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 the common cold, why Wakeup Call is the most proper name for an etiquette school, and why Little Bunny could be a comforting name for an obituary writing service.

About Jenna Wise

Jenna is an Associate Creative Director of Verbal Design at Addison Whitney. Since stepping into the world of naming in 2009, she’s helped shape identities for everything from snack foods and cars to blockbuster pharmaceutical brands and global corporations. Her work spans naming, copywriting, scripting, and brand strategy. If she could choose a superpower, it would be omnilingualism.

Connect with Jenna on LinkedIn, or learn more about her work in verbal design and AI collaboration at addisonwhitney.com.

Big Names in Naming is a Naming for Everyone podcast

For more naming resources, live and self-guided classes, and a weekly newsletter, visit namingforeveryone.com. And if you're a major brand in need of naming help, you can work directly with Caitlin's studio, Wild Geese Studio. wildgeesestudio.com.

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 helping adults choose new names for themselves

* Supporting name development and naming decisions in scenarios like multicultural families

And so much more!

Plus we play Guess What We Do Here? And I give Hannah a set of three “better” names to wonder about.

About Hannah Emery

Hannah Emergy has a PhD in the sociology of identity, has been telling stories since she was a kid, and has worked with dozens of individuals and families seeking meaningful names.

Names, stories, and identity have been her passion for decades. She loves helping clients find the intersections of language, culture, and history that encompass what they're looking for in a name. Because every name journey is unique, and every name has a story.

Website: janusnamejourneys.com.

Substack: janusnamejourneys.substack.com

Big Names in Naming is a Naming for Everyone podcast.

For more naming resources, live and self-guided classes, and a weekly newsletter, visit namingforeveryone.com. And if you're a major brand in need of naming help, you can work directly with Caitlin's studio, Wild Geese Studio. wildgeesestudio.com.

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 shockingly well when faced with names sourced from my little town of Kerhonkson, NY.

About Scott Milano

Scott is the founder and managing director of Tanj. For more than 15 years, Scott has focused on verbal identity — harnessing the power of language to deliver lasting, tangible impact on brands globally. For more, visit Tanj.co.

Big Names in Naming is a Naming for Everyone podcast

For more naming resources, live and self-guided classes, and a weekly newsletter, visit namingforeveryone.com. And if you're a major brand in need of naming help, you can work directly with Caitlin's studio, Wild Geese Studio. wildgeesestudio.com.

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' naming data to use

Plus we play Defend! That! Name! and the two of them tell me why Tiny Tucker’s Big Bucket is a magnifique name for a French bistro in Tampa, why Tidy cleans up as the name for a lawn-mowing robot, and why Doinkies wins on a “post-consumption feeling” level as a name for an absinthe.

About Jamie Thorp

Jamie is a Senior Writer at Reed Words. From NFTs, to luxury condos, to sex toys — if it sits still long enough, Jamie’ll name it. Before joining Reed Words, he kick-started his career at Pearlfisher, where his claims to kinda-fame include writing the Wagamama menu, and naming a startup now owned by Ellie Goulding. His names win awards — including a D&AD Pencil for “Wallbaby” (an online Swedish art store). Fun fact: Jamie is from an island called Jersey, which is what the football jersey is named after.

About Orlaith Wood

Orlaith (pronounced Or-la) is a Creative Director at Reed Words. She has been naming things for over a decade. After a somewhat inauspicious first brief naming a (since failed) cameltoe prevention underwear brand, she’s gone on to much more successful naming projects — like award-winning sustainable beauty brand “UpCircle”, and a boutique hotel in Dublin, “The Wilder”. Orlaith speaks three languages (English, Irish, and French) which helps keep her references for naming nice and broad. She is currently tackling her toughest naming brief yet: coming up with a name for her first child, who’s due in August.

Orlaith and Jamie are both based in London, UK, and work at Reed Words, a brand writing agency.

Big Names in Naming is a Naming for Everyone podcast

For more naming resources, live and self-guided classes, and a weekly newsletter, visit namingforeveryone.com. And if you're a major brand in need of naming help, you can work directly with Caitlin's studio, Wild Geese Studio. wildgeesestudio.com.

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 is the principal and founder of Heirloom. He is a brand strategist and professional namer whose past clients range from startups to the Fortune 500. Prior to Heirloom he was Global Head of Brand Architecture and Naming at HP. Previously, he held strategy and verbal identity roles at leading agencies in the U.S. and Asia. Rob runs the blog and podcast How Brands Are Built, co-authored the most recent edition of Designing Brand Identity, and wrote Brand Naming.

To learn more about Rob and see samples of his writing, media appearances, and presentations, see his full bio.

