The Story Behind the Name
I get asked a lot, “Who is Clive?” and “Why is your business called Clive & Co?” And while the name might seem a little unusual, there's a very special story behind it.
During my pregnancy, we started calling our baby boy Clive after my mother-in-law had a hilarious dream about him. It wasn't a name we'd ever considered, and we all had a good laugh when she first told us about it. But somehow, what started as a bit of a joke quickly became a thing, and before we knew it, the name had well and truly stuck!
Throughout my entire pregnancy, EVERYONE called our baby boy Clive. It became so normal that we genuinely forgot how unconventional the name was for a baby (Most people go with something like “Peanut” or “Bean” as a pregnancy nickname...!) 😂 We’d casually refer to him as Clive in conversation, completely oblivious to the fact that other people hadn’t been part of this ongoing joke. Cue some very confused looks and the occasional “...Clive?” when people realised we were being serious!
A name that carried so much hope...
After multiple losses and an already failed embryo transfer, our family had unofficially adopted the hashtag #CliveVibes.
It became our little mantra: all the hope, all the good vibes, and the belief that this little boy would stick around. After everything we'd been through to get to that point, we poured so much hope into those two little words. 🤍
CliveVibes was more than just a funny hashtag. It was our way of holding onto something positive, of believing in the little person growing inside me, and of allowing ourselves to get excited about the future we'd dreamed of for so long.
The name became such a part of our lives that even my Year 3 students got involved. Every morning, they'd greet me with a cheerful “Good morning, Baby Clive!” while talking directly to my belly. Honestly, the sweetest thing! It's one of those little memories that still makes me smile when I think about it.
And when Clive finally arrived (as Wyatt, not Clive!), those vibes weren't going anywhere.
Wyatt made his entrance nine weeks early, and suddenly, our world looked very different from the one we'd imagined. Our little boy needed a NICU and Special Care Nursery stay, and while the journey wasn't quite what we'd pictured, we carried that little bit of hope with us.
We even had a little #CliveVibes label made for his isolette, where it stayed throughout his entire NICU/SCN stay. Our little reminder of the good vibes we'd been sending his way all along. If ever there was a case for some seriously good luck manifesting, CliveVibes was it!
Although the nickname didn't stick after birth, its meaning certainly did. Clive represented the hope we'd held onto through years of trying, loss and uncertainty. He was a little symbol of the future we'd dreamed of, and a reminder of just how much it meant to finally have our little boy here.
So, where does Clive & Co come in?
When I began creating Brave Beginnings, I wanted to make something meaningful. A book that reflected the experiences of NICU families, helped parents share their baby's story, and reminded families that their beginning mattered, even if it looked a little different from what they'd expected.
As the idea grew into a real book, and that book eventually grew into a business, I knew I wanted a name that meant something to me personally. Something connected to our own story, rather than just a name that sounded nice or 'bookish'.
And that's when Clive & Co felt right.
The Clive is for our very special pregnancy nickname, the little boy we spent so long hoping for, and the mantra that carried us through such an important chapter of our lives.
The & Co leaves room for everything else: our family, the stories we share, the books we create, the families we connect with, and the wonderful community that's grown along the way.
Because Clive & Co has become so much more than I ever imagined when I first started creating Brave Beginnings. Every book that finds its way into a family's hands, every message from someone who feels seen by our story, and every opportunity to support NICU families adds another little piece to what this business means to me.
And I love that the name has a story behind it. It's a little piece of our family that gets to come along for the ride, wherever this business takes us.
What started as a hilarious dream and an unexpected pregnancy nickname became our family mantra, a symbol of hope during an incredibly significant time in our lives, and eventually the name of a business built around sharing stories and celebrating the beginnings that make us who we are.
And that's the story!
So, there you have it. Clive isn't a person you'll find on the business team (although he certainly made his mark before he was even born!).
He's a little piece of our family's story. A reminder of the years of hope that came before Wyatt, the good vibes that carried us through, and the beautiful, unexpected ways life can unfold.
It's funny to think that a name we never planned on using became something so meaningful. And now, every time I see Clive & Co written down, I'm reminded of where it all began.
A dream, a hashtag, a whole lot of hope, and a little boy who eventually became our Wyatt.
And that's where Clive & Co began. 🌱
