The day I decided, April 2015 PGC Bangalore (only one they ran in India).
Used Max Carson, to sell mobile app and game development services. Before that I was Rachel, before that I its Patricia. Lead Generation taught me a Western name opened more inboxes than mine did, and I had no reason to argue with the data.
The day it happened, meet Sumit (the GM Zynga) in PGC Bangalore, ran a session and gave my studio's art breakdown 30min feedback. I took notes. I looked around the floor, Founders my age, running their own studios/companies (Moonfrog, GreedyGames…). Everyone of them standing behind their own work under their own name.
3 jobs, 1 failed start-up, first gaming deal with SG university. None of it carried my name. Its the event and moment I decided to start take the initiatives of working with my own name. Weeks later, the next prospecting email went out as Cartic.
Got pushback from people (who meant well), use a generic name. Use something clients can pronounce, it converts better. Suggested me to be Cartic Peters or Carl, like Malayali name Riju Mathews/Sanju Samson. I kept Cartic.
Picked iCartic as my Skype ID, not a brand. It became Twitter, then LinkedIn, FB, then a newsletter….
What I learnt here
A pseudonym closes the deal in front of you, it cannot close the one 3 years out.
Nobody refers Rachel, nobody remembers Max/Patricia.
11 years of one name, in public, every week.
This month it turned into my first international speaking confirmation. Topic and details soon.
PS. if you're running a second name because someone told you it converts, how many more years are you giving it?
tCARe, CARtic P
iCartic.com