Something about rags-to-riches stories always rubbed me the wrong way. ‘Cause most online business journeys don’t fit that shiny (and predictable) arc. They’re pretty… normal.

Take my own story for example: I followed everyone’s expectations until I said “f*ck it” on Christmas Eve 2019. That was over 6 years ago, and in honour of my 6th Brandversary, I wanted to tell you the real story. From a nightmare internship that had me designing menus in PowerPoint (yes, really) to building a business that lets me own my weird, I’m taking a trip down memory lane. Whether you’ve been here since the very beginning or just started tagging along, here are two big reminders:

1) Sometimes all you have to do when you want something is send a DM.

2) It takes a village to build a business & keep it running for 6+ years.

SPOTLIGHT MOMENTS

✦ How regular beginnings get lost in rags-to-riches funnels

✦ When a nightmare internship led to starting freelancing

✦ Making less than an orange juice an hour (and other corporate red flags)

✦ Why it takes a village to build a business that lasts

✦ Redefining what "professional" looks like

——

Mentioned in this episode:

✦ Marie Forleo’s B-School

✦ Joana Galvão, from GIF Design Studios

✦ Yevgeniya Davarashvili (Gigi), from One6Creative (get the Designer Business Templates I use here*)

✦ Alice Benham, Business Strategist (join me inside On It here* )

✦ Vix Meldrew, Online Learning Expert

✦ Xanthe Appleyard, from Oh Sierra Creative (sign up for LOTP here*)

✦ Ceels Lockley, Offer Strategy Coach

*some of the links above are affiliate links, which means if you sign up through them, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Follow & Connect with Eva:

✦ See what my very first website looked like

✦ Say hey on Instagram

✦ Check out my Website

✦ Get my Uncaged emails

——

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to The Freak Show

00:30 Why Rags-to-Riches Stories Feel Off

03:42 My 6th Brandversary & Six Years In Business

04:27 The Post-Grad Panic of a Passionate Designer

07:56 Rules That Didn’t Make Sense & Internship Red Flags

12:41 Quitting on Christmas Eve as My Gift to Myself

14:32 Toying with Freelancing and Finding a Mentor

16:53 The People Behind Six Years of Success

The grand finale of our rebrand anniversary series is here, with the third ring of my Three Ring Confidence framework: Development. And THIS is where all the work, effort, energy and time you’ve put into this massive project actually starts working for you & bringing the results you crave (instead of just a shiny Google Drive folder).

In this episode, we’re unpacking how I brought my rebrand from Eva Couto Design to Flying Colours Creative® to life, touchpoint by touchpoint. From having fun with Instagram (yes, it’s possible) to website rollercoasters, I’m telling you everything that worked, what needed tweaking along the way, and why implementation is where every rebrand hangs. If you’re sitting on a rebrand (or dreaming of one), this is your sign to stop planning and start doing — because a brand isn’t something you have, it’s something you use.

SPOTLIGHT MOMENTS

✦ Why your rebrand doesn’t exist until you start using it

✦ How social media became my low-stakes playground for testing new visuals

✦ The mammoth task of a website overhaul

✦ Why backend assets matter just as much as the front-facing flair

✦ How this rollercoaster ride helped shape The Extravaganza experience

——

Mentioned in this episode:

✦ THE EXTRAVAGANZA: A 12-week, all-inclusive brand transformation that gives you all the visuals, website and marketing assets it takes to succeed with Flying Colours.

