Starting a business or creative project is scary for many reasons, but one that is often overlooked is the anxiety related to whether this is really “the one.” To some, this isn’t a valid consideration while to others this is the only consideration. Some argue that what you work on, along with who you work with are the two most pivotal decisions you’ll make and so we’ve asked folks to tell us about how they came up with their ideas and how they knew this idea was the one.

Robby Simon

Honestly, it came from just daydreaming having fun and building this world in my mind. Thinking of the colors and what the branding is supposed to make you feel or memories the name, logo design and presentation is supposed to invoke. So thinking of the whole of me-influences, interests, and cultures and subcultures I love and am apart of-and bringing that into the ethos of this thing and allowing that to navigate and hone in on what I envision was a gift I learned from Virgil Abloh. Read more>> 

William Crumpler, II

In life we have our own goals, aspirations, and timeline on how we want things to go. But God’s plan for our life is the only thing that really matters. God used failures and disappointments to push me into a different path. A path that I could have never imagined. I was very uncomfortable doing something out of the normal but I trusted that everything was in God’s hand. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Roots are the part of a plant that absorb nutrients and water and transport them to the rest of the plant. Read more>>

Kaylee Michael

I started my business when I was 20. I started with a very simple name. My own name. As I progressed in my career I started wanting more from my name. It just felt so dull. Don’t get me wrong I love my name BUT it just wasn’t what I was hoping for. I ended up taking a break from photography for a short while. When I got back to it, my first thought was I have to change my name.I wanted something meaningful. So I went with Dorothy Doe Photos and Co. Dorothy is my great grandma. She has been a huge impact in my life. Read more>>

Hope Wright

It’s a funny story really. I love the moment people click and realize the connect of my brands name. If you’re from Atlanta or familiar with it you’ve probably heard the saying “Atl Hoe”. Anytime you go to concerts ect the crowd starts chanting it. I use to go to a bunch of shows and at the time a friend came up with “Atlhope “ instead of “Atl Hoe” and it just kind of stuck. So anytime I was at a concert with friends they would chant “atlhope” instead. Read more>>

Katrin Santore

My name is Katrin Santore and I am a self taught artist whom creates affordable gemstone jewelry. I chose to use my last name “Santore” (pronounced as san-toh-ree) for my company name as a family tribute. I am inspired by my paternal grandparents, who left Italy to pursue the American dream, as well as well as a long line of entrepreneurs on my mother’s side of the family. My father’s training as a geologist sparked my life-long interest in gems and stones. Read more>>

ANGIE FROEMEL

When I very first decided that I wanted to start a wedding planning business, I took a wedding planning certification class at the nearby university. In that class, the instructor advised picking a name that was high up in the alphabet, so it would be listed first in directories. I gladly took that advice and came up with not only a name that started with an “A,” but “Ab” – Absolute Wedding Perfection! It was such simple, yet effective advice. Read more>>

Minky Kim

Han, is a Korean term – it is said to be an inherent sense of rage and anguish that is essential to the Korean identity and a result of the forced occupation, oppression, and colonization of the Korean people by various nations around them. So much so that the term for Koreans in Korea is ‘hanguk-in’ – literally translating to ‘the race (or peoples) of han’ ​ Though the term ‘han’ may be specific to the Korean identity, Read more>>

 

Courtney Diorr

I came up the idea that I wanted to be a serial entrepreneur and influencer at the age of 25 seems a little late right lol , but it wasn’t because at that age I feel that’s where you start finding yourself and what you really want to do / accomplish in life . I started my Brand PrettyObsessionLLC because I want to sell the most luxury top notch quality Beauty supplies , Accessories, Clothing & More to give girls that expensive luxury style while on a budget . Read more>>

Martin Fodor

I have always felt passionate about architecture; especially modernist but more precisely brutalist architecture. There’s something about it that is somewhat hard to explain, it’s better to take a picture and look at it from a different angle. So I started taking pictures mostly in Budapest, about brutalist and modernist buildings, interiors, signs, etc. It’s important to note here that buildings built during communism in Hungary are not widely appreciated or loved. People, especially the older generation who lived through communism tend to distance themselves from these buildings, because they serve them bad memories from an era that nobody wants to go back to. Read more>>

Lisa Wolfe-Schacter

The name of my company, Blue Scilla CranioSacral, is from the blue scilla flower. They are spring blooming bulbs, but beyond that, they hold a special meaning to me. My first daughter died during delivery in October of 2012. 6 months later under the window of the room that was to be hers, grew a large patch of these blue scilla flowers. I always saw them as a gift from her. So, when I was starting my own business, I wanted to make it personal and close to my heart. From that desire grew Blue Scilla CranioSacral. Read more>>

CeCi Armstrong

StarrfacesbyCeci derives from the reaction I always receive from my clients. After I hand them the mirror, my clients are always amazed at how natural yet beautiful they transformed into. Read more>>

