The Inspiration Behind Lillian & Co.’s Name

I don’t know about you, but I love hearing people’s backstories. This is Lillian & Co.‘s backstory — the inspiration of how she got her name.

In 2016, I needed a name for my business idea for inspirational jewelry inspired by Disney magic.

I knew I wanted the name to be Disney-inspired, but I didn’t want to be in your face about it. Just as our bracelets are subtle with a hint of magic, I knew the name needed to match.

Weeks went by, and I couldn’t think of a single name that seemed to fit. The perfect business name eluded me.

After rifling through every Disney-inspired word, I asked myself, “What is the feminine side of Disney?” I immediately thought of Walt Disney’s wife. She was the feminine side of Walt! And she just so happened to have the most beautiful name in the world — Lillian.

From that moment, Lillian & Co. was born — a small nod to the woman behind the man.

There aren’t a lot of stories about Lillian (or Lilly as Walt called her), but my favorite and most impactful on the Disney empire is that when Walt first drew a quirky little mouse with big ears on a train ride from New York, he had named his new little character, Mortimer. In all her wisdom, the story goes that Lillian talked him out of it and convinced him of the name Mickey.

The rest is history.

So, what’s the inspirational story that you can apply in your life?

You don’t have to be a Walt Disney to influence and impact the world in a significant way. Being behind the scenes, a support that no one sees is valuable, and you never know just how far or wide your impact will go.

I often think, would the Disney brand be what it is today had Lillian been jealous, critical, and rained on all of Walt’s crazy ideas? Would he have accomplished the magnitude of what he did had she fought him every step of the way? I don’t think so.

I believe it was Lillian’s kind and loving support of her husband that gave him the energy and spark to keep dreaming bigger.

Walt Disney was the hero of the story. We all know about him because he was the one out front and center with all the ideas, but Lillian Disney’s unwavering support was his solid foundation for him to stand on. She is the quiet hero of this story.

You are the hero of your story. You’re the one front and center with all the dreams and ideas. But just like Lillian was there to support Walt, Lillian & Co. is here to support you, encourage you, believe in you.

Each piece is a small reminder to keep going, keep dreaming, keep moving forward.

You got this!

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