What’s in a name? A lot apparently, as entrepreneurs, artists, and makers of all kinds spend enormous amounts of energy searching for the right name for their business, project, organization, or creation. Below, you’ll find the stories of how various successful brands, creators and entrepreneurs came up with their names.

Natali Garuccio

The name Stella Fatalé came from a vision of transforming brides into their ultimate, most confident selves. I wanted a name that captured the feeling of stepping into your alter-ego—the best, boldest version of who you are. Stella, meaning star, felt perfect for the idea of a woman stepping into the spotlight, radiating beauty and confidence. But I also wanted to convey a certain edge, that powerful, sexy, feminine energy. That’s where Fatalé comes in, reflecting that sense of allure and unstoppable presence. Read more>>

Melanie Stuber

The name of my organization, Cultivate and Thrive LLC, is inspired by my purpose and passion to empower leaders to achieve their goals and cultivate a culture where everyone can thrive. I understand leadership can be hard, really hard so I partner with leaders as their organizational culture and business strategy guide to help them gain clarity, boost efficiency, enhance experiences, and improve overall performance within their teams and organization. I focus on culture and strategy as I believe it is essential for an organization to have a healthy culture where everyone feels valued, supported, and connected, and to align strategy with culture to position their organization for success. Read more>>

Kristin Goodwin

Have you ever tried to capture the essence of your life’s work in a single name? It can be a daunting task. A name can carry profound significance. For me, the journey to finding the perfect moniker for my brand was deeply rooted in my personal history and professional vision. Picture this, I am sitting in the cockpit, calculating the precise adjustments needed to navigate through the sky. In that moment, I’m not just a pilot; I’m a navigator of change, constantly adapting to the ever-shifting conditions around me. It was in these moments of precision and adaptation that the seed of “The Delta-v” was planted. Read more>>

Madeleine Elizabeth

Extra Extra had a very natural evolution. When I first decided to publish my own book I knew I didn’t want to name my LLC after myself, and I knew I wanted to help other authors and writers down the line which meant a brand separate from me. At the time, the term “extra” was all over everyone’s feed. I resisted for a while, since so much of our language comes and goes over night; very few additions stand the test of time. Then as I was thinking about all the extra time I had put into finding just the right cover artist, the extra effort I had put in to ensure my manuscript was completely free of typos, I realized this reverence for literature as an art form and not just another product to get in front of a consumer is where my ethos really lay. In a moment of self-doubt I started thinking about artists everywhere, we’re all just trying to get paid for our work, inkslingers or otherwise. This reminded me of Newsies, the musical. Specifically the one from Disney, with a very young Christian Bale as the lead and all the newsboys are just scraping by…”Extra, extra, read all about it!” As a writer who appreciates wordplay that works on multiple levels, there was no denying it. It had to be Extra Extra Publishing House. Read more>>

Colavito Tyson

Pretty and Precious Girls was inspired by a touching photo I came across on Facebook. The image featured a father and daughter sharing a joyful moment at a Father/Daughter Dance. After seeing it, I couldn’t help but comment “pretty and precious” under the post. That simple remark triggered a profound realization within me. As I reflected on the image, I began to consider the many girls who might not have a father available to take them to such events, whether due to absence, circumstances beyond their control, or other challenges. This thought weighed heavily on my heart, and I found myself wrestling with it for nearly two weeks. Read more>>

Samantha Rose Murray

Well here it goes! I actually started my brand back in 2015 under a different brand. The name meant so much to me-my grandma lived on that street, she was always my safe place- it was where I spent most of my childhood, had countless memories with my best friend and sister, Hailey and heck it was where I met my now husband when we were 8 years old. I felt so attached to the name that it almost became part of my identity – unhealthily I’d say. I was young, naive but eager to take my started business to the next level. I was known for my hustle and work ethic- add in the extreme lack of knowledge of the business side- I ended up in a not so great business deal with not such great people. Read more>>

Andres And Sherry Osorio

We came up with Buena Vida Route as a combination of our cultures and the languages we speak. For one we are Latinos living in the United States that are very proud of our roots and always strive to show others a bit of who we are and where we come from. Our customs, our food and even our slang. Andres really liked the costarican phrase “pura vida” and in honor of Sherry background he thought it was the perfect combination between that frase and what we intend to do live a “good life” lifestyle and show the rest that it is possible even while on the road. Read more>>

Jiyoung Lee

I can confidently say that I created this restaurant under the name “121.” “121” represents my birthday, and that number embodies my deep passion and spirit of sharing. In Korea, it’s a tradition to invite family and friends over to celebrate birthdays with seaweed soup. From a young age, I’ve enjoyed hosting others, and I understand the joy of sharing happy moments with loved ones through food. Read more>>

Rhonda Hill

Wilted Willow LLC came to life during a hectic time. I had just returned from maternity leave to a fast-paced office environment with many workflow changes. On top of that, I was working from home while caring for my baby and our dog, who was battling bladder cancer. The days were long, and I often felt wilted, like a weeping willow tree – strong but bending under the pressure. But, like a willow, I didn’t break. When my partner would come home, and things settled down, I’d take a little time for self-care, usually with some good body oils. It became my way to reset. I wanted to share that renewal with others, and that’s how Wilted Willow LLC was born. Read more>>

Michelle Ngo

I had been racking my brain for about a week to find a clever name for my small business and suddenly one day, ‘Ms.shells Madeleines’ came to me as a shower thought. As soon as it formulated in my head, I knew immediately that it was the winner. Why? Well because my name is Michelle and Ms.shells is a word play on my actual name itself. The ridges on a madeleine look like a seashell. I wanted something dainty and proper to emulate the composition of this cute little pastry, so the ‘Ms.’ before the ‘shells’ was just perfect! Read more>>

Marietta Gonzaba

S’cute is a smashed together version of so cute! It’s something me and my kids have always said whenever we see things we love! When I decided to create my business and started throwing around names one of my kids used S’cute to describe one of the plushies I had made and we all had a lightbulb moment. It just fit perfectly. One of my favorite things is when I have people checking out my creations at my booth and expressing that they are all “so cute! “; I point out that it’s actually the name of my business. It always results in them stepping back to look at my banner and with a big smile or a good laugh. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that. Read more>>