So I’ve decided to choose a new name for my business. Why? Because I’ve never been in love with soulrinse. It was chosen haphazardly, back when my portfolio consisted of design AND art. The soulrinse name refers more to the art side than the design.

But I could just stick with my name, since I work for myself, right? Totally. But Ginny Shope Fowler is a mouthful, Ginny Fowler is too generic, and either way it’s not nearly as fun as coming up with something creative. Plus, branding myself around my name doesn’t leave much room for collaboration or expanding my business beyond “freelance InDesign monkey.”

I’ve always struggled with personal projects because there seem to be no boundaries – I can choose any name I want. In the world. So for this project I’m focusing on three words that represent me and my approach to business. Those words have been, well, less boundaries and more anchors for my brainstorming efforts.

Clever

I have a tendency to connect dots and details in ways that aren’t immediately apparent to other people. When I was a kid, my uncle had me look up the word “non sequitur” because apparently, I used them a lot. Even as an adult I make a point to clarify the path from one point I’m making to another, because it’s not always evident. As it turns out, that’s been a boon in my professional life because making unexpected connections can be the best way of getting in people’s heads. My favorite projects are ones where I get to be clever, and I want to do more of those. My new branding will aim to attract more of those projects.

Confident

When you own your own business, boldness comes with the territory. As my friend Florence says, it’s about settling into who you are and being comfortable with that. Putting yourself out there is the only way to attract like-minded people. My goal is to help businesses settle into who they are and assert that confidently.

Growth

No, this is not a joke about my height. My vision of the word growth has more to do with dirt and roots than pretty green leaves. It means change and progress and work. Change is an inevitability; growth is a choice. Growth also takes into account where you’ve been and builds on it. Every piece of print material, website, or ad that a company produces should be a step forward.

I’m getting closer to a new name, and gauging what of my existing brand is worth building on. We’ll see where it goes from here.