When you start a business, there are literally hundreds of things to think about — especially when you’re building a brand from scratch.
I’m writing this blog while teaching a first-year Management and Decision-Making course to university students just starting their journey in business and leadership. Of course, it’s much easier to teach these concepts — like strategic branding and logo design — than to actually put them into practice, right?
So — back to starting a business!
Naturally, your mind goes to the essentials: the services you’ll offer, your pricing, your mission, vision, values, your niche, your ideal client… and then comes the branding: the name, the tone, and yes — the all-important logo.
The Logo: Your Business’s Visual Handshake
That little image feels like one of the most important things to get the branding and marketing ball rolling. Without a logo, it’s hard to build a website, finalize a signature block, or design business cards. It’s the visual handshake of your business identity.
But figuring out my logo? Not easy.
How do you visually represent leadership coaching, education, student success, and facilitation — while staying true to who you are?
Online Tools Didn’t Work — So I Looked Inward
I tried all the logo generators. The designs were more generic than the last. Nothing resonated.
Eventually, with the help of my partner — not my business partner, but my life partner — we started reflecting on what mattered most to me, and how we might express that visually.
Let’s start with the name.
Officially, the business was Martin Robichaud EduCo Services Limited. (Snooze, I know.)
Luckily, I’ve been signing off emails as “MR” since my late teens. So I shortened the name to MR EduCo Services, and eventually just MR EduCo.
That’s when a playful branding question arose:
Is it M.R. EduCo (my initials)?
Or is it Mister EduCo?
From Moustache to Meaning
That’s where the moustache came in.
I figured: if people don’t know who Martin Robichaud is, maybe they’ll read MR EduCo as Mister EduCo. That made me smile. It added personality, warmth, and a touch of humour.
Now, what image best represents education? An apple, of course — but that was taken. So I went with the next best symbol: a book.
Together with my partner, I pitched the moustache-book concept to a friend and neighbour who dabbles in graphic design. He created a logo where the pages of an open book were the moustache. It was quirky, fun, and full of meaning.
That logo represented MR EduCo for more than two years.
Rebranding with Intention
When it came time to rebrand, I knew two things:
- I wanted to keep the moustache.
- I wanted to stay true to the name MR EduCo.
My new designer — a digital and creative genius — asked me a great question:
“Why the moustache? What does it mean to you?”
Here’s what I told her:
The moustache represents maturity, sophistication, and a distinguished character. But it also symbolizes humour, belonging, and being fully yourself.
At MR EduCo, we welcome all ages, all journeys, all possibilities. The moustache became a metaphor — a symbol of how we blend serious leadership with a wink of fun and authenticity.
What MR EduCo Stands For
This is why the moustache stayed.
This is why Mister EduCo is here to stay.
Because behind the logo is a company built on authenticity, purpose, and impact.
At MR EduCo, we support individuals and teams through:
- Leadership coaching
- Facilitation and strategic team development
- Education consulting
- CASPer coaching and interview preparation
- Professional development and training programs
Whether I’m working with future med school students navigating their CASPer exams, coaching professionals through complex workplace challenges, or helping organizations deliver human-centred programs, my goal is always the same:
- To spark growth.
- To invite curiosity.
- To build confidence in what’s possible.
And yes — sometimes, that journey starts with a conversation, a mindset shift… or even a simple moustache.
