Why we are changing names

Key Concepts

• Brand Alignment: The process of ensuring a company name, personal identity, and public perception are cohesive and easy to communicate.
• Phonetic Ambiguity: The challenge of managing names that are difficult for audiences to pronounce or spell, leading to brand confusion.
• Rebranding Strategy: A deliberate shift in corporate identity to improve clarity and professional consistency.

Rebranding and Personal Identity Alignment

The speaker, Simone Giertz, discusses a significant strategic shift regarding her professional identity and company branding. Initially, she named her company "Yatch Studio" as a clever, albeit indirect, way to teach her audience the correct pronunciation of her last name (which was intended to be pronounced "Yatch").

However, after several years of operation, she identified a recurring issue: the name caused persistent confusion. The ambiguity surrounding both the spelling and the pronunciation of "Yatch" created a barrier for her audience, as people were unsure how to address her or the studio.

The 2026 Strategic Shift

For the year 2026, the speaker has committed to a process of "bringing everything into alignment." This involves two primary actions:

1. Company Name Update: Changing the studio name to match her updated personal branding.
2. Pronunciation Adjustment: Formally changing the pronunciation of her last name to "Geerts."

By adopting the pronunciation "Geerts," she is moving away from the previous, more complex phonetic experiment and opting for a more straightforward, accessible identity. This decision is framed as a necessary step to eliminate the friction caused by the previous naming convention.

Logical Connections and Rationale

The core argument presented is that brand clarity is essential for professional growth. The speaker acknowledges that while the original intent behind "Yatch Studio" was creative, it failed in practice because it required constant explanation. The transition to "Simone Geerts" represents a shift toward simplicity and consistency, ensuring that her personal name and her business identity are no longer at odds with how the public perceives them.

Conclusion

The main takeaway from this announcement is the importance of prioritizing clarity over cleverness in branding. The speaker’s decision to rebrand reflects a mature understanding of her business needs, recognizing that when a brand name creates confusion rather than recognition, it is time to pivot. By aligning her name and company identity, she aims to streamline her professional presence and remove the ongoing burden of correcting pronunciation and spelling.