We were lucky to catch up with Phoebe Cornog recently and have shared our conversation below.
Phoebe, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share a customer success story with us?
I work with all sorts of clients to solve all sorts of problems. Most recently, I worked with a local hair salon to create a photo backdrop. After they finish with their clients hair, they want to take quality photos to share on social media. It was important to them to have a colorful backdrop with good lighting, and that’s where I came in. I made sure to not design anything too complicated to distract from the hair, but we also wanted the wall to stand out and attract more business to the salon.
Another example of a success story or stories, would be the work I’ve been doing for Dunkin’. They wanted to update a few of their franchises and give them a fresh look. The interior walls get a lot of traffic and we were worried about a hand-painted mural being damaged. Instead of hand painting something, we worked together to design custom wallpapers. The previously blank walls now look amazing and will stay amazing. If there is ever any damage, we can reprint the wallpaper and reinstall. They’re also quite easy to clean and wipe down in an establishment that serves food.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Phoebe (Cornog) Nelson and I am the owner of Pandr Design Co. I’m originally from Philly but have lived in San Diego for the last ten years. My background is in graphic design and I still do a lot of that kind of work, but I mostly paint murals now. I got into mural painting because of my desire to get off of the computer. As a graphic designer, I was sitting at a desk in front of Illustrator and Photoshop and I craved working with my hands. I did one mural for Red Bull in San Diego, posted it to Instagram, and the rest is history. Social media has done wonders for my business and continues to bring me amazing clients. I’ve worked with companies like Target, TripAdvisor, 3M, Shake Shack, and the Philadelphia Phillies to beautify their spaces and get people excited about their brand.
Aside from design and murals, I am very passionate about educating artists about business. I host a lot of webinars and sell digital resources to help artists put their best food forward. I had to learn things the hard way when I was starting out eight years ago and I don’t want them to have to make the same mistakes as me. For example- always collect a deposit and have a signed contract before you begin designing!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
I am a huge advocate for cold emailing. A lot of creatives stray away from this method but it’s helped be bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years. It was especially crucial when I was first starting out. When nobody knows you exist, it’s up to you to get out there and introduce yourself. I’m eight years into business and I still send cold emails and I probably will for as long as I am a business owner. Aside from emailing, I really do believe in the power of social media. Basically- I love advertising that isn’t paid. Social Media is wonderful if you put in the effort and are consistent. It can seem daunting, but there’s plenty of advice and tools out there to help make it easier.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Murals are great because they essentially serve as billboards for my business. When someone sees one out in public, there’s a chance they’ll see the “@pandrdesignco” signature and reach out to me when they have a need. My work is on display all over the country and the more public-facing pieces I have, the better my business does. In addition, I also have a strong social media presence, clients that are wonderful to refer me, and I am easy to work with. A lot of artists struggle with the business side and their process, whereas I have it down to a science and I am continually thanked for my professionalism.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pandrdesignco.com
- Instagram: @pandrdesignco
- Facebook: @pandrdesignco
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQoYr25otHQ8-isFDsc_-oQ
- Other: @phoebecornog on TikTok