By Reynaldo Mena
Meet Annie Grijalva, founder of Creators Who Hustle (CWH). Annie has been a globetrotter.
Her voice flows quickly and with precise ideas over the phone.
Through her business venture ‘Creators Who Hustle,’ she has dedicated the past few years to helping women fulfill their business dreams.
“I don’t focus just on big corporations; I like to help, share what I know and have done, so for those who are looking to build a business but don’t know how, I’m there to help,” says this Mexican businesswoman.
The mention of being Mexican may only be respected due to customs and culture.
Annie Grijalva and curiosity could be synonymous; her thinking is global.
From a young age, her passion for travel and commerce were part of her life. And traveling cannot only be understood as the physical act of moving from one place to another but also the journey of ideas, projects, and plans.
She completed her high school studies in Tijuana, but when she turned 18, her father was able to claim her and make her a U.S. resident. Annie Grijalva moved to San Diego.
“Since I was a child, I was very clear that I wanted to start a business. In elementary school, I sold the candy bags they gave me; I didn’t eat them and preferred to sell them,” she says. “Later, I sold study guides I prepared myself, not copied, I created them.”
This is how she introduces herself in a recent publication: “I am Annie Grijalva, an entrepreneur, creator, marketer, and believer in the magic of creating intentional businesses with aligned creators. I am also a digital nomad; I’ve created campaigns in multiple cities including Dubai, Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Barcelona, and of course, San Diego. I recently became a ‘mompreneur,’ thus I am also now navigating the insane yet rewarding journey of modern motherhood.”
Grijalva may seem inaccessible based on the information that flows on social media. Very successful, with a resume in the fashion world, and what is called a “cosmopolitan woman,” all of that fades away when we start talking on the phone.
She has just become a mother, and during the interview, her baby also demands her attention.
“Sorry, the nanny didn’t come,” she says. “Being a mother is a very new experience that you learn day by day.”
She expresses this narrative clearly, directly, without holding anything back, which surely has helped her connect with businesses and other women entrepreneurs.
“If you want, we can postpone this for tomorrow when you’re more relaxed,” I propose.
And as I imagined, she is not a woman who gives up so easily.
“Let me see, if he doesn’t calm down in a few minutes, I’ll let you know,” she says.
As said and done, her son complaints disappeared, and she is ready to continue.
“I was the nerd of the school. Always very studious, but I hung out with the troublemakers; it was my act of rebellion,” she says. “They demanded good grades and discipline from me.”
While in San Diego, she dedicated her ability to study and discover things to gather all the data and continue her studies in France and then migrate to Dubai.
That experience changed her life. She founded a blog called #unlavish that was a success. It was nominated for several awards and had the opportunity to participate in exclusive events. But she realized that it didn’t satisfy her; the world of fashion and entertainment is fine, but with her rebellious spirit and grounded nature, she decided to create the first influencer community in the Middle East called #bloggerang, where she shared her experience and worked with them to build her own brand using social media.
“I told myself, if I did it with myself and if it can serve others, then we have to help them,” she says.
All of this aligned with her life. She didn’t want a 9-to-5 job where she couldn’t cultivate her creativity, so she decided to go down this path.
“I am a very simple person, minimalist, I like spirituality, meditation, being with myself. That is very reflective in my home here in Barcelona. It’s almost empty because that’s how I like it. I believe that success is something else,” she adds.
All that non-stop traveling and ideas led her to another stage. At the age of 29, she experienced several things that changed her life. She got married, and on her wedding night, a cyst ruptured, and she had a near-death experience.
“Undoubtedly, we could understand it as a message; I had to take things easier, not rush so much, calm down,” she shares.
“You have to have your feet firmly planted on the ground, know what you want. Within the realm of influencers, numerous individuals with an inflated sense of self-importance can get lost”.
“Don’t take things so seriously; you have to laugh a little. Success is internal freedom,” Annie Grijalva concludes.
“We don’t need money to be part of the fashion world; just style, and Latinos have it.”
