One of the most creative parts of starting something new is finding a name and it’s also one of the most challenging. Below, you’ll find the stories of how various successful brands, creators and entrepreneurs came up with their names.

Shaunya Noble

Of all the decisions that went into opening my restaurant, choosing the name Pastaholics was one of the hardest. It took me a long time to commit to it, partly because I was worried about how it would be received. The term “-holic” implies addiction, and while it’s often used in a lighthearted way, I thought that some people might find it controversial. But at the end of the day, I couldn’t ignore how perfectly it fit. Read more>>

Stacey Martinelli

During our tours, many couples ask “does Eloise mean something?” or “where did the name come from?”. I am delighted to share this story with you! The idea to build a wedding venue in Southern Wisconsin started shortly after Ben and I got married. At that time, Ben and I were living in Southern California (SoCal) but since we both grew up in Wisconsin, there was no way we weren’t getting married in our home state. We said our I do’s in Madison and then jumped on a plane to head back to California. Our jobs took us to different ends of California during our first year of marriage. Ben got moved to the Northern part of Cali (NorCal) and I was stayed in SoCal enjoying the beach, sun, and eating my weight in sushi.  Read more>>

Archelle Bloodworth

The Circle of Pink Sistership name was developed to represent many women standing united together to encourage, support and be reminded that no one fights alone. As a community advocate I meet many woman from all over the world helping to support their needs whether it be mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually., or financially.. Once I was able to envision the mission of what I wanted to see open up for the community I saw many women who received the same diagnosis but all had different experiences and their own journey. Read more>>

Leslie Cook

My View From Here Photography – it’s a mouthful and not the standard photography brand name. I thought long and hard about how I wanted to represent this new endeavour of mine. I wanted it to speak for me and my experiences, but also those of my clients.

I lived in the same house growing up in a small town in southeast Texas with the same friends and faces around me all the time. I knew marrying into the military was going to be a big change, but something in me was excited to pick up and seek new beginnings. Read more>>

Daniella Rosa

I love this story because it happened at the same time that I had the spark of the idea for my current business! I was in Telluride, CO in the summer of July 2021 for a family trip, and one day, we considered playing a round of golf. While browsing the Pro Shop at a local course, I decided I wanted a shirt or sweater as a cool, golf-related keepsake from the trip. I was flipping through the women’s clothing section and, as per usual, the only women’s golf apparel options that this shop had were the same ill-fitting collared shirts and boxy skirts that I had seen at every Pro Shop that I had been in over the past 20 years of my golf “career.” Read more>>

Everett Lovrien

Foxcry Illustration came about as nothing short of a leap of faith.

Picture your barista, their smile, their little quips and their interest in how you’re doing. You’d never know that they were an artist by looking at them, or maybe you’d suspect based on the grade of their latte art.

Two years ago I was given a choice: continue to burn myself out, helping a small business live their dream, or to choose to live my own, no matter the cost. I’d met my partner then, and he was about to move from Denver to Seattle to be with his aging parents. Read more>>

Justin White

The business name is a bold claim. No More Pain Today — It’s about reminding the world that being pain free is not only possible, but accessible in ways that they had never imagined. I want this one single idea change the way the world looks at health, healing, and life itself.

What I do is very different, it is a niche inside of a niche with massive impact and thousands of implementations. When it comes to health as an industry pain is often associated with medications, surgeries, lots of physical therapy, and lifestyle changes that feel restrictive. In actuality health and longevity is the byproduct of us expanding and evolving as people over our entire lifespan, not restricting ourselves as time goes on. Read more>>

Avery Watson

Starting a party store business in Oxford, I knew I wanted to lean into the Ole Miss culture. As an Ole Miss Alumni, I was familiar with the popular sayings and chants as I myself have said them countless times during my years at school here. So, knowing a huge portion of my customer base would be Ole Miss fans, or at least recognize an established Ole Miss saying, I had a starting point of which direction to take with the store name. I also knew I wanted “Party” in the business name so there would be no confusion as to what the business was. ‘Party in the Sip’ encapsulated everything I was desiring for a party store name. The choice was easy, as it fit perfectly while also celebrating the special community we have here in Oxford. Read more>>

Alessia Gerasolo

I named my dance company “Muse” because dance, at its core, is a form of expression and inspiration. A muse is something that sparks creativity, and that’s exactly what we aim to do—ignite passion, movement, and emotion through dance. We believe that every performance and every dancer has the potential to inspire others.Our company is all about celebrating the art of movement and serving as a source of inspiration, whether on stage or in the studio. Read more>>

Carmen Cambrelen

I named my brand Lydia’s Unique Boutique after my daughter and maternal grandmother, it is also my middle name. I wanted it to be very unique in its own way, every item that’s in my shop I make myself. I hand sew a lot of the accessories like hair bows, jabots, collars, bags just to name a few. I only make one of an item because I love the idea of it just being one, in its unique way. My designs are literally what my mind creates in the moment and that’s special to me. Read more>>

Nicolle Walker

When I started my company in 2016 I really struggled to find a name that fit. I initially felt very strongly against using my own name, for a variety of reasons, but I couldn’t come up with anything that felt right. So I ended up using my own name and calling it Nicolle Walker, Personal Chef Services. In 2020, I met and started working with a business coach and she began pushing me to change the company name. I had expanded my business, hired employees and it really felt constricting to carry the name of a single person when really I had built a team. Read more>>

Monica Hairston

I named my business Oma’s Kitchen because my grandma created some of our recipes over 50 years ago with her German grandmother (Oma) who introduced her into the passion of cooking & baking which she passed down to me. So for me naming the business Oma’s Kitchen is paying homage to the 2 ladies that made it possible for us to create this business and share our family recipes with everyone. Read more>>

Alexis Papachristos

Oh, naming a business? EASY. Said no one ever. 😆

For me, Brand New You wasn’t just a business name—it was me rebuilding my identity. A rebirth. A moment of stepping into who I was meant to be—and giving others permission to do the same.

Back in 2023, one day I was popping confetti in my office, and the next? I was quitting my dream job with no backup plan.

Why? Because LIFE happened. Divorce happened. The unprocessed grief of losing my father happened. And through it all, I just kept going—showing up for everyone else, smiling on the outside, while feeling completely drained on the inside. Read more>>

Jacqueline Culp

It was so hard! I actually started off the process of naming my company by thinking about the feeling and vibe I wanted to convey with my brand. So many designers in the industry use their name in their business name, but I wanted to put the emphasis on how the client will feel at the end of the process when working with me. Although it is true that my brand IS me, I felt like my persona and energy could still shine through in how I show up every day in my business regardless of whether my name is in the company name or not. Read more>>