Always Be Branding – How to Pick a Name and Logo

When you’re starting a business, one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is choosing a name and a logo. It seems simple, but rushing through this and just picking a name and logo that has meaning is missing out on a core way to communicate who you are, what you do, and why you do it. A great brand’s logo and name should help you understand it, not just exist.

You will get plenty of advice that spending too much time here is wasting time, but I think it’s a cornerstone that many other things are built on, so before you start getting into the grind, stop and take a few more moments.

Before you start this process, it’s important to start with your Core Values. You should not pick a name or a logo before you have that, and preferably after you create a mission statement.

The Power of a Name

When I started Beratung Advisors, I knew I wanted something with meaning. I wasn’t going to settle for something generic or trendy. The name had to capture who we were and what we did. It had to tell a story.

I’ve always believed names matter, and that’s a biblical view as well. When you choose a name, you’re not just picking something that sounds nice—you’re declaring an identity and a purpose.

Names in the Bible are never just names. They tell a story. They reveal identity, purpose, and destiny. In scripture, a name isn’t just what someone is called—it’s who they are and often who they will become.

From the very beginning, God set this precedent. In Genesis, He gave Adam the authority to name the animals, an act that symbolized dominion and responsibility. But throughout the Bible, God Himself changes names when He calls people into a new purpose.

Abram became Abraham, meaning “father of many nations,” because God was making him into exactly that.
Sarai became Sarah, shifting from “princess” to “noblewoman,” reflecting her role as the mother of nations.
Jacob, which meant “deceiver,” became Israel, meaning “wrestles with God,” after his life-changing encounter with the Lord.
Simon became Peter, which means “rock,” because Jesus was making him the foundation of the early church.
Saul became Paul, marking his transformation from a persecutor of Christians to a champion of the Gospel.

Names in the Bible are declarations of calling and identity. They don’t just describe who someone is—they define who they are becoming.

That’s the difference between naming a child and naming a dog. You name a dog something you like—something fun, maybe something that sounds good when you’re calling it across the yard. But when you name a child, you choose something that means something. You think about the kind of person they will grow into.

A business is the same way.

Your company name shouldn’t just be something you like—it should mean something, both to you and to your clients. It should stand the test of time. It should tell a story.

That’s why when we named my daughter, we didn’t just choose something we liked. We chose Abigail because of its meaning—Aba in Hebrew is father, and Gail is joy, which translates to “joy of my father” or “my father’s joy.” And that’s exactly what she is. Every time I say her name, I’m speaking that identity over her.

Abigail is also from 1 Samuel 25. She is David’s third wife. She was married to Nabal, which, speaking of names having meaning, literally means “fool” or “senseless,” which is fitting given his reckless actions that nearly cost him his life.

Jewish tradition holds Abigail as one of the seven female prophets in the Talmud, alongside Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Sarah, Huldah, and Esther. She is revered for her foresight in recognizing David’s future kingship and for her eloquence in preventing him from making a rash decision.

She is also considered one of the most beautiful women in Jewish history, often compared to Sarah, Rahab, and Esther.

The same applies to our company. Beratung means advice, guidance, and counsel—exactly what we are called to provide. It’s not just a name; it’s a mission and identity.

In life and in business, your name tells your story. Make sure it’s one that matters.

How We Found Our Name

When I started Beratung Advisors, I was frustrated. I was frustrated with how our profession was focused on investment management instead of financial planning. I was frustrated with being an employee of a Fortune 500 company. I was frustrated with not being able to express my faith in ways I felt called.

In this frustration, I wrote a ten-page document—a kind of Jerry Maguire-style manifesto—laying out everything I believed about the financial industry: what was broken, what needed to change, and what kind of firm I wanted to build.

I knew I did not want to name the company after me. I felt this was God’s company that I was stewarding, and this company was about way more than me. However, I could not figure out what name I wanted to use.

As a believer in “who, not how,” I hired a branding consultant (aka a friend acting as one) to help me refine all my thoughts into something clear.

I told him:

1. Make it Googable (which is a word I made up) or easy to search on Google.
2. Make it have meaning.
3. Make people want to ask, “What does that mean?”

He read my document and pulled out ten words that kept appearing repeatedly—ten words that captured what I was really trying to build. Among them were advice, guidance, and counsel.

Then he asked me a question I hadn’t thought about:
“Have you considered looking at foreign languages?”

At first, I wasn’t sure why that would matter. But he explained that some of the strongest brand names are not in English—not because they sound fancy, but because they carry deeper meaning. A good name doesn’t just describe what you do; it makes people ask questions.

He gave me examples:

Nike comes from the Greek word for victory.
Volvo comes from Latin and means “I roll.”
Audi means “to listen.”

So, he started looking at different languages.

First, he checked Latin—the language of law and finance. But nothing stood out. Then he tried Italian—a language full of elegance and history. Still nothing. He looked at Greek, the language of the New Testament, rich with philosophy and wisdom, but it didn’t quite fit. Next, he turned to Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, full of deep meaning and spiritual significance. But still, nothing quite matched.

Then he turned to German.