People I worked with for my rebrand:

✦ Katie Pannell, Naming Expert & Founder of 26&thensome

✦ Ceels Lockley, Offer Strategy Coach

✦ João Nogueira, Website Developer

✦ Adrienne Cruz, Podcast Manager

Follow & Connect with Eva:

✦ Instagram

✦ Website

✦ Get my Uncaged emails

——

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to The Freak Show

01:36 Why Implementation Is Where Your Rebrand Lives or Dies

05:35 Why Instagram Was My First Touchpoint

11:47 Revamping the Newsletter: From Rebel’s Corner to Uncaged

13:03 The High Stakes Of Tackling the Website

16:39 Launching The Freak Show Podcast

18:39 Email Signatures, Client Portals, and More Backend Implementation

21:25 A Brand Is a Tool You Use, Not a Thing You Have

23:12 Rethinking The Extravaganza

Time for the second ring of my Three-Ring Confidence framework: Design. Today is all about taking that big top brand energy we uncovered last week and turning it into a visual identity that screams me.

Spoiler: designing my own brand wasn’t the smooth ride you’d expect from someone who does this for a living. It was a chaotic, stomach-butterfly-inducing tightrope walk, full of self-doubt and big decisions. From wrestling with colours to taming the shiny-object urge, I’m spilling the tea on how I brought this circus to life without losing sight of who I am. If you’ve ever wondered how to create a visual identity that feels like you, grows with your business, and doesn’t alienate your audience, this is one you’ll want to tune into.

And if you want help with rebranding yourself… I’m booking Extravaganza projects for the rest of 2025: only 5 spots left! Apply now & let’s design a brand that looks the part, acts the part & sells out.

SPOTLIGHT MOMENTS

✦ Why seeing your brand come to life can spark some confidence wobbles

✦ How I balanced nostalgia & play with a circus brand theme

✦ The tightrope of keeping what works while embracing bold reinvention

✦ Avoiding the Frankenstein trap and over-tweaking your brand

TAKE THE STAGE

What’s one visual element in my brand (a colour, a font, an icon) that feels like me, and how can I make it work harder to tell my story? If you’re stuck, revisit last week’s episode for the direction ring to uncover what makes your brand mesmerising before you dive into design.

——

Mentioned in this episode:

✦ THE EXTRAVAGANZA: A 12-week, all-inclusive brand transformation that gives you all the visuals, website and marketing assets it takes to succeed with Flying Colours

✦ Katie Pannell, Naming Expert & Founder of 26&thensome

✦ Case Study: Brand Naming Flying Colours Creative

Follow & Connect with Eva:

✦ Say hey on Instagram

✦ Check out my website

✦ Get my Uncaged emails

——

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to The Freak Show

01:02 Three-Ring Confidence Framework: Design

02:14 Why Designing My Own Brand Was the Worst (and Best) Thing Ever

05:33 Embracing Discomfort: The Key to a Bold Rebrand

07:48 From Fun House Concept to Visual Identity

11:12 Future-Proofing Your Brand with Intentional Design Choices

12:40 Avoiding the Frankenstein Urge in Your Rebrand

13:56 The Power of Implementation

This episode kicks off a 3-part mini-series called “Brand Designer Gets (re)Branded”, diving into my own rebranding journey —from Eva Couto Design to Flying Colours Creative® — one year after the fact. With my 6th Brandversary on the horizon, I’m giving you the good, the bad and the ugly of what rebranding yourself looks like (spoiler: it’s a wild ride).

Using my Three Ring Confidence framework, today we’re tackling the first ring: Direction and unpacking why I decided to rebrand in the first place, the messy emotions that came with it, and how outside perspective makes all the difference to finding clarity.

SPOTLIGHT MOMENTS

✦ The emotional rollercoaster that comes with rebranding

✦ Deciding to do the unpopular thing and going from a personal name to a studio name

✦ The Direction Ring: setting intentions and asking the right questions

✦ Bringing it all together through the “Fun House” creative direction

TAKE THE STAGE

Commit to treating your brand like your most important client (because it is), and set this intention: “I hereby commit to treating my own brand as my most important client, and be as thorough and intentional while rethinking my brand and business as I would for any of my clients.” Then, use one of these prompts to start thinking brand-first:

— What reputation do you want your brand to have in the way it does business?

— Where does your brand go against the grain and industry standards?

