Am I a BAD wife?

Hello? Do you want to do a good branding or want to be a good wife lol

I think it's a great big huge non-issue.

Your professional name can be whatever you want it to be.
You already own the domains... you already have an established
clientele who knows you by that name... you probably have
any number of people who aren't clients yet but may be in the
future who would have no clue how to find you under your new
name.

Stick with the name people know.

Tsnyder

As a married man of 17 yrs ...

Whatever possessed you to get married?

Ok that said, What would Martha Stewart do? Is that why Oprah is just Oprah and not Oprah Winfrey? And whats her hubbies last name anyway? Is she even still married, and why hasnt the universe brought her an abundance of husbands? I digress ...

Bidness is bidness - and you've got the domains to prove it .... I say ya gotta roll maiden name status.

Not that tricky. Stick with the brand you've built, unless you're willing to compromise all of that hard work.

You might *ease* into the new name, but you'll be slowing down the momentum unless you do some massive PR to re-brand yourself at some point.

I don't see how continuing to capitalize and build your brand per se has a bearing on your husband or family, apart from your ability to continue significant financial support ... that I can see anyway. I might have overlooked something there though.

Oh, you guys are funny.

@Charles E. White LOL. Somehow I just knew I was going to get that answer.

@4morereferrals Thanks for your input! 1 month married and so far so good I LOVE IT!

@Tsnyder Appreciate your input!

Hahaha - yes agreed.

As far as wifely status' go ... Good / Bad / etc...

Most men preferred status = Naughty

[ but that could just be the low brow group that I sample tested ... ]

YMMV ...

@DotComBum It makes sense. But not in a way that will genuinely (and ultimately) help my business.

@sevenish Thanks. I think that is the general consensus. Which makes me feel better because I really wanted to keep my name!

Congrats on getting married.

As far as your name is concerned. I don't see that being a big stumbling block. As someone once said, 'A rose by any other name will smell just as sweet'.

Of course, you realize now that you officially changed your real name, you will have to file a ficticious name statement if you decide to continue doing business as Rebecca Dean. Otherwise you're going to have a tough time cashing checks sent to you under that name (with ID fraud at all time highs, I would expect banks to be real sticklers about this).

As for 'Miss Copy', I'd keep that under any circumstances. It's an identity like 'The Ad Surgeon', and quite valuable.

Whatever you decide, good luck and godspeed.

Congrats on getting married When it comes to professional names and pen names, I don't think it matters all that much. Let your copy speak for itself and people will refer to you using superlatives anyway!

Ronnie

@Floyd Fisher Hey, thanks for the heads up. Hadn't thought about that yet.

@Ronnie Nijmeh Thanks Ronnie!

@vicone :rolleyes:

@Thomas Belknap Now that's what I'm talking about! Tried to get my new hubby to take my name... but he wouldn't; being the only Kramer to carry the name and all... sheesh

@Charles E. White Thank you

I agree with Tsnyder

Also....

Bad Wife?

Is there such thing as a Good Wife? haha only joking

@Kevin Riley Yeah, I'm sure you can find brownie mix in Osaka from which chewiness is ensured... but come down to a small village of 6,000 in Kagoshima (Kyushu) and then we'll talk. My Okonomiyaki is chewy and delicious tho. And that reminds me to change my location on my profile.

@teazers4 OMG. :rolleyes: But, thank you for the congrats.

You're Welcome!

The congrats was sincere, the comment was just a late night chuckle!

My bad!

Neil

@teazers4 Thanks... was hit with a barrage of late night chuckles it seems

Being married is a dirty job but I guess somebody has

to do it. Nix on the Mrs. Copy. Sounds like you ought

to be selling pancake recipes.

Tom

Thanks God, you were kidding about bad wife thing. I was afraid i m going to get another sad story of some relation going wrong ... they make me cry :'(

I would stick with your maiden name for your professional standing. As you could damage your sales by changing now.

Authors generally run under pen names anyways don't they?

thanks,

Robert

LOL - After I was divorced I didn't change my name back to my original because I figured I'd just get married again........but avoided mistakes 2, 3,4, and 5 just in the nick of time which was good but left me deciding each time whether it was time to change the name back.......but in the meantime I've been branded as S. Taylor.......so I've kept it just because that is what my crowd knows me as. I am still considering changing it for personal purposes but will leave the DBA as it is if I do so.

