BTS: The birth of ISTMO and teaching branding.
My first time teaching was ten years ago. It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade, but I still remember the nerves and the excitement. I had pitched a 15-minute talk about branding in the music industry for a local design and communication masterclass. I got the spot, and in those few minutes, I discovered something: I genuinely loved the connection. There’s a specific feeling in looking at students' faces and knowing exactly when they are bored and when they are truly into it.
That small spark turned into a decade-long journey. Since then, I’ve volunteered as a university teacher during the pandemic, delivered masterclasses across the globe (from Dublin to the US) and have been invited multiple times to speak at the Encuentro Latinoamericano de Diseño.
When Rafa approached me with the pitch for ISTMO, a new creativity school, I was immediately on board. If there is one thing I’m wary of in today’s digital landscape, it’s the proliferation of "fast, quick, and easy" courses.
Here is the truth: nothing about true learning is fast. Real learning requires experience, trial, and error—and experience isn't built in a single day. However, we also acknowledge the fast-paced world we live in. We wanted to find the middle ground: a format that respected the student's time but didn't sacrifice the depth of the craft.
We decided to create a course that was intensive yet practical: one month of deep diving. We traded long, passive lectures for action. Every single class was an assignment, and I personally mentored each student through their specific challenges.
What made this special was the audience: this wasn't a course for designers. It was a course for business owners. My goal was to teach the solid foundations of strategic branding, regardless of the industry. I wanted to empower founders to understand the "why" behind their brand so they could eventually lead a designer or a creative team with total clarity and confidence.
The results were incredible. The students started the month feeling overwhelmed, unsure of how to articulate their vision. They ended it with:
A rock-solid Brand Positioning.
A clear Strategic Roadmap.
A deep Competitor Analysis.
A defined Brand Archetype and Moodboard.
They didn't just walk away with a PDF; they walked away with a brand that finally felt like them.
Teaching at ISTMO reminded me how much I love the "aha!" moment when a founder finally sees their brand’s potential. While group courses are amazing, I know that some visions require a more intimate, tailored approach.
I’m excited to share a little teaser: I will soon be opening a limited number of spots for 1:1 Brand Coaching specifically for business owners. This is for the founder who wants to go deeper, move faster, and build a brand strategy that is as unique as their business. No fluff, no "fast-track" shortcuts, just deep, strategic work to elevate your brand to the next level. Stay tunned for more!
Take a look at some amazing projects our students made:
