What's in a Name?

This is an extremely simple question that does not seem so simple when you begin the process of choosing a name for your business. 

When I started bouncing around ideas for business names I never in a million years thought that this would be one of the hardest decisions I'd ever make. I mean, anyone who really knows me knows that I can't make a decision to save the masses, and I may be a little over dramatic at times (I just get excited about life, okay?!) but trust you/me when I tell you that naming a business is HARD! I knew that I wanted something with meaning and something that was unique, of course, but I didn't even know where to start. So I did what any responsible, studious, well-rounded adult would do;

I turned to Google.

I read and read. Anything I could find that I thought would give me insight into how and the heck I was going to make this life changing decision when I can't even decide what shoes to wear on a daily basis. I read about what to avoid, what to include, how to make it unique, and how to convey your emotion through your name. Although my research didn't magically pick a name for me, which I was secretly hoping it would do, there were a few things that stuck with me:

• Make it stand for something. Make it stand for you. And I don't mean just attach your name and call it done. Dive deeper. Pick something that represents your past struggles and your future victories.
• Sometimes eccentric isn't always a good thing. I know, I know. ME of all people saying that, but it's true. Express yourself and think outside the box but realize that not everyone thinks the way you do. There has to be some sort of boundary, at least in this situation.
• Be flexible and open to change. Although it is ideal to pick a name and stick with it forever, telling yourself that this is something you are stuck with is intimidating and counter-productive. Accept that while you are striving to choose the perfect name, your name is something that may needed to be re-evaluated in the future. 
• HAVE FUN. Although I did not learn this researching, it is something that has to be said. Don't let this be a sour time. I mean, you're starting your future!  As stressful as this process is, enjoy it. Start off on a happy note. 

With all of my new found knowledge in mind, I enlisted a few of my closest "people" and began bouncing around ideas. I kind of wish I would have wrote them all down, some of them were pretty comical. After a couple of weeks and countless hours of monotonous brainstorming I decided on Willow Branch Designs. The name is actually one that I thought of very early on and just kept coming back to over and over. It is something that has a deep meaning in my life, and represents where I want to take myself moving forward. Although I have always loved willow trees for their beauty, I had never really looked up the symbolism of them. I love me some symbolism.

So off I went again to Google. (seeing a pattern here?)

As soon as I started reading about willow trees I knew that I had chosen the right name. Although they have backgrounds and certain meanings in different cultures, they all have the same foundation. 

Willow trees are resilient. They not only survive adversities, but use them to thrive. They can bend and shape into any crazy position they are forced to be in and not break. Willow trees have learned to adjust to life and live in (and enjoy) the madness rather than fight it. This speaks volumes to me in my life. Although I now consider myself privileged in the way I was raised and the amount of love and support I was constantly surrounded with, I was by no means dealt any easy cards. It was a struggle to convince myself that being successful was something that was actually achievable for me, but again: my army was invincible. Have you ever heard that saying "It takes a village to raise a child?" Never have there been truer words spoken when it comes to my childhood. And every person and struggle I encountered made me the awesome woman I am today, because I adapted and learned to live in the chaos.

Being resilient and accepting the hardships of my future will be no different. My business will be as strong as a willow tree, as firm and grounded as it's trunk and as balanced as it's leaves, growing and learning to go with the flow. This is where I belong, and this is where I feel safe. Right under my big green leaves, designing the long branches.