This is my very first blog post and I'd like to start off by introducing myself & and sharing my background. My name is Julia-Raquel Grimoldi-Drago but most people know me as Rachel Grimoldi. I was “made” in Japan, born in south Chicago heights, Illinois and raised in Argentina until the age of 6. I moved back to Chicago and lived there until I was 23. I graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Business Administration at Prairie State College. I worked in the women’s fashion, shoes & jewelry retail world for 6 years. My favorite & last being, Albert’s Diamond Jewelers where I crafted my selling & customer service skills and developed a greater love & appreciation for fine jewelry which eventually drove me to learn as much about it as it could. As much as I loved jewelry & the wonderful people I worked with, after a while I could no longer deny my desire to be my own boss. I reached a threshold where I looked at my unfulfilled, mediocre life and knew I would never reach my full potential if I didn’t raise my standards & make a drastic change. Enough was enough! I quit my job, I ended my 8 year toxic relationship, packed up my things & drove to California to start a new life. That was the best decision I ever made! I have kept my story a secret until now, and if by making myself vulnerable and revealing the real me to the world I happen to inspire or help one person on this Earth than its worth it! I am so excited to be sharing my story and creating an impactful journey together!
I live every day with passion, gratitude, love, a hunger for knowledge, servitude and desire to seek out treasure. My labor of love is Buy The Way Artiques which is a store I proudly own and manage. It’s hard to narrow down what we sell because we have a little bit of everything but we are known for our antiques, art, collectibles, jewelry, oddities and vintage decor! In addition to our brick & mortar shop based in Concord, CA we have built from the ground up thriving eBay & Etsy shops as well as a Shopify (Facebook & Instagram) online store.
