Marie Davis of Ria’s Beauty Collection and Ria’s Crafts and Things On The Book That Changed Her Life
An Interview With Sara Connell
Believe in yourself, you will experience ups and downs, don’t compare yourself to others, it doesn’t have to be perfect, and it’s never too late to accomplish your goals in life.
Books have the power to shape, influence, and change our lives. Why is that so? What goes into a book that can shape lives? To address this we are interviewing people who can share a story about a book that changed their life, and why. As a part of our series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Marie Davis.
Marie Davis is the Author of “A Burden Has Been Lifted by Frede’ Rica, Founder/CEO of Ria’s Beauty Collection, Crafter of Ria’s Crafts and Things, and a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Ria’s Beauty Collection specializes in skincare and haircare products, and Ria’s Crafts and Things specializes in handmade, crafted, and unique items. Marie Davis currently resides in Salisbury, NC.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory” and how you grew up?
Originally from New Jersey. My parents had 9 children (5 girls and 4 boys) at the time. During this time, my mother was in the nursing field, and my dad was a director of a drug rehabilitation center. My dad was also involved in politics. Our family was a family oriented close-knit family.
Let’s talk about what you are doing now, and how you achieved the success that you currently enjoy. Can you tell our readers a bit about the work you are doing?
Currently, focusing on my two businesses. I’m the Founder/CEO of Ria’s Beauty Collection, and Crafter of Ria’s Crafts and Things. Ria’s Beauty Collection specializes in skincare and haircare products for those that are experiencing difficulties with skin and hair issues. Ria’s Crafts and Things specializes in handmade, crafted, and unique items. My items consist of crochet and knit designs. I achieved funds for my business while working full-time and setting monies aside for my personal business.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Being independent, having patience, and never giving up.
What’s the WHY behind the work that you do? Please share a story about this if you can.
I launched Ria’s Beauty Collection in 2015, due to my skin condition with eczema. Constantly being unsuccessful locating products that benefited my skin, my youngest daughter suggested that I should create my own. This has been the best advice ever. The products consist of Shea Butter, lotions, soaps, hair serum, conditioner, shampoos, and more. Also, I enjoy providing a healthy and nontoxic product that is beneficial to others in solving and improving their skin and hair condition. It gives me great pleasure to know that I am giving back by helping others in a positive way and that it is making an impact on their lives. I also launched Ria’s Crafts and Things which consist of handmade, crafted, and unique designs. This is my passion. I enjoy crafting hats, scarves, bonnets, etc. I developed this skill while residing in Israel. When time permitted, I would go and observe other women crochet and knit. This was very fascinating to me, and this is how I got started. I love seeing the outcome of my projects and knowing that my customers are satisfied with my creations when they receive it.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’m thankful for my daughters believing in me when I had doubts about pursuing my business, and the continuation of their support. Due to my doubts, the business was delayed for 2 years. Finally gained confidence to launch Ria’s Beauty Collection in 2015.
Awesome! Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. I’m an author and I believe that books have the power to change lives. Can you please tell our readers about “The Book That Changed Your Life”? Can you share a story about how it impacted you?
“A Burden Has Lifted by Frede’ Rica” changed my life. This experience has changed my life and has made me a stronger person. Since this ordeal, I know that I can make it through anything. It has taught me to be careful of quickly trusting others, trying to fit in, trying to belong to a certain group of people, and to be leery of scammers. It also taught me that outsiders can come in and destroy your entire family, and you’re left wondering what happened or wondering if it was a dream. What looks greener on the other side isn’t always greener. If it sounds too good to be true, then it is. I’ve also learned about patience and survival for various situations. Even through the ups and downs, you can still turn your life around regardless of the situation and no matter how long it takes. Life is about being thankful, grateful, and appreciating what you have.
What was the moment or series of events that made you decide that you wanted to take a specific course of action based on the inspiration from the book? Can you share a story about that?
Constantly had thoughts about life in Israel and the suffering that majority of the people there experienced by the cult group. Just the sad lingering thoughts were always there in the back of mind, as though they were locked up and wanted to be let out.
I never did mention Israel to anyone, because to me it was an embarrassment of what we had gone through. I really did not want anyone to know about it, but I also felt guilty about not informing others about the experience. Because this meant that there would be continuous sufferings, and I needed to release what I knew. Then one day, I decided to listen to my conscious. It said that I needed to release the life of Israel by writing a book. This is the only way the burden would be lifted, and that I would also be helping others who may make the same mistake by joining the cult. Also, my family was afraid for me to write the book, but I finally decided to go through with it anyway. They were afraid that the cult members would come after me, but I really didn’t care anymore. I was tired of carrying this information around and not informing others of this group. I had seen too many people suffer for this to continue without expressing what I knew. Afterwards, I felt a lot better in releasing everything. It was as though a heavy burden was lifted, and I was free. It was amazing.
Can you articulate why you think books in particular have the power to create movements, revolutions, and true change?
Because in life you don’t know what someone is going through, and you may be an inspiration to others. That person could be going through the same thing you’re going through and may not know how to react to the situation. By sharing your story, you’re helping them to decide. This may help them to become a stronger person, help them to believe in themselves, and give them the strength to pursue whatever they’re trying to do in life.
A book has many aspects, of course. For example, you have the writing style, the narrative tense, the topic, the genre, the design, the cover, the size, etc. In your opinion, what are the main, essential ingredients needed to create a book that can change lives?
A strong opening, powerful description, originality, and a satisfying conclusion.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started My Career” and why?
Believe in yourself, you will experience ups and downs, don’t compare yourself to others, it doesn’t have to be perfect, and it’s never too late to accomplish your goals in life.
The world, of course, needs progress in many areas. What movement do you hope someone (or you!) starts next? Can you explain why that is so important?
Love, joy, peace, and accepting others as they are. The world appears to be so disconnected today. There is so much hate and violence everywhere.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
www.riasbeautycollection.com, www.walmart.com, www.amazon.com, www.etsy.com, www.instagram.com/riasbeautycollection1
Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us and our readers. We know that it will make a tremendous difference and impact thousands of lives. We are excited to connect further and we wish you so much joy in your next success.
