🎙️✨ BONUS EPISODE — Golden Nugget: The Art (and Chaos) of Naming Your Brand

To celebrate 20 episodes of Founders Meeting, Helga sits down with branding experts Sebastian Degenhard and Paula Espinosa to dig into the creative strategies, pitfalls & psychology behind great names and the emotional rollercoaster that is naming your brand.

From naming fails to trademark wins, from trend-chasing pitfalls to the timeless power of storytelling, this conversation is a masterclass in building a name that actually works for your brand — now and in the future.

💬 In this episode, we talk about:

🗣 Why the “perfect” name is a myth — and what to aim for instead

🎨 Naming categories: descriptive, evocative, invented, acronyms

⚖️ The non-negotiable step of trademarking

🌀 Why context is everything when testing names

🌍 The evolving role of domain names (and why .com isn’t the only game)

🔥 How passion and intuition can lead you to the name

📌 Key Takeaways:

✔ The right name exists — the perfect name doesn’t.

✔ Naming should be an authentic reflection of your brand.

✔ Trademarking protects your brand identity from competitors.

✔ Focus on generating many ideas before narrowing down.

✔ Context matters more than isolated testing.

✔ A name’s meaning deepens as your brand’s story grows.

🎯 Sound Bites:

💬 "The right name? Yes. The perfect name? No."

💬 "The name gets better with age."

💬 "The dot com era is gone."

🧡 Why You’ll Love This Episode:

This is naming demystified — without the jargon, stress, or pressure to “get it right” on the first try. You’ll walk away with tools, mindset shifts, and a renewed sense of fun for one of the most important (and feared) parts of branding.

📍 Chapter Highlights:

00:00 – The Art of Naming Brands

11:18 – Understanding Naming Categories

20:02 – The Naming Process: Best Practices

23:51 – Naming Fails and Lessons Learned

33:35 – The Importance of Concept Testing

38:42 – The Evolution of a Name Over Time

44:35 – Trends vs. Authenticity

46:54 – The Role of Domain Names

51:32 – Intuition and Excitement in Naming

📣 Connect with Us:

In the hope that those stories 🔥 up your ass as much as they do to ours. This podcast is brought to you by SERIOUS.BUSINESS.

You’re scaling fast. But your messaging, your story, your brand haven’t caught up? Let’s fix that → 👇🏻 Click The Link Below 👇🏻

• Apply to get our FREE Brand Masterplan 🦄