Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? So, we asked some very sharp folks to tell us the stories of how they came up with the names of their brands.
Kurt Bush
Once my friend and co-founder, Chris Godfredsen, and I decided that we’d start our own coaching practice together, we knew the practice’s name would be important and difficult to nail down! What we also knew was that we started our practice because we believe that transformation (that is, transformation in all aspects of our lives) is possible even today. That mindset led us to think about incorporating a butterfly into our practice’s name. The Brimstone butterfly is a species of butterfly found outside of the U.S., but they are the longest living butterfly of all butterflies. That captures exactly what we hope for ourselves and for every client we have the privilege of working with: A long experience of transformed life! Read more>>
K. Edward
A LiFe VeRsE is a verse or short passage in the Bible that has a special meaning to you and speaks to you in a personal way. I believe that if we dare we can look back over our lives or specific situations and point to God’s handiwork. And, in doing so, find a scripture to reference. Read more>>
Latrice Knuckolls
Absolutely — naming your business feels like naming your legacy. It’s not just about sounding catchy, it’s about meaning something. And for me, EvolveWorks came from two core truths I’ve learned through experience: I created EvolveWorks because I’ve been on the side of burnout. I’ve been the person doing everything, wearing every hat, and wondering why nothing was working. And what I realized was — I didn’t need more hustle. I needed clarity, strategy, and a willingness to grow. That’s where the word Evolve came from. Read more>>
Michelle Sherman
Our original name was BombeBeautyCo (everything crunched up just like that). I knew I wanted ‘Bomb’ in the name somewhere because I thought my makeup looked bomb. In Baltimore, Bomb means top notch, exquisite, the best. Later down the line I decided to change again to The Bombe Beauty Co and finally Seaux Bombe Makeup Artistry. I came up with that because I noticed suddenly every beauty page on Instagram had “beauty co” on the end. Seaux Bombe Makeup Artistry came from a running joke with my brand of using french phonetics including adding an “E” to Bomb to sound fancy. Like a vocal representation of a pinky up. In addition to my makeup being bomb, I thought this brand should be a love letter to the Black American women. Shoutout to the Caribbean and African girls, but it’s time we celebrate our own unique, complicated, dark, innovative, and trendsetting beauty. We’re all bombe. Read more>>
Jennifer Daly
The name Fierce Angels Fashion comes out of a passion for wanting to encourage women to stand up for good. We believe all women are created beautifully and uniquely and are called to do great things! When we are working within our calling, we fit together like an exquisite puzzle that’s making the world a better place. We work to encourage women to be fiercely good girls. Giving back is important to us as well. Every quarter, we select a non-profit that is nominated on our website to share a portion of our profits with. If we’re going to be women who positively change the world, we believe it starts with serving others first. Read more>>
Ashika
As interior designers, we’re constantly thinking about how objects shape experiences – whether we’re selecting them, designing them, or arranging them within a space. Over time, the space itself becomes an object too: one that’s shaped, inhabited, and deeply felt. That transformation, from idea to experience, is what drives our work. Read more>>
Angel Yang
The name ‘The Novus Group’ has a deeply personal origin. It began with a dream where the name ‘Nova’ came to me as the perfect name for my sister’s child. While that name didn’t ultimately stay in the family, it left a lasting impression.
The concept of a ‘Nova’—a star that suddenly becomes brilliantly bright before gradually fading—resonated deeply with me. I wanted to carry that sense of something new, transformative, and ephemeral into my business. Read more>>
Susan Preiss
Right out of the gates, when I started freelancing, I positioned myself as a marketing consultant who provided guidance and support to small and mid-sized businesses. After a few years in that space, I came to learn that quality copywriting was something that many companies wanted and needed. As a one-person company, focusing on a single part of the marketing puzzle made sense for me. Read more>>
Madi White
Naming a business can take so many shapes! Many ceramicists opt to name their business after themselves, but I wanted something distinct and separate from my person. The name popped into my head in 2023 as I considered my end of year rituals. Instead of setting a resolution, I’ve gotten into the practice of setting a word for the year- a touchstone if you will. For example, my word in 2024 was ‘Plant’, and I unknowingly started planting the seeds for Touchstone then, without even knowing it! I love that you can return to the same word over and over again throughout the year and notice it take on new meaning and depth with time. Read more>>
Kasandra Lynne
Oh, naming this brand was no joke. I knew I wanted it to reflect not just what I do, but how I live. I’m a full-time healthcare provider. I serve on boards. I run programs. I’m always moving. So the “Busy” part? That’s very real. Read more>>
Sabra Johnson
My Style is My Brand is the result of a conversation I was having with a woman at my job. She was sharing a conversation she’d had with our Director about each person having a brand. When they got around to me, they said “Sabra’s style is her brand.” Read more>>
Josh Teigen
We thought a lot about our business’s name. In our industry, it is common to tie the business to our family name. Teigen builders, Teigen Homes, etc. That isn’t the route I wanted to go. Our goal is to build something larger than just our name or reputation. And ultimately, what we are working on isn’t about the Teigen’s. So, we looked for a name that embodies the values that we try to instill across our business. Read more>>
Manne White
When my best friend and I decided to open a women’s clothing store 20 years ago, we wanted the name of our store to be unique with creative meaning. When we lived in New York City, my business partner was a print designer for a contemporary clothing brand. She created a print called the Penelope Tree print. She was always drawn to her story. She was a British model from the 60’s with iconic style. We landed on Penelope T with a tree incorporated into our logo, it felt like the perfect fit for our company. Read more>>
Joshua Lurie
My father and “bonus mom” Jane were visiting Portland, Oregon, in the archaic time before smart phones. Since I had just visited Portland, and they knew I’d be at the office, Jane called me. Using my desktop, I guided them to Ken’s Artisan Bakery, which was one of my favorite Portland food stops at the time. Jane said, “You’re like my food GPS.” It was late 2004, I was planning to start a food blog, and the name was a natural fit. l’ve used Food GPS for my business name ever since. Read more>>
Akecia Owens-Cunningham
Naming a business is no small task —especially something as close to your heart as your business! Academically Victorious Consulting was created during my time as a classroom teacher, although it was not formally established until years later. During that time, I noticed this recurring pattern: so many of my students were struggling not just with academics, but with confidence, self-worth, and a sense of purpose when it came to learning. There was this heavy cloud of negativity surrounding education—like learning was something to dread rather than something empowering. As years passed, I saw that this pattern continued. Read more>>
Michael Ives
I started my career in Law Enforcement back in 2002. As I progressed I moved into other specialized areas/units. One that I truly loved was working K9. I did that stint for over 7 years. I had a dual purpose Dutch Shepherd, named Casey. We formed a bond that only other K9 handlers will understand, one that is unwavering no matter the day or time or hardships. We spent more time together than I did with family due to work and the hectic schedule associated with that aspect of the job. Through that position, I learned alot about myself and grew professionally and personally. Read more>>
Aaron Riddick
When I graduated high school, I was trying to establish a signature. I was practicing creating one and one of them was involved my initials. So, it was as if a light went off and I was like ahhhhh that sounds good. That’s how the name came forth. Read more>>
Karen Moore
Suite Life Privé was born out of both evolution and intention. When I first launched the company, it was called Suite Life Vegas—a name that reflected our early roots in curating luxury experiences in Las Vegas. But as our services expanded and our clientele grew more global, I realized I had unintentionally branded the company into a box. The original name, while powerful locally, didn’t reflect the global vision I had always carried in my heart. Read more>>