The Radiant Rhino Series Part 1: Naming, Trademarking, and What I Would Do Differently

I do not talk enough about what building my first company, The Radiant Rhino, actually taught me.

It did not start with a pitch deck.

It started with a very specific problem and me wildly underestimating how many decisions one product could create.

I loved shower steamers as a quick way to unwind after long days.

I also hated almost everything on the market.

Weak scents. Poor quality. Mystery stains on my shower floor.

Relaxation, but make it stressful.

So, I decided to fix it.

I had zero background in product-based businesses. And somehow, the business took on a life of its own.

In this series, I am sharing what it really looked like to build from scratch. The decisions. The mistakes. The reality of building something from nothing. These lessons now show up daily in how I advise founders today.

One of the very first decisions was the name.

The Radiant Rhino sounds playful. That was intentional.

I wanted something memorable, defensible for trademarking, and flexible enough to grow without boxing me into one product.

What I did not realize then is this: naming a company forces you to clarify what you are actually building.

I took inspiration from brands like Mad Rabbit and Drunk Elephant. Whimsical. Confident. Unapologetic. I knew I wanted an animal. I chose “Radiant” for how I wanted people to feel after using the product. Refreshed. Calm. Slightly brighter.

Then I went down a internet rabbit hole Googling animal names that start with R or anything that went well with radiant.

The book Pop! is also a fantastic resource if you are thinking through names or taglines.

I also trademarked the name very early, using an attorney. If I were doing this again, I would not. I would put that money into marketing and wait for real traction before locking it down.

First-time founders optimize names, branding, and trademarks before validating demand. Second-time founders think about sales.

Next up: the logo, branding decisions, and a surprise finding I did not see coming.