How to Hustle
How to Hustle: the collective knowledge of some of the thriving hustlers in the Bay.
The Independent Hustler, this is what we celebrate. The individuals who build the lives the way they want and do it on their own terms. “Hustle really means the struggle to stand out by doing things your own way,” says Nelson Jang of Deptatment 17.
This blog series will feature the opinions and ideas of the movers and shakers that forge their own path, sharing what drives them to succeed. “Hustling is in my blood; it isn’t something that you can teach or learn, it comes out of your own life struggle,” says Christina Ruiz of TopShelf Boutique. For styling duo at Retrofit Republic, the hustle came naturally. “Coming from an immigrant family, it was a necessity to thrift. It was also an outlet for creative styling because I didn’t want people to know where my clothes came from. Unlike today, there was a stigma for wearing thrifted and second-hand clothes.”
There are many similarities within the interviews I do. One of the most prominent ones is what I like to call “The Leap,” that conscious choice that you will pursue your own passion. This is really the first step in becoming the independent hustler. “For me, I just let go of all the standards of society. Steering away from the 9-5 mentality changes everything; you become open to anything” says Stephanie Madrinan of 31 Rax. It is the shift from the “traditional career path” that enables you to pursue your passion.
“The hardest part is finding out what you like, and then you just have to trust that something will work out because you are already doing what you love,” says Stephanie. Once you have found that passion, the rest will fall into place because you will work that much harder at it, and you will have to work at it. The amount of work you will have to do will have to double the amount of passion you have.
People fear taking the leap because they think they are alone, but PapaLoDown highlights the community of hustlers to demonstrate that it is possible to make your own standard. Artists of different fields are thriving on their terms, and that is what we celebrate.
-Arnold