Meet Olivia Ruuska

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Olivia Ruuska. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Olivia, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

My optimism comes from real-life experiences. Even at what I’ve felt is my lowest, something positive always comes out on the other side. It’s not easy to see it in that moment to pull yourself up and keep going. When it feels like the world is against you, it can be easy to quit and say, “I tried.” But, it’s those who push past the, “I tried,” phase and continue moving forward who end up successful on the other side. I left my regular 9-5 job rather suddenly and was unsure what the future held for me. I got a nannying job, and for a while, I was ashamed that it was my next step in life. Everyone else around me was working their “big kid” jobs and I was going backward. I knew I wanted to start my own business, but I just could not see the full picture at that time. Despite feeling like that dream would never come true of owning a business, I kept pushing forward, nannying, and working on my business. I only had one or two clients for the first 7 months and I was feeling pretty defeated because I had worked so tirelessly to try and get things to be successful. I found out that my nannying job would be ending because the family was moving and I was so worried. The thoughts of, “Did I make the right decision?” or “Why did I think this was a good idea?” ran through my head because I needed a steady income and my one or two clients weren’t going to cut it. In my 9th month after leaving my job, my email inbox was getting countless messages inquiring about my social media management services. I couldn’t believe it, especially since I had not been doing a lot of outreach. Once I signed my third, fourth, fifth, etc. client, I knew that things could only go up from there. There will always be those times when the weight of the world is on your shoulders, but when you experience coming out on the other side, you realize that as long as you are optimistic and have a good work ethic, there’s nothing that can stop you.

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 own Liv Socially, a social media marketing business. I work with businesses and creators to grow their social media presence. I am truly so passionate about seeing my clients grow and thrive in their industry. When I started my business, I knew I wanted to work with a smaller amount of clients so that I would be able to focus all of my time, energy, and dedication on making them as successful as possible. It was important for me that my clients felt like they could trust me and know that I always have their best interests at heart. Something that I do a little differently than others is that I don’t have one specific industry/niche that I get clients from. Although it can be a challenge at times, it’s been so much more rewarding than only working with one industry. I’m able to be creative in so many different ways because I don’t feel so “confined” with my abilities to create unique content.

One of the most special things that I get to experience is the trust that my clients put in me. I feel so lucky that they’ve chosen me to represent their brand online and are trusting in me with whatever I choose to do. I know how many moving parts there are to a business and I want to be able to take one thing off of my clients plate so that they can continue to push their business forward to thrive.

Aside from being a business owner, I am also a creator on social media. Although I have a smaller presence, it’s been such a great experience to be able to connect with brands and express my creativity. What started out as me posting photos online and tagging brands, has now turned into another source of income for me. Being a creator and business owner has helped me leverage growth for my clients because I’m able to apply my knowledge from both positions to create positive outcomes for everyone.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three most important qualities and skills that were most impactful in my journey were problem-solving, confidence, and flexibility.

For so long, whenever a problem arose, I immediately was met with dread. I didn’t want to deal with it, the repercussions, or the outcome. But, what I was forgetting about, was that the outcome of a problem isn’t always bad. Rather than immediately going into panic mode, I would try to problem-solve. I would sit and think before responding. I’d write down or think about the best and worst-case scenarios. Then, I’d think about solutions to get to the best-case scenario and what problems we may face along the way. I’d also consider what would we do if the worst-case scenario occurred. This helped me slow my brain down enough to realize that getting through these tough problems isn’t nearly as bad as it may seem. You also have to remember that you can lean on people outside of your “professional” circle to help you with solutions, don’t minimize the number of resources you allow yourself access to.

When I started my business, I was nervous to even tell my friends about it because it was new and scary. What if things completely fail? I quickly realized that I had to cut those thoughts out of my head because they weren’t doing me any good. I woke up one day and decided that if this was what I WANTED to do, then I needed to be confident in it too. I would not succeed unless I believed in myself. It was truly a “fake it til you make it” mindset. I had no idea what it took to start a business and everything that it entails, but I went into it like I knew everything and things ended up working out. Sure, I ran into some issues along the way, but I kept that confidence and it brought me further than I thought I could go.

When you are a business owner, it’s super important to be flexible. Not just with your clients, but with yourself. Sometimes deadlines get pushed, content isn’t available in time, post approvals are past due, etc. But, you have to remember that everyone is human and life gets in the way.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was to realistically support me in every way possible. They asked me the hard questions that I didn’t want to face. When I had very few clients, they were still in support of me starting my own business but also made sure I was thinking about how I was going to pay my bills, buy groceries, etc. It wasn’t easy to hear those things at the time, but I’m happy that someone made me face reality. I’ve been able to lean on both of my parents for business advice and support anytime I need it and that in itself is something I’m forever grateful for.

My parents believe in me and that makes everything I do worthwhile. If it weren’t for their support, I don’t know that I’d be where I am today with my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.livsociallyco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviaruuska
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviaruuska/
• Other: Business Instagram: www.instagram.com/livsocially