“It’s kind of sad that a lot of people don’t get to do what they love. Sometimes it takes a while to find what you love. It’s worth the wait.” It took Anne Woolley twenty years of working in contracting and dental offices before she was able to pursue a job that incorporated her passion for cats. Today, Anne owns a specialty cat boutique where she can bring her felines into work with her every day and sell to other cat enthusiasts. When asked what her greatest success in life was, Anne replied without hesitation that her store, CATS R US, is. The business began by holding cat shows and selling out of mall kiosks, but soon the niche operation was so popular an actual store was necessary. Today, Anne finds joy in not only pursuing her love for cats, but also in putting smiles on so many people’s faces as they discover her unique shop. She stated triumphantly, “You know you are doing the right thing if you make so many people happy”. Ironically, Anne is actually quite allergic to cats, something that only began to plague her later in life. Yet the running nose and watering eyes don’t stop her from being the happiest she has ever been. When asked for a piece of advice for a younger generation Anne stated, “A lot of younger people these days are wanting to, or feeling pressured to, find careers and you can’t necessarily always find the right one right away. Sometimes it takes people a little bit of time.” Anne continued, saying the younger generation needs to learn to be patient and have faith things will fall into place with the passage of time.

Author: Jane Skrypnek