10/24/2024
Recently had a discussion about personal branding vs a business name and needing the "perfect" domain name.
For years I've resisted building a personal brand -- I think this is mostly because I came up in the "Name Your Business to Sell It Era" not the "Use Your Own Name Era."
Note: I did go all in on a personal color as you can see in my logos! 🩷
That's why my business is named Design Solutions Creative Group, Inc. vs Deb Mitchell Designs (or something like this)
Over the past 25 years I've created lots of different names that I've used as DBA. I'll share the journey below ⬇️
🩷 Scraptalk.com
I founded and ran an international scrapbooking community, Scraptalk.com, bringing together over 10,000 passionate members. Back in the early days of the internet, Scraptalk was a trailblazer—one of the very first scrapbook websites to hit the web! I even made history as the first online business to rock a press badge at the HIA Craft and Hobby trade show. There, I built strategic partnerships with top manufacturers (like Anna Griffin Inc.) and influencers, giving our community sneak peeks of the latest products, all while helping brands connect with their perfect audience.
🩷 Crush
My husband and I started the promotional marketing part of our business and owned our own embroidery machines and a garment printer where we printed t-shirts before the on-demand days. [Still sell promotional marketing stuff like pens, water bottles, stickers, and all your favorite swag]
🩷 Be Social Marketing
I adopted this name when I started doing a ton of social media management for clients. It's still the base to my gmail email.
🩷 Membership WOW
I’ve been using this name for the membership marketing side of the business where I help membership owners grow their communities with cool marketing ideas.
🩷 Marketing WOW
okay...I love the WOW but I wanted to talk to more than membership clients so I'm using this one a lot currently.
Then add my 2 memberships:
🩷 Community Builders' Paradise
Community Builders' Paradise is a membership where community-focused online entrepreneurs can brainstorm, strategize, and develop marketing plans to engage, grow, and WOW their audiences.
🩷 [Coming Soon] Insight Membership
Get personalized marketing feedback from a marketing expert.
I won't tell you how many domain names I've used and "saved" just in case. Finally, last year, I decided to jump on the personal branding bandwagon and start using an "umbrella." I'm currently highly recommending this to all my clients. It makes life so much easier!
I've now committed to keeping the corporate name for business purposes as it's to complicated to change that and luckily its broad enough for anything.
I'll keep using cool niche names (more for programs or niches)
BUT everything will live under the umbrella of Deb Mitchell. This can flex as my interests change and I won't have to start a new website or re-do my entire website every time something gets changed.
I've gone all in on ONE website! deb-mitchell (dot) com 🎉
ps -- I am sure GoDaddy is sad to hear this news but it will make life so much simpler.
What are you doing and why?
Business name or Using a personal brand
What about for your domain name?
[Day 4 of talking about my own business instead of a brand]
![[Day 1 of talking about my own business instead of a brand]You might not know...I love helping people with their marketi...](https://img5.businesses10.com/947/248/1317719379472486.jpg)
