Meet Ruksana Hussain

We recently connected with Ruksana Hussain and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ruksana, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?
I have learned to build some thick skin in this department. When I was younger, I certainly did give others that power over me and allow my emotions to be swayed by what someone else said or thought about my capabilities. But I have learned over time to take that power away from them and own it for myself. I choose not to allow others to manipulate my emotions. I choose not to give negative thoughts any space in my world. I choose to do what is right for me and if there is a hurdle then I will learn to overcome that in my own way.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a storyteller at heart and I work best with words. I was a voracious reader as a youngster and that eventually paved the path to becoming a writer and editor. I love language, words, and the different ways stories can be told. I work as a journalist and content creator for several print and online outlets locally and globally. I am also a magazine editor and publish my own monthly digital subscriber-only travel and lifestyle magazine called Traveler and Tourist. We publish 11 times a year and next year will be our 5-year anniversary, so we have special surprises in store – go ahead and subscribe now on www.travelerandtourist.com. The best part about all this is the variety in my work – I can truly say no two days are exactly the same. I enjoy working with diverse companies, projects, and individuals, and everything I get to learn in that process, whether about travel and lifestyle, education and construction, or diversity and inclusion.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
In my journey, introductions were very important because given my name, where I came from, and how new I was to the country (I only moved to the United States in 2006 as a 25-year-old), people automatically assumed I wasn’t fluent in English, leave along capable of writing or editing a story in the language. So I had to request a lot of introductions or introduce myself to people to put myself on their radar for work or other professional connections.

The next was networking, because how else do you get introductions? I networked via volunteering with nonprofits and other organizations where people could experience firsthand what my skills were and share that with others through referrals and recommendations. I networked with membership organizations so I could meet other female professionals and members of the media and publishing industry to inquire about working with them.

And finally building those relationships because simply introducing yourself one time or networking at one event does not garner any results. Those contacts must be nurtured into long-term professional connections. That means sharing your work with them, finding ways to collaborate professionaly, and encouraging mutually beneficial work arrangements beyond a one-time transactional gig.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My mother certainly encouraged my love of reading. She is the one who put storybooks in my hands even as a youngster and continued to buy me books to read through school and college. I remember borrowing books from the school library and she would read those books after I did. On extended vacations, we would go join a local lending library so we could borrow books there. We had a subscription to Readers Digest during my high school and college years in India. And once I started working and earning in India, one of the first things we’d do after I got my paycheck was head to the bookstore for our monthly quota of books to read!

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Image Credits
Ruksana Hussain

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