I had a difficult time deciding on the name of my practice and law firm. I’ve always loved my sisters’ names: one sister was named after a princess in the Bible; another sister’s name actually means princess in Hebrew. In comparison, Eunice was portrayed as an elderly spinster on a television show. She had white hair, an annoying personality and a squeaky voice. I realized that I did not like my name because it was a window into my past. Growing up, I was constantly compared to my sisters. It left me feeling like . . . I wasn’t good enough . . . smart enough . . . pretty enough . . . talented enough. My name wasn’t related to a princess at all.
Then I met my husband. The first gift he ever gave me was a pair of Nike running shoes. (We weren’t even dating at the time.) He always loved the brand Nike because it started with an idea by a teacher at Portland State University for a better quality running shoe. The products were light but sturdy and the advertising campaign “Just Do It” propelled Nike into an international brand.
Fast forward to our marriage, . . . two kids later and countless pairs of Nike shoes, Nike athletic equipment, and Nike apparel for our entire family. My daughter wanted me to create wings for her Halloween costume because she explained that Nike was her favorite Greek goddess. Nike represented victory in both battle and competition. I had no idea that the brand Nike was named after a goddess. My son chimed in, “The Nike ‘Swoosh’ is a symbol of her wings.”
As I was mulling over names for my law practice, I kept rejecting the use of my own name. I realized my name . . . held personal attachments for me because as compared to my sisters, I always felt like I wasn’t enough . . . I was lacking. So I looked up the meaning of my name, which has Greek origins, (Eunike) or (eu) “good” and (nike) “victory”. I was surprised and pleased that my name had a connection to my husband’s favorite athletic brand and my daughter’s favorite goddess.
Part of reframing my perspective is to know that . . . I am good enough . . . I am smart enough . . . talented enough . . . I am enough. It took my entire family to help me embrace my own name, Eunice. It means good victory . . . joyous victory . . . she conquers. A perfect name for a lawyer and a law practice.
