Love & Hustle Spotlight: Irene Faye Duller

“The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”
― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Meet Irene Faye Duller, the professor, activist, writer, and mompreneur elevating the voices of her community through storytelling. As the co-founder of the Pinay-owned creative agency An Otherwise Co. and intersectional professor of Culture, Ethnic Studies, Social Justice and Performing Arts at USF and SFSU, we spoke with Irene to get her quick take on what it means to “hustle” and how to forge a career path that’s sustainable and impactful.

With a multitude of different jobs and responsibilities to juggle, Irene makes it a point to say that “hustle” is more than just an entrepreneurial skill – it’s a practice and a value that she applies to all aspects of her carefully curated life.

“Hustle means knowing all the barriers and making it happen in spite of it.”

“Hustle means knowing all the barriers and making it happen in spite of it. Being a W.O.C. business owner means that a fraction of your day is proving something and someone wrong. It means you work until you, as your own boss, says ‘good job’.”

Initially, Irene had never imagined becoming an entrepreneur. She was driven by a need for her work to be impactful and meaningful – a way to contribute to a larger cause. Her self-starter attitude combined with her arts background and ingenuity guided her in forging a new career path, one that would weave together the different endeavors that she wanted to pursue.

At the heart of it all was a desire to seek out like-minded individuals driven by a sense of culture and community that would become a support system in her entrepreneurial journey. This is how Irene found kinship in the values championed by Art of Hustle.

“Community and mentorship was everything in my success.”

“Community and mentorship was everything in my success. I was raised by ethnic studies and consciousness includes the study of what oppresses us. The rising of myself as business owner is the commitment to continue to see those I serve and be seen where we were once invisible. There’s nothing we can’t do as changemakers, and no limit of change we can make if done together.”

This movement of self-starters and individuals turning away from the traditional career path and seeking support in their endeavors isn’t just a rising trend. It’s a sign of the times, a shift in our collective way of thinking – a burgeoning call to build something much larger than ourselves for future generations.

Art of Hustle isn’t just a business coaching service, it’s a community of individuals from diverse backgrounds and fields united by the desire to bring about meaningful change through their work. For Irene, Love & Hustle, a live event that brought together the driven entrepreneurs seeking sound business coaching, was a chance to commune with inspiring, driven individuals – a meeting of the minds.

“There’s nothing we can’t do as changemakers, and no limit of change we can make if done together.”

“It’s important to surround yourself with a strong community because it provides you endless motivation and belief in your purpose. This is THE time to be the best versions of who we are.”

Love & Hustle Spotlight: Irene Faye Duller