I’ve always believed in getting expert advice and I’ve tauted that as one of the keys to my success.  And I still believe it.  But in a recent situation, I threw out all the advice that I received, came up with what was right for me, didn’t check with anyone regarding the decision, and acted with full confidence.  And this is something that I’m going to live with for a long time – the name of my new business!  I feel confident, energized, and liberated.  I didn’t use a “corporate branding strategy” as someone put it or a focus group as someone suggested or even send the name to potential clients, friends, colleagues to see if it brought up good or bad connotations.  I considered doing all of those things.  What I found from advice on this particular exercise was that it was all about everyone’s opinion and what they would do if it were their business.  

I’ve had a business coach for over 9 years and I am a coach myself.  One of the principles of coaching is that you don’t give advice, but help your client determine their own solution.  If they come up with the solution, they will own it and it will be much more successful than if it is the coach’s solution. This principle applies to naming my company.  I determined the name that I wanted for my business, kept it close and I am now revealing the name as I launch the business.  

I own it and am excited to move forward into this new adventure, bringing past knowledge and experiences, new learnings and insights, expert advice, and authentic solutions!