About Us

We are not the second, third or fourth generation in the home furnishings business…we are the first and we see that as an advantage.  We don’t have kids…so if there is going to be a “second generation owner”…it will have to be our dogs, Nick & Roxie, who run our lives the way it is!

Our backgrounds are as varied as the furnishings you’ll find at Ruth & Ollie.

Kat grew up in Texas.  After moving around the country with Mike to New York and Pennsylvania, we ended up in Dallas and she graduated from the University of Texas in Arlington with a business degree.  She went to work for NationsBank in Dallas and then later joined Mothers Against Drunk Driving.  After arriving in Richmond in 1998, Kat was in a number of marketing positions at S&K Menswear, Crestar and Play.  In 2002, Kat had an opportunity to change careers and decided to pursue a long time love…interior design.   She attended classes and joined a local interior design firm.  In 2003, she founded her own firm, Kat Liebschwager Interiors and in 2006 launched Ruth & Ollie with Mike.

Mike is from Nebraska…he graduated from the University of Nebraska with an accounting degree.  His first job was with Union Pacific in Omaha.  Over the years he worked in finance and accounting for a number of UP’s subsidiaries in many different cities.  After a quick year in Omaha, he was transferred to Houston, then Longview, TX (where we met), back to Houston, New York & Pennsylvania, then to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area…and finally to Richmond (apparently no one wants this guy..or he is in the witness protection program?!!?).  After being the Controller for a large transportation company for 5 years, it was time for a change.  He left corporate America and founded a non-profit called Re-Bike (www.re-bike.com) in 2004 and joined the board of directors of Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity in 2005.  Now he runs Ruth & Ollie….which he loves.