We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ruth-anne Santoro a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ruth-Anne, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from my upbringing and the women who raised me, especially my mother. She was a single mother raising three kids off the grid in a part of Hawai’i that often feels forgotten, like a third-world country within America. There were no easy opportunities or resources, and my siblings and I were homeschooled in the jungle with very little outside support.
I learned early on that survival wasn’t just about getting through each day but about pushing back against a system that wasn’t designed to help us. One of my earliest memories of my mother’s strength was when Green Harvest, the state’s drug enforcement initiative, landed a helicopter in our backyard because she was growing cannabis to support us. They arrested her, and my father temporarily gained custody. She fought hard to get us back, and witnessing her battle the system instilled in me the idea that even when life is stacked against you, you don’t give up. That fight became part of who I am.
Years later, when my daughter’s father kicked me out of our home with nowhere to go and manipulated the system to get a restraining order against my mother—my only support—I was forced to stand on my own. I ended up in a women’s shelter, and that experience became the turning point. It was there that I learned resilience wasn’t just about enduring hardship, but about rising stronger from it. Every challenge, from my childhood to becoming a single mother at 18, forced me to find my inner strength. My mother taught me what it means to fight back, and I’ve carried that with me every day since.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I created my business, Let Me Feed You, out of necessity, born from years of hard work and a passion for health-conscious cooking. I worked in the restaurant industry for 20 years before I found the confidence to break out on my own. Now, I cater retreats, collaborate with a larger catering company on the island, and I’m in the process of building a cookbook based on client requests. My brand centers around whole foods and whole food products, with a focus on using organic, locally sourced ingredients from the Big Island.
What makes my work exciting is the creative freedom it gives me. I’ve always been passionate about food, but now I’m able to connect with people in a way that feels authentic and purposeful. Whether it’s catering a retreat or brainstorming new recipes for the cookbook, I’m constantly learning, adapting, and pushing my creative boundaries. Building this business has been an uphill battle—especially doing it mostly on my own—but it’s also incredibly rewarding. It’s a reflection of everything I’ve been through and how far I’ve come.
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?
The three most impactful qualities that have shaped my journey are perseverance, adaptability, and resourcefulness. Perseverance is what kept me going when life knocked me down repeatedly—whether it was growing up off-grid, becoming a single mother, or navigating the challenges of starting a business from scratch. You have to keep pushing, even when it feels like everything is stacked against you.
Adaptability was something I learned early on. Growing up in the jungle, homeschooled with very few resources, meant I had to figure things out on my own. There was no structure, no easy access to learning materials—just a lot of trial and error. That ability to adapt and learn quickly has been a crucial part of building my business today. In catering, things don’t always go as planned, and being able to pivot when necessary is key.
Resourcefulness has been another essential skill. Living in a place where resources are limited forces you to make the most of what you have. This applies not only to my personal life but also to how I run my business. Whether it’s finding local ingredients for my menus or managing a business with limited financial support, I’ve learned to make things work in ways that might not be conventional but are effective.
For those early in their journey, my advice is this: don’t wait for perfect circumstances or opportunities. Learn to persevere when things are tough, adapt to whatever challenges come your way, and be resourceful with what you have. You’ll be surprised at how far you can go with a little ingenuity and a lot of grit.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
The biggest obstacle I’m facing right now is building my self-esteem and confidence as I continue to grow Let Me Feed You on my own. The business is expanding—I’m catering more retreats, working on a cookbook, and pushing my brand forward—but doing it all by myself is mentally and emotionally exhausting. I’ve spent most of my life in survival mode, and now that I’m trying to step into a leadership role, I’m constantly battling self-doubt.
Growing up homeschooled in the jungle before there were easy homeschooling platforms meant I didn’t have the same confidence-building experiences most kids have. I had to teach myself everything, without the structure or validation that comes from traditional schooling. That isolation has followed me into adulthood, and now, as a business owner, I find myself questioning if I’m really capable of pulling this off.
On top of that, mental health has been a constant struggle. There are days when the weight of everything feels like too much—when the doubt and fear are overwhelming. But I’ve also learned that the creative side of my business is what keeps me going. Whether it’s developing a new recipe for the cookbook or planning an event, these creative outlets help me pull myself out of those dark places. They remind me that I’m not just surviving, I’m building something meaningful.
It’s not easy, but I’m working through it one step at a time. I’m learning to trust myself, lean on my creativity, and build the confidence to keep moving forward—even when the road ahead feels uncertain.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Let__me_feed_you
- Other: Personal IG
Heyyy.its.ruthanne
Image Credits
First photo of me
https://saltdrifter.photo/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZi483-GdD2nZmj-aTDHBC3W9pZMJykYK_RZJFmkw2qgP0YD9aSfpeUZVQ_aem_T-QGNlWkj86zgQ9zwYNrDA
The rest all self shot
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