Ms. Ruth Shlossman, Senior Negotiation Consultant and co-founder of Castle Negotiations Consulting Group Inc., has over 25 years of experience as an International Negotiation Consultant, coach, and trainer. She began her career in Corporate Sales before launching Castle Negotiations. Ruth holds an M.Ed. from Harvard with a specialty in Leadership and a BA from the University of Florida. She has offices in the Atlanta area and the Middle East.
Ruth Shlossman is well known for the ROI of the companies she has worked with. She is innovative and practical, able to tailor her training and consulting to fit the specific needs of every team she works with.
Ruth is often called upon to consult with organizations involved in high-stakes and challenging negotiations. She is well-versed in negotiation research and committed to knowing and incorporating the current best practices in her negotiation training and consulting.
Her specialty is merging the art and science of emotional intelligence and negotiation. She is well-researched and experienced in both areas and has found a way to help her clients raise their emotional intelligence about negotiating.
For more details, visit their website here.
Today, we sit down with Ruth to get more insights into her journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. How did you get started as an entrepreneur? What inspired you?
Ruth: I am a reluctant entrepreneur. I love helping people transform their lives by improving their negotiation skills. It’s an extraordinarily creative and exciting process that is always moving forward. I tried to find a home in another negotiation consulting firm willing to continually improve the processes and systems we were employing. I finally realized if I wanted to be the most effective, authentic, and creative negotiation coach I knew was possible, I had to go out on my own and start my own company.
Luckily, at that point, I had the experience and results to make the leap from team member to entrepreneur easier. I needed to be more realistic about how much work it would be, and I’ve made many mistakes. But I’m so glad I did it. My work is incredibly fulfilling because I am the only obstacle that holds me back from creating my dream negotiating coaching and consulting company.
Q. What entrepreneurial tricks have you discovered to keep you focused and productive?
Ruth: I pay attention to my energy level and inner creative flow. When I’m feeling sluggish, I look at my list of goals and use my sluggishness to accomplish tedious tasks. My personality is such that I always have tons of projects simultaneously. This energizes me. In other words, be who you are and do what works for you. I don’t fight my natural inclinations and use them to my advantage. Because of this, I have great days!
Q. How do you stay organized with such a busy schedule?
Ruth: How do I stay organized? I’ll let you know when that happens. I have what a colleague called a “relaxed style of management.” I hire other people to organize my processes so I can focus on the creative side of my business as much as possible.
Q. What would you do if you had a magic wand?
Ruth: Firstly, all illnesses would be cured quickly for everyone! (Hey, it’s my magic wand; why not?). Secondly, the smartest, kindest, most generous, and caring people would run the world. Every Country, every company, every organization! Finally, everyone would naturally have the superpower of deeply listening to each other. Hopefully, that would eliminate a universal sense of isolation, depression, and lack of hope.
Q. If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?
Ruth: I would call it “Follow Your Bliss.”
Q. What motivates you?
Ruth: I am motivated by people who love to learn and grow. To me, that’s the nectar of life. I love coaching people who want to reach for the stars and actualize their potential. In that way, it makes the world a more joyful place to be.
Q. What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made?
Ruth: The best investment is in myself and my personal growth. This continually energizes and keeps me excited about my consulting and coaching work. The result is continual improvement in the ROI of my clients, which translates into significant financial success as well.
Q. What key activities would you recommend entrepreneurs invest their time in?
Ruth: Authentic, honest self-reflection. Answering the question, what do I truly want in life? I want to keep people from settling for good enough in every aspect of their lives—their relationships, professional aspirations, health, and spiritual life! Refrain from forcing yourself to fit into a mold of entrepreneurship. Blaze your own trail and believe in yourself. You can do this!
Q. What is your ‘one-sentence’ advice for someone wanting to become an entrepreneur, coach, or business owner?
Ruth: Debrief at the end of the day. What did I learn from the mistakes I made today and what would I change about that interaction I had today to make it better? The fastest way to become successful quickly, especially as a negotiator and entrepreneur, is to process and debrief constantly; that is our success superpower.
To keep up to date with Ruth and her journey, connect with her on LinkedIn.