Do you really own a pink motel?

As a child, in the corner of my imagination, there existed an exciting world painted in pink. It was the magic of Carol Ryrie Brink’s book “The Pink Motel.” It wasn’t just a book; it was a portal to a world where being quirky was celebrated, and an adventurous life was the norm. Little did I know that this childhood treasure would one day become a story very much incorporated into my life as an adult.

There’s no bigger adventure than starting your own business.

Of the many decisions I’ve made, creating The Pink Motel LLC seemed to be the perfect name for my presentation business. I was told, “Name your LLC anything you want, as you’ll have a DBA for your different businesses.” The Pink Motel LLC captured the essence of embracing uniqueness and living adventurous lives. After all, what bigger adventure exists than starting your own business? Developing effective presentations is the art of creating a portal to the audience’s imagination, and The Pink Motel is where it all started for me.

You can’t do that.

Just as the plot twists in a novel, my accountant delivered a shocking revelation: “You can’t use that.” The LLC named after my childhood favorite was deemed off-limits, a plot twist I had not foreseen.

Of course, I responded with, “Why not?” She proceeded to explain using a fictitious story. Suppose someone buys your book at a conference, and a few days later, the charge appears on their credit card statement. Their partner or significant other sees it and thinks they stayed at a motel and could be cheating on them. You could cause a lot of trouble for people! Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that—time to set up my DBA of On The Flip Slide.

Do you really own a pink motel?

When people see the name, they always ask, “Do you really own a pink motel?” I laugh and respond, “No. It was my favorite childhood book.” Maybe I should paint my shipping container house pink so I can say to do own a pink motel and list it on Airbnb.

I may not own a literal pink motel, but I do have a Little Free Library (Frisco, Texas #150824) in a mini pink shipping container.

In the book, the parents suggest to the kids that they must paint the motel because the pink color attracts unusual people. As a child, I was unusual. You must ask yourself, “Is the pink color working for my intended audience? Is it sending the right message?” For my LLC, it works. Using it as my primary business name? It does not.

Presentations serve as an excellent platform to articulate your vision for ideas or showcase your product. Be prepared to adapt or revise your approach as necessary to inspire (the right) action.