— If your brand were a [mood, colour, song, meal, outfit], what would it be and why?

——

Mentioned in this episode:

✦ THE EXTRAVAGANZA: A 12-week, all-inclusive brand transformation that gives you all the visuals, website and marketing assets it takes to succeed with Flying Colours

✦ “Company Of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business”, by Paul Jarvis

✦ Katie Pannell, Naming Expert & Founder of 26&thensome

✦ Case Study: Brand Naming Flying Colours Creative

Follow & Connect with Eva:

✦ Instagram

✦ Website

✦ Join The Colour Circle

——

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to The Freak Show

02:01 Introducing the Three Ring Confidence Framework

03:44 Why I Decided to Rebrand for My Fifth Brandversary

06:50 The Emotional Rollercoaster That Comes With Rebranding

08:42 Why Changing Your Brand Name Doesn’t Mean Changing You

13:36 How Some Outside Perspective Saved My Rebrand

17:55 From Eva Couto Design to Flying Colours Creative

23:12 Treating Your Brand Like Your Most Important Client

Personal branding isn’t just about showing your face on camera, and it certainly isn't influencer-exclusive. As an online service provider, your audience isn’t just buying your service… they’re buying YOU. So let’s unpack how to make your personality the star of your show, so you can avoid the commodity trap and create a brand that’s unmistakably yours.

You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t brave, so what if I told you being a personal brand myself landed me a five-figure project once (from buttering toast, nonetheless)? Owning your weird turns lurkers into buyers, so tune in to learn how.

SPOTLIGHT MOMENTS

✦ Why your audience needs to choose you, not just your service

✦ The disconnect that happens when your online personality doesn’t match your real one

✦ How visuals set the stage for your brand’s first impression

TAKE THE STAGE

Weaving your personality into your brand means being clear on the narrative you want your brand to tell, so start by asking yourself:

✦ Does your brand look like it’s run by you?

✦ Is it consistent enough to be recognisable?

✦ Does it feel like an honest reflection of where you are now?

——

Mentioned in this episode:

✦ THE EXTRAVAGANZA: Your all-access ticket to a full-scope rebrand.

✦ Listen to Ep. 025, for how Interact got in touch with me

✦ Listen to Ep. 009 to learn all about that 5-figure branding project

Follow & Connect with Eva:

✦ Instagram

✦ Website

✦ Get my Uncaged emails

——

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to The Freak Show

01:28 The Personal Brand Boom Beyond Creators & Influencers

03:16 Finding a 5-Figure Project By Making It Personal

05:33 Why Your Audience Needs to Want You Beyond Your Service

07:30 The Risk of Mismatched Brand Personality

10:25 Why Visuals Are Your Personality’s First Impression

15:49 Find Resonance, Not Just Reach

16:05 Making Your Brand Unmistakably You

The other day, I got a DM that sounded wayyyy too good to be true. Interact, a quiz platform that I absolutely LOVE, slid into my DMs asking if I wanted to partner with them.

At first, I thought it was a scam, but no. It actually led to something I've been dreaming about for over a year: creating a quiz that actually helps you figure out what the hell is going on with your brand.

In this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes on how this whole thing came together, why I'm obsessed with quizzes (thanks, teen magazines), and most importantly, walking you through the four circus acts that reveal exactly where your brand is right now and what it needs to grow.

SPOTLIGHT MOMENTS

✦ Why your brand confusion isn't a you problem (you're just too close to see the label from inside the jar)

✦ How to tell if your visuals have officially been outgrown by your personality

✦ Meet the four circus acts: Fire Breather, Tightrope Walker, Juggler, and Contortionist — and find out which one you are

TAKE THE STAGE

Take the "What's Your Brand's Circus Act?" quiz right now — seriously, pause this episode and do it. It takes under 5 minutes, and you'll finally understand what's been driving your brand decisions (and what you need more of to grow).

——

Mentioned in this episode:

✦ What’s Your Brand’s Circus Act?: Take the quiz!

