Trust Your Gut

Trust your gut.  That advice is commonly given when making big decisions.  I found it is also worthwhile when you feel that internal pull to try something different.

Listening to your inner voice is not the easiest skill to acquire.  Women seem to do that better than men, hence the term women’s intuition.  I usually plow forward towards a goal and ignore subtle nudges my subconscious is sending me.  There is great wisdom in quietly listening to what the universe is telling you.

Last year, I listened to that voice without any idea of where it would lead.  Something motivated me to trademark my tagline, #ANDnotOR.  I had no expectations of what may come of this or if it would help build my brand.  The return on my investment of money and time may never materialize. 

The application process took over a year and became a fun side project.  I read a ton about trademarks and what would, and would not, qualify.  The application included industry specific designations, and I submitted samples of where I consistently used #ANDnotOR.

The US Patent and Trademark Office did not allow ANDnotOR, as it was too generic.  However, I was able to trademark #ANDnotOR since I could demonstrate that it was part of my professional signature and a defining element I consistently use to market my consulting services.  I cannot explain how adding a # makes a difference, but the USPTO believes it does. 

The trademark was accepted in January, followed by a period for the public to respond with comments or objections.  I was a bit anxious at this point since I had no idea what to expect.  The public comment period passed in February, and I was informed that my trademark application was officially approved earlier this month.  I paid an extra $25 to get a certificate to frame for my office because I don’t believe I’ll go through this process again.

In the future, you many notice the ® after my usual #ANDnotOR.  The trademark is secure for the next five years, and I’ll have to submit a request to the USPTO to keep it active after that.  Who knows what life will bring five years from now? What I do know is sometimes trusting your gut can lead to something pretty cool.

#ANDnotOR®