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.

Rose Mary Bellamy

1. Thoughts on a family business

Grandpa Foods is a perfect example of what makes a family business special—passion, perseverance, and a deep-rooted purpose. The fact that the company was founded out of love, not just for food but for family, gives it a unique authenticity that customers can connect with. Read more>>

Kate Bauersachs

@katescandidcocktails” actually started out as just “@katescandids”. I was at the time working for a social media company called ” Synchronous Social Media” part time as a content creator for various restaurants and small businesses in the area while also working as a server in Piermont , NY. I created the page to highlight some of my favorite images from sight visits in hopes to build a portfolio to attract more social media work. Read more>>

Destiny Johnson

The name of Divinity comes from the root word of Divine, which is also my middle name. Divinity means holiness, blessedness, coming directly from God.
Divinity was created in order for people to be seen. For individuals to know that they are important, worthy of His grace, full of purpose at any stage of their walk with Christ.

Divine Power, Divine Purpose, and Divine Release.. represents wholeness, completion and “perfection.” Read more>>

Michell Llovet

Three years ago, I found myself at a crossroads. Professionally, I had reached what many would call the pinnacle: serving as a Student Activities Director and head of the PE Department with 25 years of dedication in Catholic education. I loved my work and the community I served, yet I began to feel that the path was coming to an end. The demands of the job were draining my time, energy, and health. I started gaining weight, my stress levels soared, and my spinal condition combined with arthritis worsened. Ironically, while I had spent years teaching our youth the importance of living a balanced, healthy life, I was no longer embodying that message. Read more>>

Tomasa Williams

When me and my husband decided we wanted to go into business for ourselves, our business name came rather quickly. We wanted our clients to know we are committed to them as much as we are committed to our family. Hence, Williams925 Home Rentals LLC was born! We incorporated our family name and the date we met which was also our wedding date. September 25th. Read more>>

Ashley Pineiro

The name House of Ladera is more than just a brand—it’s a tribute to resilience, legacy, and the power of storytelling through fashion.

The word Ladera is deeply personal. It’s an homage to the strong women in my family, particularly my grandmother, Eriberta Ladera Abecia, and her sisters. My grandmother, the eldest of five, spent much of her adolescent years overcoming immense hardships. Yet, she didn’t just survive—she took on the role of guardian, fighting to ensure that her sisters could build better lives. She wasn’t just their protector; she was a generational barrier-breaker. She even worked to fund my grandfather’s education, which allowed both of them to become educators, uplifting their community. Read more>>

Shanyse Kee Waugh

Phenom Muse… Muse Society… both names say so much in one breath; a monostitch if you will. As a child I’ve always loved words and their meanings and how some words just FELT good without explanation. When looking for a name for my brand my goal was to create a name that is not only unique but artistically and intentionally layered. Take the definition of each word and you begin to peel back the first layer of “Artist meets inspiration.” When you think of a Phenom you think of someone who is extremely talented in their craftsmanship. But what is a Phenom without a source of inspiration? It needs a Muse to even exist and approach mastery of its craft. Because without inspiration nothing would be because everything in the world is inspired. Read more>>

Madison Geroski

When naming my business which specializes in providing unique gifts, home decor, and baby/children’s apparel and accessories, I brainstormed SO many different name possibilities! Initially, I wanted to use a childhood nickname my family had given me, however after sharing the name at a trade show, I realized it was difficult for others to pronounce and although it evoked such wonderful memories for me, it didn’t encompass the purpose or mission of my brand. I had to pivot. I focused in on what the mission of the company was and what I wanted to help others with through my business. I identified key parts of my mission being to eliminate the stress of preparing for celebrations by providing everything needed to gift and celebrate with style, and offering products that spark conversation. Read more>>

Rebecca Camon

Naming anything is no small task. When I was creating Inspire Atlanta, I wanted a name that truly reflected my mission and passion. Before launching Inspire Atlanta, I co-founded Buckhead Networking Group, which gave me incredible experience in building connections. However, as I branched out, I knew I wanted to focus on something much grander. Something that aligned with my deep passion for the city of Atlanta and my desire to create a real impact for the community. Read more>>

