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Andrea Trujillo has always had the entrepreneur bug within her. Her father, Sol Trujillo, was the first to notice her entrepreneurial inclinations and now, years later, she’s helping build their next venture together.
"L’ATTITUDE is a 4 day annual conference that centers around The New Mainstream Economy, which is driven by U.S. Latinos who are the youngest, fastest growing entrepreneurial cohort in the United States,” explains Trujillo. “In order for not only businesses, but for our country to succeed, we need to put our focus on the US Latino cohort, who are contributing the most economically and entrepreneurially than any other ethic group or cohort in the United States.”
Trujillo leads marketing in the company her father co-founded and while it’s only in its first year, it’s already moved to make as big of an impact in 2019 as it did in 2018.
“The goal with L’ATTITUDE is to educate our country: to equip people with the appropriate facts and data about our economic well-being,” shares Trujillo.
For Trujillo crafting a brand voice and image that resonates with its audience is a skillset she perfected through her solo-entrepreneur initiatives, like the launch of A.sweeT. Boutique, her fashion meets candy business, which launched in 2007 and closed in 2015, when Trujillo was ready for her next chapter.
As Trujillo navigates the next stage of her career, she is clear-eyed in understanding that the mission behind the cause will help mold decades of how Latinx are both perceived and catered to in the economy.
Below she shares advice for other Latinxs who are starting their business, what her hope is for L’Attitude and where it will go from here.
Vivian Nunez: Why did you decide to shut down your business?
Andrea Trujillo: I ended up closing my business not only because of economical factors, but ultimately, after the strain of a 6 year hustle, wearing every hat, and doing things on a shoe-string budget, it was wearing. I loved my store, and I loved what I created but my heart told me it was time to move on . So, ultimately I closed my store.
Nunez: What skillsets did you find most useful when going the consulting route?
Trujillo: My greatest asset is that I am a creative thinker. I think outside of the box and I envision things that others don’t. This creative thinking works to my advantage as I have also learned how to tie creative thinking back to strategic thinking, which is why I have been successful with what I have done. Creating a unique identity and business strategy are obviously crucial to establish a differentiating factor from everyone else in a given field.
Running a small business also made me an even more fierce multi-talker. I’m thankful for my days as a competitive athlete because it taught me this discipline, but it was also enhanced when my livelihood depended on it. So, this helps in consulting where I can be multi-faceted and can tackle various parts of the business for a client; while also managing multiple projects at once.
Nunez: What has been your biggest lesson learned as an entrepreneur?
Trujillo: Never try to do it all yourself. I tried to save money by not hiring additional people to do jobs that I thought I could take on myself. But, ultimately that hurt me. I ran myself ragged and although I had to learn different trades quickly - and I did - I was by no means an expert. Had I had made the investment, it would have paid off and I would have saved some of my sanity, and gotten more sleep.
Nunez: You’re actively mentoring others — why is this important for you?
Trujillo: I wish I had had someone to tell me how to start a business, what steps to take, what to look out for, how to spend money and how to spend my time on etc. I didn’t have that. I really figured it out alone, piece by piece. So, I put myself in other’s shoes and I want to help them. It’s scary being an entrepreneur, or starting a new job, or whatever it may be. So, it’s really a matter of seeing myself where that person was and being the person I would have loved to have mentor me. It’s all about giving back.
Nunez: What role have you played in building up the brand?
Trujillo: After our first L’ATTITUDE event this past September 2018, my father, called me and said, “Well, Andrea - I have to thank you. Not many people can see beyond my vision. Nor are they one step ahead of me. And you did, and you were. You took a conference and you made a brand out of it.”
I’ve had a career in building brand identities, and through experience I have learned how critical it is to have a personal connection to an experience and a brand. These personal connections are what keep people coming back. So, while my father was working on building the conference I hounded him for months and told him the that conference needed to have the right look and feel and brand presence. I taught him how it important it is to engage digitally and to connect. And, while we are still working on the branding, attendees definitely felt a personal connection, and know that they can reach out to us trough social media, in which we are constantly engaged.
Plus, while I was working on the Digital marketing and brand marketing side of things, I am lucky enough to work along side with traditional Marketing experts who have literally known me since I was a little girl (have always been part of my father’s executive team). At the end of the day, it’s all a team effort beyond the brand marketing to execute something amazing.
Nunez: How do you navigate working alongside your father?
Trujillo: Well the good news is that my Dad doesn’t take any mercy on me as an employee. I am held to the same standards as everyone else; if not with higher standards and expectations (he can always reach me around the clock! And, he raised me to strive to always be the best and never be a quitter). Plus, I put more pressure on myself to excel because I don’t want to let my Dad down. It also helps that my Dad knows my work ethic, he knows what I am capable of, and he trusts my instincts and quality of work. He gives me a lot of autonomy and he trusts me implicitly. We are both very good about keeping work and personal separate.
Nunez: How do you hope the conversations had at L'Attitude will move the entire conversation around Latinx forward?
Trujillo: You either understand facts and data or you don’t. US Latinos are undoubtably The New Mainstream in the United States. You can’t argue with the math, so, the hope is that people are smart enough to understand the facts and that data. Latinos need to be unapologetic about their talent and their power. We, as a country, need to celebrate US Latinos. We are the future of The United States Of America.
