You didn’t become an industry trendsetter by following the rules…
So why follow aesthetic trends?
Firebrand is the rebrand for unconventional business owners that honors your weirdness, so you can show up as your full self and call in your deepest-dream clients at a price point that truly reflects your expertise.
Testimonial
“Thanks to her branding work, we were able to nearly double the price of my membership while actually increasing sales conversion rates!
Sharon is a consummate professional and a delight to work with. In addition to the sales improvements, having a clear brand kit and guidelines has made my company's marketing efforts much less stressful.
We no longer have to figure out what to do or what things should look like; we're able to focus on creating quality content knowing that we can lean on Sharon's guidelines to ensure that the brand is clearly communicating our values and our message. I can't wait to work with Sharon again!”
— Sarah M. Chappell
You’ve worked hard to set your work apart, but can still get lost when you haven’t refined your visual expression to match it.
This might sound familiar…
You’re making waves in your industry, but you’re not sure how to visually stand out from all the normies and still be taken seriously.
You’ve put in the work to figure out what you’re best at and what you want to be known for… but you’re still embarrassed to share your website.
You’ve grown to the point that you’re spending a lot of time filtering out the no-longer-ideal clients before you can focus on your dream clients.
Your current brand was built for your generalist era and doesn’t honor your real expertise.
Weirdos wither when we try to fit in.
In order to thrive, we have to lean into and celebrate what makes us different.
But that doesn’t mean we want to be written off as too out-of-touch to be legit or respected, either.
By leveraging luxury branding cues and embracing what makes your work truly unique, we’ll craft a bold, unexpected, edgy-yet-elegant visual identity that’s recognizable on sight — so you can show up as your full self, attract the right clients, and confidently raise your prices.
Testimonial
“Tangible proof that someone sees you and gets you is a big deal when you're weird.
It was seriously therapeutic and energizing to have my life's work reflected back to me in visuals that felt true.
And now, with Sharon’s help, folks arriving in my digital spaces can immediately see and feel the depth of what’s being offered and can decide whether that fascinates or horrifies them.
This clear, up-front visual communication allows my business to spend more time serving students who are a great fit and less time managing folks who were looking for something less intense.”
— Ren Zatopek
The Process
The Fire Framework has been refined over 10+ years of working with weirdos who have turned their unconventional visions into reality and our learnings on how to build a brand that’s just as powerfully unique as their work.
F: Find what makes you different
The first step to working together is to complete your Firestarter. It’s a 90-minute interview where we get to know your business inside and out, where you are + where you’re going, what sets your work apart, and determine what your brand needs to succeed.
I: Imagine the vision
Before we start the design process, we collaborate on a visual direction to get your imagination going, understand your taste, and get on the same page about how your brand will look and feel.
R: Range of visual elements
We design a highly versatile, wide range of assets and styling options within your brand, which is critical to avoid that “boxed in” feeling that so many highly creative business owners get from too-boring brands. Your FIREBRAND is built to inspire you, not limit you.
E: Examples of how to use it
In order to use your brand to its fullest expression, you need to see how all the elements work together. A set of Instagram templates (or a substitute of your choice) is included that you can start implementing out-of-the-box and use as a jumping-off point for new designs.
FIREBRAND includes:
Step 1: Find — First, we’ll complete your Firestarter: a 90-minute strategy interview where we pinpoint exactly what sets your work apart, and what your new brand has to say and do to succeed before we get to design work. We’ll also assess what extras you might need, such as a custom logo suite + accents, a website, or other collateral.
Step 2: Imagine — Mood Board to guide the aesthetic direction of your visual brand
Step 3: Range — Visual Identity elements to build a versatile and inspiring brand that doesn’t leave you feeling boxed in:
Accessibility-tested color palette
Typography selection + styling
Custom logo system + matching accent suite
Stock images + textures in brand colors
One round of revisions
Step 4: Examples — Everything thing you need to implement and maintain your new Visual Identity
Instagram (or other) template set in Canva or Photoshop
Comprehensive guidebook to using your new brand elements
Pricing starts at: $4250 USD
Minimum turnaround: 5 weeks
Need more? Your FIREBRAND is just the beginning.
These are the most common services requested to add to Firebrand. Even if you’re not sure what you need, we’ll recommend what makes sense for your business as part of your Firestarter.
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Single page: Applies to sales pages, landing pages and linktree-style pages. Perfect if you just need a spot to send IG followers with a quick bio, contact form, and newsletter signup. Starts at $1250 + 2 weeks
Multi-page: Any site with a “Home” page plus other pages. We’ll start from the beginning to map out exactly what pages are needed and the full user experience, so no need to know exactly what you need. Starts at $2500 and 4 weeks
We'll determine how complex your website needs to be at your Firestarter and provide you with a recommended site map and custom quote.
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If you'd like us to prepare extra collateral for you such as slide deck templates, business cards, old-fashioned stationery, email signatures, newsletter templates, or anything else that you'd prefer not to have to worry about creating yourself, we can include them with your Firebrand for an additional fee depending on what you need.
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If you offer physical products (or even just merch), we can help conceptualize, design, and source production for packaging. Whether you just need a roll of labels or have a full product line to redesign, we'll determine what you need and include a quote as a part of your Firestarter.
Testimonial
“Sharon is a magician. I worked with her to level up the visuals and branding of my speech therapy practice and could not be more pleased with the results.
I knew anything she made would be better than the DIY canva stuff I was using, but she somehow tapped deep into my psyche to create something that was so "me" and so professional. Even friends of mine commented on how reflective it was of my personality and vibe.
