The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Getting Out of Dodge with Rosie

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    Ruth Carter

    I won a night at the Sedona Rouge during Independents Week last year. The gift certificate expired in July 2014 so I had to use-it-or-lose-it. They’re a dog-friendly hotel so I booked a room for Rosie and I during mid-week last week to get away from the heat for a few hours.

    Sedona Rouge
    Sedona Rouge – Sedona, AZ

    At first I was thinking, “Why am I doing this? We’re not even going to be gone for 24 hours. There’s so much I could be getting done if I just stay here instead of packing up the pup and me, driving 2 hours to Sedona, just to drive back the next day.” I’m so glad I ignore this voice in my head. We had an awesome time and it provided a much needed break from the daily grind.

    The staff was so nice to Rosie and me. Rosie is an experienced traveler and I packed her box of bowls, food, and toys plus her bedding. Her stuff took up a lot more room in the trunk than my overnight bag and backpack. I thought it was very sweet when we got to our room and saw that the staff had put out dog bowls and a bed for Rosie.

    Dog Bed and Bowls
    Sorry About the Poor Quality

    I could tell they’re used to having canine guests that are smaller than Miss Rosie and evidenced by the size of the dog bed. But that didn’t stop her from using it.

    Rosie on the Dog Bed Nex t to her Real Bed
    Rosie on the Dog Bed Next to her Regular Bed

    Rosie and I had a great time at the Sedona Rouge. We took a self-guided tour through the Column Garden and the pool area. All the guests who saw her gushed over her. I spent most of this trip reading Jason SurfrApp‘s book, Creativity for Sale. It’s hard to make reading a priority at home. I found a comfortable seat in the courtyard, looped Rosie leash through one of the legs of the chair, and enjoyed Jason’s book while a gentle breeze blew through my hair. It’s a really good book – my brain is buzzing with ideas about my future professional endeavors. I really wish I didn’t need sleep or work/life balance so I could spend more time working on them.

    Rosie in the Column Garden
    Rosie in the Column Garden

    In the evening, I trooped to the pool area to do some writing before taking a soak in the hot tub. I do a 2-day personal/professional retreat every December, and this trip gave me a chance to check in on how things are going so far this year. Rosie snuggled up in the chaise next to mine.  She was so cute but it was too dark to get a picture so we had to recreate the shot the next morning.

    Poolside Rosie
    Poolside Rosie

    We spent less than 24 hours in Sedona. The next morning we got up early, got a walk for her, a run for me, and breakfast for both of us before heading back to Phoenix. Even though it was a short trip, it was a good reminder of how important it is to occasionally get away to reflect and recharge.

    I really enjoyed my time up north. I’ve been thinking about my next book and this trip made me consider the possibility of taking a month away just to write instead of working writing into my daily routine as I’ve done with my other books . . . definitely something to think about.

  • Paying It Forward to an Aspiring Flash Mob Organizer

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    Ruth Carter

    This past Friday night, I was sitting at home watching a movie when my phone chimed with a new email. It was from a fifteen year-old girl in Ohio. She wanted to do a flash mob in response to violence in her community. She’d never done anything like this before and she wanted some help.

    I was quite impressed by her email. It was so sweet that she was trying hard to be respectful. You could tell she put some time and effort into writing this. She started it with “Dear Ms. Ruth Carter…” and closed with “Sincerely” and her full name. She was upfront about her age and that she couldn’t afford to hire me. She said that she and her friends wanted to do a flash mob to “get the young adults in my city to do something fun and to stop the violence” but they didn’t want to cause any trouble because “the city legal justice system has enough to deal with.” And she thanked me for my time even if I couldn’t help.

    Listen by Johan Larsson from Flickr (Creative Commons License)
    Listen by Johan Larsson from Flickr (Creative Commons License)

    Her message came in around 8pm my time, so that means it was 11pm her time. What 15 year-old sends thoughtful emails to a lawyer late on a Friday night? I was inspired to help her. I scooped up my phone and responded with, “Give me a call. Right now. I’ll give you some tips,” and I included my personal cell phone number.

    I’m sure she didn’t expect that.

    I’ve had a few moments in my life where I’ve sent an email and received the “Give me a call right now” response. And those messages usually get my heart racing because there’s no time to prepare for the conversation.

    About ten minutes later, my phone rang. I walked around the house for about twenty minutes, sharing stories from my flash mob experiences and how I approach planning events with this young lady. (I tend to pace when I’m excited or nervous. It helps get my creative juices flowing too.) I suggested that her group look at their ideas from an outsider’s perspective and think about what they might be doing wrong and what they might be accused of doing wrong. We talked about deciding when to ask for permission vs when to ask for forgiveness. I shared with her my experiences with getting in trouble with mall cops and why malls are generally a bad location for flash mobs. We also talked about who she could partner with and I was pleased to hear that she has contacts in her police department who can advise her.

