“Building from the ground up,” “starting from rock bottom,” “starting with nothing but a dream,” are just a few of the many cliches that may be overworked but they highlight well the idea that beginning from nothing can be a challenging but rewarding journey.
Ruthie Lyons shares the story of her success to show that it is not just about talent or luck, but also about resilience and the willingness to keep going even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges. She dropped out of college because she started a family. That’s when she and her husband, Terrence, moved to Knoxville in 2005. It wasn’t easy and they were hurting financially, but they knew it was the right move. They have certainly proved that to be true.
In 2013, she helped open the Hilton Garden Inn and worked in hotel management as the director of sales and marketing, learning the personnel, relationship and management skills she uses today. She left the hotel business to work real estate full time in 2019. Being smart and savvy, she is the consummate professional, and used those skills to open her own real estate division of Realty Executives called The Lyons Collective. She earned the impressive Diamond Award from Realty Executives in 2022 as a top producing Realtor and her real estate team and business continue to grow. In addition to that business, she and her husband own Pink Lyon Investments, flipping properties into the rentals they manage.
Recently, she went back to the same room where she used to work, but this time she went as CEO of her own company and the room was Peyton Manning’s room at Graduate Knoxville Hotel. Ruthie rewrites the cliches, especially ones such as, “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” She also uses this quote to inspire her, “Your boss will never pay you enough to live next door to him.” She is definitely an inspiration for others to step out and follow their dreams!
All of us have a story and I want to tell yours! Send them to susan@knoxtntoday.com