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Time to read 11 min
In the past twenty years there has been obvious evolution in the way our culture communicates, shares ideas, and inspires. If you think about how different building and supporting an online community was in those days compared to today you would definitely struggle with how those early pioneers got things off the ground fast enough and with sustainable quality to keep anyone interested. As the whirlwind of modernized digital media, web development, and social media blew through and took over our lifestyle, the once innovative idea of sharing thoughts, innovations, and even building mass community spirit in real time steadily became so commonplace that we cannot remember when these conveniences didn't exist. As we maintain a purely educational tone and without sounding as we are preaching to the choir, today we have information and the ability to communicate, learn, view, and seek for quick answers at our fingertips more than we ever have before. One of the major, may we say, "almost perfected" innovations and mediums for communication and idea sharing is "The Podcast", something that today, mostly everyone has either been exposed to as a form of entertainment, education, or comfort. For some of us, the podcast is an integral part of our lifestyle. Whether it be for news, opinion, comic relief, or lifestyle improvement, this medium is powerful. Those who use it smartly and with a positive spirit have proven that its impact on a specific target audience can be both encouraging and inspirational. This month we spent some time with an individual who has brought his passion to this exploding platform while charming the ears and hearts of the Subaru overland community with his own recipe of collaboration, education, and creative thought. Additional fuel that the members of our tribe need to keep their dreams moving.
As we all now realize, the beginning of the Pandemic in 2020 launched some major changes in the way we all work, receive and transmit information, and how we ingest content. This fact has been firmly punctuated over the past four years with the staggering popularity of the podcast sector. It seems like everyone has one, from celebrities to the average Joe sharing their opinions about a wide range of subjects and beliefs. Like anything else that sparks a trend, you get some great along with some mediocre to just plain bad. Most always, the great, which is fueled by a hot fire of passion, belief, and hard work, seems to always float to the top. One of those believers and good people who learned to muscle through and chase their dreams for something larger than themselves is someone we would call the "Lone Ranger Podcaster of the Overland", just because of what he does to keep his train moving. Rafael Ruiz, creator, producer, and host of "Subie & You!", "a Subaru-themed podcast that shares the stories and experiences of Subie enthusiasts and business owners in the Subaru community", is a passionate, creative enthusiast that, like many within the unique world of brand dedicated we all know and love, has a fire in his belly to spread the word, share the news, and help the tribe grow through a form that he feels can reach the hearts of people like himself. "After buying my 2021 Subaru Crosstrek and connecting with people on Instagram, I quickly saw how passionate people are about their Subarus by the photos and captions being shared.", Ruiz explained. "I was also drawn to the list of mods that people share in their posts and realized with that too that people loved their Subarus." As all true enthusiasts do, Ruiz got a jolt of creativity and became inspired to investigate the possibilities of more personal involvement.
People who love their Subarus and want to share both the pride and victory that come from their ownership and dedication. Ruiz experienced an inspirational beginning that made him want to do more and use tools to push himself further towards a hungry community. "Back in 2020, we were limited on Instagram to mostly photos and a caption, which can only tell so much of a story or journey," he confirmed. "I then wondered if people would be interested in sharing more about and telling more about their Subarus and their journeys and adventures via long form; a podcast format. That is where the idea came from for the Subie & YOU! Podcast.", he proclaimed with pride. "I already had equipment and some experience from a previous podcast I produced, so it was time to find some guests and get it started. I released the first episode on Monday, January 4, 2021 ." Like with launching any endeavor, there are always daunting factors that could be obstacles to the less inspired or strengthened challenger, or objects of motivation and energy to those who want to make a difference. Ruiz had a purpose in mind and knew that the road might be tough, but never realized the hill he climbed until he saw some of the negative evidence exposed to him much later that could have been discouraging to his efforts. Ruiz said, "Most recently I found a statistic by Kevin Seiff on LinkedIn that stated, - '90% of podcasts don't make it past episode 3. That's 1.8 million who quit. Of the 200,000 left, 90% of them will quit before 20 episodes. That's another 180,000 gone. To be in the top 1% of podcasts in the world you only need to publish 21 episodes of your podcast.'...” With much pride and motivation still in his spirit, Ruiz proudly exclaimed, "I am currently approaching the end of my fourth year of producing the podcast and closing in on episode 200! These statistics make me feel proud to be approaching episode 200."
The enthusiast spirit and motivation to keep striving to build a better beast is something that Rafael Ruiz injected into his bones earlier on during this journey. As we learned more about his story, it is hard to imagine that he ever took a break or rested to re-energize his inspirational engine from what he accomplished over a relatively short period of time. As Arnold Schwarzenegger famously deemed as his mantra for ongoing success in the face of both victory and defeat, the phrase, "Stay Busy, Be Useful" seemed to be subconsciously woven into both the heart and mind of Ruiz throughout this daunting journey of purpose, which could prompt change and retooling. "Until July of 2024 , I was releasing a new episode every Monday," Ruiz confirmed. "After 3 1/2 years, I knew I needed a change for me...to get some of my time back to enjoy other things I had been neglecting for far too long.", he said. "Therefore I decided to release episodes every other week and bring back what I call the Subie Scoop every other week that did not release a full episode. The Subie Scoop is designed to share some of my personal experiences and share information from others in the community." With his energy and spirit coming through clearly, Ruiz has always kept the most important aspects of his purpose upfront to ensure the message and the inspiration behind his work does not become clouded but remains transparent and valuable to the community at large. Sometimes podcasts can become vanity projects for the hosts and platforms for the guests to become salespeople more than mentors or educators. His persistence to move his beliefs and passion through his work always takes the front seat. "I think the most important thing to know about the Subie & YOU! Podcast is that it is a vessel, or a platform for the community to share and consume Subaru stories.", he said. "The podcast provides a place for people in the community to share their experiences with their Subaru and with people they come in contact with, but also share how owning a Subaru has impacted their life. More than the cars we drive, the story behind the driver really comes out in the episodes, so it's just as much a "human" story as it is a ‘Subaru’ story.", he proudly confirmed.
