About
Always be a student.
Leaders are always learning.
By leaving behind your old self and taking a leap of faith into the unknown, you discover what you can become. I help people, teams, and organizations leap! Ready?
Elizabeth Ruiz
Elizabeth Ruiz is a highly experienced and accomplished leader, with over 30 years of experience in leadership research and strategic business entrepreneurship. She is dedicated to helping individuals, teams, and organizations develop effective leadership capabilities across all levels of the organization.
Elizabeth is known for her innovative and strategic focus, aligning theory with best practices to impact organizations significantly and immediately. She offers proven workplace solutions that improve workplace relationships and increase organizational effectiveness.
If you're looking to transform yourself, your team, or your organization, Elizabeth can help. She provides training and development globally, helping you achieve your goals and succeed. Are you ready for the next level?
Please find below a gallery of various media that includes:
- Speaking engagements
- Businesses owned
- Events, workshops, conferences, and trainings
- Media from professional and academic organizations
- Certifications
- Academic achievements
- Volunteer work
- TV appearances, pageants, and modeling career highlights
- Work/life balance moments
Press Release link for "Local Business Leader Completes Specialized Training to Build Better Workplaces" about Elizabeth Ruiz and Wiley.
Meet Elizabeth
Elizabeth has a passion for meeting new people and listening to their stories. She understands that every individual, team, and organization has unique situations and goals. Therefore, each coaching session, speaking engagement, or classroom training is tailored to provide a personalized learning experience.
She has an extensive background of over 30 years in creating, starting, and leading multiple businesses and managing teams. Throughout the years, she has been sought after for advice and has helped numerous people, teams, and organizations learn, change, and grow. Elizabeth dedicates her time to serving others by carefully listening to their situations, strategically creating plans, and ensuring that they are executed effectively.
Elizabeth is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Concordia University Chicago. She holds two master's degrees, an MBA in Management from The University of Texas Permian Basin and an Executive Master of Science in Strategic Communication from Columbia University in New York City. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a major in Psychology and a minor in Communication Studies from The University of Houston-Downtown. You can connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn if you want to know more about her academic background, courses taken, universities attended, and induction into five honor societies.
As a professional speaker and facilitator, Elizabeth specializes in several subject areas, including effective leadership, executive leadership, women's leadership, leadership development, diversity and inclusion, unconscious bias, strategic and compelling communication, productive conflict, agile EQ, organizational change, building cohesive teams, persuasive public speaking, building your professional brand, personal development, career development, interpersonal and soft skill development, global business etiquette, employee wellness, work-life balance, employee morale and engagement, entrepreneurship, branding, marketing, management, sales, presentation skills, poise, stance, and other nonverbal cues in public speaking, including interviews.
Elizabeth is passionate about motivating, empowering, and inspiring audiences on stage or online to enhance their growth and success. She offers coaching, facilitation, and advising for individuals and groups. She has been a speaker for over 30 years and began her career speaking at conventions, trade shows, and professional organizations.
She has also appeared on live television for two years in Houston, TX, on ABC-TV's Good Morning Houston and for one year on an NBC-TV morning talk show, This Day with Katherine. Additionally, she competed in Miss America and Miss Universe pageants for two years, where she honed her speaking, interviewing, and presentation skills.
After her modeling and pageant career ended, she became a certified image consultant and started her first business, Privately Polished. She sold the company to a fellow Miss Texas USA contestant. She created several more businesses, eventually leading her back to facilitating and speaking at private and public events in various venues.
Elizabeth is the author of seven books, including Leadership Strategies for a Multigenerational Workplace, Women's Leadership Development Workbook, and The Psychology of Organizational Behavior: How to Work with Different Personalities. She has also created multiple learning programs facilitated globally, online, and face-to-face.
She volunteers her time to help people and animals in need. She is involved in leadership positions with Toastmasters International and on the board of directors at PAW. She also attends conferences to stay up-to-date on the latest research and findings in her career field and animal advocacy.
With over thirty years of professional business experience and over ten years of academic study and research, Elizabeth offers a unique perspective that sets her apart from her competitors. She understands and empathizes with what her clients are feeling, experiencing, and going through. Elizabeth understands dead ends and growing pains, the chaos of change, the fork in the road decisions to be made, and so much more. She has been there, pushed through it, and succeeded. Now, Elizabeth is helping others get through it and achieve.
