One of the hardest parts of starting a business is choosing a name.
When Heidi and I were planning the store, we spent weeks brainstorming. We made lists, tossed around ideas, and overthought every possibility. We knew the name mattered. It would become the foundation of everything that followed.
At one point, we were seriously considering a name called Two Cheeky Peaches.
Thankfully, we kept brainstorming.
Then Heidi had an idea.
"What if we named it after our pets?"
I had a cat named Billie. Heidi had a dog named Talulah, better known as Lulu. The more we talked about it, the more it felt right.
Billie & Lulu's wasn't necessarily the most obvious choice. It wasn't the most descriptive. It certainly wasn't the result of some expensive branding exercise. But it felt personal, and that was exactly what we wanted.
Once we landed on the name, everything else started to fall into place. We spent hours discussing colors, fonts, fixtures, signage, and decor. We weren't trying to create a stuffy boutique with a luxury feel. We wanted the store to reflect who we are—colorful, fun, welcoming, and a little quirky.
We wanted it to be the kind of place where people could browse for a while, laugh with us, find something they didn't know they needed, and leave feeling like they've made new friends. Because at the end of the day, Billie & Lulu's has always been about more than clothing—it's about community.
The name Billie & Lulu's captured that spirit better than anything else we came up with.
Today, customers know Billie & Lulu's as a destination for stylish secondhand fashion, especially for women who have often struggled to find great options in their size. But behind the name is a simple story about two friends, a cat, a dog, and a business built with heart.
Since opening, Lulu has sadly crossed the rainbow bridge. Losing her was heartbreaking, but her legacy lives on every day through the store she helped inspire. Every time someone walks through our doors, her name is still there, right above the entrance.
Looking back, it's funny to think how much time we spent stressing about the perfect name. Now, we can't imagine it being called anything else.
And while Billie and Lulu never knew they were becoming the namesakes of a business, they ended up inspiring something pretty special—a place where people can shop, connect, and feel at home.
Not bad for a cat and a dog.