Embarking on a quest as challenging and unpredictable as this, Ruiz needed to run on pure determination and love for the community at large. Honestly, he was stepping into a big territory that had no reference points to match or conquer. In the world of podcasting, Ruiz has transformed himself into a strong, three-cord rope pulling the listeners who want to join the journey through a very wide and unique landscape of opinion , knowledge, and ownership. As we listen all these years later, this chord is still one part visionary, one part luminary, one part revolutionary since his days are not all smooth and seamless. With all this responsibility and exposure comes a lot of motivation to educate and educate properly , but also allows both reward and disappointment to be realized under the weight of encouragement, praise, and pressure to exist normally. "For starters, the last time I checked, Subie & YOU! Podcast is the only Subaru themed podcast.", he said with confidence. "I also feel that the Subaru enthusiasts who listen to the podcast enjoy how authentic the podcast is, how real it is, not just from the guest but also from the host." As we mentioned earlier, the real, the authentic, and the transparency can build the greatest of foundations as long as the work supports the cause. Ruiz is a living testament that true, hard work and positive spirit begets goodness. "The podcast is a place for those listening to learn more about and get more connected with people they follow on social media," Ruiz continued. "In addition to the people in the community sharing their stories, I have had 23 brands as guests on the podcast. Many of the brands are well known in the Subaru community." Our own Subimods CEO and founder Nick Nazzaro was recently featured on a broadcast that was both informative, honest, and raw, showing that Ruiz has created a great environment for both learning and comfort for Subaru enthusiasts from all walks of life. "The enthusiasts get an in-depth look at the brands unlike anywhere else, and therefore can get more connected to the brands," he added. "I have had a few people tell me that they decided to buy a Subaru because of the podcast, that too is huge!"
Rafael's personal connection, attitude and overall passion comes through his voice clearly when he interacts with guests no matter if they are industry icons or enthusiasts who have an extreme passion and love for their platform. "The best thing I like about being involved with the podcast is when I am able to meet the guests in person and get to know them better, and also hang out with them and hit some trails. I have met 72 of my guests in person,"...., he said. "Having met that many people has been such a huge deal to me and is definitely one of the best things about being involved with the podcast as it has allowed me the opportunity to travel and meet so many people. Of course I really like that the podcast has opened up opportunities I would have never imagined.", he said with pride. "Even more so, it's the community that loves and supports the podcast and the messages I have received over the years. I feel blessed to have met and come to know many people from Subaru of America and have had the opportunity to be introduced to some big names in the motorsports community." No matter what you are looking for when tuning into the Subie and You! Podcast, we believe you will find something that sparks some interest in your core as an enthusiast, a fan of the outdoors, the adventure of off-road, a motorsports junkie, or just an interested consumer considering your next purchase to be a Subaru. We can guarantee that with Ruiz at the helm, there will always be something in the barrel for everyone. "While the majority of my guests have been people in the overland and off-road community, the podcast is open to the whole Subaru community." he said with invitation. "I have also had guests from the tuner community, as well as guests from the motorsports community. This is a podcast and a platform for all Subaru enthusiasts.", he added. A labor of love with a lone, spirited, and inspired learner at the wheel, the Subie and You! Podcast has a life worth living that must be shared with everyone. It is what building communities is all about. "The podcast is a great place for people to get inspiration for their build and to connect with new people in the community. It truly has been an amazing journey and I look forward to what lies ahead."
Please tune in to the "Subie & You Podcast" at subieandyoupodcast.com. Check them out on social media at Instagram and Facebook.
Also, please give a listen to the Subimods Episode with "The Modfather", Nick Nazzaro HERE.
If this story has been inspiring and thought provoking regarding the fulfillment of your overland dreams, take a look at the selection of upgrades we have in the Subimods Catalog for the Subaru Crosstrek, the Subaru Forester, the Subaru Outback, and More! Scroll through our product rotator below to sample some of the quality products we have available.
Subimods continues to concentrate on providing aftermarket innovations and products that take the Subaru platform of your choice to new levels in the present and the future, no matter if you choose a more exciting, dynamic daily drive, a more exhilarating weekend on the track, or a more aggressive adventure overland and in the wild.
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We would be very interested in your thoughts regarding this article and would encourage your feedback and comments regarding your Subaru and what your modification experiences have been during your car's lifetime.
If you need more information regarding aftermarket parts for your Subaru, please visit our website and explore the section dedicated to your platform. We would be happy to serve you!
Write your comments below and continue this conversation. We are always thrilled to hear your opinions. THANK YOU!
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Bryon Turcotte - Marketing Writer/Analyst
Turcotte has worked as a writer, journalist, and digital content developer for 30 years. He began his career in music journalism in 1995 then worked for several years as a staff writer, managing editor, and a freelancer for both regional and national music publications. Over the next three decades his contributions extended beyond the music industry as he served within the realms of higher education, science and technology, manufacturing, and finance. He has been serving as a content developer and writer on the Subimods Marketing team since August 2023.
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