To book a free 15-minute phone call to discuss your needs and how Elizabeth may be able to assist you, click here.
Remember to connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn. Keep learning!
The Beginning
Elizabeth's career spans over 30 years, starting from her school years. Her first job was with Seventeen Magazine as a runway model for their back-to-school issue. She was signed with two well-known talent agencies and worked as a spokesperson, host, and model for various events, print, TV, and runway shows across the country.
In 1983, Elizabeth started her corporate career with Dr. Denton Cooley, a renowned heart surgeon who established a new outpatient medical facility in the Houston Medical Center. The facility offered a range of services such as Executive Health Evaluations, Nutrition Education, Diabetes Education, Pain Management, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Sports Medicine, Cardiac Rehab, and a full-service laboratory for blood work.
The company provided Elizabeth with Dale Carnegie Sales Training, which she completed with honors and awards. She then worked as a Sales and Marketing Representative, meeting with physicians daily to explain the benefits of referring patients to the outpatient medical facility. She also presented in front of executives and medical groups to gain referrals.
Elizabeth worked with the company until 1988 when Dr. Cooley filed for bankruptcy and the company closed. In 1989, she was selected by Mr. Barry Horn to appear on a morning talk show called Good Morning Houston on ABC-TV for two years and on This Day with Kathrine on NBC-TV for one year. She featured in fashion and fitness segments once a week.
From 1988 to 1990, Elizabeth competed in the Miss Universe and Miss America pageant systems. Below are a few photos of Elizabeth competing in Miss Texas USA and other pageants.
Elizabeth completed her final year of training, traveling, competing and making appearances in the Miss Universe system in 1990. However, due to age limit, she could no longer continue her participation in the industry.
Having recognized a need in the market, she became a certified image consultant and started her own total image development company, called Privately Polished, in the Galleria area of Houston, TX.
Elizabeth offered personal growth and total image development services to both individuals and businesses. She specialized in organizational skills and goal setting as part of total image development. Elizabeth's national exposure as a model and pageant contestant in both the Miss USA and Miss America System, including modeling for Seventeen Magazine, regular appearances on ABC's Good Morning Houston and numerous appearances on This Day with Katherine on NBC, gave her the expertise to help others achieve personal growth and total image development.
In her studio, Elizabeth offered a range of services, including Makeup Artistry, Hair Styling, Wardrobe Consulting, Video Taped Personal Image Analysis, Carriage, Presentation, and Poise Coaching, and Nutrition and Fitness Counseling.
She also formulated her own line of organic hair and skin care products and cosmetics, based on pure and natural botanical extracts, minerals, and vegetable oils. Her products were free of artificial color, artificial fragrance, or animal by-products. They were non-comedogenic and fragrance-free, and were not tested on animals.
Elizabeth created the business plan, negotiated the real estate lease terms, designed all creative for media, marketing, and PR, networked and planned events, which resulted in a two-month waitlist before the grand opening.
Below is the brochure Elizabeth created for Privately Polished in 1992.
Elizabeth sold her business, Privately Polished, to a fellow contestant in the Miss Texas USA Pageant after Forbes magazine named Madison, MS as the up-and-coming small town in America in 1993. She then moved to Madison, MS where her family owned a commercial tract of land at the intersection of the main street.
She helped design, build and manage a two-story commercial building on the tract of land. An insurance company leased the top floor while her family built and opened a dry cleaners on the bottom floor.
Elizabeth identified a need for another business in the town and negotiated six months of free rent for two storefronts in a retail center. She designed and built out the two storefronts into a large storefront and opened a maternity and children's boutique called Blessed Event. Elizabeth managed all creative, media, marketing, and PR for the store, and the grand opening was a huge success. She sold Blessed Event to the husband of the woman she purchased newspaper advertising from.
She saw another opportunity in the fast-growing town and created a full-service event planning and management business called Event of The Year. The business expanded quickly and grew to the East Coast. She negotiated a long-term lease on the 79th floor of One World Trade Center in downtown New York City, where she moved Event of The Year in August 1995. Elizabeth produced and managed large corporate events and created and managed all media, marketing, communication, and PR.
