Fashion entrepreneur Lisa Trujillo is a hustler in the best sense.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The founder of Lisa Trujillo Active Wear struggled during her days as a student at St Joseph's Catholic High School in Albion Park.
But poor grades weren't going to stop the Shellharbour woman from achieving her dreams.
Today the 25-year-old not only runs her own business, which also includes a junior range called LT Junior, she runs fitness boot camps throughout the Illawarra.
Late last year Trujillo also released a new app called MOVE with LT dedicated to helping women achieve their fitness and well-being goals.
On Tuesday she spoke at a special International Women's Day Student Brunch in Wollongong.
Female students from around the Illawarra, including from Trujillo's former school St Joseph's, were in the crowd to hear speakers "empower young women to chase their dreams".
"I told them as long as you got drive, got hustle and you are a hard worker, you will achieve anything that you are passionate about in life, you really will," Trujillo said.
"It's not about the good grades. It's not about how well you are doing at school. Sometimes it is about the passion behind it, making it work and being a hard worker."
This message struck a chord with current St Joseph's year 10 student Ella Wagner.
"I think it was very inspiring," she said.
"She didn't do well at school but was able to overcome that. Her story showed that there's more ways to succeed in life than just going to uni. There is other ways to live and work."
IWD Illawarra co-founder Vicki Tiegs said the brunch helped young women learn there were many varied paths to success and understand what it takes to reach your goals.
Bluescope operations manager Vicky Collins and Culinarius director Monika Armstrong also spoke at the annual event.