Peggy Hansen

We named our company after our mom, Nan! When we launched our company our goal was to bring our family bloody mary mix to market. Nan developed the bloody mary recipe out of a bumper crop of tomatoes one year, that year was 1970, we knew we needed to name the company after her! We started out with Nan’s Naughty or Nice and later changed the name to Nan’s Naughty And Nice to capitalize on NAN. This suggestion was made to us by a friend who is a marketing genius and we still thank her today! Read more>>

Brandy Mills

I’ve had more than one experience where the organizations I worked for made it painfully clear that their priority was the bottom line, not the people who made that bottom line possible. I watched as leadership became more focused on metrics, numbers, and outcomes rather than the actual human beings doing the work. And in those environments, I saw the same pattern repeat itself… high turnover, low morale, disengagement, and a disconnect between the company’s stated values and its actual culture. Read more>>

Kory Andreas

A pivotal lesson I learned in my career is to trust your instincts when you know you’re capable of more than your current job allows. I spent 20 years working in public and non-public schools, deeply invested in supporting neurodivergent high school students. But over time, the frustration of being constrained by a rigid system grew louder. I could see what my students needed, but the red tape, outdated policies, and systemic limitations kept me from providing the support I knew could make a real difference. Read more>>

Miguel Hernandez

The biggest lesson I learned came from my 12 years working on the railroad. I started as a car inspector in Chicago, then later took a job in Kentucky as a yardmaster. But the turning point wasn’t just about career growth—it was about survival. I was terminated from the railroad in Chicago, leaving me jobless and having to start completely over. That experience forced me to re-evaluate everything. At first, I did what I thought was best—I found an opportunity in Kentucky as a yardmaster. It was a good position, but it took me away from my family. I was stuck between earning a living and being present for the people who mattered most. Eventually, I realized that I couldn’t keep sacrificing my time, my passion, and my family for a job that could replace me in an instant. That’s when I made the decision to take the leap—I left Kentucky, came back to Chicago, and started from nothing. Read more>>

Gitit Kaufman

About 25 years ago, when I was a social worker in Israel, I worked with families who had children or other family members with intellectual disabilities or mental illnesses. My job was to find the right place for them, whether that be the proper school, right work place or the best homes for them to live in. I was in my early 20’s and it was my first job as a social worker. I remember one of the fathers there with a child with mental difficulties. He had asked me, “Do you have children with disabilities?” I answered no. Then he asked me another question in a harsher tone, one with a lot of hurt in it: “Do you have children”? Again, I said no. Then he said to me in a louder, angrier, and more pained voice, “So how can you understand me? How can you help me?” Read more>>

Thomas Westbrook

Throughout my career, I have held a diverse range of roles—spanning from an ice cream scooper to a regional director—across multiple industries, including health clubs, restaurants, spas, child centers, and coffee shops. Each of these roles shared a common thread: they were customer-facing and required a commitment to creating exceptional experiences that fostered long-term loyalty. Read more>>

Magdalena Holzmueller

One of the most important lessons I learned in a job that has shaped me as a business owner was when I was working in a Human Resources department. It was a high-pressure role where I had to persuade top candidates for management positions to choose our company over other competitive offers. The experience taught me that business success—whether in HR or running my own health and wellness company—is not just about what you offer but how you connect with people and make them feel heard and valued. Read more>>

Rebecca Belenky

The things I’ve learned from my clients could fill a book. From incredible recipes to endless resources for where to shop and what to watch, my life is regularly changed for the better by the people I work with. One of the things I love most about this work is how deeply personal it is, and it goes both ways. I’m always thrilled to hear from past clients who text me months or years later with potty training questions or concerns about breastfeeding strikes. Similarly, my past client who is a vet is always happy to weigh in exactly how many chocolate brownies are lethal for my standard poodle. Read more>>

Amanda Mcgreer

When I called to tell my mother that I’d accepted a lending trainee position at a family-owned bank, she immediately started crying. Puzzled, as these were not tears of joy, I asked her why that upset her. She replied, “Because women cannot move up in banking.” I assured her that was outdated thinking. I temporarily retained my confidence but the seed took root. Read more>>