A man named Taylor Swift has opened up about what it’s really like sharing a name with the pop sensation — from being bullied for it in high school, to using it to boost his career as an adult to give.
Taylor, 30, from Washington, D.C., first heard of the singer, 34, at age 15 — and initially thought the fact they had the same name wouldn’t have much “impact on him” because he had the impression that it would fade away after a ‘hit or two.’
How wrong he was.
Instead, the Cruel Summer singer became one of the hottest superstars in the world – and her rise in popularity has had a huge impact on Taylor’s life.
He explained this in a recent essay for Business insider that having the same name as the musician has helped him immensely in his work in the cutthroat world of politics – noting that this is a great way to break the ice when meeting new people and helps him ‘get fall’ and ‘to be’ remembered later.
A man named Taylor Swift has opened up about what it’s really like sharing a name with the pop sensation — from being bullied in high school to using it to boost his career
Taylor, 30, from Washington, D.C., first heard of the singer, 34, at age 15 — and initially thought the fact they had the same name wouldn’t have much “impact on him”
But the Cruel Summer singer went on to become one of the most famous superstars in the world – and her rise in popularity has had a huge impact on Taylor’s life.
He explained in a recent essay for Business Insider that having the same name as the musician has been extremely helpful to him as he works in the cutthroat world of politics – because it’s a great way to break the ice when meeting new people and to ‘excel’
But the 30-year-old from Washington, DC admitted it wasn’t always easy for him, as as a teenager he was often the subject of mean jokes from his peers.
“I was just a kid trying to live my life, and I now shared a name with a great singer,” he recalls.
“Like most kids, I was trying to figure out who I wanted to be, but a few bullies in high school and a choir teacher who made fun of my name didn’t help.”
Taylor explained that he considered changing his name before college, but ultimately decided to “embrace it” after “a lot of self-realization.”
“I remember thinking, I was given this name for a reason, and I’m going to grow with it and become who I’m meant to become,” he continued.
“Even though my name comes up in every social interaction, including in my political career, I decided to have fun with it and see it as something positive.
“I love my name and I think it has helped me more than hurt me, even at work.”
Taylor serves as deputy director of governance and innovation for the POPVOX Foundation, an organization that “promotes engagement and empowers citizens to participate effectively in the democratic process.”
Taylor serves as deputy director of governance and innovation for the POPVOX Foundation, an organization that “empowers citizens to effectively participate in the democratic process”
“People remember (my name),” he shared. “When people remember my name, they also remember the ball I’m trying to push forward.” Taylor is seen with her boyfriend, Travis Kelce
He told the publication that having the unique nickname is a plus because people never forget his name.
“As someone who works in the conference room, where I help advocate for things like better wages, wage benefits and technology, it helps to have a name like mine because people tend to remember it,” he shared.
“When people remember my name, they also remember the ball I’m trying to push forward, and that’s what’s important.”
Although initially embarrassed, Taylor now likes to join in on the jokes about his name – in fact, he often encourages people to laugh about it and uses quotes from Taylor’s songs.
He revealed: “(I tell people), ‘Please feel free to joke around, I’ll shake it off later,’” a reference to Taylor Swift. Then everyone laughs and feels more at ease.
‘When I’m at work, I use other references to lyrics, such as, “I know this project has been hard, but we’re not out of the woods yet.” and “I know, this mistake was my fault. I’m the problem. It’s me.”
Although initially embarrassed, Taylor now likes to make fun of his name – in fact, he often encourages people to laugh about it and uses quotes from Taylor’s songs
He concluded, “I now think that if my name is the biggest struggle I have in life, then I’m doing okay. It feels trivial to believe otherwise.”
“Political work can be stressful, so if making a joke about my name makes someone laugh, smile or think of me, then I’ll do it.”
However, there are still a few negatives, such as the “disappointment” he has to endure when he makes a dinner reservation under his name and they discover that he is not the singer when he arrives.
He also often worries that people will confuse him with the singer when he does interviews or promotes a charity, so he often asks the press to call him Taylor J. Swift instead.
“This way no one will wonder why Taylor Swift (the singer) is talking about modernization and congressional oversight,” he joked.
Ultimately, though, Taylor wouldn’t have it any other way. He concluded, “I now think that if my name is the biggest struggle I have in life, then I’m doing okay. It feels trivial to believe otherwise.”