Legal Umbrella®👈👀… Notice Anything Different About Me?
Are you ready for some FABULOUS news??? I have some for you, along with some sage advice (and maybe a little tough love) for you as you continue to grow your business.
First the fabulous news….
My second trademark, Legal Umbrella®, has been successfully registered!!! 🎉🎉🎉
Yup, this month I received my second shiny gold seal certificate from the United States Patent and Trademark Office granting me official ownership of the name Legal Umbrella® (swoon). You might be thinking... wait, I've seen her trademark before.. you're right. My first trademark was for THE Legal Umbrella, and now we're streamlining and expanding our protection even more.
We are all celebrating here at Team Layne Lyons. The disco ball and dancing tunes have been going non-stop! 💃
This was a hard-won victory, and now that I know the trademark belongs to me, I feel relieved and very excited for the future.
Now my team and I have the thrilling (but oh so arduous task) of changing every. single. mention. of ™ to ®. We are editing every page on my website, all of my marketing materials, every contract in my shop, all of it. And every time I see that sexy little ®, I get goosies all over again.
I did it!!
Now, on to the tough love and a bit of a confession.
You see, I waited too long to apply for my trademark. By the time I applied, I was already using it everywhere. I had a whole program fully built out, with years of visibility and a big following. I was using the name EVERYWHERE. People were coming to my business saying “I need that umbrella thing you have.”
Seriously, more people knew me as the umbrella lawyer than as Layne Lyons. Thank heavens I was able to successfully register my trademark. But can you imagine if I hadn’t been successful? 😱😭
I would have been forced to take EVERYTHING down, cry a whole lotta tears, change all of my branding, rename all of my programs, start all over again, and hope against hope that some of my audience would follow me to the new name. It could have been a total disaster.
And for the whole 16 months that it took my trademark application to make it from start to finish, I was biting my nails and silently begging the trademark gods to make it work out okay.
Nobody needs that kind of stress!
So, my advice to you, now that I am on the other side of this exciting and majestic achievement, is this:
Don’t wait to secure your trademark until you have already built your whole brand on your name.
Get in early. Did you know that you can actually trademark your name BEFORE you even start using it? I call that new product line, I will be filing for the trademark before I put it out into the world.
What’s your trademark? Are you already using it? Is it high time to protect it?
You may be hesitant to move forward, like many of my clients were. There are a lot of misconceptions out there. People think they aren’t ready yet, that they can DIY it or use a cheap big box legal service, or that it’s too expensive or complicated to deal with now.
They don’t realize how much legal strategy is actually involved to take a trademark application from start to finish (there’s a TON!). They don’t realize the potential for road blocks along the way, like misfiling in the wrong category or getting scary-sounding office actions. They don’t see the value of having a qualified, tenacious lawyer in their corner, ready to guide them through the entire process and handle it ALL for them.
The hard truth is, you do not want to be the receiver of the bad news that I unfortunately have to deliver to some clients. The heartbreak, stress and even panic that comes with being told your name is no longer yours, that you have to change EVERYTHING…
Whew. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
If you have a brand you actively market, earn money from and love to pieces, you absolutely must trademark the name. I am so relieved that I can continue making a name for myself as the “umbrella lawyer”, and I want you to feel the same way.
Is it a significant business investment? Yes.
Does it seem a bit daunting right now? Probably yes.
Is it worth it to hold that beautiful, shiny gold seal in your hands? ABSOLUTELY YES!!
Let’s get the ball rolling on your trademark. All it takes is booking a consultation with me right here: Book My Trademark Consult.
On our call, we will talk about your specific business set up and your future plans and goals to identify the trademarks and brand assets in your business that need protection. Then, I’ll go over the trademarking process with you, in plain English. And of course, I’ll answer all of your questions so that you feel clear and confident.
You’ll leave the call feeling clear as to whether pursuing your trademark registration is the best next step for your business. And if you want to move ahead, we will talk about what it looks like to work with my law firm.
If you would like more info before booking, or you want to do a little homework before our call, you can read all about trademarks right here: The Legal Umbrella® Trademark Services.
I can’t wait to chat with you about this ultimate, next-level protection!! You are going to feel so much peace of mind, just like I do now, knowing that your brand is really, truly, yours.
PS: Here’s what one of my fabulous clients had to say about working with me to get her trademark:
“Before I worked with Layne, I couldn’t have told you the difference between a ® and a ™ symbol, and I certainly could not have told you how it could benefit my business to trademark it. But Layne explained everything to me in terms that I could get, she is so practical in her explanations of the legal “stuff.” After talking to Layne I felt confident in what I needed to do. And when I decided to pursue a trademark, she kept me informed every step of the way. Now I am excited to know that the business I have been working so hard for (and the name I adore for it) will not be at risk of my having to take it all down and start over. You can’t put a price on that kind of peace of mind!”
— Megan, founder of FORK THE FOOD RULES®