Big Names in Naming is a Naming for Everyone podcast

For more naming resources, live and self-guided classes, and a weekly newsletter, visit namingforeveryone.com. And if you're a major brand in need of naming help, you can work directly with Caitlin's studio, Wild Geese Studio. wildgeesestudio.com.

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 value don’t have to get all tangled up in each other

Plus we play Defend! That! Name! and Brad convinces me that Longshot is a spot-on name for a meditation center, Snips will be your next sleep coach, and that Horizon peanut-free spread could work as a name if we paired it with a ~nasty~ little tagline.

About Brad Flowers

Brad is the co-founder of Bullhorn, a naming and brand identity agency. Brad co-founded Broke Spoke Community Bike Shop. He wrote The Naming Book. Brad lives in Lexington, KY with his wife, two kids, and cattle dog, Matilda. Brad’s email is [email protected].

Big Names in Naming is a Naming for Everyone podcast.

For more naming resources, live and self-guided classes, and a weekly newsletter, visit namingforeveryone.com. And if you're a major brand in need of naming help, you can work directly with Caitlin's studio, Wild Geese Studio. wildgeesestudio.com.

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 challenging about getting started in this field

* His love of the outdoors and how it inspired his Substack devoted to outdoor brands’ naming trends

Plus Mason was super brave and agreed to play Defend! That! Name! He makes the case for Pleasure Trip as resort wear for toddlers, Slither as a diner name, and Action House as a line of clothing from celebrity Steve Buscemi.

About Mason Colby

Mason is a French translator and copywriter specializing in sustainability and corporate communications. He is a songwriter drawing on folk traditions of his native Louisiana and adopted Kentucky. And he is a namer. Subscribe to Trail Names.

Big Names in Naming is a Naming for Everyone podcast

For more naming resources, live and self-guided classes, and a weekly newsletter, visit namingforeveryone.com. And if you're a major brand in need of naming help, you can work directly with Caitlin's studio, Wild Geese Studio. wildgeesestudio.com.

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 tries to convince me we’ve been in a “Pickle” the whole time.

I feel so lucky to have not one but TWO guests this season share their experiences managing naming at a large organization. (And if this sounds like YOU, get in touch! I’d love to interview you for an upcoming season!)

About Davie Young

Davie Young is a brand strategist with over a decade of experience managing beloved brands like National Geographic, Disney, Mastercard, and Microsoft. Currently the Director of Brand Architecture & Naming at Microsoft, he spends most of his time either breaking down complex tech stacks into easily digestible names, or convincing people they don't need a name at all. In his personal life, he's passionate about inclusivity and accessibility in gaming.

Big Names in Naming is a Naming for Everyone podcast.

For more naming resources, live and self-guided classes, and a weekly newsletter, visit namingforeveryone.com. And if you're a major brand in need of naming help, you can work directly with Caitlin's studio, Wild Geese Studio. wildgeesestudio.com.

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 Ambius.

About Nina Beckhardt

An internationally published and recognized authority on naming and brand innovation with 15 years of experience running global creative agencies, Nina helps corporations and startups create strong, strategic names with ease.

Her agency, The Naming Group has been naming partner to Fortune 500 and 1000s as well as a handful of cool startups. Their work includes naming cars for Chevrolet models Sonic and Trax, to overhauling how Reebok names their footwear. They have led naming for P&G, GM, Target, PUMA, Capital One, EPSON, and Dow Jones. Nina have been published and featured in The Economist, Forbes, Bloomberg , Mashable, CNN.com, Washington Business Journal, WSJ.com, Automobile Magazine, and USA TODAY. For more, visit thenaminggroup.com

Big Names in Naming is a Naming for Everyone podcast

For more naming resources, live and self-guided classes, and a weekly newsletter, visit namingforeveryone.com. And if you're a major brand in need of naming help, you can work directly with Caitlin's studio, Wild Geese Studio. wildgeesestudio.com.

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-concept research and why it will almost always result in a “winning” name that doesn’t feel too much like a winner

* Why it’s better to design research to better understand the potential in a name—what could it mean to your target audience? And what is it not saying that you’ll need to say with other parts of your brand?

And lots more! Plus we play Guess What We Do Here and Brad has to make some guesses about Dr. Glitter, Propaya, and Yummy Future.

About Brad Davidson

Brad is an applied theoretical linguist and medical anthropologist. You can find him on LinkedIn or reach out directly for a consultation at [email protected].

Big Names in Naming is a Naming for Everyone podcast.

For more naming resources, live and self-guided classes, and a weekly newsletter, visit namingforeveryone.com. And if you're a major brand in need of naming help, you can work directly with Caitlin's studio, Wild Geese Studio. wildgeesestudio.com.