Shedding Souly Serene: Finding Peace With Sunsetting My Business
NAVIGATING A TRADEMARK NIGHTMARE
In May I quit my part-time job at a marketing agency so I could work with my social media client in a bigger capacity and REALLY focus on Souly Serene.
I was building so much traction with the brand — I hired someone to help with admin tasks, I hosted a successful pop-up event and I was actively pitching subscription box owners who may be interested in including my affirmation cards in their subscription box.
EVERYTHING CAME TO A HALT when I hired a lawyer to trademark the name and she found a brand that was different but had enough similarities in the name and trademark categories, where it could be flagged by the U.S. trademark office. The business owner was unwilling to go into a consent agreement so we could co-exist in the same space. It crushed my heart to hear the lawyer say that I should rebrand. I consulted another lawyer, and she said the same thing. To make matters worse, she found another brand that was even more similar and we sold similar products!!!
Devastated was an understatement!
It’s been extremely difficult wrapping my mind everything, but I’m starting to feel hopeful about what’s next for my positive affirmation brand.
GRIEVING SOULY SERENE
Once I finally accepted that it’ll be best to rebrand, I logged out of the Instagram account altogether so I wasn’t reminded of it. I stopped promoting my products and only fulfilled orders that came organically.
Over the past few months, I’ve been trying to re-incorporate positive affirmations into my own lifestyle. I still read my affirmations and have purchased cards from other creators so that I can further my mindfulness practice. I am trying to remain focused on doing the inner work myself, so I can show up better for you whenever I rebrand my business.
That’s on the good days. On some of the harder days, I grieve Souly Serene and all that I had planned for the brand this year. I give myself the space to feel whatever comes. If I need to cry it out, I allow myself to feel sad. But I pull myself from feeling down by thinking about the impact that Souly Serene had made in a short amount of time.
SUNSETTING SOULY SERENE
It was important for me to share my journey with my followers because so many of you have supported my business. And I know so many dope people with amazing ideas, and I want to be a reminder for you to legally PROTECT your ideas early on. Do so before you really invest in the business.
I don’t know what the rebrand will look like. I am giving myself time to figure it all out. I want to do research and see which affirmations connected with people most. I want to go back to the drawing board and see what I can do that still has the spirit of Souly Serene, but is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
It’s interesting that I launched Souly Serene a few months before the pandemic hit. I am different from the pandemic, as I’m sure you are as well. I want to create something that speaks specifically to who we’ve evolved into due to COVID.
If you have thoughts, ideas, comments I would love to know!