After the 9/11 attacks, Elizabeth suffered a massive loss. However, FEMA, Red Cross, and The World Trade Center Health Registry provided help as much as possible. When nothing was working, Elizabeth found solace in yoga, meditation, and organic raw plant-based foods.
She created a three-day green juice detox cleanse, taught guided cleanse classes and workshops, and wrote a detox and cleanse book. Elizabeth designed and created all marketing, media, and PR for her new venture.
Elizabeth opened a raw food restaurant, cold-press juice delivery business, wheatgrass business, teaching kitchen, and created organic human-grade raw plant-based dog treats.
Below are a few photos along with before and after photos of clients from the 3-day green juice detox program Elizabeth created. Her green juice book is available for purchase here.
Elizabeth's first book.
She is currently researching and writing her eighteenth book.
Few photos of marketing and public relations appearances discussing the benefits of cold-press juices, healthy food classes, workshops, & dog treats.
Happy and Healthy Employees Lead to More Productivity, Better Time Management and Clear Communication Practices.
Many employers are becoming more engaged in the health and wellness of their employees. Research proves that happy and healthy employees lead to more productivity, better time management, and clear communication practices. A company may hire a consultant or keep one on retainer in order to perform sessions and surveys about health and wellness in the workplace so that issues can be alleviated or solved.
Below are a few before & after photos of clients after our 3-day cleanse class.
You may juice and detox on your own and purchase the 3-day green juice detox and cleanse manual here.
We also offer a guided 3-day cleanse! For details click here
Guest Speaker & Workshop Presenter
Elizabeth is invited to speak to numerous non-profits, groups, organizations, and companies at conferences, conventions, retreats, fairs, and private events.
She was honored to be invited as a speaker and workshop presenter on stage at the Town Hall Meeting "Change Your Lifestyle, Insure Your Health," where she shared the stage with esteemed doctors Neal Barnard, Baxter Montgomery, and T. Colin Campbell.
Elizabeth spoke about the benefits of a raw plant-based lifestyle and demonstrated how to prepare a raw food dish live on stage, sharing food tastings with the medical audience.
Below is the program list of speakers.
Expansion into Media Production & Certification
Elizabeth is a certified professional in TV Studio Production & On Location Production, Lighting & Sound, Documentary Production, and Film Editing using Final Cut Pro X.
With over 15 years of experience in the modeling, spokesperson, pageant, and TV industry, she wanted to expand her skills and learn how to operate and manage behind the camera. As a result, she became certified to run a TV Studio, produce documentaries, and edit videos using Final Cut Pro X.
Elizabeth founded RTL (Raw Truth Living) Productions, where she produced documentaries, videos, and interactive digital magazines, covering topics and social causes related to health, wellness, and fitness for people and pets.
She interviewed several people and used her expertise to create engaging content.
Below are some photos of the TV studio where she produced live and taped in-studio segments as well as on-location video segments for her documentaries.
To view the documentaries, magazines, and more, see below.
Media Produced
Elizabeth has over 35 years of experience in communication and has created interactive virtual magazines that she managed as Editor-in-Chief. Here are some links to her other media work. Digital Magazines Elizabeth Created, Designed, Marketed and Published with Audio. To view, read and listen to each issue, click on the cover. .May be viewed on a desktop or laptop only.. Must have Adobe Flash Player installed to view.
Moved back to hometown after 22 years
Elizabeth is a native Houstonian, moved in 1993 to Mississippi, and in 1995 moved to New York City for the majority of her adult life. Traveled and lived temporarily in Colorado, Washington, and South Carolina to expand her businesses, eventually moving back to Houston to help her aging mother in 2015 who at the time was still living in the home Elizabeth grew up in off Memorial Drive.
Elizabeth's two of three children live in the Greater Houston area; a daughter who graduated from University of Houston and is employed with an American investment management and wealth management company. A son who graduated from Lamar University with an economics degree and is employed at a financial company as a personal banker. Elizabeth's third child served as a Naval Nuclear Engineer in the US Navy for ten years with honors and currently resides in North Carolina as he completes his engineering degree.
