We recently connected with Molly Dickinson and have shared our conversation below.

Molly, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

“I obviously can’t resist this question…

Naming is notoriously challenging, high-stakes work to begin with. Naming not one, but TWO companies that specialize in naming and branding services—and launching them back-to-back? That set a new bar.

Fortunately, along with all that extra pressure, I also had 10-plus years of professional naming experience, a tested set of creative and strategic philosophies, processes, and tools, and a team of fellow independent experts to lean on.

We essentially approached our company names if they were naming projects for hire, applying the same resources and methods we use to generate, vet, and secure winning names for our clients. The strategy shaping each brand name was unique: One sought to spark an immediate sense of positivity, celebration, and shared success. The other showcased boldness, cleverness, and unbeatable partnership. Ideally, we also wanted these names to feel like the sister brands they are; to ‘go together’ in subtle ways.

Ultimately, though, what makes or breaks any name is how well it meets three simple, universal, but super-powerful, criteria: Is it meaningful? Is it memorable? Is it ownable? Banner Day® and INVINCIBLE INC.® triumphed because they out-scored the other contenders on all three fronts: They captured the spirit and promise of each brand (Meaningful). They were “sticky” and easy to recall and share (Memorable). And they soared through our creative vetting process and our intellectual property law partner’s legal clearance review with flying colors (Ownable. And we have the registered trademarks to prove it).”

Molly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

“I took the scenic route here, for sure…

I’ve always loved anything to do with words as a creative medium: Reading, writing, oral storytelling, reciting, even drawing and illustrating letterforms. Then I lucked out with a fantastic high school teacher (shoutout to Gwendolyn Lehman, Stephen Decatur High!) who ran our very legit theatre program and taught AP psychology too. So, when I went to college, I knew I wanted to major in one of the three: English, Drama, or Psych. I figured acting would be too intense and borderline impossible for me as a career, but could always be a hobby. Psychology just required too many math and science classes. English it was! I majored in creative writing and literature and wrote an undergrad thesis in original poetry. The latter surprisingly foreshadowed and still heavily influences the work I do now in brand strategy and messaging, especially. It just goes to show that following your passions is always worthwhile. Even when you’re not quite sure exactly why or how (yet).

I graduated in 2008 with all the academic honors and zero job prospects. It was a tough time to be a starry-eyed, entry-level worker. Not unlike today. I must have sent out over 100 applications to land one internship in Atlanta writing articles for trade magazines for $10 a day. So, I started—well, waiting tables, of course—then freelance writing for local magazines and newspapers, then copywriting for clients’ websites, brochures, and ads. Which, it became immediately clear, was a way more lucrative path for me than freelance journalism.

I kept freelancing throughout my first full-time role as a communications coordinator for a local university. A few years in, I realized I could probably take my freelancing career full-time, and make just as much, if not more, working for myself. And—most importantly, for me—do more of the work I actually wanted to do, when, how, and for whom I wanted to do it. I’d named my side-business mdash, after the punctuation mark, a play on my initials, and the idea of “dashing” off great copy quickly. (See? I was into naming even way back then.) I made it official with an LLC and my first DIY website in 2009 and I’ve been growing ever since.

Now, I did go back to W2 status once after that. Within a year of freelancing full-time, I was offered the chance to lead copywriting and messaging strategy for a growing creative agency here in Atlanta, and that was just the best way to get paid to learn the ins and outs of the agency world and continue to hone my skills and experience alongside some very talented folks. I highly recommend it. I did that for a little over a year before going back to run mdash LLC and now, Banner Day, full-time and full-on.”

Tell our readers…what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others?
“Banner Day is the words-first (and maybe also the world’s first) naming and branding company created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. We use strategy, messaging, and design—in that order—to help fellow founders, owners, and leaders translate their businesses into brands worth celebrating.

Our service model is built differently, on purpose, in four fundamental ways. Everything we do is always: Made For You (especially designed, packaged, and priced for smaller businesses ready to grow); Reserved for You (with dedicated team time and resources and no overbooking); All-in-One (our expert collaborators join forces to deliver full-service creative branding and IP support in one seamless, streamlined flow); and FUN! (Think less stress, more confetti.) Clients come to us because they need help communicating what they have to offer as a company in ways that connect with their audiences. We work together, as a team of entrepreneurs who have been there, learned, and succeeded through those very same challenges, to build every client a standout brand they’re proud to share with the world.”

Clients come to us because they need help communicating what they have to offer as a company in ways that connect with their audiences. We work together, as a team of entrepreneurs who have been there, learned, and succeeded through those very same challenges, to build every client a standout brand they’re proud to share with the world.”

What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.?
“After running mdash full-time for a few years, I started itching to refocus my business on the work I loved most and felt was most needed by my favorite clients—mostly small and micro businesses—which was branding and, increasingly, naming work. And I wanted to intentionally bring on more team members to help me do more of that work and do it even better. I didn’t want to build a traditional creative agency. I didn’t want to hire employees. I wanted to work with other independent professionals, other entrepreneurs, and I wanted to make it FUN. Banner Day, as I hope the name suggests, grew out of a desire to bring more joy to challenging work for deserving and inspiring people. I truly believe in the power of small businesses and in supporting the people who start and run them every day. These organizations—and especially micro or solo operations and those owned by folks who look or lead differently than the ‘typical’ CEO—are being underserved (or overserved) by most creative agencies out there. I sought to create a business model that would purposefully serve and support these leaders on both sides of our business: By specializing our offerings and approach expressly for them as clients, and by hiring them exclusively as independent collaborators. We officially launched in March.

And, because great ideas lead to more great ideas (if you let them), three months later, we also officially launched INVINCIBLE INC. This sister company, co-founded with attorney Marcy Sperry of Vivid IP, realizes our shared vision of offering seamlessly combined creative branding, legal trademarking, and IP protection and education packages to our mutual clients. As far as we know, we’re one of—if not the only—such partnershipS in operation.”

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
“We go big on the little things: Those small gestures and interactions that let our clients—and our collaborators—know that we value and appreciate them. Not just because of their relationship with us, but just because of who they are and what they bring to the world. Handwritten cards. Little gifts in the mail, especially around special milestones, events, and holidays. An email, phone call, or coffee meeting just to check in and see how they’re doing or how we can help. Heartfelt referrals. Shoutouts on social media and in the press…

As we speak, we’re creating a huge birthday calendar so that we can wish everyone who’s ever worked with or alongside us, supported us, or otherwise been a part of our company’s growth a ‘Happy Birthday’ each year. (You’ll have to let me know when and where to send our best to the CanvasRebel team!)”

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

“Hands-down, the personal endorsements of our clients, collaborators, and others in our network. Before we launched Banner Day, I could trace over 60% of our business to referrals. SEO, paid ads, targeted marketing campaigns, social media presence—are all valuable ways to generate leads and drive new business. But, for me, there’s absolutely nothing better than when one good relationship leads to another.

I also have to credit the Banner Day and INVINCIBLE INC. brands themselves, and specifically the work of brand designer, Russell Shaw, and brand photographer, Angie Webb, in visually bringing them to life. A ‘brand’ really is the collective expression and impression of a company’s reputation. Successfully defining what makes us uniquely meaningful to our audiences, translating that into signature messages, images, and interactions, then sharing all the above compellingly and consistently—

That strategic branding work is the foundation for everything we do, and can do, as a business.”

Contact Info:

• Website: bannerday.co & invincibleinc.com
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/mollydickinson
• Other: linkedin.com/company/bannerday & linkedin.com/company/invincibleinc

Image Credits
Angie Webb, angie-webb.com/