Sharon's process was efficient, clear and thoughtful. She took the time to talk with me about my visual likes/dislikes and to learn about my business, which is somewhat niche. I came to her with the goal of creating something that evoked the fun of childhood without being child-like and she nailed it.
She connected me with a great web developer and sent very easy to use brand collateral that I am having a ton of fun with for email marketing and social media.
Biggest take-away: Sharon created a visual world for my business and brand that has upped my entrepreneurial confidence 1,000%. Work with her!!”
— Taylor D’Aries
When can we start?
We likely have availability as early as next week to begin!
We begin with a Firestarter, where we get to the heart of what your business needs from a rebrand. This will take 1–2 weeks to complete. It will include an estimated timeline with specific start and end dates to complete your rebrand.
We are typically booked about one month in advance for design work. If you have a specific deadline you need your brand completed by, book your Fit Call below and we’ll see what we can do.
Imagine blazing this bright…
Being instantly recognizable on sight to YOUR people and have them on the edge of their seat to see what you do next, because your expression is fully in sync with your full self and your expertise.
Staking your claim as the trendsetter in your industry, and as the go-to for your true “zone of genius” work — and commanding the rates that come with that reputation.
Having a full client load of perfect fits that are thrilled to pay your full rates, and not having to spend another minute emailing a time-waster.
Never feeling the need to hide your true self or “tone it down” in the name of “looking professional” ever again!
A little bit about Swail Studio…
I’m Sharon Wagner, the Founder and Creative Director of Swail Studio.
After 10 years in the branding and advertising industry, I was known for "making things look expensive." Meanwhile, I had quietly developed my witchcraft practice, and clients were already telling me that I had “read their minds” regularly.
I soon saw the opportunity to create far more meaningful work by merging my branding expertise with my intuitive skills. I realized that the seemingly mundane work of “brand design” has the profound power to mirror someone’s life purpose back to them by revealing the deepest, truest expression of their brand.
My work allows entrepreneurs to finally show up and be fully seen — which naturally draws in aligned clients and customers.
Firebrand was developed over years of transmuting the weirdest thing about my clients’ businesses into their most powerful assets.
So, don’t be surprised to find yourself with a new visual identity that is, weirdly, exactly what you wanted — even if you never could have articulated it yourself ;)
Testimonial
“Working with Sharon on our rebrand was a seamless and delightful experience from start to finish.
We came in with some existing creative direction, and she integrated those ideas with genuine collaboration and curiosity—two things we really value on our team. We felt heard and seen throughout the entire process, which made it so easy to trust Sharon with helping to define our identity as a company.
The deliverables were gorgeous, thorough, and ready to implement right away across our web and social content. We didn’t expect to receive so many intricate patterns and textures alongside a new logo, fonts, and colors. Our website designer even said it was the best brand guide she’s ever received.
Sharon’s communication was clear and intentional, both in meetings and via email. She listened to our feedback and provided thoughtful, detailed options that reflected exactly what we discussed and brought our vision to life in ways we hadn’t imagined. The end result is a brand design that captures the essence of who we are—sophisticated, refined, fresh, creative. We’re obsessed.”
— Amy Jacobus & team
FAQs
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In my years of experience, it’s very hard to accomplish your brand visibility goals with “just” a logo or “just” a template pack. The point of branding is to unify the look and feel of your work across all of your work and touchpoints — not just where it’s convenient to plop a logo, or only on one platform. Because of this, I recommend a full rebranding process like FIREBRAND for best results. A Firestarter is the entry point for all clients to work with us — then we’ll determine what you need to succeed from there within your budget.
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Just like how every person is kinda-to-very weird in some way, most businesses are as well! You started your own business for a reason, and run it the way you do for a reason. If you’re not sure what exactly sets your business apart from others in your field or how to articulate it, we’ll pull out what makes you different in your Firestarter to guide the rest of your FIREBRAND.
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We may be able to begin your Firestarter as soon as this week! See our booking calendar for availability. It will take 1–2 weeks to complete, and will include a proposed timeline for the services we recommend next. To continue with the design phase of FIREBRAND, we are typically booked about a month in advance, but the short wait allows for stretchier payment plans ;)
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Always — most clients pay in 2–3 installments. If you’re interested in a payment plan, we’ll discuss it as part of your Firestarter. We’re happy to work with your budget, as long as full payment is made by the final delivery of your FIREBRAND.
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No refunds will be issued for any reason. However, we also understand that life happens. If you need to reschedule your Firestarter session or extend your payment plan, just reach out. Your project will be delayed or paused, and we will reschedule the remainder of it after all payments are completed, subject to studio availability.
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Absolutely! Book a quick fit call here and we’ll talk through whether or not I can help you out.
What’s the next step?
Hop on the calendar to see if we’re a good fit to work toether.
Book your 15-minute fit call so we can talk about whether Firebrand is right for you and your business at this time. Then, I’ll fill you in on next steps, or point you toward other resources that will better serve you.
Testimonial
“[After the rebrand] I felt way more powerful... because I know what my voice is now.
I know what my identity is now, and this is me coming forward and sharing it unapologetically.
That, to me, is true power. Everyone could feel it. All of my followers felt it. It looks so cohesive and fluid… Every time I look at it, it feels like, “Ahh! Yes!”
It made me show up differently. It’s like when you get your hair cut. You just show up differently, and you show up more in your power. I just love it, and I’m still feeling the effects from it, it’s really amazing.”
— Riana Stellburg
