Today we’d like to introduce you to Hosanna Rull.
Hosanna, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have been destined to design since I was a kid. I was enrolled in college when I was a sophomore in high school. While following one passion, I was also pursuing another one, boxing. My dad was a former boxer and it became our bonding time to watch fights together. From Foreman-Moore to Gatti-Ward, to DLH-Trinidad. My room wasn’t decorated with relevant pop stars, but with boxing posters. I was 16 years and my parents were already encouraging me to find a career path. I told my mom, “Wouldn’t it be cool if one day, I could design fight posters like that”, I said as I pointed at my Lewis-Tyson fight poster on my wall. Fast-forwarding to 2008, I’m training at Main Boxing Gym, when the former heavyweight champion, Lou Savarese ask me to design the fight poster for his upcoming show. Basically everything has snowballed and exploded from there! I currently design promo fight posters for many local combat sports promotions including Savarese Promotions, Fury Fighting Championships, Muay Thai Kingdom, and Third Coast Grappling Championship.
Along the way, I picked up a camera and starting covering the events as well. I now also cover combat sports events for promotions like Premier Boxing Championships, Next Fight Up, and El Tigre Promotions. I currently coach kids boxing at Rise MMA and I am a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Professor Travis Tooke. I’ve competed all over the nation in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but I have put that on hold to focus on my business. Business failure rate is high and I wanted to make sure I had a solid foundation. I should be back in action in early 2020. In the past few months, I started a new niche in my business. I do family photography, graphic design, and web development. I’ve learned so much the last few years as a business owner, I want to give back. Even though I don’t have kids, I understand the drive and the determination of a woman to make her at home business grow to be more available to her kids and love ones. I want to help their businesses grow through branding strategy, logo design, web development, photography and social media management. The one-stop-shop for all your creative needs. I want to give the “I got you girl!” type of feel when you work with me. So far, the support has been great! I love channeling the fight in me when I designing fight posters or when I’m ringside, but also the softer side of me who understands the life of a busy mom with the desire to grow her business.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Making my mark in combat sports has not been easy at all. It took years to be taken seriously, and then taken seriously enough to pay me for my services was another hurdle. Women all over are thriving in combat sports and after all these years, I’m finally to the point where not only am I taken seriously and getting hired, but fight promotions are coming to me to help game plan how to market their next fight event.
My main advice for women starting their journey is to be fearless, do not be intimidated from the rich guy over there with the fancy suit, find a way to have all the confidence in the world, and never forget just because you’re not where you want to be doesn’t mean you won’t get there. And when you get there, you’ll realize every struggle had its lesson that will help your business that much more successful.
What should we know about iRull Designs? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I started off as a fight poster designer and a combat sports photographer. I create a brand for each event and design everything the fight promotions needs from fight promo posters, social media graphics, and event ticket sales on their website. Come fight night, I cover the events by taking photos of the fights, behind the scenes, and winner shots. Growing up in boxing, I know not only the action part of the sport but also the emotional side of it. I time the punches for the great action shot but also capture behind the scenes before the fighters makes his ring walk.
I’m confident I can help other female entrepreneurs grow their brand because not only have I taken courses, listened to podcasts and did my research, but I understand the non stop hustle of working on your business, making dinner, putting up the laundry, all while trying to eat healthy and workout to stay in shape. Being wonder woman isn’t easy but through this community of hustling women, we can do it!
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
Nothing gives me more warm fuzzies than hearing an “accidental” business turned into a success story. The type of story like “one day, I was just knitting for me and then someone asked me to make them one and next thing you know, I have a full-blown women’s line online store.”
We are now in the culture where when can be stay-at-home moms but have found a way to be successful business owners. I feel like we created our own opportunities and by building our own career paths and the drive is our families and loved ones.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.irulldesigns.com
- Phone: 281-546-3500
- Email: hosanna@irulldesigns.com
- Instagram: @irulldesigns and @hosannarull
- Facebook: facebook.com/irulldesigns and facebook.com/hosannarull
- Other: www.irullfotos.com
Image Credit:
irullfotos for my photography, jaychayproductions for my bjj and boxing photos
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
