Meet Nicole Ruiz-lemmo | Bilingual-Inspired Apparel & Accessories Creator/Curator and Mom

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Ruiz-lemmo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The creation of Keep Dreaming for All was inspired by my multi-cultural family, including my Hispanic husband and Hispanic-American children. Since starting a family with my husband, I have become more exposed to both the Hispanic immigrant community as well as Hispanic culture. After we had our 2 children, I wanted to create something for my children that embodied both mine and my husband’s childhoods and cultures (Caucasian and Mexican) as well as the combined experiences that our children are experiencing as they grow up. Think, having an Abuela and a Grandma; think making both Tamales and Christmas Cookies as Christmas traditions; think being asked do you want tacos or pizza for dinner. I realized that growing up in San Diego and being so close to the Mexican border, these experiences are shared by many people who may be from any ethnicity. While some of my designs resonate more specifically with Hispanic-Americans, there are plenty of bilingual-inspired designs that resonate with many different cultures.
The name Keep Dreaming for All was inspired by my husband, who himself is an immigrant to this country. In my conversations with him and other immigrants, I frequently hear the themes of “we left for a better life”, or “we wanted a better life for our children”; this led me to the theme of “dreaming”, where people desire something better for themselves or loved ones. Keep Dreaming for All is a reminder to myself and others who interact with my apparel and accessories to keep reaching for your dreams and a better life.
Not only do my own children get to wear unique designs that showcase their Hispanic-American bilingual childhoods, but I am so excited to see many different people interested by these bilingual-inspired designs as well.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My professional background is from the aerospace and electric vehicle industries, where I have worked for nearly 20 years. After having my children within the past few years, my life has shifted a bit more towards family life and being a huge part of my children’s lives. While I am currently professionally working much less and spending way more time with my kids, I found some time to start Keep Dreaming for All.
It’s not easy to start something you’re passionate or interested in; however as a mom of young children, balancing all the things that every mom does, my message is to just start and keep going. As I mentioned in one of the previous questions, I am at the very beginning of this journey and have a very long way to go. But I am learning a ton, finding a bit more creativity in my life, and am doing something I have never done before. If anyone is interested in trying a different path in life, I’d strongly suggest giving it a try.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I was born and raised in San Diego, and I am so happy to be sharing this wonderful city with my husband and our children now! So many of my childhood memories are able to be shared with my family now, and it is a dream come true.
Since we do have many friends and family visitors to this city, we have had many opportunities to share our favorite spots! We like to appreciate nature, culture, creativity, and of course, the food! Here are few of our favorite spots:
1. Mt Soledad mountain to see a 360-degree, bird’s-eye view of the ocean and all of the major San Diego sights
2. If you have dogs, then the Fiesta Island leash-free dog park is a must see! It was recently voted best in the USA and this is a place we frequent multiple times each week. During the Spring and early Summer, the island is filled with small yellow and white flowers, often so tall that you lose sight of your dog!
3. The San Diego Zoo: such a beautifully hardscaped and landscaped place in the middle of the city, and of course filled with so many wonderful animals. I am a huge plant-lover and enjoy both the walks and seeing so many different plants. Kids have a blast here and there is something to see for everyone.
4. Tide pools: as a family with small kids, we enjoy going to the La Jolla tide pools the best, however there are others around San Diego beaches as well. The La Jolla tide pools offer plenty of walking space on both sand and tide pool rocks. There is plenty to see and explore, as well as beautiful picture opportunities also.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am at the very beginning of my journey with Keep Dreaming for All; it has been a lot of work getting this far, however there is a long way to go! I would like to give recognition to a few of the people in my life who have supported my start with these bilingual-inspired designs.
My husband and his extended family for both giving me the inspiration and encouragement to continue working on my ideas and designs. Thank you to a few of those who have purchased my items too!
Also, @Seahivemini in Mission Valley mall San Diego, CA. Sea Hive Mini presented me with the opportunity to showcase my apparel and accessories in their store. This was the catalyst I needed late this year to give Keep Dreaming for All a more focused effort. I have been vending in the Sea Hive Mini store since early November and am both having fun and learning a ton!

Website: https://keepdreamingforall.myshopify.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keepdreamingforall/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keepdreamingforall

Other: @seahivemini in Mission Valley mall, San Diego- this is where I have my booth and sell bilingual-inspired products

Image Credits
image credits: Nicole Ruiz-Lemmo