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

Hi Justin, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
It was never about money, it was always about connection and purpose. My wife was the catalyst. She has been making jewelry, specifically crystal jewelry, since 2016. We married in 2018 and had a baby shortly thereafter so between the new baby and the shockwaves resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic her art had taken a serious backseat during the first few years of our marriage. That all changed this year when she decided to unpack her supplies and crystals and do what brought her peace again. Well to be honest it was sort of intimidating, she was constantly engulfed in either the kids or her craft corner. She even went so far as to go out and get her LLC. And I felt like I had no place in it, I had nothing to offer. One day when I was out fishing with our oldest daughter and she began hunting for rocks for Mommy ‘because rocks make Mommy happy.’ I had a flashback to when her mother and I were still just dating- we had gone rockhounding near Garden of the Gods and the joy I felt when her eyes sparkled in response to the smoky quartz I found was exactly what I needed now. That was the answer, that was what I could offer her new venture. I was great at rockhounding and it was something our whole family enjoyed together. So it started there. Just trying to find a way to stay connected to the woman I love and it resulted in a deeper connection with everything around me, from my children to the very ground beneath my feet. Take that and combine it with a traditional Puerto Rican upbringing complete with trips to the Botanica and homemade Alcolado and I had found my purpose in naturopathy. Thank goodness my wife had the forethought to make her LLC a collective, and not just a jewelry company, so that Golden Ratio Naturals was born with a home under the Three Six Nine Collective umbrella.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
GRN is a naturopathic entity that aims to help bring genuine healing to the forefront of our community in a way that is not only sustainable but is truly wellness-centered like only the Earth’s bounty could be. We cultivate simple natural remedies like our Bite and Burn All Better and our Tummy Tincture with all the love and attention that we show our own children. Our girls call them Daddy’s ‘Potions’. And my wife has helped me to create skincare products that she uses herself like our Amethyst Exfoliator and our Charcoal & Quartz Detoxifying Balm for Dry Skin. And that’s just on the botanical side of GRN, the mineral healing is where I get the most enjoyment professionally. I am a Rockhounding Reiki practitioner so the power of the vibrations that emanate not only from stones and crystals but also from the intention of the energy we flow through them is something that resonates deeply with me. It is something that helped me greatly on my own healing journey. Growing up in the South Bronx was an experience to say the least and while I wouldn’t trade it for anything because it made me who I am, I also know it isn’t something I would want for my children. Following my future wife to Colorado nearly ten years ago changed my whole perception of the world and our connection to it and to each other. Gaining such an intimate knowledge of minerals beyond the concrete of the Grand Concourse has healed me in ways I don’t quite have the words to articulate. But I am beyond proud to call Colorado home now and deeply gratified that my children are growing up with that intimate knowledge intrinsically. GRN is all about sharing that sort of healing feeling with as many people as possible.

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?

We’d make sure to stop by the local artists’ collective Mystical Twilight at 1149 S Prairie Ave so I could show them GRN’s shelf in the Teal Room and the Three Six Nine Adornment shelf in the Yellow room. The shop is four huge rooms occupied by 50+ vendors and all the interesting things they have to offer. It’s a wonderland of everything from the holistic to the quirky to the downright creepy (Billie’s endeavor Sticks and Stones has the corner market on creepy for sure!) And while we are in Sunset Plaza I’d take them a few doors down to the Pueblo Trading Post so they could see the variety offered in there as well.
After all that shopping I’m sure we’d be hungry again so (on our way to do some fishing at the wonderfully stocked Lake Pueblo) we’d pick up some of the freshest fast food you can get from the hidden gem that is the Subway inside the Pueblo West Walmart. The sandwich artists at that particular location really know how to make an everyday lunch into a meal that adds to the overall quality of your day. GRN is all about natural goodness and that Subway definitely lives up to their motto of Eat Fresh! The combination of healthy ingredients and fresh baked bread makes you feel good about your decision to eat there, plus your visit is always pleasantly punctuated by the friendliest service!
Before the night is out we’d probably try to catch a comedy show hosted by Pueblo PFunny and the always hilarious Douglas Sterner aka Funny Douglas.
To finish showing off my favorite places I’d have to hit the highway again but this time heading south to Huerfano County where we’d do some more fishing and rock hunting near the Huerfano Wildlife Area. Absolutely beautiful landscape and no camping fees as long as you have a fishing license! My children’s grandfather has a family property up that way so we’d probably try to meet up with him and the family there to partake in a real life mountain barn bar where an iPod from the 90’s plays the same 100 classics while we chase our bourbon with Mexican beer and watch the horses graze on the back acre. It’s definitely one of my happy places.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Golden Ratio Naturals has always been a family venture and my whole family deserves equal credit. From my wife who introduced a city boy like me to the wonders of Colorful Colorado to my oldest daughter who is an enthusiastic companion in my prospecting ventures. Even our younger girls played their part just by getting sick and causing Daddy to have to reach into the archives of my childhood memories and recreate my grandmother’s Alcolado recipe that sparked the botanical element of GRN.

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