Meet RENE RUSTON | Entrepreneur

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

Hi RENE, how do you think about risk?
You can’t live an extraordinary life without risk. That’s all I wanted since I was a little girl: An extraordinary life. Pack in as much joy and adventure as I can while I am on this earth. Never let anyone say “you can’t “. I cannot imagine any measure of success has been achieved without taking risks. I have taken risks and continue to do so, in my business and personal relationships.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I follow my passion wherever it takes me: starting with a very successful Real Estate career for 34 years and counting. Passion leads you on a journey and you can’t be afraid to take that journey. I have found I must go all in. Going half the way is not enough to lead an extraordinary life. My husband and I are animal lovers and about 20 years ago we decided to live a vegan lifestyle, no animal products, including leather. My journey to find high end vegan shoes and bags led me to a very remarkable woman, Rebecca Mink. She had been making custom vegan shoes for celebrities for years (long before Stella McCartney) and one thing led to another: A bond and friendship formed and I helped her raise the seed money for her company MINK Shoes, buy into an Italian shoe factory and now MINK Shoes has spun off a bio-tech company patenting plant based leather without plastics. Extraordinary! I am also learning to speak Italian so I won’t need interpreters. That same passion led me to open the START Rescue Resale Store in Sherman Oaks. All proceeds benefit START Rescue, for which I am a co-founder. The store is a little jewel! I’m not much of a thrift store shopper so I curate it so it’s fun, higher end and every item is SPECIAL. Donors bring us high end clothing and things they usually have an attachment to. It makes them feel good that it will be appreciated and bring joy to others. Finding homes for treasured items goes along with finding homes for homeless pets!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Let’s start with coffee and snacks at Coffee and Plants in Studio City. Their lavender latte and tomato basil Tartine are the stuff of dreams. I travel internationally a great deal and museums are usually my first stop in any new city. I would include visits to the Getty in Malibu and Brentwood. I would also make a stop in the Norton Simon museum. I can stare at their Vincent Van Gogh collection for hours. Planta for dinner in Marina Del Rey or Brentwood. Also a few trips to Agoura Hills to Ma-Kin for their extensive vegan sushi menu. It has gotten quite popular since the Kardashians discovered it! Also Crossroads in West Hollywood or Calabasas. My husband is a music producer so we would definitely hit some music venues, ie. The Forum, Orpheum, El Rey, Palladium, etc. Of course no trip would be complete without a visit to the beach for sunset cocktails!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Everyone in my circle 2 legged and 4 legged are part of my successes. Starting with the love of my life, my husband, Jay Ruston. He is a constant source of support, encouragement, music and laughter. He is a very busy music producer, yet, never says no to me, even when I need furniture moved at the START store, tech support or bring home another new dog! LOL! My parents raised me to believe in myself and my abilities and not take no for an answer. I have my dad’s sense of humor and he taught me to never take life seriously. It has served me well. I have a very tight circle of friends (all over the world!) who are always there for me. So grateful for my tribe! My life is dedicated to making the animals lives better and thru that we as a human race will be better for it.

Website: https://STARTRescue.org

Instagram: @startrescueresale

Twitter: @Startrescueteam

Facebook: @startanimalrescue

Yelp: START Rescue Resale Store

Image Credits
MINK Shoes