Martha Stewart the brand is bigger than Martha Stewart the person. Her name evokes cooking, crafting, and home decorating, as well as TV shows, magazines, and houseware lines.
Stewart is an inspiration to entrepreneurs everywhere, and at a recent panel organized by the lifestyle guru, the question on small business owners’ minds was simple: “Can our names become rockstar brands like Martha’s, too?”
Successful entrepreneurs debated the relative merits and drawbacks of building a brand around the founder’s name as part of Martha Stewart American Made, an event designed to celebrate the country’s local and artisan businesses. Those weighing in included Julie Rice, founder and CEO of indoor cycling company SoulCycle; Joe Rospars, CEO of digital consulting firm Blue State Digital and Pres. Obama’s principal digital strategist for each of his presidential campaigns; and Richard Christiansen, founder and creative director of Chandelier Creative, a branding and advertising company.
Read More about this informative event at Seattle Pi