The theater capital of the country was calling – and Ann Fiorita couldn’t ignore it.
“Ultimately, I really wanted to go to New York. Any musical theater person’s dream is to go to New York,” said Fiorita, who grew up in Sioux Falls and graduated from O’Gorman High School.
The theater dream first took her to Indiana University but brought her back after a year to reunite with her favorite teacher, Kim Bartling, who would go on to teach her at the University of Sioux Falls.
“That was the incentive to come back as a student,” she said. “And I was able to do theater and play soccer in Sioux Falls during college, which was another activity I loved, and ultimately I was able to graduate a year early.”
From there, it was on to Illinois to work for a summer theater company, where she met friends who also were hoping to move to New York that fall.
“I was there for 13 years and loved it,” Fiorita said. “It is not an easy place to live, but I think that’s what makes it even more worth it. It’s a city that humbles everyone. The energy of New York is infectious, and for a musical theater person, it was the place to be, and that was incredibly exciting.”
She auditioned for off-Broadway roles and along the way realized the artist life wasn’t the best fit.
“You don’t know what your income will be the next month or if you’re going to be here or on a cruise ship or a national tour,” she said. “I felt uneasy not knowing a lot of things.”
Like many New Yorkers in the arts, she tried out her share of part-time jobs – from catering to waitressing and bartending – and ultimately found her niche at Anthropologie, a women’s apparel and home decor retailer on the verge of being a national powerhouse.
Fiorita with her former boss at Anthropologie
“The people were so smart and funny and creative, and there was a really joyful energy in the space,” Fiorita said. “They’d talked to me about getting into management, and when I finally decided I was done with theater and ready to get health insurance and work full time, they were as excited as I was.”
That began a retail career that would lead her eventually to become the manager of Anthropologie’s location at Rockefeller Center and ultimately as a district manager to oversee all the stores in New York.
Along the way, though, Fiorita remained connected with Sioux Falls in multiple ways.
Fiorita and her niece, Becca
“If someone were going to New York from Sioux Falls, often they would stop in the store and say hi, and it made the world feel really small in a good way,” she said.
And speaking of small worlds, Fiorita would go on to date her future husband in New York – who happens to be a fellow O’Gorman High School graduate.
“We were several years apart but knew each other through the theater scene and other activities,” she said.
“I knew a handful of people in New York who had moved there from Sioux Falls, and one day I saw a photo of him on social media waiting by a subway on a mutual friend’s page, so I messaged him to see if he lived here too, and he wrote back right away, and we got together shortly after that.”
They were married in 2011 and were looking toward starting a family when they realized a move would be needed.
“In New York, most people go to Connecticut or New Jersey or the suburbs or Long Island and settle down,” she said. “And we didn’t feel connected to any of those places.”
When an opportunity with her employer became available to manage the northwest region for sister brand Free People, she and Guy headed to Oregon in 2016. Their first son was born five months into her new role.
“It was a lot of travel – we opened up 18 stores while I was there – but then COVID hit,” Fiorita said. “I was traveling for work. My husband was traveling for work. And we kind of got off the hamster wheel and sat on the couch and said, ‘What are we doing?’”
If one wasn’t traveling, the other was, she said.
“We were ships passing in the night and away from family, and we knew we needed to change something,” she said.
“It took a year and a half to make the decision, but the catalyst was my husband’s company decided to permanently go remote, so we knew we could have the security of his job and move back to South Dakota.”
Returning home
The Fioritas moved back to Sioux Falls the summer before their oldest son started kindergarten.
“I feel very fortunate to be in Sioux Falls,” she said. “The first thing that felt really distinct was how nice everyone is here, how genuinely nice. I’m very close to family, and we spend a lot of time together, and we’re living in a community that is so clean and supportive of families.”
Fiorita’s company offered the chance to work from Sioux Falls, “but ultimately I knew I wanted to change careers,” she said.
“It’s so much fun working in retail, but it’s a lot of long days, and when you do a store opening, you’re there a couple of weeks, and I was ready to be there for soccer games and hockey practices and choir concerts.”
She decided to lean into her interest in finance and became a certified plan fiduciary adviser in 2023, shortly after the birth of her second son. She now has joined her brother as a financial adviser, and the two work together at the Sioux Falls office of Waddell & Reed Inc.
“I really love what I do and am thankful I took the time to explore a lot of things I was interested in,” she said. “This role is never boring. Everyone’s situation is different, and we have the most wonderful clients. I’m proud that we’re really focused on education and meeting people wherever they’re at on the financial journey.”
Guy still travels for his role in the advertising and marketing industry but has connected with the Sioux Falls community when he’s here.
“He’s joined Startup Sioux Falls, which is a great place and a way to get out of the house and be around people,” she said. “I’ve participated in some of their events as well, and it’s just a really cool addition to have in Sioux Falls.”
Outside of work, she loves returning to a local favorite – the city recreation trail – along with visiting the Washington Pavilion and State Theatre. The family loves outdoor concerts at Levitt at the Falls and exploring the city’s many unique playgrounds.
Fiorita now takes her kids to places like Newton Hills State Park, where she grew up camping.
“Not long ago, we were there, and the kids were riding their bikes around, and it was just pure, innocent, great fun – no devices – and times like that are so special,” she said.
“I also was really into figure skating growing up, and now my son plays hockey at the Scheels IcePlex, and I am so impressed with that facility. I keep telling him, ‘You don’t know how lucky you are’ and how cool it is to have three sheets of ice year-round.”
She also has connected to the community in meaningful ways.
“In Sioux Falls, there’s such a focus on giving back – more so than anywhere I’ve lived – and I knew that was an important part of being an adult, but it wasn’t something I could do in a meaningful way in New York or Oregon because I traveled a lot,” Fiorita said.
“So when I moved back and made the career switch, I wanted to get involved.”
She first was introduced to Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, and “that introduced me to a lot of parts of the community and the incredible teachers in our community,” she said. “I was blown away.”
It was a similar experience as she began volunteering with EmBe’s Dress for Success.
“It brings me back into retail a little bit when I volunteer there, and they help with interviewing and resumes. A lot of it is feeling good in the interview, and then when you get a job, you can come back and get a week’s worth of clothes,” she said.
“People donate really nice clothes, and they do a great job of curating it. We have incredibly caring people in our community, and a lot of employers support and encourage volunteering. It’s not something you have to do on weekends. If you need an hour to volunteer during the workweek, it’s encouraged.”
The Fiorita family’s experience isn’t out of the ordinary – and is possible for many others, said Denise Guzzetta, vice president of talent and workforce development for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.
“We see this time and again where Sioux Falls natives have moved away, grown their careers and started their families and then realize the advantage of coming home,” she said.
“When you do return, you’re going to find there are so many opportunities to continue to grow professionally here while raising your family in a place that will surround you with support. We’re so thrilled to welcome Ann and Guy back to Sioux Falls and couldn’t be happier about how they’ve reconnected to our community in so many ways.”
Are you considering returning to Sioux Falls – or do you know someone who should? Connect with the Sioux Falls Development Foundation’s “Wish You Were Here” initiative through the end of the year.
To learn more, click below.
New marketing campaign aims to encourage moves back to Sioux Falls
