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If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that back in June I began educating myself on systemic racism, and examining my own role in it. While learning about that, I became more educated on cultural appropriation and realized that although I hadn’t intended to, I’d caused harm by culturally appropriating the name Namaslay, and felt it was very important to make changes. I decided to rebrand and find a new name for my studio and various aspects of the business including our podcast, teacher trainings and online studio.
At the town hall, dissolving the old studio, and registering the new studio name
The decision to change the name was easy and simple. I didn’t hem and haw over whether or not to change - it was a change I felt very strongly about, and it was very clear to me that it was the right choice for my business. The difficult part, however, was figuring out what to change the name to.
A name says a lot. A name is a huge part of brand identity, and it was important to me to find a name that effectively communicated what the work I do is all about.
I gave myself a few months to brainstorm, and speak with marketing and rebranding experts, and with other small business owners I know who have rebranded and who were socially aware. I jotted lots of ideas down, keeping a journal close by. I brainstormed while driving, in the shower, and just about any other time I had a free minute. I was constantly thinking about the name.
Brainstorming
I knew that I wanted the name to reflect the idea of purpose, to make you think about why you do what you do. I kept coming back to the word intention. I kept playing with acronyms. I liked Intention Factor and how you can get the word IF from the first letter of the words. I liked the idea that you could ask yourself: What IF? What’s the Intention Factor of what I’m doing? Essentially, I liked that the phrase could reconnect you with your intention to therefore reinforce more meaning into what you’re doing.
I liked that reflecting upon intention could be applied to anything from yoga to fitness to business, and beyond. I liked that it was a trademarkable name, and that I could see the potential in franchising down the line.
When I’d decided on the name, I spoke with a branding expert who said he loved the name for its staying power. He said, “It’s not trendy. We’re never going to look back and say, ‘Hey remember five years ago when we were doing things with intention?!’ He said intention is something we want for the longterm, and between that and the fact that Intention Factor was catchy and memorable, he was really into the name.
With that, we were off and running. I contacted my lawyer and Ashley got to work contacting our sign people to get a new sign up, and begin working on the rebrand of the website and starting paperwork with the state and town to register the business. There have been a lot of expenses that have come from this, and it’s tough because when you’re trying to run a small business in the middle of a global pandemic when much of your revenue stems from the ability to travel, it really takes a financial toll on you. But to me, the risk of going out of business is worth it to me. I’d rather give it my all, and work under a business name I love and feel is reflective of the brand’s core message, than carry on with a name that I feel is causing harm. If you’re curious about learning more about this process, I recorded an exclusive podcast on the YBC® App (iTunes / Android).
While this rebrand is a huge undertaking, and stressful in many ways, it’s also been a really good learning experience for me, and something that just feels right for my business. As I continue to learn more about systemic racism and oppression, and constantly examine my own role in the world in which we live, I feel confident in the direction in which the business is going, and I thank you for being a part of this journey.