When I first started The Social Girl Traveler, choosing a name was a BIG deal. Like HUGE. Was the website available? Was the name trademarked? Was it unique enough? On and on.

And now… it’s the biggest debate I see among peers and clients.

You want to/have started an online business but you can’t decide if you want to create a separate name OR brand your own personal name.

Real talk – whether you think you have a personal brand or not, you definitely do.

It’s 2020. (if you didn’t know this already LOL)

If you have an Instagram, Linkedin, Facebook or even Twitter, you have a personal brand. So watch what you’re saying and what you’re posting because IT MATTERS and people are watching. You are the face of your business. And guess what, NOW more than ever people want to work with a real human and not a faceless company. 

A personal brand is who you are. 

The only difference between you and Gary Vee, is that he has about 7.6m followers. Yes, his reach is greater than yours. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a successful personal brand.

People are more drawn to personal brand experts because they’re more personable. That’s also why some big brands pay huge athletes to endorse their products. At the end of the day consumers feel a greater connection to a famous basketball player that they aspire to be or look up to, than they would just a “regular” shoe brand.

Are you with me?
Do you get where I am going?
Are you getting what I’m putting down?

Why are you debating on creating a new name for your business when YOU are the business?

If you’re selling services and/or products that you create, my advice to you is this – keep your name as the business. Period. Talk about your services or products to get people to know that you are an authority/expert in whatever space you are selling in.

On a professional level, your name sounds a lot better than, for example: “the sexy social media expert”, – haha you get what I mean.

Let’s wrap this up.

If you’re creating a blog or want to be a business coach/consultant/mentor, using your name is a no-brainer. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. 

If you’re a student and reading this, I wish someone would have told me that one day our social media platforms would really get us jobs and/or be part of our personal brands. Stop looking at influencers like celebrities and start thinking of them as remodels who have paved the way on social so you can become ‘famous’ and make a living from creating content and speaking your voice.

You’re welcome.