After moving back to Houston, Elizabeth's youngest child at 17 years old started college and she decided it was time to finally go back to school and complete her education. Elizabeth enrolled with her son at Lee College in Baytown, TX, in 2015. She completed her Associates degree in 2016 and then went on to the University of Houston-Downtown to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and minor in Communication Studies in 2017. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.9 GPA and received six honors.
During her time at University of Houston-Downtown, Elizabeth won first place in the annual UHD Public Speaking competition and was accepted into UHD Student Leaders group.
She also received leadership scholarships to help offset her tuition based on her student leadership involvement on campus and high GPA.
Elizabeth was part of a student leaders group who volunteered at the annual UH Systems Board of Regents meeting at UHD, hosting the event throughout the day and interacting with each Regents, Chancellor, and other members.
She made history twice for UHD. Elizabeth was the first UHD student to have a social science research paper accepted to present on stage at the Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in Social Sciences academic convention.
She also made history as the first UHD student to be elected to Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in Social Sciences Board of Trustees as Student Representative for a three-year term.
Elizabeth flew to Las Vegas in the summer of 2017 to attend the annual Golden Key International Honor Society Leadership Conference. She spent four days in workshops, breakfasts, luncheons, dinners, and events with hundreds of Golden Key student members, advisors, and staff from around the world, networking, meeting, and getting to know the academic honor society attendees.
She also traveled to Pasadena in the Fall of 2017 to attend the annual National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) weekend retreat for leadership training for officers of the NSLS.
Elizabeth flew to Kansas City, MO, in November 2017 to attend the Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in Social Sciences 3-day Triennial Leadership Conference. She was also a presenter at the academic conference because her research paper on social sciences was accepted to be presented on stage. She ran in the student caucus to be elected as a student representative on the board of trustees for a three-year term; she won, was sworn in, and sat in and voted in her first board meeting that day.
Elizabeth was inducted into five academic honor societies, and she held an active leadership role in all of them. She served as the 2017 UHD President for Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in Social Sciences, the 2017 UHD President for Lambda Pi Eta National Communication Honor Society, the 2017 UHD Vice President for Golden Key International Honour Society, the 2017 UHD Executive Board for Sigma Alpha Pi The National Society of Leadership and Success, and 2018 SWPA Student Steering Committee member for Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology.
You can find videos of a few of Elizabeth's achievements and photos mentioned below.
Academics
Elizabeth walking across commencement stage as Summa Cum Laude with 6 academic honors, graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Minor in Communication Studies
On February 12, 2018, University of Houston-Downtown News posted a story (below) of Elizabeth Ruiz inspiring tomorrow's leaders. Click here to go to UHD site and read the article
February 12, 2018
Alumna Elizabeth Ruiz Inspires Tomorrow's Leaders
Elizabeth Ruiz (right) during Fall 2017 Commencement
UHD Alumna Elizabeth Ruiz will be embarking on a six-month global speaking tour through the Golden Key International Honour Society to present leadership development workshops. As part of the Society's 2018 Global Leadership Summit Tour in Montreal, Canada, Ruiz will join nine other CANCON speakers, who were selected to inspire tomorrow's leaders.
Ruiz graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a minor in communications studies from UHD.
Golden Key International Honour Society is the world's premier collegiate honor society, recognizing outstanding academic achievement and connecting individuals locally, regionally, and globally with a lifetime of opportunity, reward, and success.
The society partners with major corporations and programs to recognize and support academics, leadership, and service to cultivate personal, professional, and altruistic goals. Some notable honorary members of the Golden Key International Honour Society include novelist Margaret, Atwood; Desmond Tutu, South African Anglican cleric, and theologian; and Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate and author
Few photos of Elizabeth attending events and meetings in the different academic honor societies she holds leadership positions in.
Invited as a Guest on Houston Storytellers' Guild Radio Show after winning 1st place at UHD Public Speaking Competition December 2017
Audio and photos in the radio station below.
On December 27, 2017, Greg Audel hosted a weekly storytelling radio show called "So, What’s Your Story?" on KPFT 90.1 Houston.
The show was live and is the only program in Houston dedicated entirely to storytelling.
