Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Villapando.
Courtney, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always been drawn to design and how color, typography, and imagery can tell a story and make you feel something before you even read a word. I remember being on our first home computer in the 90s, creating documents in Word just to experiment with layout and visuals, long before I knew this could be a career.
As I grew up, I started to notice something deeper. The brands and advertisements around me rarely reflected the communities I came from or the stories I knew to be true. That awareness stayed with me.
Early in my career, I worked in marketing agencies that primarily served women-led businesses. That experience shaped everything. I saw how powerful branding could be when done well but I also saw how many women were building businesses that didn’t fully reflect who they were, often because strategy overlooked their lived experience.
After being laid off a few times, I decided to stop waiting for stability and create it on my own terms. I started CVilla Design to bring together everything that felt natural to me: design, cultural perspective, and intuition.
Today, I help high-achieving women transform their identity into a strategic brand—one that feels like home and positions them to be seen, valued, and paid at their level. What began as a love for design has evolved into a deeper mission: helping women build brands rooted in who they are, not who they think they need to be.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all. I started my business in 2021, during a time when so many people were pivoting and building something new. I knew design, but I had to learn how to actually run a business and that’s something I’m still growing into.
One of the biggest challenges early on was deciding where to invest my time, energy, and limited resources. I didn’t have the budget for courses or a coach, so I had to become resourceful and teach myself what I needed to know to move forward.
Imposter syndrome was another constant. It’s easy to look around and feel like everyone else has it figured out. That pushed me to do deeper work by really understanding what makes me different, not just as a designer, but as a strategist. That clarity didn’t just change my business; it shaped how I now guide my clients through their own brand evolution.
There were also moments where it felt isolating. Building something on your own can be heavy. Finding community with other women entrepreneurs made a huge difference. It gave me support, perspective, and a sense of belonging while I was figuring things out.
It’s been a process of growth, resilience, and learning to trust my voice and that’s still unfolding.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about CVilla Design?
CVilla Design is a brand transformation studio for high-achieving women who are ready for their brand to match the level they’re operating at.
I specialize in turning identity into strategy. My work starts beneath the visuals by looking at your lived experiences, cultural background, and the perspective that shapes how you move in the world. That becomes the foundation for everything: your positioning, your messaging, and ultimately your visual identity. The goal isn’t just to create something that looks good, but something that feels aligned and functions as a true business asset.
What sets me apart is the way I approach branding through a cultural lens. I’m multilingual, I’ve lived internationally, and I naturally see nuance in a way that allows me to translate identity into design with depth and intention. I’m not just asking “what do you like?” I’m asking “what’s true to you, and how do we make that undeniable in your brand?”
I’m known for creating brands that feel like home for my clients, while also elevating how they’re perceived in the market. There’s both softness and strategy in my work: brands that are visually refined, but also rooted in clarity and purpose.
My signature offering is my Brand Experience, where we go deep into strategy before designing anything. It’s a collaborative, immersive process that results in a cohesive brand identity and style guide that my clients can confidently grow into.
What I’m most proud of is the transformation my clients experience. It’s not just about having a polished brand; it’s about how they show up differently once they feel fully represented. There’s a shift in confidence, in visibility, and in the type of opportunities they attract.
I want readers to know that your brand isn’t just a logo or a color palette. It’s how your story, your perspective, and your presence come together to position you. When that’s done with intention, it changes everything.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If you’re ready to bridge the gap between how your brand is currently being perceived and the level you’re truly operating at, you can start by booking a Brand Clarity Call. This is where we look at what’s working, what’s misaligned, and what needs to shift to position you more intentionally.
I also love collaborating with like minded women who serve a similar audience and want to create more aligned experiences for their clients. I offer referral partnerships and am always open to thoughtful, strategic collaborations that feel mutually beneficial.
If you’ve come across my work and it resonates, supporting can be as simple as sharing it with someone who needs it, engaging with my content, or staying connected. That kind of visibility goes a long way, especially for a business built on relationships and trust.
Pricing:
- The Signature Brand Experience™ – $3000
- The Top Shelf Brand & Web Experience™ – $7500
- The Digital Craft Experience™ – Starting at $5000
- Wix Studio Website Templates – $399
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cvilladesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cvilladesign/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cvilladesign/
