Long before I soft launched my small business, I knew I didn't want to brand it with my name. It just didn't feel like me. I kinda beat to my own drum anyway, and while it's important to research trends and listen to what experts say, I work best when I'm comfortable in my own skin. Shakespeare IS right. My brand will be my brand no matter what my handle is on my socials. Each part of my name has two ties to who I am and how I want my brand to be seen in a sea of brands.
My grandma was feisty and she was my second mom. We lived with her and my Pop-Pop while my mom was navigating the single mom world and working hard. She was there when we came home from school with a snack and made sure we only watched one episode of Speed Racer before we started math and spelling homework. Grandma was the kind of woman you didn't mess with and the kind of woman who tenderly taught us how to live out our faith. She drove us to church when we wanted to watch Knight Rider instead and taught us the value of dinner time conversation and how to pray. As a mom, she was there for my mom, helping raise us when mom needed her the most. I adored her.
Grandma and I were born a day apart. Her on October 29th and me on the 27th. That's the first nod to her in my brand name. October. And, October just happens to be the most warmly colored month of the year. Bonus! Just LOVE October colors; they're a big hug waiting for me every time I go outside. Who doesn't want to be wrapped up and hugged by a sea of orange and reds and yellows?
The second nod is her name, Grace. Not only do I love her name, but grace is hands down my favorite characteristic of the God I know and love. I NEED so much grace in this process of starting a business as an already working mom. It's a lot to ask my of newly blended family and quite honestly, a lot to balance with my full time job as an instructional technology resource teacher.
Man, grace is sooooooooo hard. Grace takes energy. Grace takes lots of patience and open eyes. Extending love and undeserved kindness when you just want to tell the world how you really feel or when you're super tired is who I want to be. Let's face it. There's the stress in running a business, with expenses and requests and social media posts going in every direction. And, there's the stress in wrangling all your children and husband in fresh matching outfits out to a location and bribing everyone for all those Pinterest pictures you want. Stress makes us cranky. And when momma isn't happy...well, you know the rest :)
So you bring the kids and hubby and maybe a dog or two and I'll bring the goofy jokes and big October Grace hugs.