When I first went into business for myself, I was looking for a full-time position and thinking I could do some project work on the side to make a little money. I never in a million years thought I would still be in business for myself almost 2 years later!
What began as a side hustle eventually morphed into something I wanted to pursue more fully. I loved the variety of clients, the strategic nature of the work and of course, the flexibility...getting to be home everyday when my boys walk through the door is pretty amazing.
Last summer, I got real with myself. I was loving the client work, but I hadn't really been treating myself as my own client. So I asked myself…how bad do you want this? I decided bad enough that I was willing to give it the ol' college try.
First up, I devised a 90-day outreach plan and committed to reaching out to 5 people in my network each day for 90 days. Was it outside my comfort zone? Absolutely. Was I willing to do it anyway? Absolutely.
Within 2 months I got my first client from my outreach. And during that time, I started to put myself out there in bigger ways. I started going to networking groups, writing content, having a voice for myself on social media and attending events. After I took the plunge and went to the Women Impact Tech event in New York, I decided I was all in on my business.
So here I was a year and half in and was finally ready to build the business I always dreamed of.
When I thought about my original company name, GiddyUp Marketing, the feeling it gave me was "level up, let's go, kickstart." That energy was important to me. So when I was brainstorming the new name, I kept coming back to that same core idea.
Rise reflects the work itself. It's about helping teams level up their strategy, sharpen their direction, and improve their outcomes. It's the upward momentum that happens when marketing leadership brings clarity and focus.
Vibe reflects how I show up. It's the energy, presence, and partnership I bring to the work. And honestly, it's also about fit. I want to work with companies doing interesting things, solving real problems, where I'm vibing with the CEO or leadership team. That alignment matters.
When my SCORE mentors gave me their feedback on the name, they said something that really stuck with me. They said it doesn't sound like a standard old marketing consultancy that comes in with the same cookie-cutter approach to everything. It signals that there's something different about how I work.
And that's exactly what I was going for. The methodology plus the energy. The science and the art.
Maybe GiddyUp was my training wheels. The name I needed when I was testing whether this could work. And Rise & Vibe is who I actually am now that I know it does.
Sometimes your business forces you to reinvent. Not because something is wrong. But because you've outgrown what you built and it's time to create something that reflects who you've become.
Usually when there's a gap between who you've become and how you're presenting yourself to the world. That might show up as a business name or visual identity that no longer reflects your positioning, a target client that has shifted, or a feeling that your brand is holding you back rather than opening doors. A rebrand isn't about something being wrong. It's often a signal that you've grown.
A refresh updates the surface elements of your brand, things like colors, fonts, or a logo update, while keeping the core identity intact. A rebrand goes deeper. It typically involves reconsidering your positioning, your name, your messaging, and how all of those work together to communicate who you are and who you serve. If the gap between your current brand and where you're headed is significant, a refresh usually isn't enough.
Start with clarity on who you are now and who you want to work with, not who you were when you first launched. From there, work on positioning and messaging before you touch anything visual. A new name or logo built on a shaky foundation will have the same problem as the old one. Get the strategy right first, then let the creative follow.
The best business names communicate something about how you work or the energy you bring, not just what you do. They should be easy to remember, distinct from competitors, and feel right when you say them out loud. It also helps to pressure-test the name with people whose judgment you trust, not just people who will tell you what you want to hear. If the name makes people curious rather than confused, that's a good sign.
It depends on the scope. A full rebrand that includes positioning, naming, visual identity, and website updates can take anywhere from two to six months when done thoughtfully. Rushing it tends to produce results that feel unfinished. That said, you don't have to do everything at once. Some businesses rebrand in phases, getting the strategy and naming right first and updating assets over time.
You can do parts of it yourself, especially if you have a clear sense of your positioning and strong instincts about your brand. But an outside perspective is valuable precisely because you're too close to it. A marketing consultant or fractional marketing leader can help you see what you can't see from the inside, challenge assumptions about your positioning, and make sure the strategy is solid before you invest in the creative execution.
Everything that touches how you show up: your messaging, your elevator pitch, your website, your social presence, your proposals, and the types of clients you pursue. A rebrand that only changes the logo but leaves the messaging and positioning unchanged won't move the needle. The goal is alignment across all of it so that when someone encounters your brand anywhere, they get a consistent and accurate picture of who you are and what you do.
Treat it like a launch. Announce it with intention, explain the why behind the change, and use it as an opportunity to reconnect with your network. People appreciate authenticity, and sharing the story of why you evolved tends to generate more engagement than a simple name change announcement. Then commit to showing up consistently under the new brand so the market has time to catch up with who you've become.
I'm currently the Fractional CMO for MSI Data and am helping them launch their new AI product and will be evaluating a larger product rebrand later this year. If you're facing your own reinvention, feel free to reach out and I can help you chart a path forward.