Now, my last name is German, but let’s be honest—German words are often long, harsh, and sound like you’re yelling. So when he told me he found a word in German, I braced myself.

Then he said it: Beratung. (And he actually pronounced it the German way; we say it with a Yinzer accent.)

I was surprised it wasn’t long or harsh, but I had never heard the word before, so I asked, “What does it mean?”

“It means advice, guidance, and counsel.” Three of the ten words he had pulled from my thesis!

I sat there for a second, processing that. Out of all the words he could have found, out of all the languages he searched, the one that fit perfectly was sitting right there in my top ten list. We hadn’t gone into this looking for a German name, but it couldn’t have been more fitting.

It was exactly what I wanted my company to be about.

And it checked every box I had set from the beginning.

1. It was Googable—unique enough that we wouldn’t get lost in search results.
2. It had meaning—not just for me, but for the people we serve.
3. People would have to ask what it meant—which meant every time someone heard it, it would start a conversation.

That was it. We had our name.

I can tell you our name accomplishes all three of those things. Every time I mention it, people always ask, “What does it mean?”

The Value of a Logo

Your logo should be more than just something that looks good—it should tell a story. A well-designed logo connects to your company’s name, mission, and purpose, creating a visual identity that reinforces what you stand for.

When someone sees your logo, it should evoke the right emotions and make them ask the right questions. A strong logo isn’t just a design; it’s a symbol of the values and commitments behind your business.

If your name has deep meaning, your logo should reflect that meaning in a way that aligns with your brand’s purpose, vision, and identity. It becomes a shorthand for everything you represent, something that resonates with both your clients and your team.

Whether through color, imagery, or hidden symbolism, a great logo should not just look professional—it should feel intentional.

A great logo that you resonate with will help with your confidence. You will be representing that logo to the world. As you, your team, and the people you serve become raving fans, they will want to represent that brand just like they do with sports teams by wearing that logo.

Have you ever seen a generic stock logo on a company truck and thought, I want to do business with that company. They must really put a lot of effort into everything they do? Of course not. Your logo represents you—don’t cut corners.

Designing Our Logo

Once the name was set, we had to create a logo that matched the story. I told my designer one thing right away: No lighthouses, anchors, or mountains. Too many financial firms have a lighthouse, anchor, or mountain in their logo, and I didn’t want to be another one of those.

But he pushed back. He had read my document and pointed out that I kept using this analogy of guiding people through rough waters. I talked about how most people think financial planning is simple, but the reality is more like navigating a ship into a harbor.

The tides change. The water gets rough. There are hidden dangers. And if you aren’t careful, you can run aground.

That’s why people need a lighthouse.

I resisted. I didn’t want to be like every other firm. He also knew me and knew I had an affinity for lighthouses, boating, and anything nautical. So he pushed back and told me, “Greg, this isn’t just a cliché. This is actually your story. To not have a lighthouse would not be authentic to who you are and what you stand for.”

He told me, “You don’t have a problem with a lighthouse—you have a problem with inauthenticity. I am going to make you a lighthouse that embodies your entire story and has meaning and purpose.”

And he was right.

Most people don’t start thinking seriously about financial planning until something feels uncertain. Maybe they’re getting closer to retirement and suddenly it’s real. Maybe they’ve had a big life change and need to figure out what’s next. Or maybe they’ve been coasting along and now they’re realizing they aren’t where they thought they’d be. They need guidance. Just like a ship that thinks it’s smooth sailing without realizing what’s beneath the water, they need guidance.

Here’s the story the logo he designed tells:

We aren’t the lighthouse.

The financial plan is the lighthouse.

The client is the ship, the hero in the journey.

And Beratung? We are the light that connects the two and guides the ship to its destination, just like a plan guides the client. That’s why it’s a horizontal logo, and “Beratung” is in the beam of light.

Then he added one last detail. Inside the base of the lighthouse, he placed a cross. Not front and center, not obvious at first glance, but there. Because just like everything we do at Beratung Advisors, our foundation is built on our faith.

We have a logo that invites people into our story—it tells who we are, who we serve, and why we do it.

The Takeaway

That was the process. It wasn’t quick. It wasn’t easy. But it was worth it.

And if you’re building a business, my advice is to take the same care with your brand.

Don’t just pick a name because it sounds good.
Don’t settle for a logo because it looks cool.

Start with your values.
Make sure your name means something—to you and to your clients.
And build a brand that lasts.

Here is the process I recommend:

1. Start with the framework of why—core values and mission.
2. Start a brain dump of ideas.
3. Get outside help.
   • Don’t be afraid to pay; this is going to be lifelong.
   • They can help you get there faster; they will hear things you don’t.
   • They are experts.
   • Do you want someone to build a house from a YouTube video?

1. Seek advice.

• Proverbs 15:22: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.”

1. Visualize.

• I created business cards and pens and had a fake business card above my bed.
• I changed the dimensions.

1. Repeat steps 1–5 until you love it.

• Don’t be afraid to take time.

If you find this helpful, please share it with another entrepreneur thinking about naming their company and creating their logo. If you used it to create your brand, please share your story with me!

Gloria Deo!