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

Hi Michael, what do you attribute your success to?
The single most important factor behind my success is authenticity. My personal motto/mantra is “aim true and be you,” and I take that with me everywhere I go. I try my best to show up in my life as the 100% true version of myself not only in having an online presence on social media but also more importantly in real life. I learned from a close friend about the importance of congruency. When you live your life in truth and always show up as the real you in all arenas of life whether it is hanging out with close family and friends, posting on social media, or meeting new people out and about, you establish yourself as an unshakable, unmovable force that people can trust and rely on based on how consistently you live your life fully and fearlessly. To give yourself the grace, space, and freedom to live in the present moment but also allow detours/changes in your life to happen and still work towards your passions is a beautiful journey to witness and experience.

What should our readers know about your business?
I graduated from Hardin-Simmons University in 2016 with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy and worked in Plano for 4 years as a physical therapist in an outpatient clinic. I also completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2017 at the yoga movement and did a 200-hour meditation teacher training in 2020 at Breathe Meditation and Wellness. I have always felt called to help and improve the lives of others and identify as a healer. I left my corporate physical therapy job at the end of February 2021 and ventured out into making life I wanted to live. I experienced a lot of burnout in the traditional physical therapy setting, especially during the height of COVID-19, and I am in the works of starting my own business called MHC Wellness. I love being able to create the type of work I want to be doing by blending physical therapy, yoga, and meditation together. I teach a lot of yoga and meditation all over Dallas at several studios and do private physical therapy. Being in charge of my own schedule has been very freeing and has allowed me to explore different avenues of collaboration with other healers in the DFW area. I also like to give back when I can and volunteer for organizations that help improve the lives of other people, especially those in the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities in which I also identify as a member. Becoming my own boss has not been an easy process necessarily but it definitely has been an exciting one full of many learning opportunities and experiences. I have learned the importance of saying “no,” setting healthy boundaries, choosing collaboration over competition, and resolving to not lose who I am in the process. I take one day at a time and choose to live in the present moment because dwelling in the past gets you nowhere. The growth happens when you take the lessons learned from the past and transform your current life into the life you truly want to live.

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?
I love exploring different neighborhoods in the Dallas area. I would probably take my friend to a yoga and/or meditation class at one of the studios I teach at (Black Swan Yoga, TruFusion, Summit Climbing, Satya, Yoga Art Music, Breathe Meditation and Wellness). I’m a big fan of the Bishop Arts area and would take my friend to Tribal All Day Cafe for food, Craft Boba Tea, The Wild Detectives, Espumoso, or La Reunion for a drink, and AJ Vagabonds or some of the other small local businesses in the area for a little bit of browsing and shopping. I also would take my friend through Deep Ellum to check out the diverse street art and maybe catch a show and some dancing at It’ll Do. We might even catch a drag show at the Rose Room on Cedar Springs and go dancing at Round Up Saloon and Station 4. For a little more on the natural side, I would take my friend to White Rock Lake to walk around the lake trail and hang up some hammocks between the trees to enjoy the outdoors. On the weekend, we could check out Klyde Warren Park for the food trucks as well as go to the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and AT&T Performing Arts Center.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to obviously thank my circle of family and friends for constantly supporting and encouraging me to live my best life but I want to dedicate my shoutout to one of my high school teachers Jim Martin. I will never forget about his kind and inspiring words of wisdom and life advice in a class I took my senior year in 2010 at Bishop Dunne High School here in Dallas, Texas. He has a knack for seeing and accepting people as they are and also challenging/inspiring/encouraging everyone to live their lives in kindness toward themselves and others.

Website: mhcwellness.live

Instagram: wellness_with_mhc

Linkedin: michaelhcruz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mhcwellness

Image Credits
Audra Bridges, Naomi McCoy, Arik Cardenas, Nicholas Totin, Danny Bolinger

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.