    At one point in the conversation, she called me “ma’am.” I was amused that she was being so respectful. I bet it is intimidating to be fifteen and talking with a lawyer who is almost twenty years her senior. I totally get it even though I thought it was funny. When I was fifteen, every adult except my gymnastics coaches were “Mr.” or “Mrs.” plus their last name. To this day, there are some adults who I still address as “Mr.” or “Mrs.” I giggled and told her to call me “Ruth.”

    It felt really good to pay it forward to this young lady. So many people have been exceptionally generous with their time and knowledge when I was young and it’s nice to be able to do the same for someone else. I told her to keep me in the loop and to let me know how her flash mob goes. It sounds like her heart is in the right place so I hope she can pull it off.

  • Creativity For Sale – An Interview with Jason SurfrApp

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    Ruth Carter

    Photo provided by Jason SurfrApp
    Photo provided by Jason SurfrApp

    I’ve known Jason SurfrApp since he was wearing t-shirts professionally through IWearYourShirt. He was the person who inspired me to create Sponsor A Law Kid to offset the cost of law school. He has since gone on to auction off his last name (twice) and become a maven in the marketing world who seems to be able to get sponsorship for everything. This week, Jason published his first book, Creativity For Sale, where he shares his story and how to turn your passion into profit. He was kind enough to field some questions from me.

    Why Did You Write This Book – Besides To Make Money?
    During the first few months of 2013 I was feeling pretty down. The business I had built and killed myself to make successful since 2009 (IWearYourShirt) wasn’t doing as well anymore and I was starting to get burnt out. I attended a life-changing conference – and I never say stuff like that- in Fargo, ND in May 2013. At that event I listened to some amazing speakers and I was also a speaker. Instead of my normal “success” talk about IWearYourShirt, I opened up and shared that things weren’t going well. That was the first time I was ever publicly vulnerable, and while it was incredibly uncomfortable and difficult it felt like I had lifted a 600-pound gorilla off my back. When I returned home from the event I had lunch with a friend. While shoving a burrito in my face my friend convinced me that I should write a book about my entrepreneurial journey.

    My Signed Copy of Creativity For Sale
    My Signed Copy of Creativity For Sale

    What’s The One Lesson You Want Readers To Take From Your Book?
    I want people to give themselves permission to follow their passions and try to make money doing what they love. It won’t be easy, but the best things in life are earned.

    It Took A Lot Of Guts To Start A Business, Auction Off Your Last Name, And To Write This Book. How Do You Combat Fear When It Creeps Into Your Professional Life?
    It may not seem like it, but I do a lot of planning, thinking, and strategy before I launch any project. In that pre-launch time I weigh all my options and think about the potential risks and fears I have. The majority of them have to do with people not supporting the projects financially or someone saying negative comments about it. The negative comments are an easy fear to overcome: People will say negative things and 99% of the time it’s because those people are unhappy, not because the project is bad. When thinking about someone not supporting a project financially, I just ask myself “what’s the worst that will happen?”

    What Words Of Wisdom Do You Have For Anyone Who Wants To Do A Sponsored Event (Or Life)?
    #1 You don’t get what you don’t ask for.
    #2 You will hear “No’s” and that’s perfectly okay. Remember that people aren’t saying “No” because of you, they’re saying “No” because the project doesn’t align with their goals, they don’t have the budget, it’s bad timing, etc.

    Creativity For Sale Page 162
    Creativity For Sale Page 162

    How Do You Define “Success?”
    Success used to look like $1,000,000 in the bank, driving a Ferrari, and retiring by age 35. I realized that I don’t need $1M in the bank to be happy and live a fulfilled life. I took time last year to look at the things that really mattered to me and in doing so realized that I didn’t need anywhere near $1M in the bank to meet those needs. My previous measures of success were completely driven by societal pressures and I’m ignoring those now. Instead, I’m focusing on having financial freedom (no debt and enough money to not have to worry about making my mortgage each month), having the ability to work from anywhere in the world, and being able to work on whatever projects I want. The definition of “success” will evolve continuously for me and I’m cool with that.

    What’s The Meaning Of Life?
    Doing what you love and living a life of intention. Don’t let the fears of other people get in the way of your dreams.

    What’s Up Next For You?
    I’m super excited for creative professionals, entrepreneurs, business owners, etc., to grab a copy of my new book Creativity For Sale. I’ll be on the road quite a bit for the rest of this year promoting the book through public speaking. I’m also launching a new project with the book called The Rebel Within Us where I’ll be helping people unleash their inner rebel and learn how to make money doing what they love through various paid products and resources.

    I’m really excited to read Jason’s book and hopefully his speaking tour will bring him through Phoenix. He’s a fun guy. You should meet him in person if you have the chance. And check out his book – my law firm sponsored page 162!