Unusual career paths are nothing new, but others just make you scratch your head. Naming a child is often a sacred practise in most cultures across the world.
Children are given names with meanings or take the names of deceased loved ones. This simple yet important act is often left to the parents and grandparents.
However, if they are simply stumped about what to name their child or want a bespoke and unique name, a baby name consultant can swoop in and save the day, for a fee, of course.
TikTok star Morgan just does this. She advertises her services on the platform and gives facts on which names are in vogue and which ones are so last season.
“By popular demand, I am now offering a paid service when I consult with you to help you name your little one. You can give as many (or as few) details as you’d like and then I will work my baby name research magic to come up with a name perfectly suited to you,” she says on her website.
In a reply to a comment left by a TikTok user questioning the legitimacy of such a career, Morgan shared that it was initially her husband who sent her an article about baby name consulting in April and told her it was right up her alley.
“I was just as surprised as you are. At that point, I had been doing name content on TikTok for almost a year. I was getting a lot of feedback and people were asking questions. So, opening up consultations made me give undivided attention to those who needed my help.”
Through consultations, Morgan is given a brief on what kind of name the parents want, how "feminine or masculine" it must sound, how many letters it should have, its popularity or lack thereof.
She caters to her clients' every whim, such as finding a “boy name” with double syllables and double consonants.
@hellomorgantimm this one was extra fun to do 😻 #namenerd #babynameideas #nameideas #babynames #babynameconsultant ♬ original sound - Morgan | Baby Name Consultant
Although she is popular on the social media platform, others are not impressed by Morgan's work. A Twitter user gave her two cents “Girl, you can be anything you want in this life. It's [there's] a girl on TikTok that is a baby name consultant. And she tracks name trends. She is an expert at NAMES.”
She added that anyone can just “make sh*t up” and tell people they're good at it, and they will give you money.
Others see this as a peak 21st century phenomenon. “Anything can be a profitable profession. Hell, like 10-15 years ago, if people said you could become a full-time gamer who just plays games all day, uploading videos on YouTube and streaming on Twitch, people could have looked at them crazy.”
Whilst Morgan has not revealed exactly how much she makes per consultation, she is fully booked and busy, with the whole of October already having clients eagerly waiting for her services.
So, if you have a quirky talent, it seems you too can make a career out of it. No matter how niche it may be, it looks like you can always find your audience.
IOL Business