Akilyah Carpenter

My business name is Asha’s Ascending Acts of Service LLC. My business name was created because my name is Akilyah Asha Adisa Carpenter which roughly translates to “intelligent one who reasons with life” and Asha translates to life in Arabic. My love language is acts of service and my goal has always been to help people elevate or “ascend” to their highest self in their direct reality when it comes to their work and home life. Read more>>

Leurisa Watson

In July 2016, I delivered my third baby girl sleeping. She was our perfect little angel. Losing her changed my perspective on life and taught me that I needed to start doing things that really interested me and made me happy. A couple of years later, I left corporate America and went to culinary school. I names my chef business after her: Jadyn Rose to offer a way to keep her name alive. Read more>>

Kalen Mehlman

Kalen’s Place. A place that offers colorful, whimsical, multi-textural artwork. A place that provided children’s art classes and specialty events for many years. And could, one day, do so again. A place that offers unique and inspiring interior design services. A place where written content and research for television segments is developed. A place where fabulous design materials and textiles is collected. A place that is inviting, creative, sunny and bright. Read more>>

Mr. Houze

That is a great question! Every company should have a back story relevant to the name and logo being presented to the world. As long as I can remember I have always known movers and shakers in the music and entertainment industry. There are very little contacts in my phone that have absolutely nothing to do with the industry. Plus, I’ve worked in the industry in many different ways because the way I figured was if I wanted to work in the industry and not for the industry then it would be in my best interest to know as much as I could mentally handle. Read more>>

Joni Johnson

Clairvaux is actually my daughter’s middle name. I really wanted something french for the name. I had this tag line: Parisian chic Meets California Cool. I was stumped on what name would encapsulate that. I really wanted something french for the name. I had this tag line: Parisian chic Meets California Cool. I was stumped on what name would encapsulate that. All my kids are named after Saints and St. Bernard was a french saint. As soon I saw it in that light, I knew it was it. Read more>>

Stephanie Taylor

In a photography business, it is common to use your name. I didn’t want to use my own name as it wouldn’t stand out and be catchy enough to grab the attention of some clients. So I was on a mission to find a great name. I wanted a name that is unique, elegant, beautiful, graceful, catchy, and would really stand out. My grandmother kept coming to mind. She was always my biggest fan. Read more>>

TAMARA WESLEY-DECLOUETTE

SAPPHIRE&HATCHET are the nicknames of my late parents Henry (Hatchet) and Ella (Sapphire) Wesley. Both my parents were hard workers and always willing to help others. I wanted to keep them with me through my journey to help others achieve their goals in achieving a healthier lifestyle. Read more>>

Shelby Mittleman

Founded in 2018, Madammí was created to empower individuals through fashion pieces that can be found from our boutique that houses handmade pieces as well as industry favorite trends. My journey with fashion started at a young age from learning how to sew from my Grammy, and then in later years putting my own unique touch to clothing by customizing tshirts, Read more>>

Michael Trieu

True Performance Motorsport is a play of words on my last name. It’s derived from my last name Trieu, which phonetically sounds the same as True, but also it describes our company and what we do perfectly. We are here to bring out the “true performance” of your “motorsport” and competition needs. Read more>>

Devoun Burrowes

I came up with the name F*CK YA FASHION for my company because I wanted to encourage fearlessness, originality, and self-expression through streetwear culture. I created the brand in 2013 after I moved back to Atlanta from Brooklyn to start GSU. Durning the year I moved to Atlanta Instagram grew to become the most popular social media platform which made me feel like we gained access to the entire world overnight. In Brooklyn I never looked to the internet to get a name or tell me what was popular in the street. Read more>>

Sarah Kauzmann

My business name “Pipit” came from the nickname my dad called me growing up. To this day, when I call him to ask questions about my business and life in general, he answers the phone with, “is that my pipit?” Family has always been hugely important to me and as I build my business, that hasn’t changed. My parents and my older brother (as well as aunts, uncles, and cousins) have been huge supporters through the ups and downs of the first few years of running a startup, Read more>>

Nadia Lynn

As a person who tends to overthink a lot journaling was the best outlet I had. Lead By Motivation started off by being an ordinary journal where I would just write all my thoughts. Back then it was the place where I could unplug from reality and escape what I was going through at the time. I started posting poems from my journal on my personal social media platforms when I noticed that they’re were people who could also relate to what I was going through. Read more>>

Rei-Launya Amsterdam

I pondered for quite some time on a name for my personal care brand. Cycling through tons and bouncing ideas off of friends and my family. I truly felt like the ‘perfect name” or what I needed that name to encompass would never come. Eventually though, in a dream, the name “EDEN” came to me and I actually woke up and texted my friend Daniella right away. Read more>>

Jannine Jack

I always knew I wanted to start my own catering or baking business since I was in middle school, so I started brainstorming names then. I wanted the name of my business to display my background and who I am, so the name came very naturally to me and did not take me long to come up with as I utilized my multicultural background to create it. I stuck with it ever since and do not ever plan on rebranding or changing it because I think it is such a clever way to combine my African American and Hispanic background into the name of my company. Read more>>

