Welcome to the first episode of 2022!

I am so excited to introduce my guest and friend, Natalie Ruiz.

Natalie Ruiz is the CEO of AnswerConnect. While she is a CEO now, she started her career with the company as a temporary employee — and she almost quit during her first week because she wasn’t sure the job or the company was the right fit.

Natalie often says that her path to success has been unconventional — and that’s one of the aspects that fuels her to continue to challenge assumptions about what work, success, and the concept of what balance in life looks like. In today's episode, we are going to talk more about the unconventional path and why sometimes it can be often misunderstood.

Natalie is an award-winning executive who has been recognized with awards for Female Executive of the Year and for Women Helping Women by the Stevie Award Association and a Woman of Influence by the Portland Business Journal.

Outside of her day job, she writes and publishes a series on Medium highlighting powerful women, is a mentor, serves on the board of directors for PDXWIT, and is a keynote speaker. Natalie was instrumental in the growth of AnswerConnect, spearheading the move from co-located to remote work and global expansion, all while being a mom.

In all that she does, Natalie aims to leave people and places better than she finds them. You will love following her on social media and can find her on Instagram at @its_natalieruiz or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Alright, Friends! Enjoy the show!

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