you know like there are some shows that kind of like was popular at the moment and just gone but i'm so glad like there are fans of this show that like they're old they're always like you know looking up to it and i literally just even started re-watching it with my boyfriend like it's so funny
Balancing Work, Leisure, and Virtual Growth
00:38:23
Speaker
So, what do you say nowadays you do for fun? You would be like, besides the podcast and besides the baby. I'm so bad at doing things for fun. Or maybe together it was you and your husband. You were like, this is the fun time for us going for a walk. We have so much fun working. Workaholic. She's still a New Yorker. I'm a New Yorkaholic.
00:38:48
Speaker
God would I do for fun or would you say like this is something like when you're working? That is your mental health like you're just like keeping yourself away from like just any distraction Okay, I'll say this we did go to Rosie's dog Beach
00:39:04
Speaker
Um last like mid january my birthday is mid december, but I had a live show that day and I was happy to do it and I it's right before the holidays So even with pandemic, it was just intense, you know, and um, I told philip. I was like there's this really great Long beach beach that is off leash for dogs and we went like in the summer of last year as one of our only outings
00:39:30
Speaker
And I requested that for my birthday. I was like, I'd like to go, even if it's in January, like let's make time to go. And so we did that. And so walking on the beach or like doing nothing is my happiness, like hobby, because I will fill my calendar to the brim and overload it and just like be happy that I, you know, work hard, sleep hard. But there comes a point where I'm like, I need to just go outside and do nothing. And so
00:39:57
Speaker
Join a club. Like I love that. Like just doing nothing. I'm like, just sign me up. It's so hard. It's so hard to commit to because yeah, the big peak day is Sunday because it's. Yeah. Monday gets ramped up fast. And so like for my assistant, Madison and I, I'm like, we just need to hold Monday.
00:40:15
Speaker
as holy as possible to have a day off because I won't give myself one. So you need to do it for me. That's why I hired. I was like, you need to just hold on to Monday and schedule as much as you can on Tuesdays. So because if not, I will burn out eventually. But at the same time, this pregnancy is reminding me that I have to take more time off and be kind to myself about it.
00:40:34
Speaker
Yeah, no, I'm so glad you mentioned that. There's one last question I want to say as because I think you have, you know, experience so much in just, you know, this industry. And there's so many people actually on this podcast, they are 18 to 20, like 90 percent of that, like that's what analytics say. So I.
00:40:53
Speaker
So I want you to just give them advice on like because a lot of them actually the comments I've got through like they don't have they can't find a job or they're kind of like going through some sort of like you know they're stuck at home as you mentioned you know with their parents what advice would you kind of give them to you know like move forward kind of for them or if they're stuck sort of
00:41:16
Speaker
I would say short term, especially now, trying to seize the moment, making the best out of quarantine and COVID. Virtual connection is a totally new ballgame that should be exciting, especially for the younger generation. Yeah. Because you guys know how to TikTok.
00:41:35
Speaker
I'm telling you, I'm 36 and all A-list to B-list to C-list celebrities that you admire don't want to make time for it. Like they just like, I have to take an old dog new trick kind of thing. Like, Oh my God, it spends so much time for me when I now have a kid or I now, you know, my kid is homeschooled now. So I don't have time to be social. So I mean, I mean, I don't have time to do social media for my fans and for my people. And that is how
00:42:02
Speaker
me personally, as the C-list celebrity, it's wonderful to give back to the next generation by mentoring them if they're an aspiring actor, if they're an aspiring producer, to let them work for me, even if it's for free, because you are experiencing their work and their lifestyle and something that you would like. So I
00:42:24
Speaker
just want to say it's worked out for me times seven with seven volunteers working on what our friends for and for me personally and professionally to intern and volunteer and reach out to people that you admire and be like, hey, do you need an intern? Because I would love to run your social media and I would love to sign a non-disclosure agreement and protect your privacy professionally. Here's my work. I can do this from home. Find that work that you can do from home that
00:42:52
Speaker
gives you like a day like you wake up have coffee sit down and you go to work get dressed you know don't stay in your pajamas it really makes a difference because working from home before the pandemic maybe 20 percent of america did it
00:43:07
Speaker
I mean, I feel like I did. I don't know about you, but I feel like I was figuring out working from home very early and then applying myself to go audition in a room that's not out in my house. Now that's become all in my house. Working at home hasn't really changed a lot. I already knew how to do this.
00:43:22
Speaker
Yeah, it was like 50% for me because like half of it was photo shoots, but like now just their whole God here. Yeah, it's all here. So like you can run some of these social media like platforms for people that don't want to do it. And then you get you get that connection that I promise you will fulfill itself in like 10 years.
00:43:43
Speaker
No, that's it. It's a 10 year job, guys. Like I quote unquote entered and did a lot of things for free in New York, like concerts, teaching, workshops for a lot of like aspiring Broadway choreographers. And I did a lot of that shit for free. And that was my intern years. And you're in your 20s, even 18 to 21, like to like almost 27, 28, 30.
00:44:08
Speaker
you are interning you are doing a lot of things for free and the fact that you're home you've got to spin it in your head that it's you're you're not paying for rent i 100% agree because like you don't have any other yeah yeah and your parents are feeding you set a boundary
00:44:24
Speaker
Set a boundary and be like, mom, you can't come in here. You're not my, I'm working here, but thank you so much. Put some money into the groceries, go get groceries or whatever. Make them your roommates, like professional roommates and just like make that lemonade out of this lemon that you're given right now because you don't want to be behind when you win the world. I don't think it ever will. We'll go back to normal. It's never going to go back to normal. We are evolving. We are mutating, right? And this is, this is going to be a huge part of any industry
00:44:54
Speaker
all around, all fronts, forever.
