We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tona Ramírez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tona below.

Tona, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

I think the most difficult part is that there is no standardized pricing guide. One of the great things about design is that you can work from anywhere in the world, allowing you to reach clients globally. However, what’s not so great is that in many countries—like Mexico (I’m Mexican)—pricing standards for design services are often skewed. You can find designers charging less than 10% of what you charge, while at the same time, others are offering the same service for three times your rate.

For example, some people offer web design services for $20, while others charge $200,000. That’s an enormous gap between prices. A national pricing guide—based on a designer’s experience, expertise, and the exposure the design will have—would be incredible. It would help make the work much more profitable for everyone. Many times, clients perceive a service as expensive simply because there are extremely low prices that harm the industry. On top of that, we now have AI tools generating things like logos, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I mean, I understand that some people can’t afford a custom design, but I think it’s really important for entrepreneurs to recognize the enormous value of professional and custom design for any business.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a graphic designer born and raised in Mexico City. I studied at UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), and my interest in web design began in 2015 when I started my first corporate job as an intern. I started designing websites back in 2016 and haven’t stopped since—it’s something I truly love doing.

Nevertheless, since I’m a graphic designer, I also work on branding because it’s something I really enjoy as well.

My parents have always been entrepreneurs (at least for as long as I can remember, hahaha), so I grew up knowing that I wanted to start my own business someday—and I did! It has been one of the best decisions of my life. Speaking of great decisions, working in the corporate world for several years before starting your own business is incredibly valuable, as it helps you learn and understand how businesses operate.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

One day, while I was still working in a corporate job, I decided it was time to take the big step toward the business of my dreams. I had already noticed that many people were going viral on social media, so I thought, Okay, I’ll do my research, find as much design-related content as possible, and once I understand what makes that content successful, I’ll start creating my own.

Months went by, and I was still waiting for the perfect moment—the time when I would fully understand content creation from top to bottom (spoiler alert: I still don’t). But deep down, I really wanted to start creating content. It was an idea that had been circling in my mind for a long time, and I couldn’t just let it go. So, I started following trends and adapting them to design, took courses and webinars on Instagram and TikTok, and learned a few key things that still help me today:

Define your content pillars. For example, I decided that my content should educate about design (tips, tutorials, tools to help with the creative process) while also including a “selling without selling” approach—basically, showcasing my portfolio and sharing behind-the-scenes moments of how I create a brand identity or a website.

Establish a brand voice. Clearly defining how you want to communicate with your audience helps maintain consistency and makes it easier for people to connect with and recognize you.

Don’t be a robot—humanize your brand without losing focus. There are influencers whose social media is 100% about their personal lives, and that’s great! But I feel it’s different for a business. Growing your brand on social media requires keeping the focus on your services and/or products while also developing a bit of your personal brand. People want to know who’s behind the company and what makes that person (or team) unique, giving the brand its authenticity and setting it apart from the rest.

Consistency is key. You can’t expect to build a community on social media if you don’t post consistently. Right now, my business has grown, and I don’t have as much time to create content as I did at the beginning because most of my time is dedicated to our clients’ projects. Plus, I have a baby now, so my free time is limited. However, I still make an effort to post at least twice a week on both TikTok and Instagram with content that feels authentic.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I believe it’s important for clients to feel that you are there to support them. I always make an effort to answer their questions. Many times, they reach out to me on WhatsApp with doubts that I’ve even considered worthy of a paid consultation. However, if I can answer them in less than 10 minutes, I choose to do so. This helps them see that I genuinely care about helping them grow their businesses through strategy and design.

Additionally, this approach makes it easier for them to trust me when I suggest that their questions require a paid consultation, making them much more willing to hire me again—or even sign up for a monthly retainer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://matikali.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matikali.designstudio/