I’ll be honest. I was a little nervous when I included the word ‘pimp in the name of this blog. Sure, there’s ‘Pimp My Ride’ and about a dozen spin-offs that have made the term seem innocuous, but would there be corporate/client backlash from a name that could be construed as derogatory? Possibly. I flew the name by a few corporate types (including in the conservative pharma space) and didn’t seem to raise an eyebrow, so I went with it. But even now I wonder a bit and have investigated other options.
Similarly, I had a reader ask what I thought about pen names. Let’s say you’re in the banking biz but want to start a site/blog that sells stuffed animals. This doesn’t fit in with your shark image - so what to do?
I personally see no reason not to use a pen name if you feel uncomfortable throwing it all out there. It’s done all the time, from professionals to people just testing the waters. You might have to come clean down the line - but so what? As long as you’re not being derogatory towards others and your general intent is good - I say game on.
I’ve always like the name ‘Herb Domino’. I think I’ll roll with it.
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