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<\/p>\nWe recently had the chance to connect with Dena Rupp and have shared our conversation below.<\/p>\n
Dena, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let\u2019s jump in with a fun one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I\u2019m ready to step outside my comfort zone and become the leader I know I\u2019m capable of being \u2013 not for others\u2019 approval, but for my own growth. For much of my life, I followed the expectations set by others: to listen, follow the rules, and do what was considered \u201cright.\u201d In doing so, I often ignored my own curiosity, creativity, and desire to explore new paths.<\/p>\n
In my mid-30s, something shifted. I began to challenge old beliefs, ask myself hard questions, and take ownership of my life. Through self-reflection and therapy, I\u2019ve been learning to quiet the outside noise and focus on what truly drives me.<\/p>\n
Now, I\u2019m committed to doing hard things \u2013 to challenging myself, following through, and seeing how far I can go. I\u2019m learning to balance ambition with awareness, to push forward while recognizing that growth also requires boundaries. My journey is about finding that balance and becoming the most authentic version of myself.<\/p>\n
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Dena Rupp, and I\u2019m the founder and owner of Purrista Cat Cafe in downtown Erie, as well as the co-owner of Flagship City Press Stationery & Gifts. Purrista is Erie\u2019s first cat cafe \u2013 a space where people can enjoy great coffee, connect with adoptable rescue cats, and feel part of a caring, creative community. Since opening in 2022, we\u2019ve helped over 365 cats find homes, and I\u2019m proud that something so simple has had such a big impact.<\/p>\n
Flagship City Press grew out of my love for design and meaningful details. It\u2019s a stationery and gift brand that celebrates creativity, connection, and local pride \u2013 from hand-designed cards and journals to curated items from independent artists. We\u2019re opening our first storefront next to Purrista, giving Erie a space to discover beautiful, intentional products that tell a story.<\/p>\n
What ties both businesses together is purpose. Whether it\u2019s through coffee and cats or stationery and stories, my goal is to create spaces that inspire connection, authenticity, and joy \u2013 places that make people feel something real.<\/p>\n
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship that most shaped how I see myself is the one I\u2019ve built with\u2026 myself. It took years of unlearning what I thought I was supposed to be and reconnecting with who I actually am. I grew up believing that being \u201cgood\u201d meant keeping the peace, following the rules, and doing what others expected. Over time, that made me lose touch with my own voice.<\/p>\n
In my mid-30s, I started doing the work \u2013 therapy, reflection, taking risks \u2013 and learned how to build a healthier, kinder relationship with myself. That process changed everything. It taught me that self-awareness isn\u2019t selfish; it\u2019s necessary. When you start showing up for yourself honestly, you become more grounded, more confident, and more compassionate toward others. That inner relationship has shaped every decision I\u2019ve made since.<\/p>\n
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I\u2019d tell my younger self to stop trying so hard to meet everyone\u2019s expectations. You don\u2019t have to prove your worth by being perfect or doing everything \u201cright.\u201d The high standards and constant pressure from family and others made you believe that love had to be earned through performance, but it doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve carried that weight for too long. You can let it go now. The things that make you different are not shortcomings \u2013 they\u2019re your strength. Trust your instincts, even if they go against what others expect. You\u2019ll find your place when you start living for yourself instead of trying to please everyone else. Be kind, be curious, and know that you are already enough.<\/p>\n
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
That\u2019s a tough one. I think the public version of me is real, but it\u2019s not the whole story. What people see is the part I\u2019ve learned to share. The version that\u2019s confident, composed, and capable. It\u2019s still me, but it\u2019s me with the volume turned down in some areas and up in others.<\/p>\n
Growing up with high expectations, I learned early on how to perform, how to present myself in a way that made others comfortable. It\u2019s taken a lot of work to unlearn that and to show up more authentically, even when it feels uncomfortable or imperfect.<\/p>\n
These days, I\u2019m working on making those two versions of myself the same \u2013 the one the world sees and the one I see in private. I\u2019m not all the way there yet, but I\u2019m closer than I\u2019ve ever been, and that feels like progress.<\/p>\n
Okay, so let\u2019s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you understand deeply that most people don\u2019t?
I understand how powerful it is to sit with discomfort instead of running from it. Most people avoid it \u2013 the silence, the uncertainty, the parts of themselves they\u2019d rather not face \u2013 but that\u2019s where growth actually happens. I\u2019ve learned that clarity doesn\u2019t show up in comfort; it shows up when you let yourself feel the hard things, communicate honestly, stay vulnerable, and choose compassion over judgment \u2013 both for yourself and others.<\/p>\n
Vulnerability and compassion are where connection begins. They open the door to understanding and allow real empathy to take root. Life feels more peaceful when you stop pretending everything is fine and start showing up as your full self \u2013 honest, human, and kind. When you can sit in that space with others, without trying to fix or hide anything, that\u2019s when true connection and growth happen.<\/p>\n
Contact Info:<\/p>\n
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\n Image Credits
MIchaela Kessler Photography\n <\/p>\n
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