✦ THE EXTRAVAGANZA: Your all-access ticket to a full-scope rebrand.

✦ Try out Interact & build your own on-brand quiz!

✦ Pass the Queso

✦ Coming Up Roses

Follow & Connect with Eva:

✦ Instagram

✦ Website

✦ Get my Uncaged emails

This episode was co-produced with Adrienne Cruz.

——

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to The Freak Show

00:36 The DM I Thought Was a Scam

08:28 Meet the Four Circus Acts

09:52 The Fire Breather

12:26 The Tightrope Walker

15:36 The Juggler

17:38 The Contortionist

19:34 Closing Thoughts and Next Steps

Ever feel like you're fighting your own content every time you sit down to create? Like no matter how many templates you buy or tips you save, nothing feels quite right anymore?

You're not behind, you're not broken, and you definitely don't suck at this. You've just outgrown your brand — and that's actually a massive flex.

In this episode, we're diving into why that resistance you're feeling when you create content isn't a content problem at all. It's your brand waving a big red flag that says "I'm ready for something bigger." You'll walk away understanding the difference between a surface-level refresh and a full rebrand, plus exactly how to tell which one you actually need.

SPOTLIGHT MOMENTS

✦ Why buying more Instagram templates won't fix your content struggles

✦ The difference between a brand refresh and a full rebrand

✦ How to tell when you've outgrown your current visual identity

✦ Why trying to fit new ideas into old visuals is like squeezing into jeans two sizes too small

TAKE THE STAGE

The Content Carousel Workshop replay is waiting in your inbox if you signed up — dive into those practical Canva tips and see if that scratches the itch.

But if you’re still feeling the friction, The Extravaganza might be calling your name.

——

Mentioned in this episode:

✦ THE EXTRAVAGANZA: Your all-access ticket to a full-scope rebrand.

Follow & Connect with Eva:

✦ Instagram

✦ Website

✦ Get my Uncaged emails

This episode was co-produced with Adrienne Cruz.

——

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to the Freak Show

01:52 Do You Need a Rebrand?

05:40 Why Social Media Templates Won’t Fix Your Problem

09:12 A Refresh Is Not a Rebrand

13:40 Summer = The Perfect Time for a Rebrand

16:12 Signs That You’re Ready

18:57 Closing Thoughts and Next Steps

We've all poured our hearts into brilliant content, hit publish, and then received 2 likes on a carousel post that took 2 hours to design. If you’re feeling frustrated with your IG content lately, you’re not alone!

And if you want to get out of this rut, here's the uncomfortable truth: no one is reading your brilliant content if your design is working against you. It's not the algorithm, it's not your ideas, and it's definitely not because you don't have anything valuable to say. It could just be how it looks!

In this episode, we're calling out the "content over design" myth and breaking down why your posts have about 1.5 seconds to stop the scroll and how to make sure they do. You'll walk away understanding how to use design as a strategic tool to finally get your genius ideas the attention they deserve.

SPOTLIGHT MOMENTS

✦ Why "as long as your content is valuable, design doesn't matter" is complete bullshit

✦ The uncomfortable truth about how people actually consume content

✦ Why carousels feel harder than writing entire newsletters

✦ Three non-negotiable design principles that make your content impossible to ignore

TAKE THE STAGE

Join me for the free Content Carousel Workshop happening June 16th! We're diving deep into the design strategies that turn your brilliant ideas into scroll-stopping, share-worthy content. Replay included even if you can't make it live.

——

Mentioned in this episode:

✦ Xanthe Appleyard’s post

Follow & Connect with Eva:

✦ Instagram

✦ Website

✦ Get my Uncaged emails

This episode was co-produced with Adrienne Cruz.

——

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to The Freak Show

00:51 The Annoying Truth About Content Design

12:57 The 1.5 Second Rule

14:44 Three Things Your Audience Is Subconsciously Scanning For

18:53 Why Carousels Are Such a Pain in the Ass

22:35 Join the Content Carousel Workshop!

