About Andrea Guevara (aka me)

Short Bio:

Andrea Guevara is an author branding expert, award-winning entrepreneur, and writer, who helps overwhelmed writers position themselves for publishing success and confidently reclaim control of their careers. Formerly the Brand Director of BinderCon, Advisory Mentor for the Queen of England’s Young Leaders Programme (UK), and a UCLA X Writers Program scholar, she brings a unique blend of brand strategy, design, psychology, and publishing industry knowledge through her signature author branding methodology, Brand Strength™.

Deep Dive…

You deserve to know why in the hell you’d actually want to listen to what I have to say, or trust me with your brand, or your dream, or take one of my courses.

Personally…

I think we’re all born into this world with unique gifts to share. That we’re all connected and part of something bigger. The more we allow ourselves to pursue the things that energize us, the more we are in sync with our own paths and this bigger continuum.

Sometimes I feel as though I’ve lived two lifetimes. In one, I sort of kept my head down and did what I felt I “should” do–married a man I didn’t want to, followed a religion that didn’t make sense to me, etc. Then I woke up, bit by bit changing my life into one fueled by passion, purpose, and love, instead of fear.

But everything didn’t magically get better. In fact, I used to call my life Murphy’s Life–because if something could go wrong it would go wrong. And often.

I kept at it though, and kept working on myself (that work is never done of course). I raised two amazing souls as a single parent. Raising my kids to be their authentic selves is the accomplishment I’m most proud of. When I was at my lowest points it was always the thought of my kids and the life I wanted them to have that lifted me back up from the pit of despair. They were the reason I took my life back into my own hands, as a young mother with so many odds against me. And it was also them that kept me going until I was able to work on myself and heal enough to start making decisions based on my own wellbeing as well.

I’ve worked hard and cried a lot, and failed and made a ton of mistakes to get here. A place where I get to do the work that lights me up. Work where I am privileged to help women and marginalized folks make their mark on this world. But there’s more I’m after. See I’ve always wanted to help people, but it took helping myself first to be able to know how to actually help others.

If you have a dream that’s been knocking on the door of your soul, or dancing in your mind in the shower, or pinching you at night when the kids are asleep, I’ve so been there. You can do this.

Professionally…

I’m also proud of my work and the brands I’ve built while raising said children on my own. I’m the creator of Brand Strength–to my knowledge the first personal branding methodology designed specifically for writers–as well as a brand strategy consultant, advisor, and educator to authors and writers. I’m a graduate and scholar of UCLA X’s Writers Program. I was the founding Brand Director of the national writing conference, BinderCon.

Some Other Career Highlights:

I have launched several companies over the years, and worked with a variety of clientele, from multi-platinum recording artists to aerospace manufacturers, and institutions like ProPublica, USC Dornsife and others. My children’s apparel company was named a 2008 Top 10 Greenest Home-based Business in America. In 2011, Creative Public named me a Top 10 Graphic Designer. In 2017, I was an Advisory Mentor for the Queen of England’s Young Leaders Programme—yes, THAT Queen of England, where I helped young entrepreneurs in developing countries like India and Bangladesh! More recently, I’ve been brand strategist to a variety of successful authors and was named a UCLA Bruins Business 100 honoree.

I am dedicated to helping changemakers take back more power for positive good.

Latest Media:

 
Andrea Guevara

Writer & Author Branding

You know how they say that everything in your life prepares you for the next thing, if you’re paying attention to what you can learn from it? I’ve been a designer and brand strategist for nearly two decades. I’ve wanted to be a writer for a little longer than that. But I was also a single mom, struggling for many years just to make ends meet, keep my businesses afloat, my kids in shoes, and my head screwed on straight.

All those years of experience in branding, entrepreneurship, and the school of hard knocks brought me here. Elevating the voices of the underdogs is woven into the fabric of who I am.

In the past, I did that through my role as Brand Director of BinderCon. Now, I use my unique skillset to help authors and writers utilize brand strategy–as well as business and mindsset strategies–to show up a way that is authentic to their core, yet also resonates deeply with their audience, and builds their dream career.

Check out some of my courses and workshops, one-on-one consultations (see Book a Consult above), and check out my author branding service packages.

Writing

I like to write to pull people into thinking differently about life, subjects that challenge societal norms, traditionally accepted views of socioeconomic status, ethics, morality, religion, gender, and identity. 

After years of dreaming about being a legit writer, I stopped making excuses and started. In 2015 I graduated from UCLA Extension Writers’ Program (and was a 2014/15 UCLA scholar).

I’m hard at work on a memoir and a novel, in all my “spare time.”

To read some of my writing, visit the Writing page.

Design

I’ve been an artist since I could pick up a pencil.

But back then, the societal messages I heard about being an artist were clear: there wasn’t any real money in being an artist.

For years, I only drew and wrote for fun and wished I had some useful talent like being good at (or remotely interested in) math. Until one day when I was working as a preschool teacher and my boss noticed my talent for drawing. She gave me first commission for logo design. That small vote of confidence was enough to set a design career in motion.

I was named a Top Ten Designer by CreativePublic (2011).

View a few samples from my portfolio here. Most of my design projects are for my branding clients.

My Branding Background & Method

For nearly 20 years, I have worked with a spectrum of clients from multi-platinum recording artists to local entrepreneurs, weaving their raw materials into brand gold. I’m a serial entrepreneur and now offer consulting, and personal branding and design services to a select number of clients through my proprietary methodology: Brand Strength method.

Brand Strength by Andrea Guevara