Big Names in Naming: A Naming for Everyone podcast

I talk with Jenna about: * Addison Whitney’s Ari platform, an AI-powered naming tool designed to support creative exploration in pharmaceutical naming * Misconceptions about pharmaceutical naming * The skills needed for a career in pharmaceutical naming, including a love of language and natural curiosity Plus we play Defend! That! Name! and Jenna tells me why Rest Area is what we’ll all be calling...

Hannah Emery names people— something I find daunting, as a namer. We get into it! I talk with Hannah about: * Hannah's background in sociology and how it informs her approach to naming. * The process she uses to help parents choose baby names—which includes March Madness style brackets! * How the popularity of names has evolved over time * The unique challenges and considerations involved in helpi...

I talk to Scott about: * The journey from philosophy to working at Interbrand in Japan and New York to founding Tanj * How we grieve for the names of businesses that don’t last long enough in market * His work creating short-form naming content (GO ENJOY IT!) * His advice to his current self from his younger, scrappier self ( this really hit home…) Plus we play That Can’t Be Real! And Scott does s...

I talk to the brilliant Orlaith Wood and Jamie Thorp of Reed Words about: * Orlaith’s and Jamie’s naming origins in underwear and booze * Collaborating across offices and time zones on naming work * The importance of giving oneself "permission to be stupid," as some of the best names come from initial “dumb” thoughts * How Jamie used AI to develop Name Dealer, putting 10 years of Reed Words' namin...

I talk with Rob Meyerson about… * The PhD-to-namer pipeline * An in-the-works workbook version of his book Brand Naming * Why process matters * Key traits for namers beyond just liking language (though that matters too!) Plus we play Guess What We Do Here? and Rob makes some very insightful guesses about the nature of three companies that have something ~unusual~ in common. About Rob Meyerson Rob...

I finally got to interview Brad Flowers of Bullhorn and author of The Naming Book ! I talk with Brad about about: * The journey from managing a bike shop to founding Bullhorn and becoming a namer * Bullhorn's naming approach and the role of company culture as an attribute to explore for naming * Remembering to celebrate milestones along the way and remembering that business success and personal va...

Meet Mason! Mason took my classes last year and he was, as you’ll be able to tell from our conversation, all in on naming. I wanted to talk to someone newer in their naming journey about what they’ve learned so far and what they hope is next. It had to be Mason! I talk to Mason about: * How he came to see naming as a possible path after a couple of decades as a French translator * What’s been chal...

I talk Davie Young, director of brand architecture and naming at Microsoft, about: * Finding naming through brand architecture * What a supportive CMO can do for an entire organization’s commitment to naming * The intricacies and sensitivities of saying “no” to an internal naming request * The different ways people can be a namer! And so much more! Plus, we play Guess What We Do Here? and Davie tr...

I talk with Nina about: * Some of the ways naming is misunderstood * How she sets criteria at the start of a project * What “naming” really is beyond the development of actual name candidates * Her dreams of getting into the color naming game Plus we play “Guess What We Do Here?” and Nina pitches some incredible guesses as to what businesses might be based on their names: Guse, Whalesync, and Ambi...

This one is for anyone who’s been frustrated by their namer, researcher, or client while navigating the research process—we all have a lot to learn from Brad Davidson. I talk with Brad about: * The journey from researching how doctors talk about death (or“around” death, as it turned out) to working at a prominent naming agency—and ultimately conducting lots of naming research * The traps of fit-to...

I talk to Felipe Valério about: * The quirks of naming in Brazil * How trust sets the stage for a successful naming relationship * The way he uses independent movie titles to generate naming ideas * His dream to name a cryptocurrency and take it in a more unexpected direction And so much more! Plus we play Guess What We Do Here and Felipe has to guess what yay.com, Humaans, and Threecolts do. He’s...

I talk with trademark attorney Angela Wilcox about: * Why trademarks matter so much to the practice of naming * The challenges of descriptive naming and some of the strategies brands can use to protect their brand name while still telegraphic what they do * How working with an experienced IP lawyer can help you work through some of the less black-and-white aspects of trademarks—and get you closer...

I talk to John about: * His transition from linguistics in an academic setting to applying them to naming work * The ~vibes~ of names and how linguistics can tell us why we like what we like * Some linguistic basics we can all apply to our own naming work (it’s time to become a freak about phonesthemes) Plus, we play Defend! That! Name! and John pitches me Giant Bore for a dry cleaners, Odditory e...

