I'm Changing My Name (sorta)

I'm finally resolving an identity crisis I've had for years.

After my very first day of kindergarten, I came home and told my mom, “The teacher says I need a new name.”

Confused, my mom called the school. Turns out, there were three Andrews in my class. Rather than call us Andrew 1, Andrew 2, and Andrew 3 (or as I would’ve suggested: Andrew Prime, Andrewtron, and Andrewbee), the teacher encouraged us to pick a variation of our name.

So my mom asked? Do you want to go by Andrew, Andy, or Drew?

Five-year-old me, always the efficiency nerd, chose “Drew.” It’s the shortest and most syllabically efficient: four letters, one syllable. Andrew? Too long. Andy? Four letters but two syllables? Get outta here.

Since then, I’ve juggled both names. “Andrew” was reserved for the serious stuff: school attendance, government forms, and anytime I was in trouble. “Drew” was for the personal side… and for nicknames (Drewbee is way better than Andrewbee).

Over the years, the dual identity has led to jokes (in both my Dry Bar Comedy Special and the Humor That Works book) but it’s also led to confusion.

While “Drew” might be more efficient on paper, what’s proven even less efficient is spending the first 30 seconds of every client call answering the question: “Is it Drew or Andrew?” Followed by me explaining, “It’s either. Whichever one you remember. Just not Andy.”

So, in an announcement that feels like a big deal to me but probably not to anyone else:

I’m officially going by Andrew Tarvin for all things public-facing.

Why the change?

There’s a few reasons for the switch:

1. Search Clarity: 90% of people who find me online search “Andrew Tarvin.” It’s the name on my books, my TEDx talks, and now… my inbox signature.

2. Professional Polish: “Please welcome to the stage, Annnndreeew Tarvin” just sounds more like a keynote speaker. “Dreeeew Tarvin” sounds like a guy who wandered in from the audience.

3. Family Consensus: Both Pretzel (my wife) and Pineapple (my daughter) call me Andrew. And when I asked them which one I should go with, Pineapple shouted “Papa!” … and then agreed to “Andrew.” Democracy in action.

The opinions that matter most.

What does this mean for you?

Not much, really. You’re still welcome to call me Drew. I still am Drew (and Andrew). But professionally, I’ll now be showing up as Andrew Tarvin—online, in print, and across social media. (Speaking of which, if you’re not already following me, my new handle is @TarvinTalks: LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook).

Why share all this if it doesn’t really change much?

Because maybe you’ve also wrestled with your own “name” dilemma. Maybe not literally—but metaphorically.

I hesitated for years to make this change, worried about how others would perceive it and whether it would somehow change my relationship with them.

But when I finally shared the idea with friends, colleagues, and business coaches, the response was unanimous: “Makes sense,” “I get it,” and “Just glad you’re not going with Andy.”

Note: Andy is a perfectly fine name, it’s just not for me. I don’t want to upset Kaufman, Griffith, or Dwyer

So I’ll ask you the same questions I had to ask myself:

• What part of your identity are you holding onto out of habit?

• What are you continuing to do because of what others might expect—rather than what actually serves you?

• What small shift could lead to greater clarity, ease, or alignment?

Sometimes the most powerful rebrands don’t involve new logos or websites. They start with choosing what name you answer to.

To a clearer, more intentional you (and me),

Andrew Tarvin