Like her dad, Boo loves seeing her vision come to life.
Starting an architecture firm is easy, but when launching a new business, public relations specialists will tell you it’s all in the name. Something that people can easily remember and has significance to your brand.
So how do you pick the right one?
In nearly 10 years of speaking to other architects, I’ve learned that few people wake up one morning and decide they are starting a firm. They’ve been working on side projects or have a particular client or benefactor that helps launch them into the realm of ownership. You make up the rest from there.
As for what you’re going to call yourself – that’s the hard part.
A friend recently asked me why Spotted Dog Architecture is Spotted Dog Architecture. The stock answer? Because I have a spotted dog.
Except picking a name is never really that simple, unless you follow the tried and true tradition of simply using the owner’s initials. That solution has worked for the likes of Dallas institutions like HOK, HKS, RTKL, and even BOKA Powell.
This solution would be a bit more difficult for me as I had only one last name to play with.
My husband James and I were sitting on the couch one night tossing around some possibilities, but nothing sounded right or really spoke to me. One of our beloved basset hounds rolled over on the couch (most likely looking for someone to rub her very spotted belly) and James popped off: “What about Spotted Dog?” The rest is history.
What I wasn’t expecting, however, is how much the reason for that name really reflected some of who I am and who I was hoping to be:
Laid back – which I had not been in years – but easily excitable. Especially when another dog walks by, or a squirrel is taunting them from the top of the fence.
Stubborn and ready to dig their feet in if necessary. (I’ve never seen another dog resist taking pills with such skill.)
Not taking themselves too seriously. Although, how can you when you have droopy ears, big feet, and knocked knees?
Somehow naming my firm based on a basset felt right. Because in the end, I think Daisy, Cecil, Ginny, Boo and Luna would tell us we all want the same thing –– someone to scratch our ears, rub our bellies, and tell us we’re a good dog.
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