Have you ever thought of a cool way to introduce yourself? I think back to all those nonprofit icebreaker questions that encourage you to think of your favorite ice cream, or “if you were a kitchen appliance, what would you be?” In those settings, I’ve discussed my innate ability to reference popular culture “things” at the drop of a hat based on something someone says. My favorite flavor of ice cream is the ever so controversial chocolate, but also vanilla only with apple pie during the holidays. Those introductions have come easily. I know who I am, and what I bring to the table.
Introducing a new business, however, proved to be a bit more challenging. Leaving my job of 6 long, millennial years was difficult enough. On top of that, I decided to build a new business of my own, on my own, with the values I wanted at the center. Cool beans. As I started to conceptualize, I asked my own career coach how she named her consulting business. Simply she said, “It was vanity - I wanted it to have my initials and it linked to a personal time in my life. That’s it.” That’s it?, I thought. What about the cool, reflective process that I envisioned in my head that yielded a deep and resonating company name that would ring through the ages? “Just make it about you,” she replied, hearing my disbelief.
So, what about me did I want to include? What do I want people to know about me based on my company’s name? Well, let’s start with my own name - Alisa. Not to be confused with the more popular pronunciation of “Alyssa”. My name phonetically sounds like Lisa with an “A” at the front. Everyone gets it wrong. I’m sure if you didn’t know me and read my name you may have thought “Alyssa”. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it is, in fact, “Uh-lee-suh”. With such a unique name that I will spend the rest of my life defending, I wanted something just as ambiguous and thought provoking for my business. Now, what else do I love about myself? At the time of naming my company, it was a few months out from my 30th birthday. 30 - what an unusual time for a 90s baby who grew up blowing on Sega cartridges with my older brother, and now typing on a decked out iMac (without the hatchback). It was a particularly reflective time, and I always feel a certain magic, if you will, surrounding my birthday. November 3rd, or 11 and 3, became the foundation.
In numerology, the numbers 11 and 3 are significant. 11 is the first of the master numbers, an independent entity. It is inspiring, artistic, and spiritual - all adjectives I would use to describe the way I move through the world. This is a number which involves deep understanding, empathy and inspiration. The number 3 is a powerful number as well. The prized skill of the number 3 is communication, especially among its community. 3 is highly original and exudes unique thinking and creative expression. It is bursting with thoughts, ideas, dreams, and musings and must let them out to the world. The number 3 is the "ideas person," and by sharing these notions it attracts supportive energies that can turn its ideas into real plans. After reading those descriptions, I realized eleven and three were two numbers that embody my personality, interests, values and approach to life and work. I used those as the base for the name.
The spelling came next. I wanted something that was creative and unique, and that also had a deeper meaning. The use of the word “tree” came to mind as an ode to my Guyanese heritage. West Indians, including Guyanese folks, famously drop the “h” in three to make it tree. Going deeper, what does a tree symbolize for my work? I thought immediately of a strong foundation, which is essential when working toward any major change in life. As I get older, it’s become nonnegotiable to honor the culture that has shaped so much of my worldview. The rich history, my ancestors, and, especially, my parents, who immigrated to this country to set a path for my siblings and I, have inspired my journey to build a legacy for the family I hope to build in the future. Finally, the ELVYN (eleven) came in the same simplistic manner as my career coach described the founding of her company’s name. It just looked cool and fun. So, ELVYN TREE was born.
Shakespeare wrote, “What’s in a name?” A name holds the key to all that a person, an experience, or a place holds for whoever comes in contact with it. I wanted ELVYN TREE to be a carefully crafted space that signals introspection, strength, new ideas, and change. I am all about leaving whatever I come in contact with in better condition than I found it. That goes for the people and organizations that I work with. Coaching and consulting is a partnership that centers trust and expertise on the ends of both parties. What I bring to the table is years of counseling, management and leadership development experience to support the goals of others. As I wrote in the About page, ELVYN TREE is a reflective coaching & consulting space for BIPOC professionals, and the organizations that need them, to maximize their capacity for leadership with social justice & wellness at its core. Based in numerology, creolese, and spiritual metaphor, the name ELVYN TREE references trusting intuition, centering creativity, optimism & equity, building strong foundations, and eliminating fear & doubt. Welcome to ELVYN TREE!