What’s in a name?

I’m not sure about you, but names mean a lot to me. They dictate how I interact with a person or even a place. If we are friends, I may affectionately refer to you by a nickname that is only shared between us- the one that you earned back in the sixth grade. If you are my favorite vacation spot or the best kept secret in town, I may call you by a moniker only known to the locals. It feels intimate, as names should be.

So, when dreaming up a name for my brand, I wanted it to mean something special to me, but also appeal to a larger audience. I made a list of contenders and some made “the cut”, but they were already in use in some form or another.

Then, I landed on one and thought that was it, but something didn’t sit well with me even though it passed the test with friends and family.

And as most of my great ideas, like yours I’m sure, happen in the shower, Finders Keepers Earrings came to me and then in a half-dream state upon waking the next morning, I wrote the tagline: Finding Inspiration & Beauty in the World—Keeping the Traditions & Creativity of Women Before Me. I was sold.

I thought of all the photos I’ve taken and those images that will forever be impressed upon my mind despite not having a camera on hand. I thought about all the grit and grime I’ve seen juxtaposed against the smooth serenity of life and how awesome it can all be- the energy, the chaos, the maddening beauty of it all and how small I am compared to everything. Yet, how large I am empowered to feel.

I thought of all of the impactful women (and others) who came before me and paved my path for me before I even learned to walk. My maternal grandmother taught my mother (and uncle) to crochet. My mother exposed me to sewing, knitting, macrame, and everything creative under the sun. My mother-in-law showed me how to crochet one summer and it finally clicked. Strangers have humbled me with tricks and tips of the trade and I will forever be grateful to all of them.

From folksy singers to sun-chasers to girls that ride to bohemian brides to city slickers to the bright-eyed believers, you have all given me so much.

I am a daughter. I am a sister. I am a friend. I am a lover. I am a wife. I am a mother. I am a teacher. I am a creator. And now, I am a Lady Boss!