America has long stood as a country filled with people of varying races, beliefs, cultures, and so on. And it’s popular knowledge that immigrants make up a substantial percentage of the American community.
Businesses in America aren’t exempt from this fact. The New American Economy reported that in 2019, 21.7% of all businesses in the US were owned by immigrant entrepreneurs. This is a pretty hefty percentage, considering the fact that this community makes up a mere 17.1% of the American labor force.
This generates ample profit for the country’s betterment. As John Feinblatt, the President of New American Economy said, “The findings show that immigration creates an economic opportunity — creating jobs, filling workforce gaps, and helping communities thrive.”
But the road to success for immigrant-owned businesses isn’t made of gold. To succeed, one needs opportunities, strategic intellect, and perhaps most importantly: perseverance.
And no one knows this better than entrepreneur Katherine Grullon Cuervo as she says, “The United States is a country built on the basis of immigrants, a country that has come forward with the efforts of many people who came with the American dream, seeking a better quality of life.”
Humble Beginnings, Grand Dreams
Katherine Grullon Cuervo is the CEO of Distrivision, a women-owned business. It strives to aid businesses, retailers, and healthcare providers in their search for wellness or self-care-based products.
Distrivision was founded by Katherine’s mother, Maria Ruth Cuervo. Maria Ruth was born and raised in Colombia. Being no stranger to hard work, she began working at the tender age of 13, helping her mother with the family business in Manizales. When she eventually got married and had her own children, Maria Ruth and her husband realized that the Colombian economic situation did not nurture a proper environment for their dreams. In due time, they moved to the US.
“Once she arrived in the US with her husband and daughters, she didn’t spend a month before landing her first job,” says Katherine. “Knowing where we come from and what we had been through, Maria Ruth, with her hard work, was able to get promoted to a new position, although the difference in pay wasn’t a lot. Her entrepreneurial spirit flared, and all she wanted at the time was to find a way to generate better income. This is something that’s ingrained into the mind of the common immigrant – never settle for the bare minimum. We come from places and countries where work is sweated and a lot must be sacrificed for a living to be made. Luckily, other members of our Hispanic community with entrepreneurial passions were able to encourage Maria Ruth to start her own business.”
Maria Ruth opened a variety store in Central Falls. Her business relied on well-known, high-quality Colombian goods. This was how Distrivision came to be. Previously known as ‘Shapewear Central’, the business helped to connect clients with the right products to match their personal needs.
Today, Katherine Grullon Cuervo has inherited the empire.
How Flexibility Plays a Role In Distrivision
Distrivision is unique because of its Colombian touch. It takes from the quality of the Cuervos’ hometown products and allows businesses to promote that diversity to their clients. But attaining the success it currently enjoys requires sacrifice.
Katherine acknowledges that entrepreneurs need to be flexible enough to adapt to various blockades and changes in their plans. Of course, having a well-thought-out plan is key. A business without a solid plan is like a ship venturing off without sails.
“The process of starting a new business in a foreign land was never easy for Maria Ruth,” says Katherine. “The language barrier can often make one feel powerless, but this is not an excuse not to try.”
Take, for example, Distrivision’s roots. It started as ‘Shapewear Central’, but upon expansion, the company decided it needed to diversify its products. It needed to meet today’s needs. Today, it doesn’t just provide shapewear; it also sells activewear, lingerie products, post-op products, and so on. It even needed a name change — hence, the rebranding as ‘Distrivision’.
Katherine explained: “We focused on creating an image that will identify more with what we do, which is wholesale distribution as a company. We focus on the transparency, the love, and care with which we work together, along with the tireless effort we put into helping our business partners grow — both to the business owner and our suppliers to maximize their results by being transparent and trustworthy.”
Immigrant-owned businesses are no strangers to adapting. Flexibility is key. Many can surely identify with Maria Ruth’s journey from Colombia to the US. Opportunities are great, but sometimes it takes a little bit of adjustment on one’s part to be able to fully embrace those opportunities.
Perseverance in the Face of the Business World
That being said, some things shouldn’t change so easily. These include one’s principles and even culture. Distrivision refused to move in the face of the world. Instead, it stood its ground and demanded: “You move.”
“Our core values and culture are honesty and loyalty,” Katherine said. “By having essential values we abide by, we’ve been able to become pioneers in the industry.”
Core values are the anchor that grounds a ship in the right place. But to maintain one’s core values and yet adapt readily to welcome necessary changes takes effort. It takes an entrepreneur’s blood, sweat, and tears to make it work.
Immigrants in particular face many obstacles in countries across the world. Issues pertaining to green cards and adapting to a whole new society aren’t unheard of.
More can be said about immigrant entrepreneurs. Many have to struggle to obtain capital or struggle financially. Many also struggle with discrimination.
For CEO of Entryless Mike Galarza, a huge challenge he had to face was that he wasn’t able to leave his full-time job to manage his start-up. “If you are a legal immigrant that is sponsoring the visa into a new business, it is impossible to jump from the job that is sponsoring the visa into a new business.”
Galarza resorted to switching to a visa for citizens of NAFTA countries. Today, he runs his fintech startup after much struggle.
Being a Minority in Entrepreneurship is Not a Reason To Abandon Your Dreams
Still, success isn’t impossible for immigrant entrepreneurs.
Viridiana Carrizales, CEO of the nonprofit ImmSchools, said in an interview, “[Entrepreneurship] was never something that I even contemplated or knew about…I thought you needed to be a US citizen. I also come from a low-income family, and I just didn’t have the financial means and never really saw myself as [an entrepreneur].”
Despite the hoops she had to jump through to get to where she is, she still attests that immigrants can and do have the right to delve into entrepreneurship. “Especially for undocumented immigrants, one of the beautiful things is that they’re entrepreneurs at heart. It’s in our blood. When you have a need, you become creative and innovative.”
People like Katherine and many other entrepreneurs know full well how important it is to persevere. Yes, the struggles are valid and very real. In fact, having to fight difficult battles seems to be a guarantee for immigrant entrepreneurs.
But every person has their place in this world. And every dream is worth having.
We need to ensure more and more opportunities are created to help immigrant entrepreneurs find their footing. Immigrant-owned businesses actually boost the economy and provide more job opportunities in the country.
And to all immigrant entrepreneurs: persist. Your predecessors and those who are currently thriving in the game are proof that nothing is impossible. As Katherine urges: be persistent and persevere.
