
Overthinking Won't Save You — But This Might. (Advice From an Absolute Expert… Me.) Topic started on my SUBSTACK..
I’ve been trying to launch a podcast for four years. Not because I don’t want to—but because I cannot, for the life of me, pick a name.
I scroll domain names like it’s my job. And I have stacks of post-it note ideas. I overanalyze aesthetics, vibes, and imaginary audience reactions. Because overthinking? That’s my cardio.
Spoiler: The Name Isn’t the Problem.
I tell myself I’m searching for the perfect name. But really? I’m searching for a feeling. That moment when everything clicks. Where I feel settled. Where I stop second-guessing myself.
And here’s the truth: the name won’t give me that.
The work will.
Producing work you LOVE will shift your energy, your mindset, your confidence.
But… How Do You Get There?
The golden question: How do you produce work you love? How do you unlock that energy shift?
The answer? You go through it.
Just like the children’s song, “Bear Hunt” (which, by the way, is a terrible title for a kids’ song) — “You can’t go over it. Can’t go under it. You have to go through it.”
So yeah, trudge through the mud to get there. Put on your mud boots every day.
Slosh, slosh, slosh.
Because perfectionism isn’t the real problem — fear is.
GaryVee Said It Best. “You’re not a perfectionist. You’re just scared.” Stop overthinking, and start doing.
And yeah, cool, Gary. Love that for me. But telling an overthinker to “just start” is like telling an insomniac to “just sleep.” Overthinking can be part of the process — but only if you don’t let it stop you in your tracks.
It’s the scenic route to the finish line. Longer, sure — but still gets you there.
Nobody Follows a Brand Name. They Follow Energy.
So instead of stressing over the label, the fonts, the perfect niche - shift your focus to what actually matters:
1 - ✅ Make something real.
2 - ✅ Find work you love.
3 - ✅ Do more of it.
So What Actually Helps?
Not deadlines. (Those just stress me out.)
Not announcing my project publicly. (Now there’s pressure.)
Not even “just doing it”—because if I could, I would have already done it.
Here’s what does help:
1. Let go of the idea that you only get one shot.
• A name won’t make or break you. The work is what matters.
2. Focus on the feeling, not the thing.
• The name is just decoration. The energy behind it is what people connect with. Blogging taught me that.
3. Remember: The best brands aren’t built on aesthetics.
• Half the most successful brands have terrible names. Nobody cares.
4. Move through the discomfort.
• The only way to get unstuck is to move. Not toward the “right” answer—just toward something.
And that’s really it.
Not choosing a font. Not obsessing over a title. Just getting to a place where I feel ready to show up.
Because art isn’t about perfection. It’s about projecting yourself into the world.
And I’m getting there. Slowly.
Takeaways: Overthinking Brand Decisions
- No name or brand will cure self-doubt. That’s an inside job.
- The magic is in the work. Not the packaging.
- You won’t think your way into confidence. You create it.
- Overthinking isn’t failure. Never trying is.
- Failure is an option. So is momentum. Pick one.
xo, Kathy
Topic started on my SUBSTACK..