I talk to Jeremy about: * Going from academia to becoming a senior naming strategist at Amazon * The intricacies of in-house naming at Amazon, including how names are shared and decisions are made * Naming + neurodivergence * A ton of nerdy stuff about tiering and versioning that all you disgruntled seasoned namers out there are gonna love Plus—twist—Jeremy brings a game for me to play, called Bre...

I talk with Patrick Yovanov about * How learning improv will help you become a better namer * His favorite tool: Trademarkia * His dream of naming a girl group * How he likes to present names Plus, we play Guess What We Do Here? and Patrick guesses what Smearcase, Butter, and Agood Company do. About Patrick Yovanov Patrick Yovanov is the Chief Naming Officer at Jingleheimer and a Freelance Sr. Str...

[Yes, my phone rings a few minutes into this episode, and it sounds very bad! I apologize! I am my own producer, and I am not good at it.] I talk to James about: * His love of the systems that inform good naming (which you can read about on his website: https://jamesmueller.xyz/thoughts/brand-architecture) * How naming characters in his own fantasy fiction writing planted the seeds for a life as a...

I talk with Emily Grubman about * Her dream of naming a cannabis brand * How she could help parents-to-be name their kids more effectively (it's all about communication!) * What it felt like to shift from a broader set of offerings to going "naming only" at her studio, Title Case * Why she dislikes "This & That"-style names Plus, we play Defend! That! Name! and Emily convinces me that Flower Cycle...

I talk with Aaron Hall about: * The characteristics he looks for in a newer namer * How indulging your curiosity on TikTok can lead you to unexpected sources of word nerdery (shout out to Etymology Nerd , who is also on Substack) * The importance of taking field trips and getting outside into the sunshine * Why you should build easily overlooked skills like taking your time and asking lots of ques...

I talk with Andrea about: * Her confidence that dating Italian men made her qualified to tackle her first naming project: an Italian men’s clothing line * How a story about her on NPR’s All Things Considered led to the foundation of her making a solid career out of naming * Why it’s so important to like your own name * Neil deGrasse Tyson telling her how electricity works when she was naming a lig...

I talk with Steve Cecil about: * Fighting against multi-tasking and devoting 100% of your brain to naming * How “owning your quirk” will make you a better namer * The stories behind the names Coursera and Figma * The many, many hats he wears at WhereWords—he even tries them on for us! Plus, we play Guess What We Do Here? and I stump Steve with some less-than-intuitive coined names. About Steve Cec...

I talk with Rachel Bernard about: * How she managed to go from working in the dressing room at the J. Crew in Rockefeller Center to a job as a namer at the world’s largest brand consultancy * The work we did together to name Paul Newman’s Serious Fun Children’s Network * Trying to sell in the word “Debut” as a name and discovering not everyone thinks it’s spelled like that Plus, we play Guess What...

I talk with Alexandra Watkins about: * Naming the Wendy’s Baconator! * Ways she's handled not being able to publicly disclose a naming client or credit * How she ended up writing her book, Hello, My Name is Awesome * Her cheerful office space where she does her naming * The naming styles she’s not a fan of Plus, we play That Can’t Be Real and Alexandra has to guess which one of these is a fake nam...

I talk with Mark Gunnion about: * His first-ever naming assignment * How the adoption of search engines and rising dot-com scarcity in the 90s grew naming as a profession * Getting his start working with all the naming legends * Creating a *shockingly good* name for Nike * How Paper Mate Flair pens are the best pens in the world (even though I wave a Le Pen around throughout the episode) * His nam...

I talk with namer Tyler Doyle about: * Why building strong relationships with your client/brand team is the best way to get to an outcome everyone loves * The importance of separating business goals from naming goals * Why the Oxford English Dictionary's Historical Thesaurus might be your new favorite naming resource Plus, we play That Can't Be Real, a game where Tyler has to guess which of three...

I talk with Anthony Shore about: * Getting his start in naming by naming cocktails * Naming during the dot com boom * The WILD ride of naming Accenture (50 names! 2,500 stakeholders voting on it!) * Why we hope Onelook stays ugly and stays powerful * How fanciful names can create distance from their intended audience, rather than connection Plus, we play Defend! That! Name! and Anthony convinces m...