Burn down “good enough” and commit to a brand that lets you blaze your brightest.
FIRESTARTER redefines the core concept and signature aesthetic of your brand so you can show up in full integrity and sink deep into the hearts of the people who need your work.
You’re on the edge of the next era in your business, but you’re still tiptoeing around it instead of taking the leap to make it real.
A few signs that your flame might be flickering…
You’ve hit an existential level of cognitive dissonance from outgrowing a brand (and past version of yourself) that no longer fits where you’re taking your business next.
You’re afraid of confusing people with your multifaceted work and human-ness, so you over-explain, dumb things down, apologize for your complexity, or avoid showing up at all.
Boring / basic / bad-fit clients keep finding you, and you know it has something to do with the dated, generic branding you haven’t updated since rushing out your website years ago.
You’ve got big plans — a book to write, a podcast to start, pitches to make — but if you have to send that big new audience to this version of your website, you’d rather not be perceived at all.
You’re done with constantly tweaking your DIY brand for every new offer… but it never feels quite right, it’s still not quite you, and it keeps getting in the way of saying what you need to say.
You feel trapped and squashed by your current brand, leaving you stuck, drained, feeling like a corporate shill, and putting a ceiling on the growth you know you’re capable of.
To get where you want to go next, you need to commit to a clear brand direction that can hold your big vision…
But it can be hard to see yourself (or your business) without a mirror.
By pulling out the core truths, values, and strengths that make your work yours, we can translate them into a clear visual direction for the next phase of your business that you’re actually excited to implement — because it’s so obviously and distinctly YOU that you don’t want to show up any other way.
Testimonial
In some ways I felt like my visual brand had been strong, potent, and had good building blocks, but I wasn’t really tapped into how to bring everything together.
After a period of experimenting with offerings, I was pulling together my work in a more cohesive way and I really wanted that sense of security I was stepping into to be reflected by more cohesive visuals.
The Firestarter really helped me see alllll the threads I’d been pulling on in my brand for years through a more cohesive lens. The coolest part was how that mirrored my work back to me and helped me clarify my offerings in an incredibly valuable way.
I knew I wanted to work with you and when I saw your Firestarter offering it sounded perfect for me—having someone else’s eyes on my brand to give me guardrails while still having the freedom to play and create something with my magic and process. I really wanted to work with someone who could amplify my brand from the inside out because mirrors are so powerful for shifting.
Sharon asked such awesome questions as part of this Firestarter package and really helped me open the door to step into the next level of my work while also weaving in parts of my work I’d maybe turned away from or forgotten about. The magic of the process and how it unfolded in tandem with my own integration of my work was the branding experience I needed.
I definitely see people understanding my offerings more and my message coming through more clearly as a result of this work. Absolutely work with Sharon, especially if you have a strong framework to create a foundation—you know who you are and you’re ready for that to be seen more clearly.
— Ash Bruxvoort
The FIRESTARTER Formula
Refined over 10+ years of working with weirdos who have turned their inner fire into money, these are the six facets of your brand that we’ll define in order to capture the full depth of your vision — without any fluff:
Where you are now: You need to know where you’re starting from to be clear on where you’re going.
Your spark: The unique strengths that weave together to make your work different than anyone else’s.
Fan the flames: Your next steps and any fuel you need to add to get where you want to go.
Around the fire: Who you need to speak to directly, and who else will be naturally attracted.
Keywords: Specific words and themes to sprinkle through your copy and guide imagery.
The Vision: The visual translation of it all, factoring in your taste and your industry landscape.
How FIRESTARTER works:
We’ll begin with a 90-minute session, where we unpack your full origin story, where you are now, and where you want to go next.
No prep is required beyond ideally bringing a few examples of brands that you like aesthetically.
One-two weeks later, you’ll receive a PDF that details your new direction and tangible visuals of what it might look like. My recommendations for next services to proceed with will be included, whether you choose to keep working with me, pass it another creative, or implement it yourself.
A few days after delivery, we’ll have a 30-minute follow-up meeting to make any clarifications, answer questions, and — if you want to keep working together — discuss next steps!
The special rate for this re-launch is $1500 USD or 3 payments of $500, due in full before your session.
This rate will be available until September 24, when the price will increase to $1950.
Since shit is weird right now, I want to keep this accessible to anyone who isn’t quite ready to purchase.
So, to reserve this rate, all you have to do is to book a VIBE CHECK call by September 24 — I’ll honor the special rate through the end of this year.
Testimonial
“My Firestarter session with Sharon was exactly what I needed to bring my brand into alignment with who I really am.
I had spent so much time trying to find my niche that I felt scattered and disconnected before working with her. The questions Sharon asked in each session—combined with her deep expertise in branding—helped me rebrand in a way that fully represents who I am and makes marketing and sales feel so much less yucky.
Working with her is effortless, supportive, and genuinely fun. The whole process was like chatting with a friend who also happens to be a pro in graphic design and branding. She took the time to truly understand me—who I am, what I’m aiming to create in the world, and how to visually connect that with my audience.
She’s a true collaborator, listens deeply, and uses her expertise to reframe ideas so that they stand out. The easy, open conversations and genuine support she brings to her sessions have been my absolute favorite part.
