GROUND ZERO...What's in a name?

Ground Zero def.- The hottest spot of a nuclear explosion and/or the focal point of an event or movement.
    
The first time the name "Ground Zero" was used in print was 1946 in the New York Times describing the bombs dropping on Japan. 

There are thousands of businesses in the US with the words "Ground Zero" in the name...
-Ground Zero Auto Body
-Ground Zero Audio
-Ground Zero Medical Billing
-Ground Zero Games
-Ground Zero Surfboards

I wonder if these 5 companies, out of thousands of others, have ever gotten the flack I have gotten over the prefix Ground Zero being in their name.  Which leads me to this question... What's in a name?  And what do you do when the name of your business that you have had for 14 years is cool on one day and the next becomes a moniker for the worst tragic event in US history?

On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked our country.  I remember that day as if it were yesterday.  Waking up to Howard Stern telling me the first tower went down - and then the second.  I put on the news and there was the big headline - "Tragedy Strikes Ground Zero".  I got dressed and went to work.  Everyone had that zombie look of disbelief, horror and fear.

On September 11, 2001, I had already owned my hair salon Ground Zero for 14 years.  I didn't even understand the rammifications of having a business called Ground Zero until my dad (who was my receptionist at Ground Zero Main Street) called a client to confirm their appointment...He proceeded to say "Hello, this is Sonny from Ground Zero, I am calling to confirm your appointment for..." and before he could get another word out of his mouth she said, "what kind of sick joke are you playing!" and hung up on him.  Really?

Over the past 10 years since 9/11, I have had to defend my name to many different people including my staff at times.  Defend seems rather extreme, but I have had to on several occasions -   when right after Keith Conroy bought his business Ground Zero Main Street, a little picture of it appeared in a newsletter by Glen Beck (readership was probably only 100 at that time thankfully) asking "Why would you keep a name like this after 9/11?"  Or when Robin who owned Ground Zero Chestnut Hill was confronted by a women who came into the salon to yell at her about the name.  Really?

Just recently, I have had the pleasure (not really) to find out that my new salon, which should have opened back in February, is being held up due to so-called "permit issues".  However, rumor has it that the inspector has been giving me a hard time because they feel that the name "Ground Zero" is too disrespectful.  Really?

So here's the deal... I bought Powelton Hair Studio in 1987 and I had to keep the name until I received my salon license.  For the next 2 months, I answered the phone "Hello, Powelton Hair Studio" and hated it - it just wasn't me.   The salon was on Drexel University's campus in Powelton Village, but it was in the basement of an apartment building.  I had thought of naming it "The Underground" and then it all came together... One day while I was walking to the dentist at Presby Hospital and listening to the radio on my walkman  David Bowie's song Space Oddity came on.  I really liked the name "Ground Control" at first, and then a DJ came on and said something like "Here we are, starting back at GROUND ZERO"... At that moment, a light bulb went off in my head and my salon name was born.  To me, the name meant starting over, which I was.  And my salon was in the basement level of an apartment building so the name was perfect!  I never in my wildest dreams imagined that 25 years later I would be accused of disrespecting my country.

So this is for everyone who has issues with the name.  Just know this...Ground Zero Salons have produced some of the finest talent in the Philadelphia area.  We have trained and mentored many people who needed a path.  They chose Ground Zero because of our commitment to our clients, commitment to education, and commitment to our community.  We have been responsible for raising money for local charities such as City of Hope, Ronald Mcdonald Camp, Jefferson Breast Cancer Center (The Black and White Ball) and Dancing Classrooms.  We are also currently in the process of getting sponsors for our next Black and White Ball to benefit U of P Veterinary School next year.  We rise to any occasion when we are asked to support local endeavors and our clients experience a warm and friendly atmosphere when they walk through our doors.

We consider ourselves family and our clients agree.  The dedicated staff exemplifies the quality you recieve at our salons.  So stop in to one of our salons before you go dissin' our name.  Sure, Its the same name the media gave the 9/11 attacks - but we had it first!
W