Elizabeth Ruiz was one of the guests on the show along with Harwood Taylor and Joseph Espitia.
Elizabeth shared two stories, one in the beginning and the other towards the end of the one-hour show.
If you want to read Elizabeth's survival story of 9/11, which was first posted on 9/10/12, you can click on the link provided.
To listen to the radio show that aired on December 27, 2017, you can click on the white arrow in the blue box.
Leadership Development Workshop 2018 Global Tour
During her travels to leadership conferences in the five academic honor societies, Elizabeth saw a need to help college students with their global business and social dining etiquette. Therefore, she wrote a book, created an exam, and created a one-hour interactive workshop where she facilitated them across the world at conferences.
Below is a photo taken after her first workshop she taught. Each attendee received hands-on training, an exam, and a book.
Location: Denver, CO, at the Golden Key International Honour Society Leadership Conference
Elizabeth's second of eighteen books.
Lifetime Learner
After earning her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and minor in Communication Studies, Summa Cum Laude in 2017, Elizabeth went on to earn her MBA with a concentration in Marketing and Management from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in 2019.
In 2019 she completed a second master's degree, an Executive Master of Science in Strategic Communication, through Columbia University in New York City. Elizabeth flew to New York City monthly for 16 months to attend classes at Columbia University. Even though she completed her degree studies in December 2019, her graduation was in February 2020.
In August 2019, she began her PhD courses in a doctorate program at Concordia University Chicago. She has completed all doctorial coursework, passed her written exam, and is preparing to defend her dissertation in 2024 to complete her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and walk across the stage in her doctoral cap and gown.
Elizabeth travels globally, writing books, leading workshops, consulting, and volunteering for those in need. To contact Elizabeth, click here.
A few authored papers and PowerPoints during undergrad and graduate work
Here are the steps to watch PowerPoints with audio:
1. Click on the PPT icon and the file will start downloading to the bottom of your screen.
2. Once the file is downloaded, click on it and the PowerPoint file will open on your screen.
3. Click on the "Slide Show" option in the middle upper orange bar above.
4. Click on "Enable Editing."
5. Click on "Enable Content."
6. Click on "Slide Show" in the upper orange bar above.
7. Click on "From Beginning," which is located on the far left. It will take a few seconds to load. Use the arrow keys at the bottom left of the screen to navigate through each slide. It may take a few seconds to load videos. Once the video is loaded, click on the middle arrow play button to play.
8. Continue clicking on the arrow keys or use the mouse to navigate to the next slide.
9. When you're done watching the presentation, press the "Esc" key on the upper left side of your keyboard to exit full screen.
Enjoy!
Columbia University in the City of New York: Switched PhD from Communication to Leadership.
During a once-a-year, application only, leadership development course taught by the Dean at Columbia University in the City of New York, Elizabeth chose women's leadership development as her final research project. Under the advice of the Dean, he urged Elizabeth to continue with her research and writing on women's leadership. The project turned into a book and then a workshop. Elizabeth pivoted her PhD studies from communication to organizational leadership after taking a graduate course in leadership taught by the Dean. Below is the front and back cover of the first edition of the Women's Leadership Development Workbook written in 2019.
Elizabeth has gone on to write newer editions and over 15 other leadership books while she is preparing to defend her dissertation in leadership in 2024 at the Concordia University Chicago.
Elizabeth's third of eighteen books.
Work/Life Balance
Elizabeth has a favorite quote that says, "Find something you love to do, and you'll never have to work a day in your life." She is passionate about her work and loves what she does, but she also believes in balancing work and personal life.
Elizabeth is an enthusiastic outdoor sports and activity lover who enjoys staying active in various ways. She loves doing activities like skydiving, flying airplanes, mountain climbing/hiking, snow or water skiing, tubing, jet skiing, banana boating, whitewater rafting, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, sailing, riding quads, paintballing, swimming in the ocean, running with her Labs, mountain biking, zip-lining, and night bike skiing.
Below, you can find a few pictures and videos of the outdoor activities that Elizabeth enjoys to keep a balance between her daily work schedule.
Photos of Elizabeth enjoying a work/life balance with her children and dogs
