Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Trusiak.
Holly, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Bloomingdale, NY, a small, rural town in the Adirondack Mountains. I spent a lot of time observing nature, reading, listening to music and writing. Writing has been my natural self-expression for as long as I can remember. Reading showed me that I could explore other worlds despite the fact that I lived in a remote area. I wanted to use my writing to do the same – transport people beyond their physical experience.
I went to the University of Central Florida in Orlando and I went from knowing everyone to knowing no one. It was a culture shock for me at first but I quickly found that I loved it. I went to my first concert (not kidding, I was 18), and discovered this whole world of underground music full of fledgling bands in dingy bars.
Two years into college is when things really started to take shape for my career. I met my life mentor Penny Beile and I began taking journalism classes with Rick Brunson. Beile was my boss at my job at one of the campus libraries and I was simultaneously intimidated and enamored with her. She lights up the world with her laugh and adventurous spirit.
Brunson was my journalism professor and he opened the doors to something all writers think is impossible: earning a living from writing and editing. Brunson is affable, loving and holds his students to account.
After graduation, I moved to San Diego and got my first job copy editing for the North County Times newspaper. I was there until the paper was sold to the San Diego Union-Tribune at which point I got a call from San Diego State University. I switched from journalism to marketing and I also earned my master’s degree and taught journalism for two years.
In addition to teaching and my full-time marketing job, I was always picking up writing, editing or marketing projects on the side. This was a workaholic phase of my life.
While I was teaching, I started my blog as an example for my students. It helped me remember how much I enjoyed the process of writing for myself. Last year, I decided it was time to switch gears again. Work less. Travel, write and enjoy life more. I am back in the news industry, writing my blog and although I don’t post daily, I write daily.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
From this point in my life, I am apt to say, “Well, it wasn’t so bad.” I always had food, a roof over my head, a car, a pet and people who loved me. Of course, it was challenging and I definitely fell into some sinkholes along the way. I don’t mean to sound like a Pollyanna, but those challenges shaped me and I learned from them and I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to live my life.
The bumpiest parts for me were my personal challenges of how to exist with other people in the world. Growing up in a rural area, you spend a lot of time alone or just with a few other people. Once you move to a city, there are (obviously) a lot of other people, personalities and obstacles.
I battled with depression for the better part of my twenties. This is often surprising to people because I am known for always having a smile on my face, ready to have a good time and bust up laughing.
However, I am a normal person who made some mistakes, hung out with the wrong crowd some days and had to deal with the impact of those choices in my life. Thankfully, I really never went too far astray and I am shiny side up these days.
Tell us more about the business.
The predominant part of my business right now is my writing. I still do marketing and editing, but those elements are more minor. A few of my hallmarks are creative problem solving, efficiency, and brutal honesty.
I have been told that one of my greatest skills is taking complex concepts and translating them in ways that nearly everyone can understand. I am rather philosophical and I love the Universe, spirituality and a good life lesson. These are the things I often write about.
I am known for constantly seeking. Whether that is in spirituality, travel or finding a new fantastic band. I am constantly getting in the deep end of the metaphorical ocean and coming up with fistfuls of treasures. I am insanely curious about what makes people tick and what I can do to use storytelling to help connect us and bring greater understanding to this human experience.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I love this question. My mom has always said I am one of the luckiest people she knows. I am starting to agree with her. And Caroline Ingalls would tell her daughter, writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, “A body makes his own luck, be it good or bad.”
First and foremost, I have been extremely lucky to find all the best people in the world. My parents brought me up to be extremely hardworking. Beile took me under her wing and taught me her freewheeling, adventurous ways and how to advocate for myself. I have no shortage of beautiful, loving friends who have stuck with me through thick and thin. To top it all off, two years ago I adopted the best cat ever by the name of Buttercup.
It was all luck that I found these people (and a cat). I was just out and about following my intuition and got lucky enough to meet them.
I think that gratitude magnifies one’s luck. My mom taught me to say “please” and “thank you” for everything. I might annoy people sometimes because I am constantly thanking them. I am truly grateful, though. What luck to be alive in this time of the internet, air travel and iPhones. I aim to take my luck and pay it forward to help others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rangerholly.com
- Email: hello@rangerholly.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranger.holly/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rangerholly
Image Credit:
Stage images – Jenn Zaczek https://www.instagram.com/joyofthejourney/
France images – coffee shop and graveyard – Jane Mitchell https://www.instagram.com/janemitchellstudios/
Denmark – Friendly stranger
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