Teri
“Go forward, be fearless, and do all the things you wish for. Yes, you may fall and fail at times, but pick yourself up from every fall and move forward again.”
Teri is an entrepreneur, a mentor and a leader. In her work, she seeks out the potential in others and is devoted to helping people pursue their dreams. In her life, she is determined to see everyday as a new opportunity. Teri is inspired and driven by fearlessness. This is her story.
Teri with her daughter Maya (her happy place)
P: Please introduce yourself!
T: Hi, I’m Teri Ritter a talent agent in Toronto Canada. I was referred to this project by Lory Mpiana. I absolutely love what I do for a living and to be able to work at something you love AND make money from it is the absolute best thing ever!! I highly recommend it!
P: Describe or define yourself in your own words.
T: Describing myself is an interesting process in and of itself, as you want to be honest, but I often wonder if I see myself as others do and am honest with myself about who I am. I think I’m funny, kind, interesting and fun to be around. I love people huge and when hurt, I suffer huge as well. I know I’m an emotional person with deep feelings about life and love - I think that is what makes someone a good person. I’m also a bit of a “brainiac” that loves how my brain works to find answers, solve puzzles and generally manage and build a business out of nothing. It’s actually quite a combination and at times, one side of me can often interfere with the other. Luckily the combination is often what makes me a great manager as I can emotionally see what another person is going through, while the business side figures out what’s required to move forward.
Teri’s other happy place
I think as I got older I finally was able to see that I didn’t need to lose the emotional side of me to be successful in business, and that I just had to accept both sides and let them work together to make a whole person. That was the key I think…acceptance!
P: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
T: My favourite thing about myself is how I’ve matured and become a way better person as I got older. I am really starting to like and appreciate who I am and that seemed to take years to come, so it’s definitely my favourite thing right now. It is true what they say about getting older!! “I’m not getting older, I’m getting better!”
The experience that made me stronger....well there have been so many really deep and difficult experiences that have made me who I am today. I have had a million losses in my life and struggled in my teens and twenties with anxiety that left me totally unable to manage even going outside (severe agoraphobia). There have been a dozen heartaches and some really amazing life experiences that all totalled have brought me to where I am today. I actually really believe that the sum total of our experiences both as children and as adults can bring you to where you are, and that it’s the way you think about those experiences that can make you a person who is closed and cynical or open and hopeful.
I was fortunate enough to meet someone that really helped me to realize that I didn’t have to give in to my “victim story” and that I could in this very moment, moment by moment, begin to move forward and grow from whatever I traumatic experience I had. For me, it was that realization that brought me back to life and shook the very foundation of my belief systems. I now really believe that each moment we can begin anew and make our lives we want them to be, while growing from each and every experience we have in life.
Teri got this tattoo when she left her husband and started her career as a talent agent. This changed her life. The tattoo showcases a phoenix rising from the ashes to capture the yin and yang symbol of peace and harmony.
P: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
T: The one piece of advice I would give to my younger self is to not take myself so seriously and to let go of fear. Fear can hold you back from everything, and as I experienced in my teens and twenties it can hold you back from life itself. Go forward, be fearless, and do all the things you wish for. Yes, you may fall and fail at times, but pick yourself up from every fall and move forward again.
My own daughter is my hero in that respect. She has done this countless times, and as I see her mature into the amazing woman she is becoming, I am so proud of her for picking herself up after every fall. She is FEARLESS!!
P: What does being a woman mean to you? What would you say to her if she were here right now?
P: Being a woman right now is the most amazing thing. Little do we realize the innate power we have - the power to nurture, to bring life into the world, to succeed in business, to defend each other, to cry for each other, to lift up each other….we are amazing creatures!! I LOVE being a woman!!
My daughter is one of many women that inspire me right now…as I said, she is fearlessly living her life and I love watching her grow. It’s amazing to observe growth in others, and to be able, in any way, to contribute to their growth is bliss!!
What I would say to her right now (and always do) is that I am so proud of her and who she is trying to become. More power to her!!