Thanks for the shoutout! Before I ever started in this game (or was born for that matter), there was a Bud Caddell that built RC controlled cars, planes, boats, etc. that seemed to be universally loved on the internet after his death. I feel a little guilt for pushing him way down on the Google SERP… But then again, his name ‘Bud’ was only a nickname, and mine is on my birth certificate..

I always advocate for people who intend to be transparent on the internet to use their full names to identify themselves. This way, when you move on to the next project, your name still “rings bells” instead of having to explain that you’re “the guy behind ReelSolid.TV” or whatever.

However, you bring up an interesting and important point. What if your name is common? What if there are a million Johnsons and a billion Alexes? You might want to consider a fancy name like Mickipedia and “brand yourself” under that name.

You would have had a much easier time on google as Zofia, hahaha but.. who knew?

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens with Sarah Meyers’ transformation into Sarah Austin… Especially since there’s ALREADY a famous “Sarah Austin” who already owns the dot com. Fortunately for Sarah, I don’t think her fans are drawn to her for her name, so she could call herself Zofia and still have a popular show.

In general, your name is the verbal/visual indication of your personal brand. The problem, of course, is branding a name that’s already diluted by so many people sharing it. Instead of someone saying “oh, Alex Johnson”, they’re going to say “which Alex Johnson”, so it’s probably better to come up with something snappy, like “Flo-Jo” instead of Florence Griffith-Joyner, and roll with that.

Same thing for J-Lo. Do you know how many women are named Jennifer Lopez? hahaha