Cristina Londono, founder of Wallnut StudioCristina Londono has been working in the design and branding world for almost 20 years now, and started her business, Wallnut Studio in 2007 after working for various design and fashion firms. Since then, Cristina has had the pleasure of collaborating with and mentoring many entrepreneurs, mainly women, from all over the globe! Building brands from the spark of inspiration all the way to launch, success and beyond across different industries and from various locations is what Cristina loves, and well...she is pretty amazing at it! We spoke with Cristina about her business journey so far, how mindset plays a part and she shares some valuable business advice.
What was your business journey like? I founded Wallnut studio in 2007 after spending a decade working in the design and fashion industry. I was seeking a new way to combine my interests in entrepreneurship, business, and design. Heavily influenced by my experience designing textiles, I focused on developing brands that became strong storytellers, where colour, imagery and a solid brand communication was the emphasis. Our work started to get noticed, was published in multiple design publications around the world and got the change to work with incredible entrepreneurs from all over the world. After many inner transformations and lots of design projects, I decided to close the design division of Wallnut and focus solely on Brand Strategy and Mentoring of female entrepreneurs. The shift has been truly rewarding and I couldn't be happier.
How does mindset play it's part? Personally, I have always been fascinated by the world of inner change. Mindset, meditation, neuroscience, and performance. After so many years of observing the same patterns around self-belief and fear in so many of my clients around the different milestones of brand building, I decided to go deeper. Combining my passions, I developed a few courses and services that focus precisely on this. Exploring the inner work of branding. the inner barriers, the mindset, the habits and beliefs that support women in being successful at building a solid brand and empowering them to translate their unique gifts into articulate and enticing offerings!
I like to call it, branding from the Inside-Out!"There is something about investing and having someone hold your hand to implement changes and take action that I believe is really powerful. I have seen it first hand when I invest in my business as well."
We love that you are all about supporting your partners in their entrepreneurial journey, why is this so important to you? The women that come to me have pretty special gifts. When I support them and mentor them and give them the tools to translate those gifts into powerful brands, the world benefits immensely. They impact communities positively, their offerings delight customers and really do change peoples' lives. I always say my biggest driver is the potential for one of my client's to get stuck. Because if they stop, if they shrink and pull back, we all miss out on their gold, their unique gifts and special contributions to our world.
What are your key service offerings/specialist areas? I specialize in branding and brand experience. I am also deeply passionate about the inner game of branding, meaning, the internal transformations required to align ourselves to our brands and become the captains of our dreams. I offer brand strategy consult sessions, courses, and workshops both online and face to face.
Advantages of engaging a consulting agency? Doing it alone is tough, really tough. A consultant can be just what a company needs to get a fresh perspective on what's needed to troubleshoot a situation or infuse new air into a brand or an offering. In my work, I am always surprised of how much momentum and traction my clients get when we work together regularly. There is something about investing and having someone hold your hand to implement changes and take action that I believe is really powerful. I have seen it first hand when I invest in my business as well.