We had the good fortune of connecting with Maricruz Carrillo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maricruz, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
“Other people, known as “experts”, know more about your body, mind and spirit than you do intuitively.” I am a strong believer that once you take time to be with yourself and monitor your moods, reactions and cycles, you will know yourself better than anyone else. Yes, there are people that dedicate their lives to understanding biology, psychology or religious practices but each being is a completely different organism and although we can rely on them for support, the person that ultimately knows what is best for you is YOU. Period. End of story. Unfortunately, we have become so disconnected from ourselves that we might feel ignorant or uneducated to claim to know what is best for our well being.

What should our readers know about your business?
Menos (Less) Waste is rooted in my motto: Good for YOU, your WALLET and the PLANET. Whether it be a personal product I make and sell, a tip I share on instagram or a video I upload to YouTube, the values behind them align with this motto. Something that sets Menos Waste apart is that making money has never been the goal. That is why the recipe of my products are given with every purchase in case you are up for making it yourself (the most sustainable thing!) and create less waste that way. It is why I started a YouTube channel to share knowledge for free. I believe sustainability should be inclusive to everyone and that is something I am conscious about when creating anything for Menos Waste. One of the things I am most excited about is the community workshops I will begin doing around San Diego this year! I will be collaborating with local organizations to connect and share the Menos Waste way with my community. Stay tuned!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am definitely more of an outdoor person so I would make sure to take advantage of the day time by going to some beautiful hikes around San Diego. Hikes you cannot miss are Ho Chi Minh Trail (or Saigon Trail) in La Jolla and see the seal and sea lions, Sunset cliffs to check out the tide pools and Three sister’s falls closer to Julian. While we are over there, we would definitely get pie in Julian! One day would be dedicated to Downtown/Coronado Island. I would take bikes to Coronado and ride around the island during the day, get ice cream, ride the ferry to downtown because that is my favorite view of the San Diego skyline. Another day would be dedicated to Tijuana. Have to take them over the border to eat the best tacos in the world at Tacos el Franc! On the way down or back up, we would make a stop in Barrio Logan to see beautiful Chicano Park to have the compare and contrast experience of Mexican and Chicanx culture along with a beer or two at Border X. On another day, we would go to Mission Beach area and Belmont park. I think the boardwalk there is the most Californian you can get. Speaking of California, we would definitely make room for a California burrito in one or a few days of the trip. And of course, being a surfer myself, there would be plenty of surfing happening all along the coast. We would also make an effort to visit a few farmers markets and live music.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out an article written by the Independent magazine from the UK that released an article titled: “US government to kill 45,000 wild horses to make room for cattle” by Rachael Revesz. This is the article that began my journey into plant-based living, sustainability education and social justice in general ultimately leading to the creation of Menos Waste store, instagram community and YouTube channel. Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without the love of my life, my friends and my family rooting and supporting me along the way. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Instagram: @_menoswaste_

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maricruz-carrillo-8226a864/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClKjcptGYiKKF3wSoKQRoPA

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.