If your brand feels scattered or you’re stepping into a new phase of your business, I can’t recommend Sharon enough. She has an incredible gift for distilling what you want to convey into a clear visual direction, without the headaches of trying to sort it all out on your own.”
— Marissa Garza
What happens when your brand blazes into its full power and potential?
You can actually be yourself in your business and feel no need to keep fiddling around with or changing your brand, because it’s so perfectly you that you wouldn’t show up any other way.
Your brand holds the full spectrum of your weirdness with layers of depth and stretchy expansiveness, without feeling like a chaotic mess.
Your people SEE YOU and GET YOU immediately — they see your vision, where you’re going, and they want to come along with you. (And you haven’t heard from a bad fit client in months.)
Your brand supports your creative process, providing a scaffolding that holds all your crazy ideas and make them look good without hours of fiddling.
Your energy feels fresh again. You feel inspired and excited for what’s next in your business. All the potential you’ve been sitting on finally feels unlocked and let loose.
You’re not just making the big moves and stepping onto the high-visibility stages that you’ve been dreaming of — now, you feel like you could start a movement.
A little bit about Swail Studio…
I’m Sharon Wagner, resident Brand Designer and Psyche Director
While completing my BFA in Communications Design at Pratt Institute, I dove headfirst into the NYC branding and advertising industry. Over my 8 years working with businesses of all sizes in the agency world, I became known for "making things look expensive."
Meanwhile, I quietly developed my witchcraft practice, and clients were already starting to tell me that I “read their minds” regularly.
I soon found I could 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 work in the world.
My work allows entrepreneurs to finally show up and be fully seen — which naturally draws in aligned clients and customers.
FIRESTARTER was developed over years of identifying and 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 ;)
HERE’S WHAT PAST BRANDING CLIENTS HAVE HAD TO SAY:
“Working with Sharon gave my business the glow-up it needed to take things to the next level.
I started my studio with a DIY-brand that worked just fine, but as my offerings, clientele and revenue grew, I needed my visual impression to evolve as well. I wanted my website to shine as much as my work did!
Sharon immediately & intuitively understood my vision, my values, and what my brand needed to make a great first, second, and fiftieth impression.
Now my ideal clients immediately know they're in the right place when they land on my site, and there are plenty of visual details and accents that keep them surprised and delighted every time they return.
Plus I've been able to implement our brand work even beyond my digital presence. Now I've got business cards, stickers, and other merch forthcoming that helps spread the word about my work on and offline.”
— Amelia Hruby, Softer Sounds
“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, Ren+Spiritwork
“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, Holistic Business Academy
“I knew anything Sharon 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 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.
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, Brooklyn Speech Therapy
“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, Grounded Growth Marketing
“Nowadays, it is difficult to find someone you can trust to help you execute your vision. After I saw Swail Studio's instagram and looked at her website -- I knew I had to work with Sharon.
Her design style was right up my alley -- clean and beautifully haunting. I had never hired anyone for a rebrand before but I felt like I could completely trust that Sharon would deliver.
Sharon set up a consultation with me to talk about my needs and desires. She created mood boards based on our consultation. These mood boards showed me that she was really listening to me. All the placed images, texts, etc are selected with such intention and curation. It truly made me feel special! Because we were in sync and on the same page, there was little to none edits which I appreciated for time.
Our consults felt like I was talking to a friend and a fellow designer so I felt comfortable and relaxed. She sent me the deliverables right away and even created templates for me that really came in clutch when I became sick and didn't have much energy to create a design from scratch. Swail Studio made me look put together haha.
Sharon helped me to kick off a new chapter of my business and created a look that embodied me and who I am. I'm so grateful to her for keeping my essence.”
— Riana taclas, RST Alchemy
FAQs
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I’m currently booking for November onward. It will take 1–2 weeks to complete your FIRESTARTER.
If you choose to continue with a rebrand, we are typically booked at least one–two months in advance. However, the earlier you book in, the stretchier your payment plan can be ;)
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Yes! You can pay in three installments of $500 in whatever intervals work for you, due in full before our session. Let me know if you’re interested on our call and we’ll get you set up.
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Yes babe, that’s business! A custom quote that factors in your budget and needs will be included in your final PDF.
However, FIRESTARTER fully stands on its own as a springboard to DIY from, and there’s no obligation to continue working together. I can’t wait to see what you create from it!
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We have options to suit budgets from about $1500 for the bare minimum, up to around $5k for more complex projects comparable to those featured in our portfolio. We’ll include a custom quote that factors in your budget and needs in your FIRESTARTER.
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In my years of experience, it’s very hard to accomplish your brand visibility goals without starting from a strategic foundation, which is the purpose of FIRESTARTER. This is the entry point for all rebrand clients to start working with us — then we’ll determine what design work will get you the most bang for your buck (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, FIRESTARTER is built to do exactly that.
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No refunds are guaranteed for any reason. However, we also understand that life happens. If you need to reschedule your session or extend your payment plan, just reach out. Your FIRESTARTER 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 vibe check here and we’ll talk through whether or not I can help you out.
What’s the next step?
Let’s meet for A quick vibe check and see if we’re a good fit to work together.
Book your 15-minute vibe check call so we can talk about whether FIRESTARTER is right for you and your business at this time, and reserve the launch rate of $1500 before it goes up.
I’ll fill you in on next steps, or if it’s not right for you at this time, I’ll point you toward other resources that will better serve you.
