Ruthi Postow Birch started life in deep-south Alabama in a town that straddled the poverty line. She rose to be one of the most respected members of the Washington, DC, business community, guided by the uncomplicated common-sense principles she learned from the working-class people who raised her.

After graduating from college, she taught middle school for two years in Braselton, Georgia, but her dream was of a career in businesses. Moving to Washington, Ruthi joined a staffing firm and launched her business career. But she entered the job market at a time when men were the professionals and women were “girls,” expected to settle for second place. She broke through the limits to become the company’s top producer and remained there throughout her career. She was also active in business organizations and served on committees with the Greater Washington Board of Trade.

In 2001, she founded Ruthi Postow Staffing, recruiting temporary and permanent employees for business in the DC area. The company has won several awards, including Washington Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work,” and “Future Fifty” by SmartCEO magazine. In 2005 she established an annual scholarship dedicated to helping others succeed through education.

Ruthi wrote a column for The Washington Business Journal for two years. She created two blogs, Three O’clock in the Morning and I Hate Interviewing.

Ruthi is the mother of three boys, each on his own path to success. She lives in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband, Ron Birch; their Wheaten terrier, Mr. Magoo; and a family of chimney swifts that return every spring to nest in their 18th-century chimney.

How to Build a Piano Bench is Ruthi’s first book.

For more information about Ruthi and her book, visit www.ruthipostowbirch.com.