Chill the f*ck out - your name doesn't have to do everything.

LET ME SAY THIS GENTLY...

Naming your business is not defusing a bomb. There's no need to treat it like one wrong word will blow up your entire future. I’ve watched brilliant founders spiral over whether their name “makes sense,” whether it’ll work for every possible pivot, whether their mom’s friend from church will understand it. She won’t. And that’s fine!

You’re not naming an undiscovered species. You’re naming a brand. And if you’re putting that much pressure on one word to carry your entire business, it’s no wonder you’re stuck.

So this however-many-minute read is your permission slip to chill the f*ck out. Your name doesn’t have to do everything. It just has to do enough. And guess what -- YOU set the criteria! (And I can help. I have a blog on that too.)

THE PANIC SPIRAL

Here’s what overthinking your name sounds like:

“But what if I change my offer?”

“What if people don’t get it?”

“Is it too weird?” “Is it too basic?”

“Will it work on a billboard?”

“Can I get the .com?”

“Will I regret it in ten years?”

“What if someone else has something kind of similar and I get sued and lose everything and have to go live in the woods?!”

That’s not part of a normal naming process. That’s anxiety.

And it IS understandable! Because naming forces decisions. It forces identity. It says, “this is what I stand for,” when you’re still figuring that out.

But the truth is: no name will feel perfect in the middle of an identity crisis.

No name will do its job if you keep changing the job.

So instead of spiraling about whether it can “do everything,” ask a better question:

What’s the one thing this name needs to do right now to move the brand forward?

That’s it. That’s the job.

WHAT A NAME ACTUALLY HAS TO DO

This list can be as long as you make it. But generally speaking, a great name only has to do three things:

1. Spark curiosity. It should make someone pause. Want to know more. That’s it. If your name opens a loop, your audience will lean in to close it.

2. Reflect your vibe. This is shorthand for emotional resonance. It doesn’t have to say what you do—but it should feel like you. If your brand is cheeky and rebellious, don’t name it like a mid-level consulting firm.

3. Be easy to say, spell, and share. If someone can’t repeat it without checking their notes, it’s not working for you. Memorability is the goal.

   
   

That’s it. That’s the bar. Not "does it describe every offer I might launch someday?" Not "is it globally understood in every language?" Just curiosity, vibe, and share-ability.

Anything beyond that? Bonus.

WHAT YOUR NAME DOESN'T NEED TO DO

Your name is not responsible for:

• Listing every service you offer

• Explaining your entire process

• Making your industry immediately obvious

• Doubling as a tagline

• Solving world peace

• Satisfying your inner control freak

• Impressing that one business coach who always “has thoughts”

A name is a doorway, not the full story. It’s the invitation to read the next page.

Your name is allowed to be evocative, metaphorical, playful, weird. It’s allowed to feel right without explaining itself. Because if your messaging is strong, your name doesn’t have to carry the whole brand on its back.

WHY SOME NAMES JUST "WORK"

You ever hear a name and think, “I have no idea what that means, but I like it”?

That’s not luck. That’s psychology. We’re wired to respond to names that create a little friction. Names that tap into emotion. Rhythm. Novelty. Identity.

It’s called processing fluency—the idea that our brains like things that are just familiar enough to feel safe, but just different enough to feel exciting.

Even if we don’t “get” a name at first, we feel something. And that feeling makes it stick.

So if you’re choosing between “The Clarity Coaching Collective” and something a little bolder, weirder, or more you -- Go with the one that makes you smile. That makes you curious. That makes someone ask, “Wait—what’s that?”

If you’ve been stuck in the naming vortex and you're over it—I can help.

I name things for a living. And I don’t just slap lipstick on a list of puns. I help you create a name that sounds like your business finally figured out who it is.