Is YOUR name synonymous with anything in particular? Can you change that?

We have a LOT of gadgets around our house: DVRs, multiple video game systems, PDAs, digital cameras, five computers (two desktops, three notebooks), three flat-panel LCD TV's, and so on. I was just looking at my Netflix list a few minutes ago, and I realized that there are a litany of new words in our national lexicon that didn't even exist ten years ago:


Let's Google it!


Tivo that show!


Netflix that movie!


I realized how funny it would seem to my children that these words weren't around when I was a kid. Brand names becoming verbs. Much like Kleenex and Xerox did once. When I was a kid growing up in Dallas, we almost never referred to soft drinks as anything other than Coke. "Could I have a Coke?" meant any soda (Sprite, Pepsi, Orange Crush, etc.). This is probably a regional thing. I call them sodas now, but I have friends that call them "pop".


So, what would you prefer to have YOUR name mean in the future? Certainly, some names through history have not fared well - Benedict Arnold, for example. Judas. Hitler. I would be willing to bet that there are not many babies named Lee Harvey anymore, either.


There are more positive examples, too - having the "Midas touch" (although King Midas was mythological), or being "as rich as Bill Gates", or, perhaps the most common, Einstein. Einstein, as we all know, has become the shorthand for genius in our world. Sometimes, the name is even flipped and used as an insult, "Way to go, Einstein!"


With that in mind, I don't know if my name will ever mean anything on its own, apart from me, and outside of my family and group of friends and associates. I would probably need to change my line of work altogether and become world-famous somehow if I wanted people to use my given name in everyday language. This is not really a goal of mine, but it is interesting to think about sometimes.

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Until that day comes, however, I sincerely hope that "Jason Crouch" brings to mind the following types of thoughts, in no particular order:



  • Devoted husband and dad
  • Honesty
  • Integrity
  • Caring real estate broker
  • Generosity
  • Christian man
  • Great writer/blogger
  • Good guy
  • Loyal friend
  • Class act
  • Great sense of humor
  • Good listener
  • 9 feet tall
  • Master carpenter
  • PhD in English Literature
  • Impervious to heat and cold

Okay, so the last four were inserted to make sure you were paying attention.


Self-analysis can be fun sometimes. Give it a whirl. Take a minute or two and really think about it. What do you think the first word to pop into someone's mind is when they hear YOUR name? Maybe they think, "luxury Realtor", or "my best friend". Hopefully, they are not thinking "loudmouth jerk" or "nosy gossip".


As I alluded to at the beginning of the post, some companies are very effective at gaining a "market share" in your mind. Perhaps they offer a service that no one had thought to offer previously, or maybe they are just the most dominant force in that field. Either way, they are the definitive brand name for their type of product or service. For example, in 1997, when I first started in real estate, Google didn't exist at all, and I think Altavista and Excite were two of the most popular search engines. Things can change quickly.


It is possible for us as real estate agents to do the same thing with our businesses, even if it's just becoming known for being the most honest Realtor in town. You may laugh and think, "That's kinda like being the most honest used car dealer, right?". Yes, I suppose that's true. But the most honest used-car dealer in town is laughing all the way to the bank.


Thanks for reading!


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