Taking a man's last name didn't matter when women were homemakers - but in the business world it can become quite a mess. Maybe it's a tradition that has been outlived. Just have to figure out what to call the kids, LOL.

congratulations on getting married

I had the same dilemma when I got married just over a year ago, but decided to keep my maiden name for online marketing & business stuff and using my married name in the offline world.

It's pretty time consuming to change your name and I am only about half way through it, with my passport and some of my bank cards in my married name and some still in my maiden name. I forget who I am half the time and I've still not managed to master the new signature.

Cheers,
Suzanne

I currently have four "pen names" I go by online. Each niche gets a different name. It's fun!

However, Rebecca, I think it's so cute that you're worrying about this. I'd be curious to hear what your biggest worry is a year from now, when it comes to marriage. LOL.

Congratulations, by the way.

I vote for you to stay with Miss and dean, Dean just looks so much better on paper/web than kramer.

And i'll leave all "bad girl" innuendos out of it.

Keep the name that you're known by in your business, and keep the single "miss" not "mrs." persona. Consider it a pen name, or nom de plume if you want to be snazzy. In your personal life, do the Mrs. His-name thing.

It's not necessarily a good business decision to confuse people and change your name in the middle of trying to maintain the same business, IMO, for logistic or vanity reasons.

In my experience, many female attorneys and physicians have their degrees on the wall with their unmarried names on them because the degree was awarded before they were married, but they go by their 'family' name with the Mr. outside of work.

Have a happy time as a newlywed. Congrads!

You are one attractive woman (if that is truly your picture) so what your husband is even thinking by questioning you using your maiden name is beyond me

If I marry a woman as hot as you she can call herself whatever she wants as long as I am the only man she needs!!!

Congratulations, you are a good wife! if thats what you wanna hear =)

My sister in law goes by both her maiden name and then our family name?

Not to hijack the thread, but what if you have the exact same situation looming soon - BUT you absolutely hate your maiden name, and are looking forward to getting rid of it??? Do you keep it for branding purposes, or finally get rid of the darned thing??

Feel free to chime in with your 2c. Rebecca!

- Cherilyn Lester???

Hey Rebecca,

Congratulations on your recent nuptules. I think you should keep things as they are. Especially if your husband is cool with it.

I like Dean better than Kramer. Just think what images Kramer brings to mind...

That controversial idiot from Seinfeld...Kramer vs. Kramer. You get the idea.

Rebecca Dean has a nice/good sound to it. You have established yourself and your business under that name.

Shoot, if you don't believe me, go ask Aunt Paula...she kept her last name when she got married. Think of all those confused viewers of the Food Network if she had gone with her new last name, (Schwartz, wasn't it?) instead of Dean. (Down Home Cookin', with Paula Schwartz!...just doesn't have the same effect)

I think Rebecca Dean just sounds more professional. You can be Mrs. Kramer, at home. It will help keep your personal life/business private, as well.

How about "Ann Landers"? That wasn't even her name. It was an Advice Icon/Persona. You've already begun branding your business under the Dean name...don't go confusing people.

When out in your regular life, of course, you'll answer to Rebecca Kramer. Be proud of it. Your man had the good sense to pick you, and you chose him. That is part of who you are, now. So, Mrs. Kramer, I say good luck in your life and marrage, and also, good luck Paula Dean, Ms Copy, in your career!

I am happy to be in the same forum as two fellow friends living in Japan! My family splits it's time during the year. Winter and working months in California and summer months in Sasebo Japan. Back to visit my wife's family every years for two months! I am sure my father in law has at least four bottles of Souchu as that is what I must live off of in terms of liquids when staying with him. Not a big drinker myself but if you are male in my family you don't have a choice.

As far as okonomiyaki I would have to say Hiroshima is the best. I mean my wives is the best.

Ichibanda

Rebecca,
Congrats on your nuptuals...I am Blessed to be married to an amazing, beautiful, intelligent, loving, kind...and extremely patient woman. Whom I Love and who Loves me! It only gets better! Take Good Care of each other!

I would divorce you immediately.

Not only would you have to change your pen name you'd have to give me 50% of your earnings every month to spend on clothes and personal attire. Well OK. More like 25%. I'm not fussy. *Grin*