00:44:57
Speaker
No, I 100% agree, because I feel like even every single people are always like, oh, it's going to go back to normal or anything like that. But I feel like normal is long gone. It's definitely going to be like so much virtual, like online shopping, online groceries, like everything is totally changing because of Covid. I feel like it was eventually changing, but Covid just made it faster. So now we have to kind of adapt to it. So I'm so glad, like you mentioned that. You know, and I had an assistant like to two pilots seasons ago.
00:45:27
Speaker
that was in Los Angeles and she would drive with me, she would run lines with me, and she would report and she would log everything that was going on. And right now, I'm not going to those locations. I'm auditioning at home. So my Madison, shout out to Madison, my assistant, she's in Iowa and she just graduated in December from college. And she just is like, I would love to just
00:45:49
Speaker
eat and gobble up all that you're doing because this is what I want to do. So she gets to experience it. Be that virtual fly on the wall when the auditions come in. What are the details? What's the character description? When is it due? How many lines? When do I have time to memorize the lines? How am I going to set up? Do they need me makeup? Is it just audio and video? Like that's nine things.
00:46:07
Speaker
that I could have and teach her and she can experience it. And especially with the voiceover stuff, like voiceover work right now is just at a prime because you can do that at home so easily. I told Madison, I was like, watch the show that this is a part of or look at the creators, the executive producers and see what else they've produced because that's the kind of style I need to bring to the table when I do the voiceover audition.
00:46:32
Speaker
because they're all different and they all have speeds and they all have different, you know, banter, style and everything like that. I said, so check out the lines and said, and then press save. Like, remember that show, even if I don't get it, because it's going to show up in two years on Netflix and you're going to see and be like, oh, that's what they wanted.
00:46:51
Speaker
Oh, okay. That's cool. Like I, now I understand what they're looking for and just translate that read between the lines. I have so much fun teaching that too. So there are a lot of people out there. There are a lot of people out there that I'm telling you, if you reach out and apply and just offer that, you could get a lot of great experience and keep learning while you're stuck at home.
00:47:13
Speaker
Yeah. And I think especially because nowadays everyone is at home, you just have so much potential to just like learn and experience so many things, literally in the comfort of your home, like doing things for people, but just without living
Social Media Challenges and Podcast Promotion
00:47:27
Speaker
anywhere. Yeah. And like, if you're really good at TikTok, it is an industry. People are making money off of it. I mean, ask Charlie. Charlie DML, he was like,
00:47:35
Speaker
100 million, hi. Oh my God. I'm just so lucky that I found youngins to be able to do that for whatever I'm swore and for my own, just to teach me and just skip a line where I don't have to do it by myself. But at the same time, if it's easy for you, I'm telling you, there are a lot of celebrities, executives that can probably afford to pay you too. Agreed, agreed. Not just people that can't afford, like I can't afford right now to pay someone out like that.
00:48:03
Speaker
I'm, you know, bartering with mentorship at the same time. There are people out there that would take the take the help. Yeah, I agree. So where can people find you? Tell us your handles. And I will also put the link in the description of the podcast so they can go check it out.
00:48:19
Speaker
Um, I love Instagram and Twitter. It's at Gabrielle Ruiz, G-A-B-R-I-E-L-L-E-R-U-I-Z. And then I think on Twitter, I mean, I think on TikTok, Gabrielle Ruiz official, I think. Okay. I'll find him for, I will find it. It's fine guys. I will find it. I mean, it's, it's really new. I finally like gave in and like, I posted like four things that don't have a lot of views.
00:48:45
Speaker
Anyone out there, I'm not kidding, if you want to run my TikTok. She's accepting applications. I'm accepting it if you're okay with signing an NDA. Run my TikTok because I was actually looking at it yesterday. I was like, okay, what are like pregnancy things that would be funny? And I spent an hour on my phone just watching videos. You go down this rabbit hole and I was like, I don't have time for this.
00:49:10
Speaker
One thing I have to say though, like TikTok literally, I waste I think sometimes six hours on TikTok. Six hours, Merse? I don't know. No. That's why I sleep at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. So if anybody wants to run my TikTok, this is a cry, this is a plea for help. Anyone around the world, I'm not kidding, you can email Madison.
00:49:33
Speaker
Yes. Tell them I sent you. But also, what are friends for though? Do check out the podcast. It's WAFT podcast, W-A-F-F podcast on Instagram and TikTok. WAFTpodcast.com. You can leave us a voice message. We talk and dive in to the inners and outers, the fun and the not so fun conversations of platonic love, friendship. Because I think, because we truly believe
00:49:58
Speaker
It takes almost more work to work on your platonic friendships than your romantic ones. True. True. There's like, I'm just like, versus, versus space right now. It's like, yep. I'm like, okay, this is like, I feel attacked. My friendships is like, needs work. A lot of work.
00:50:23
Speaker
Listen to the pod. Listen, we have like a lot of fun guest friends is what we call them. And we also talk about vulnerable moments, like when your friends don't grow up with you, you know, and then like how you can apologize without making it about you. And then also to recategorize and set new boundaries with friends that do move on with your life. It's very interesting to talk about.
00:50:46
Speaker
Yeah, no, those are amazing topics and very, very difficult topics to talk about, especially nowadays. I think because of Covid, there are a lot of people are going through this silence and your separation from friends and everything. So I think those are very important to talk about nowadays. And then check out our merch. It's Wafshop.com. Sounds good. I will definitely put all the links there. Thank you so much for coming to the podcast and talking to us. I hope it was wild and basic enough.
00:51:15
Speaker
It was, it was. I definitely got some parts of it that I'm actually going to make a TikTok so I can post it and tag you. Oh my god, please tag me. Tag me and then my future intern will redo it. I don't know how to do it.