When it comes to brand strategy and market research, Jennifer Carlsson stands in a league of her own—and not just because of her colorful visual brand identity. The web landing page of her firm Mintoiro greets the visitor with an adorable hamster grooming itself. Dig underneath the playful, pastel-hued exterior and you will find an incredibly inquisitive mind.Whether it’s her own personal style or her business’s branding, Carlsson’s dare-to-be-different attitude has helped her carve out a niche for equal-minded business collaborators. “When I was starting with this, I thought maybe I should look more corporate, but the way I see it is that presenting in the way that I do can act as a filter, so that people who aren't my kind of people are not going to seek me out, and the people who want to work with me are those who get it, who appreciate that,” she notes.Her interest in beauty flourished in her early '20s; she gained a following on Tumblr through daily outfit posts and blogging about fashion, with an emphasis on alternative styles, including Japanese street fashion. “I've always been interested in beauty and fashion, and I've always also been a creative. I studied traditional animation and keep picking up new creative hobbies. I've always been obsessed with packaging. When it came to the point where I decided I'm actually starting my business, it just made sense to do cosmetics,” she explains.She started off working on brand identity and packaging design, but through the extensive research databases she was compiling to complete said tasks, Carlsson decided to refocus her efforts on the latter operations, making it a bigger focus of her company.