How to Name Your Brand

Your Brand Name is a direct reflection of your business, and is the first impression potential clients have in terms of what you do, and what it's like to work with you. 

You wouldn’t believe how many women entrepreneurs I meet who are hung up on choosing their business name. So if this is you, you’re not alone. They want it to be cool, creative, unusual, catchy, etc. but one problem with trying to come up with a catchy and unusual business name is that it can keep you stuck from moving forward with other more important parts of your business until you figure out the perfect name.

I used to be in a similar predicament.

When I first started my business in 2009, I decided on the name “Blossoming Brilliance Life Coaching.” While the name was pretty and sounded cool, it was completely uninformative and unclear. But, it was a start. Needless to say, that name didn’t last very long. 

Then, I tried using my name and calling my business “Jessie May” – my logo, website, social media handles, email… everything was my name. This undoubtedly felt like a better fit for the coaching aspect of my business. 

But, I have always also had a community aspect of my business (which today looks like the Impact Tribe, Dare to Connect, and The Daring Fempreneur Facebook Group). Back then, the community aspect of my business was called Daring Divas, and was housed primarily on Meetup. 

Having two different names for the two different aspects of my business only led to what I was doing feeling completely disjointed and separate. I was using Meetup and the Daring Divas as a way to build community, build credibility, and bring new clients into my coaching business, but always struggled to integrate the two facets of the business to work together. They were running and feeling so separate, that things just got too complicated and unclear yet again.

Around the same time I was realizing this, I started to think more deeply about the name, “Daring Divas.” And the more I thought about it… the more “ick” I felt from it… 

I realized (even though I already knew it deep down), that the name Daring Divas did not resonate with who I am at all. During that phase of my business, I realized that my community and the people I knew even started thinking of me as more of a “diva” – which, if you know me, you know is not an accurate reflection of who I am as a person, or as the leader of my brand. I was learning very quickly that your brand name is a very powerful reflection of your business, and of you as the leader of your business. 

After a few years of internally battling with this acquired persona that felt nothing like me at all, I knew I had to find a middle ground that was more reflective of who I am – a lover of nature, down to earth, into spirituality and mindfulness and health. 

The word “diva” had to go… but “daring” still resonated with who I am and what I was doing. I knew with this rebrand, it was also time to bring together the two different aspects of my business into one cohesive identity. 

So, in 2019, I consolidated and rebranded, and The Daring Fempreneur was born! The business felt more cohesive, simplified, and like it really made sense to who I am and what I am trying to do through this business. It incorporated my values of living and leading in a different, daring way, while also speaking directly to women entrepreneurs – this is exactly what I needed. 

I know that my story may be unique in that I was trying to incorporate two different facets of the business, and that I changed the name a few times, but I share this with you to demonstrate the importance of your brand name, and remind you of some things to consider when deciding on yours. 

So, here are some helpful things to consider when deciding on your brand name. 

Brand Personality and Archetypes 

As we said before, your Brand Name is a direct reflection of your personality, and who you are as the leader of your brand. 

Looking back on my own brand naming story, I swung way too hard into the Ruler archetype with Daring Divas. While the Ruler is one of my brand archetypes, it is certainly not the most prominent. The Daring Fempreneur encapsulates more of the Explorer archetype, which is my main archetype. If you are unsure of yours, that can be a very helpful place to start in determining the name of your brand – check out this free quiz to find your archetypes! 

Your brand archetype gives you insight into who you are as the leader of your brand, and tells you about your personality in relation to your business. When you infuse the power of archetypes into your brand, you create instant familiarity and emotional connection with your audience. Although they may not realize it, they trust you more because they understand who you are and what you stand for.

Using Your Name for Your Business

You might be asking – should I name my business after myself? As a service-based business owner who is the face of your brand, using your name, paired with a clear tagline, can be a great Brand Name. There are many situations where using your name can take your business to six figures and beyond, but there are also a few circumstances where it might not be your best option. 

Here are the benefits of using your own name as your business name:

• It makes it easier for people to find you. Instead of having to remember two names: your name and your business name, they just have to remember one.
• Using your own name makes it easy for your business to grow and change with you. You can add and remove programs and services under the brand of your name without having to completely change your business name if you change directions.

Here's when you might not want to use your name:

• If you plan to grow your business into something that you can sell in the future, it's best not to use your own name, and rather to choose a name that makes sense with or without you as part of the business.
• If you're not the face of your brand, for example if you have one business with multiple practitioners.

Recap: Tips for Naming Your Brand 

• Don’t let it hold you back. If you can’t think of the perfect Brand Name and you find this step holding you back from actually starting your business… stop spinning! I recommend starting by using your own name - you can always change it later if you desire.

• Determine your Brand Archetype first. Your Brand Archetype gives you great insight into who you are as the face of your brand, and how best to present your brand to the world. This is a great starting point to building and naming your brand. Even if you choose to use your name as your Brand Name, your archetype will help you write the perfect tagline.

• Consider using your own name. If you are building a personal brand that you are the face of, and you want your clients and audience to feel a more personal connection with you, then use your own name as the name of your brand and business. 

• It’s okay if you want to change your name later. Rebranding is fairly common, and can be done just about anytime. The name you choose now isn’t necessarily going to stick with you forever, and there is nothing wrong with changing it down the road. 

• Think about the future of your brand. Where do you want your business to go in the future? Where do you see it in five, ten, fifteen years? While rebranding is possible if your vision changes, it’s a good idea to consider the future of your brand while deciding on its name. 

Creating a brand isn’t easy, and there are many moving parts in addition to the name.

I’m here to support you in creating a purposeful, archetypal brand that makes money AND makes a difference. Explore how we can work together here.