I woke up a few weeks ago and did what I do most mornings: I rolled over, grabbed my phone, and started scrolling emails with one eye open.
Then I saw a subject line that made me sit up straight: Trademark Notice for Leaders and Lattes.
It was from a woman named Dima Ghawi claiming that the name of my podcast infringed on a trademark she owned.
I genuinely didn’t understand how that could be.
When I was brainstorming the podcast name last year – Leaders & Lattes – I did what I thought was thorough due diligence. I searched Spotify. Apple Podcasts. Google. Other audio platforms no one’s ever heard of. Nothing came up. I thought I was in the clear.
Turns out, that wasn’t enough.
After reading the email more carefully, I checked the U.S. trademark database she linked in her email. And sure enough, she was right. The name was registered. Dima is an executive coach who hosts a Leadership and Lattes event.
Instead of starting my to-do list for the day, I spent the next few hours making every episode private and pulling down every social post promoting the podcast. Months of work disappeared from public view in a single day. That hurt.
But what hurt more was realizing this didn’t just affect me.
It affected the guests who had taken time out of their schedules to come on the show. People who shared their stories, their ideas, their expertise. People who planned to use those episodes to promote themselves, their businesses, and their work.
Suddenly, that content was no longer usable for any of us.
The mistake wasn’t the name. It was the assumption.
I assumed that because I’d checked the places most people check, I was set.
And to be clear: I’m not here to scare anyone out of launching their next project.
When you’re starting something new, momentum feels great. Ideas are flowing and you’re ready to start creating. You’re excited. You want to create and ship. The easy-to-miss steps are the ones that glossed over.
That’s why I’m sharing this.
If you’re thinking about launching a podcast, a social media series or a new product this year, learn from my mistake:
Slow down before you launch.
Ask the extra questions. Take the extra steps. Make sure the thing you’re excited about won’t create unnecessary cleanup later – not just for you, but for the people you bring along with you.
The silver lining
Big picture, we’ll be okay.
We’ll rename the podcast. We’ll relaunch it. We’ll keep moving forward with a bigger and better product.
I’m also grateful to Dima for the way she handled the situation. She was generous and understanding through it all.
But this is part of the work. You learn by doing. Sometimes you learn the hard way.
If you’re in the middle of creating something new, let this be your reminder to slow down before you launch.
Your future self will thank you.
