Meet Ruth Anne Hollingsworth

We were lucky to catch up with Ruth Anne Hollingsworth recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ruth Anne, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
For me, finding my purpose has been a journey. I grew up in a nondenominational church where I was told my purpose was to love all people and to be a light for Jesus. That was awesome, but it didn’t necessarily point to a specific career. So when I was in high school I thought a lot about what activities brought me the most joy in life. I loved working with people (especially kids) and I loved dancing. I had been taking dance classes since I was nine and knew it was something that I wanted to do forever. However, quite a few people didn’t see dancing as a viable career path. I blocked out the naysayers and focused on honing my craft. My parents encouraged me to watch professionals in the dance world and to learn from them. The owner at the studio I grew up at (Barfield School of Dance) took a chance on me and hired me as a dance teacher. I then threw myself into teaching and when I went to college I decided to take the leap and work towards a B.S in dance. Everything seemed so sure and I felt like I found my calling and my purpose. This was my way to love people! To help them love themselves and to assist them in discovering their creativity. Several jobs down the road, this purpose of loving people has continued to ring true. I now have my real estate license where I help people find their dream home. I teach Pure Barre, helping people to fall in love with their body and all it can do for them. And I still teach dance, encouraging young kids to come into their own and discover who they are meant to be.

My advice to anyone looking for their purpose would be this, find what matters to you & decide the difference you want to make in the world, then use the activities that make you happy to do just that.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
If I had to describe myself, probably I would label myself a creator. I love to create art (dances, music edits, etc.) Honestly, I enjoy doing a lot of different things. During the week I teach dance to kids and young adults. This keeps me in touch with the next generation and gives me the opportunity to share with them the things I wish I had known growing up. I love infusing newer styles with traditional technique. I think this helps them understand that both have value and that without the past we wouldn’t have the future.

I also teach Pure Barre early in the morning, I like being able to help others meet their fitness goals and have FUN working out. When I’m not doing either of those things, I’m usually helping friends/clients find properties that meet their real estate goals or hanging out with my amazing husband and cooking a fun new dish. I feel like the most exciting thing for me is the ability to be multi-faceted. I feel so blessed to be a part of a generation that encourages and even celebrates career fluidity. Being able to have several careers at a time and pursue different interests is really nice and a blessing that I try not to take for granted.

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?
I think the three best pieces of career advice I have received have been these three statements:

1. Find out what makes you passionate, and then get a job doing that.

I have done this several times and it has really helped me battle imposter syndrome. When I knew I wanted to do something with dance, I applied to train as a teacher at a dance studio. And then when I thought I might want to get my real estate license I became an admin for a very busy real estate team. Both of these instances allowed me to glean from those that were already in the business. And although the admin job wasn’t the most exciting job, I learned so much.

2. Strive to do everything with excellence.

When I was in college, there was a time when I worked 3 jobs and went to school full time. I worked at a restaurant as a cook and a dishwasher. That was certainly not glamorous but I worked hard at being the best dishwasher and all of it paid off when the owner noticed my hard work and made me a shift manager.

3. You don’t have to be better than everyone, just show up on time and be competent.

This has been huge for me. And although it might seem contradictory to #2, I believe it actually goes hand in hand. Sometimes I struggle with trying to be an overachiever. I beat myself up when I make the tiniest mistake. This statement helps me to remember that by showing up, and working hard to know my stuff, I’m already doing better than the people that aren’t trying.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The first thing that comes to mind is sacrifice. My parents sacrificed a heck of a lot for me to be where I am today. Growing up, we weren’t wealthy, pretty much everything my parents had they worked extremely hard for. I wasn’t wearing the coolest clothes in high school or driving the trendiest car. However, they gave me things that were more important. They taught me the importance of experiences over material things. They supported me by making sure that I had a leotard and ballet shoes for dance class. Instead of going on a fancy anniversary trip every year they paid for me to do competitive dance. They worked long days everyday (usually 6 sometimes 7 days a week) but still made time to have a family dinner. The older I get the more I appreciate with greater depth the way my parents put my needs first. I feel really blessed.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Valkyrie Rose Photography (Based in Nashville, TN) Erica Sade Photo Video, espvcreative.co (Based in West Palm Beach, FL)

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