We're halfway through the year, and while you're probably checking your revenue numbers and updating those Notion dashboards, there's one thing most people forget to audit: their brand.

Whether the past six months went exactly to plan or left you quietly panicking over your unfinished goals, your brand deserves a check-in. With time, your brand, your business, your industry, and you have all evolved. And it's part of your job as a freakishly good service provider to make damn sure your brand evolves with you too.

In this episode, I'm walking you through what I call a quarterly dress rehearsal (aka your brand's performance review). This is the ritual that's led me to major decisions like rebranding into Flying Colors Creative, starting this podcast, and having those clarity-gaining conversations with past clients.

SPOTLIGHT MOMENTS

✦ Why summer is the perfect time to audit your brand (before the biggest sales season hits)

✦ The three-step quarterly dress rehearsal: visual lineup, audience reaction pulse, and alignment gut check

✦ How to spot visual disconnects that make people think they clicked the wrong button

✦ What to do when your brand isn't exciting you anymore

TAKE THE STAGE

Set a reminder right now — literally put "Brand Dress Rehearsal" in your calendar every quarter. Your future self and your future clients will thank you for keeping your brand front of mind so it becomes front of mind for others too.

Also, if content design inconsistencies were one of your main problems, grab your ticket to my free Content Carousel Workshop happening June 16 at 3PM Lisbon time. You'll learn design tips and tricks to make your visuals enhance your content instead of hiding it. Sign up for the replay even if you can't come live!

——

Mentioned in this episode:

✦ Sign up for the FREE Content Carousel Workshop: Design better on-brand content that looks the part, performs & steals the show.

Follow & Connect with Eva:

✦ Instagram

✦ Website

✦ Get my Uncaged emails

This episode was co-produced with Adrienne Cruz.

——

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to The Freak Show

02:24 Why Your Brand Deserves a Check-In

05:59 Introducing Your Quarterly Dress Rehearsal

09:59 Step 1: Your Visual Lineup Check

13:05 Step 2: The Audience Reaction Pulse

16:41 Step 3: The Alignment Gut Check

22:44 Closing Thoughts and a FREE Workshop Invite!

We’ve all been there: saving yet another “low-lift content” tip to a folder we’ll forget about, hoping it’s finally the thing that makes content feel easier. But what if the problem isn’t your templates, your workflow, or your posting schedule?

In this episode, we’re breaking down the low-lift content illusion — why it sounds dreamy in theory but falls flat without the one thing that actually makes content creation easier and way more effective: a brand that does the heavy lifting for you. You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of what’s missing, what to focus on instead, and how to finally create content that’s both sustainable and unmistakably yours.

SPOTLIGHT MOMENTS

✦ Why “low-lift” content only works when your brand is doing the heavy lifting

✦ The difference between authenticity and autopilot (and why effort ≠ fake)

✦ What actually makes your content feel sustainable, and why it’s not another custom GPT

✦ How intentional branding helps you say more, with less

TAKE THE STAGE

Grab your ticket to the Content Carousel Workshop (it’s free!) happening June 16 at 3PM Lisbon time. You’ll learn how to design Instagram carousels that stop the scroll and stay on brand so your message doesn’t get lost in the noise. Sign up here and get the replay even if you can’t come live!

——

Mentioned in this episode:

✦ Sign up for the FREE Content Carousel Workshop: Design better on-brand content that looks the part, performs & steals the show.

Follow & Connect with Eva:

✦ Instagram

✦ Website

✦ Get my Uncaged emails

This episode was co-produced with Adrienne Cruz.

——

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to The Freak Show

00:41 Why “Low-Lift Content” Sounds Great but Often Fails

04:57 What All the Content Hacks Are Missing

09:01 When Did Effort Stop Being Authentic?

12:37 Closing Thoughts and FREE Workshop Invite!