Kayleen Christie Nelson

If you have ever wondered where the name Havenly Farm came from, here is the story. A haven is a place of refuge, it offers sanctuary, peace, safety and shelter. So often when people visited our farm before the photo venue business was started, they would comment that this place is so peaceful, restorative, relaxing and tranquil. From the beginning we were intentional about creating a sustainable home, environment and business where time slows down, Read more>>

Sherise Vargas

With a little help of my loved ones, once I knew I wanted to start my candle business we all started brainstorming. Long story short being Dominican-American I knew I wanted to include my culture in my brand. Growing up we always spoke Spanglish (Spanish and English mixed) the name La Lu is slang for saying La Luz which means “The Light” in Spanish. In these dark times we wanted to give our community a little light with every purchase of La.Lu Candles & Co. Read more>>

Amanda E.K.

My business name – Amandalay Industries LLC – is a Seinfeld reference, which makes me giggle. In the show, the character George fantasizes that he’s an architect who owns a company called Vandelay Industries. Despite my conservative religious upbringing, my parents always had Seinfeld playing before dinnertime, and the show has remained one of my favorites over the years, but as a child I never could’ve imagined I’d one day own my own business, and so the name is also a throwback to my roots — that I never forget where I came from. Read more>>

Nykia Benjamin

The Status Quo is a term that has history. Status Quo is the now, what’s in, and what’s trending. Regardless of the time, day or place, if you meet the status Quo, you’ve got the “it” factor. At Status Quo Beauty, our lashes are always the IT factor. Always in, always trending Read more>>

Erica Montgomery

I wanted to call it “Potliquor’s” but a wise businessman who actually was the one that encouraged me to go for it and start my cart, demanded that I name it after myself. He believed that people would be into the idea of me as the chef. It worked I guess! Read more>>

Lizz Pedraza Business Owner

The name of my business came up during a therapy session , as a coping mechanism. I was on my third deployment and struggling with major depression and anxiety my therapist was teaching me breathe work , and other ways to deal with my anxiety and as we are going through this excercise she asks me to create a scenario that brings me pure happiness , Read more>>

Emily and Drew Crain

We came up with the name for our business while sitting at a park in Portland, Oregon on our honeymoon. We both always loved the words Lovely and Dapper and thought it would be fun to put them together to describe our bakery. Read more>>

Michelle Brodeur

The name Magic by Michelle originated from my very first client. Sharon was kind enough to allow me to organize her basement office and craft space, as well as her first grade classroom, in an effort to help me collect the before and after pictures, client testimonial and confidence I needed to begin building my portfolio as a professional organizer. Sharon and I worked side-by-side for several days organizing her space, and during that time, she kept calling me “Magic Michelle,” Read more>>

Linnea Nelson

I want to take you on a journey through my childhood so that you can truly understand the process of how I discovered my passion. From as far back as I can remember, I’ve always loved the feeling of being able to experience something exciting and new, the feeling of looking forward to something fun and the smiles on my loved ones faces as they enjoyed a new experience with me. Growing up I loved to plan my own parties and planned my first at the age of 8. Read more>>

Luisa Mejia

Well that’s one of the funniest things about my company. I’am not only the founder of Louis Barx but also the fashion designer, marketing strategist, salesperson, shipping and packaging supervisor and the list goes on, so I decided to use my name because I am the designer and usually most of the luxurious fashion designer in the world use their names, so why not me? Louis is a name that could be easily pronounced in most languages and since I’ve always thought about my brand as a one with a potential to reach international markets it’s a good idea to have a good name. Read more>>

Ana Ita

I created a hair care line that improved the health and appearance of hair. My clients loved it so much they would refer to it as “Hair Crack”! Wanting to elevate my brand, I knew I had to come up with a meaningful & appropriate name for my beauty line. I knew I wanted a Lion to represent my products. I chose the lion because of My Chaldean Heritage and it reminded of my late father. Both the lion & my father represent strength and power. Read more>> 

Rosemary Sadlier

Having a lifelong interest in Black History, I was nominated to the board of the only Provincial Heritage Organization in Canada with a focus on Black History, and quickly became the President. With the scant resources we had, I needed to roll up my sleeves to ensure that the mandate of the organization was achieved. This propelled me into providing as many as 2000 talks in schools, corporations and community settings as well as handling requests from media. Read more>> 

Danielle Leon

“Welcome240something” was sadly birthed out my being a Make-Up Artist allowing me to be witness to women’s self-hatred and insecurities regarding their physical beauty on a daily basis. In the year 2010 I began working as a Make-Up Artist for Sephora in New York City entering the beauty industry formally at age 40. I eventually became a Beauty Manager at Sephora as well as Bergdorf Goodmans and Bloomingdales. Read more>>