Reflections on the #SpeakingMyName Summit and the Need for Societal Change

On June 16th, the SPEAK Mentorship organization hosted the #SpeakingMyName campaign, which invited people to post videos about their names, pronunciation, identity, and backgrounds.  Our team at NameCoach was thrilled to support the campaign, and I was honored to participate as a panelist in the #SpeakingMyName Summit, alongside students, educators, business and nonprofit leaders, and elected officials. Many important perspectives and stories were voiced - borne of personal [...]

Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman Shows the Importance of Name Pronunciation

Don't think saying someone's name correctly matters? Fast forward to 2:37 in this clip from "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" when a fan meets "Black Panther" actor Chadwick Boseman. This was amazing. @chadwickboseman surprises #BlackPanther fans while they say what the movie means to them. pic.twitter.com/ZXnfLuV83f — Fallon Tonight (@FallonTonight) March 1, 2018 SaveSave

2018-03-01T18:15:45+00:00March 1st, 2018|Name Pronunciation Tips|

NameBadge: Let the World Really Know Your Name

NameBadge is my favorite feature on NameCoach. It is a fun and free way to express your identity as an individual. It also makes a great presentation for the beginning of school year or as an attachment on a professional profile (like LinkedIn) or social media. After registering, follow the three easy steps to create your own badge. First, record your own name in your own voice. You [...]

A Good Teacher Student Relationship Starts with the Student’s Name

It’s the first day of class in the new school year. You’ve read the names of the students on your roster. Some of them you know, and some of them have easy to pronounce names like Jack Smith. Some of the new names are a bit more challenging. The students file through your classroom door, eyes and minds wide open to absorb what you have to teach them [...]

2018-02-13T03:41:36+00:00September 6th, 2017|Name Pronunciation Tips|

Fun with Guest Announcing Names at Foothill College Opening Day

When President Nguyen asked me to announce the names of her new faculty and staff at the Foothill College Opening Day event, I was honored…but also apprehensive. I built the first version of NameCoach after my sister’s name was mangled at her commencement, because I knew that no one mispronounces a name intentionally - this type of thing can just be a tough job, especially given the brilliant [...]