We were lucky to catch up with Amanda Peña Bustillos recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Amanda , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I believe I get my work ethic from my mom and dad… They’re the hardest working folks I know. I remember observing them as a little girl and thinking, “man… they always do the extra thing… go the extra mile to make whatever they do that much more special.”
Especially now that I’m a parent, I try to go that extra mile for my family and each day in my profession the way my mom and dad always did and still do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I was born and raised in Dripping Springs, Texas. I grew up the youngest of two kiddos and have always been super close with my family. Growing up in the Texas hill country has always special because of the connection I’ve had with nature here. Everything from the beautiful creeks and rivers, the rolling hills and especially the birds.
I went to college at Texas State University and studied mass communication. I was a radio DJ out of college and went on to many different positions in marketing after that.
I married my college sweetheart, Hector, and we have been married for over a decade now! We have two beautiful kiddos, Camila who is 7, and Joaquin who is 3.
When I was pregnant with our daughter, I was trying to figure out what I was going to do for the next phase of my professional life. One day my dad said “Hey! – I think it’s time we finally start our family business!” and the rest is history.
Next month our family business, Wild Birds Unlimited of Dripping Springs, will turn 6 years old!
We are a small retail shop that has everything you need to feed and observe the birds plus many more treasures for making your yard a sanctuary to enjoy nature.
Our shop isn’t just any ol’ retail shop (if we say so ourselves)… We take a lot of pride in connecting with our community through fun birding events and educational talks.
We know each of our customers by name and we love sharing our joy of bird feeding with everyone who walks through our door.
Working with my parents, my husband, our small kiddos and our incredible staff has truly been the highlight of my life. Doing what you love with the people you love most is what I consider living the dream.
I love spreading the word about our shop in any way that I can but mostly through social media. You will often see me on Instagram or Facebook sharing promotions, tips, educational tidbits or family updates with our customer family and folks who have yet to visit us!
I’m a woman who wears many professional hats… When I’m not working hard at our family business, I am doing voiceover work, acting in commercials or on a set modeling clothing or products.
I’m grateful that working within our family business gives me the flexibility to do all the things that I love.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, I have always deeply valued time with my family, a strong connection to my community and a longing to do something positive for nature. I think finding a profession that supports my biggest values is what has made this my dream job.
The flexibility aspect that allows me to support my other passions and hobbies is the cherry on top.
I recommend that anyone who is starting their journey to identify what their true values are and build their life around that!
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful things my parents did was loving and supporting me every single day of my life, even on the days when I wasn’t very lovable.
They have always been there for me, bragged about me, and never left my side during rough patches in my journey and that has made all the difference in my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: mywbu.com/drippingsprings
- Instagram: @amandapenabustillos @wildbirdsunlimitedofDSTX
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wbuofdrippingspringstx
Image Credits
Claire Mulkey – Rising Oak Images Amanda Lopez W. – French Press Photographie
