Beginnings in Wisconsin

I hail from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, where I was raised by amazing, strong parents who were great examples of leadership in action. I grew up with five older brothers – yes… five. I battled crippling shyness from an early age, which often led to anxiety and fear. I even managed to skip out on the first day of kindergarten out of sheer dread of the unknown. Most people who know me today would find that hard to believe. Ruth … shy?

Throughout my young adult years, I struggled escaping that discomfort and fear. This led to a difficult path as I entered the “real” world. Struggling with interpersonal relationships and finding my place was difficult. This created a lot of self-doubt. However, despite making mistakes and facing tough lessons, I was blessed with some amazing people who were willing to believe in me before I believed in myself.

WHY SHARE THIS?

You might wonder why I share these personal struggles in a business context. It’s because our past experiences shape us, influencing the paths we choose and the people we evolve into. When I was able to address my challenges head-on with the support of those around me, I was able to move forward and use my unique strengths and abilities. I learned not to let fear hold me back. Learning to walk through my fears is the single biggest lesson I bring to all my interactions. How to help others do that has been my purpose both personally and professionally.

INTO THE WORKFORCE

Being young and impressionable, I was lucky to find mentors and a support system that helped me grow up. My real story begins when I started as a telemarketer in an insurance agency while attending college. There, one of the principals recognized a talent in me and encouraged me to become a licensed insurance agent. I am not sure I even knew what that meant, but he thought I could do it so I believed I could too. It was at that insurance agency that the women in the office took me under their wing. They taught me the insurance business, what it meant to be a responsible employee, and what being a part of a great team looked and felt like. They had my back. Those ladies forever changed my life. Thank you Nancy, Sandy, Andrea, and Judy.

I embarked on my sales career propped up by one important lesson that I learned early on. My job as a salesperson is to get my name, face, or voice in front of people who need my services or people who know people who need my services. In the pursuit of finding those people, I made lots of mistakes and missteps. It was again, people in my corner that taught me. They told me some hard truths, challenged me to do better, and wouldn’t accept my excuses. They imparted invaluable lessons: to be honest in all things, to go the extra mile, to be open-minded and willing to learn, to seek to understand, to face my fear, to be courageous, to be of service to others in all I do, to keep the faith no matter what, and that I was responsible to show up in the world and make a difference. They encouraged me to be better than I thought I could be. There are too many to name here; even though I really want to try. They all encouraged me and guided me from fear to purpose.

BRINGING LIFE TO BUSINESS

My career found me in small to medium insurance agencies, selling auto, home, life insurance, and investments. I worked both as a customer service person and dedicated to new business development. In the mid-90s, I moved into the mortgage banking world and was able to work for my family’s company until it was sold to a national bank. In all instances, I focused on my primary purpose: finding more people to help.

THE LEAP

It was in 2000 that I took the leap from working for a company to working for my clients. My life was changing. I had a young family, and I felt restless for the next phase… even though I wasn’t sure what that meant. It was about this time, I was presented with an opportunity to be self-employed and work with some amazing individuals that had found a way to teach how business could be done with purpose and integrity. This was reflective of the lessons I had been taught and learned in other areas of my life. It was scary. Thank goodness for my husband’s support. I told him if I couldn’t make a living, I would get a “real” job. It was my new business partners that taught me how to take what I had learned and share it with others. It was as if I was getting my PhD in all things leadership, business …. Purpose. I am again forever thankful for you, Mark and Maureen, for taking the time to invest in me and teach me your life-changing craft.

It has been a privilege and honor to work with some incredible people over these years. I take great pride in the fact that clients have come to trust in me. It is all about relationships. People need to know you genuinely care about them and their success before they are willing to invite you in. My goal is to enter into a relationship based on mutual respect and success. I take that responsibility seriously. It is my purpose to be of service not only to my clients but their clients, their companies, and their teams as well. Tri-S Consulting isn’t just about solutions—it’s about creating solutions that truly matter to you because if they don’t; all you have is another AFP…(another flipping program). I am talking about solutions that change lives. It is my job to cut through the noise, offer candid insight from an outside perspective, and help to uncover options for some of the most challenging problems.

SHARING WHAT WAS GIVEN TO ME

It is almost unbelievable that I get paid to do what I love. Please know I am not someone who says I have it all figured out, that it is easy to grow and change, or that I know what you should do. Like you, life continues to throw curveballs, both personally and professionally. My job is to share my experience, strength, and encourage possible solutions to those curveballs. I am a work in progress and want to allow others to be the same. As Marianne Williamson says, “As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” That is what I do … shine the light on all the parts that are great and help to liberate people from the fears that get in the way of their success.

MY WORLD TODAY

All these years later, I am still trying to find more people to help. My young family has grown up and now have young families of their own. My husband, Dan, and I moved to Fresno, California, in 2020 after a lifetime in Wisconsin to be closer to family. It has been a tough adjustment, but you can never take Wisconsin out of the girl. I have continued to learn many truths about myself as I journey toward this part of my career and continue to be thankful for all of those people that showed up in the past and those that continue to be revealed to me today as great mentors.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me a little. If you have made it this far in my “bio” I would say we need to talk.  I look forward to meeting you.