Silver Disobedience® Perception Dynamics with Dian Griesel: How People Think, Lead and Succeed

Grandma Gets Real: How Tanya Ruiz is Redefining Miniature Art as an Influencer & Creator Post Cancer

Silver Disobedience® Perception Dynamics with Dian Griesel: How People Think, Lead and Succeed

Show Notes

Grandma Gets Real: How Tanya Ruiz Turned Barbie, Dolls & Miniatures Into a Viral Influencer CareerHost Dian Griesel interviews Tanya Ruiz, creator of the Instagram and Facebook accounts @GrandmaGetsReal about how her lifelong relationship with Barbie evolved from childhood play to teenage fashion modeling, then to speaking on body image and considering the impact of Barbie as a cultural reflection. After her husband became ill and she stopped traveling, her granddaughters found her speaking-prop Barbies in the attic, including a Happy Family Grandma Barbie, which sparked a new Instagram project: building a realistic 1/6-scale “plastic parallel universe” using detailed miniatures. Tanya describes discovering tiny food and other collectibles online, creating dioramas and 14 miniature rooms, posting up to three times daily, going viral in 2020, growing to over two million followers, and working with some brands despite being told she wasn’t their “demographic,” while continuing to champion creativity and hobby-driven joy. You can follow Tanya here: https://www.instagram.com/grandmagetsreal/ https://www.facebook.com/GrandmaGetsReal/ https://www.youtube.com/c/GrandmaGetsReal https://www.tiktok.com/@grandmagetsreal Please SUBSCRIBE! I’m Dian Griesel, Ph.D. aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here: ⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠ But for starters…I am a perceptionist and communication counselor. For 30 years I have helped my clients to achieve greater understanding as to how perceptions impact everything we do whether personally or professionally. "Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth. Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

SHOW RUN: 00:00 Growing Up With Barbie00:22 Meet Tanya Ruiz01:29 From Modeling to Body Image02:39 Granddaughters Spark Revival06:45 Grandma Barbie Origin Story09:01 Miniatures Go Viral10:48 Brands and Partnerships11:41 Finding the Miniature World13:08 Scale and Nostalgia Rooms15:03 Dollstagram Community Therapy17:27 Building Sets and Family Support21:40 Content Creator Life24:34 Planning Themes Route 6626:35 Not Their Demographic33:21 Fame Barbie Movie Wrap Up35:09 Final Advice and Outro

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