Meet Ruth Catchen | Realtor, Realtor Trainer and Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ruth Catchen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ruth, how do you think about risk?
Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?

Ever since I was a small child I focused on doing whatever I chose to do and being the best. Call it impossible, excellence serves as my core mission. At the same time, I realize that there is always someone better, someone to motivate me to go a little bit further.

How does this play into risk taking? As I see it, risk taking has various manifestations.

Taking physical risks by skiing the hardest course, riding your bike or running on the steepest trail is definitely not my thing. I am a seat belt, mask wearing kind of person.

I was never that comfortable with physical risks. My only competition was always myself.

However, you can’t excel if you don’t take risks. My risk taking is for the most part intellectual. I challenge myself to learn new things, to practice them and always improve. I never shy away from trying something because I won’t be good at it. I learned very young that practice is essential to becoming better. Malcolm Gladwell and his 10,000 hours to mastery is how I live. I probably have made a fool of myself more times than I can count…

I see risk taking as a “why” v. “why not?”

When I think about the concept of failing well, fast failure, or risk taking, I recall this famous speech from President Kennedy foretelling the mission of the United States to expand the space program and dream big. It is a call to action.

He said:

We choose to go to the moon,” the president said. “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

In recent years, there is so much more “why?” than “why not?” This cynicism has become an appeal for inaction. We have corralled children in classrooms keeping them prisoner to their desks and facts to memorize to succeed on the next test. We (not everyone, of course) don’t encourage them to go outside, explore the world, ask questions and seek answers. I believe it takes courage as a teacher or parent to encourage REAL hands-on learning from experience, to try things we may not be good at and not give up. Critical thinking happens from using your knowledge and applying it to something new. Learning comes from tangible experience. There is a need to take a risk and encourage others to take risks as well. Risk taking need not equate with safety.

In addition to that, there is practice and persistence, what we have currently labeled as “grit.” It is essential to personal success. There are no short routes to mastery. There is no substitute for hard work and thoroughness. Attention to detail required!

That is my philosophy for both myself and those I teach. I come to this as I pursue my third career. Each one informing and influencing the next. Currently, my passion is to help real estate agents to do their job better, raise the level of professionalism and knowledge in the industry. My why is to help others do what they do, and be better. It is about pushing the boundaries of what you can do. It is making the vision in your head reality. It may not always work, but lessons are learned and strides to being better happen.

My life has been an exercise in risk taking. I try new things without fear, or at least not to be intimidated by the fear. I encourage others to test the limits of what they can do. It comes down to something pretty basic. If you don’t try, you will never know. And for sure, things will not change. I have always said: Make crisis an opportunity. Be the best you can be and make the world a bit better for you having been here.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What sets me apart from others in a real estate career is my anomaly background.

This is my third career and I love helping and teaching others to do better. As a performing musician for many years and then an educator, I have considerable tools that are different than the norm and relevant to a sales career. I connect all the pieces of my life in what I bring to others. In real estate, the opportunity to do training and education is badly needed. My education and music background bring a different skill set to this business. As a result, I have a chance to teach people about mindset, process and discipline in a way that I believe is different from other coaches, sales or training programs. I take each person and their needs to heart and that distinguishes me from other methods or programs. I am not one size fits all. I encourage everyone to find what makes them unique, different from others and teach how to discover and promote that.

It was not particularly easy to pursue this aspect of real estate training, but I saw how badly needed it is. So I persevered, offered something that I think is different and comprehensive and gives agents the tools and process to self start in their business. I equate it to the difference of just saying, ”Go do it,” or providing a plan, steps, encouragement and mentorship along the way. I provide a lot of charts and checklists so agents can keep up with their progress and have reminders. My experience has shown me many agents are not naturally organized and detailed and need help with strategy, consistency and follow through. Those attributes are my strong suit. I am nothing if not detailed, and persistent. I want the world to know that I am here to help and make people’s experiences better, easier and provide knowledge and professionalism.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
No trip to Denver Metro is complete without a trip to the Denver Botanic Gardens. It is my happy place in Denver and I often go there weekly-sometimes even in the winter. Not only is it beautiful, but there is a sense of peace and calm. You can sit outside and have coffee or a glass of wine. Along with that, I love downtown, and various neighborhoods with their restaurants and cute places to have coffee or a cocktail. Denver has become more of a food destination. I enjoy D Bar and Bar Dough, and in Cherry Creek often spend some time at Cucina Colore talking with neighborhood friends or having a light meal. And along with that, is shopping at the Cheery Creek mall or the outdoor markets. I like to go to the Denver Museum of Art and I am a member there to get priority on new exhibits our just spend an hour surrounded by beautiful art.

After we spend some time exploring Denver, much of what Colorado has to offer is its beautiful mountain towns and resorts. I love Vail, Aspen and Copper Mountain. As well, there are many great scenic day hikes anywhere from Garden of the Gods to Seven Falls to Red Rock Canyon in Colorado Springs, the incline in Manitou, and numerous open space hikes nearby where I live in the southwest suburbs of Denver. I could do this all day followed by a trip to an outdoor cafe or brunch. One of my favorites is Snooze – I have been to them all!

Boulder is also a must. University towns are always cute (I come from one) and Boulder is surrounded by natural beauty and great food. We love The Kitchen for its small, warm environment and unique menu. I enjoy people watching in Boulder and two of my favorite coffee places are Laughing Goat and Boxcar. I have spent many hours and good conversations there as well as exploring the Pearl Street Mall.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My motivation comes from my children. As a single parent, the responsibility to raise them was mine and I didn’t really have any help from family. As a result, I put their needs first and wanted to be the best parent and role model that I could be for them. I made mistakes, but even to this day to spite that they are grown, I hold them as my inspiration for always going forward, being better and doing the right thing. I want them to be proud of me. In addition, I have had great teachers and mentors when I was in the music business that taught me high standards of performance, persistence and perseverance.

Website: https://www.ruthcatchenrealestate.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthsrealcoaching/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-catchen-948856148/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ruthcatchen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ruthcatchenrealestate

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUUvBotKpL9zTKDMsPZOi-A

Other: https://thegalanskygroup.com/ https://youtu.be/SwSHOXI2FEQ