Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonatzin Ramírez
Hi Tonatzin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When I was in my last year of high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study. There was one class that was particularly challenging for me (philosophy), but the teacher had a way of seeing what each student was good at. I was that girl who would draw everywhere, creating different typography styles in my notes.
One day, this teacher suggested that I design a magazine for the philosophy class, where I would include profiles of famous philosophers and their teachings to the world. I did it, and I loved it. I enjoyed it so much that, at that moment, I decided that design was my thing. I applied for a design degree, convinced that my career would be all about editorial design for the rest of my life.
However, during university, my perspective evolved. I started getting interested in web design and its interactivity, as well as visual identity and branding. So, I decided to specialize in those areas instead.
Back then, my boyfriend (now husband) and I had the idea of working while we were still in university to earn money for our dates. By the time we graduated, we already had two years of experience working in design agencies. We continued working at different agencies for a couple more years, and in 2018, we leaped to work on our own. By 2021, it had become our full-time source of income.
I feel incredibly grateful for the era we live in because, in many ways, my brand is what it is today thanks to social media and the huge impact it has had on my life.
Today, on a personal level (and I don’t say this to brag), I truly feel like a successful, brave, and strong woman. Of course, like everyone else, I have days of stress, frustration, disappointment, anger, or exhaustion. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about building a brand—both as a business and a personal brand—it’s that the most important thing is to never give up.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’d say the hardest part has been dealing with my own limiting beliefs—the things you see as impossible or not meant for me. For example, it was tough for me to start invoicing because that meant paying taxes, and I used to think that if money were taken out for taxes, my business wouldn’t work out since I wouldn’t have enough to live comfortably.
But nothing could be further from the truth! The reality is that invoicing allows you to reach bigger and better clients who see your business as professional.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialized in web design, UX, UI, and branding. I believe what sets me apart—and I want to emphasize that there are many incredibly talented designers out there—is that I truly put my heart into what I do. I seamlessly combine my areas of expertise to ensure that the projects I work on are as successful as possible.
My priority is that my clients feel happy and comfortable with the designs, but above all, that they are highly functional and loved by the end user.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Many people think that those of us with creative jobs want to keep creating in our free time, but that’s not always the case—we all need to rest. While I do look for ways to nurture my creativity in my free time, I prefer to step away from the computer since I already spend most of my work hours in front of it. Rather than designing as a hobby, I’d much rather take a ceramics class or go for a bike ride.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://matikali.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matikali.designstudio/
Image Credits
I have the rights 🙂
