Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Mia Rivers

We recently had the chance to connect with Mia Rivers and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Mia , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
A recent moment that made me feel proud was when a client reminded me how much they admire my work ethic. It hit me how far I’ve come — moving across the country alone, rebuilding my life, and still showing up every day with positivity. It made me smile and reminded me I’m stronger than I think.”

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Mia — a creator, actress, model, and personal assistant who has shaped her entire life through resilience, reinvention, and an unbreakable work ethic. For the past decade in the U.S., I’ve built my path from the ground up, evolving, growing, and creating opportunities with discipline, courage, and a fierce passion for my craft.

I express myself through storytelling, movement, and visual creativity. When I’m on set or in front of the camera, I create from a real place — my emotions, my memories, everything I’ve lived through. That’s why my work feels personal to me. I’ve been part of short films, editorial shoots, and different creative collaborations, and I’m continuing to grow and expand my acting and modeling portfolio with every new project.”.

My brand is rooted in femininity, strength, elegance, and transformation. I carry a story of starting over, overcoming challenges, and rebuilding my life with purpose — and that energy shows in everything I create.

I’m currently developing The Crow: Dark Resurrection, a female-led story built on strength, shadow, and rebirth. This character rises the way a phoenix does — through fire, loss, and the kind of pain that forges power. I create to remind people that even in the darkest chapters, you can still rewrite your destiny.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
For me, what breaks the bonds between people is a lack of honesty — not just lying, but when someone hides their real self. When people stop communicating, when they pretend, when they act cold instead of saying what’s going on… that’s when the connection falls apart. I’ve learned that silence, avoidance, and half-truths can hurt more than any argument. They make you feel like you’re alone even when someone is right next to you.

What restores those bonds is real honesty — the kind where you speak from the heart without games, without ego, without fear. When someone is open about their feelings, their mistakes, their intentions… trust comes back. I believe the strongest connections come from vulnerability and transparency. That’s how I live now: I would rather hear the truth, even if it hurts, than be kept in the dark. Honesty is what keeps relationships alive.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes.
But not in the way people expect.
There was a moment in New York — the city I dreamed of my whole life — when I realized I wasn’t living, I was only surviving. I was exhausted, anxious, and slowly shrinking myself just to keep going. I tried so hard to be “normal,” to fit into a life that looked good on the outside, but inside I felt empty.
I didn’t know it then, but I was carrying years of pressure, heartbreak, and unspoken pain. I kept pushing, working, pretending everything was fine, until I couldn’t recognize the girl in the mirror anymore. That’s when giving up felt easier than continuing.
But something inside me refused.
That spark — the artist in me — wouldn’t die.She kept whispering: You were born for more than this. You were born extraordinary.
And one day, I listened.
I packed my entire life into my car, took my two dogs, and drove across the country to California. Not because I had everything figured out — but because my soul needed freedom. I needed space to breathe, to feel, to create again.

California wasn’t my escape. It was my rebirth.For the first time in years, I felt alive — like the version of me I had buried under expectations, pain, and survival finally had room to rise.
I remembered who I was.
A creator.
An actress.
A storyteller.
A woman who turns her broken pieces into art.So yes, I almost gave up — but I didn’t.
I rose instead.
And that decision changed everything.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m committed to the lifelong project of becoming the woman I needed when I was younger — strong, feminine, grounded, and guided by faith. For me, that evolution isn’t just about career growth. It’s emotional, spiritual, creative, and personal. As a Catholic woman, I value love, loyalty, family, marriage, and the dream of building a warm, stable home one day. Those values shape how I move through the world and how I approach my future.Becoming the most healed, confident, feminine, and faith-led version of myself is a lifelong project — one I’ll keep working on no matter how long it takes. And one day, I hope to give my future family the love, support, and stability I never had growing up.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people tell the story of a woman who never stopped fighting for herself — even when life tried to break her. A woman who had every reason to give up, but somehow found the courage to start again, again, and again.

I want them to say I was the kind of person who turned pain into purpose, who transformed heartbreak into strength, and who used every struggle as fuel to become someone brighter, softer, wiser, and stronger.

I hope they remember me as someone who lived with honesty and heart. Someone who loved deeply, protected fiercely, and gave without expecting anything back. Someone who walked through fire but still chose kindness.

Most of all, I hope people say that my story showed others that no matter what you’ve survived — abuse, loneliness, immigration battles, starting over in a place where no one knows your name — you can rebuild. You can rise. You can become the hero of your own life.

If people remember me as a woman who survived everything meant to destroy her, and still chose to shine… that’s the legacy I want to leave behind.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iammiarivers/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/the.miarivers?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAQ0xDSwOSWG9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaeDiVMyM_iNlZa4sUeMds3CzzD15AGAx1sdCKuY9u4qWbu0VzXKTqY7tSnVqg_aem_wo0rw184ih022aeraBCaFQ

Image Credits
Image Credits
Main photo: Cesar Juarez
Last photo: Courtesy of The Crow: Dark Resurrection, a female-led dark-fantasy film project currently in development
Additional photos: Portrait Deluxe Studio; AB Photography