What's In a Name? The Inspiration Behind See Beyond
Photo by Hide Obara on Unsplash
It was February 25, 2013, when I received a piece of paper from the Ohio government recognizing See Beyond as a legal entity. But it had its name a bit earlier than that.
I’m Katie Reid, the founder, owner, and director of See Beyond—at least for now. I will be transitioning out of the director role during the fall of 2025. I remember trying out different names for this little entity my husband and I wanted to birth. We knew we wanted to serve those working cross-culturally in North Africa through coaching (me) and counseling (him) but what to name this organization? Well, that was a mystery.
We’d been in Denver and were headed to the airport when we passed a building with “Cbeyond” on the side. I remember it took a moment to let it register, and then I liked it! Immediately, I felt like it fit the vision of this little business.
As I pondered the name, I thought:
See Beyond.
It’s a nod to the future.
It’s about finding a path.
It’s an encouragement toward something good.
It’s an acknowledgment of what is, with a nudge to move forward.
It’s about hope.
I’ve always wanted See Beyond to be a place “Where Your Needs Say ‘Hello’ to Hope”.
Remembering Service
Our logo is really about the meaning of See Beyond and our heart to serve others toward a hopeful future.
Take a moment to ponder our logo.
What do you see?
When you see beyond that original glance, what else begins to emerge?
Many people see a wave or a hill with the sun behind it. Both waves and hills represent something that can feel like an obstacle, but which can also be a joy. That sun— it’s definitely a sunrise for me, bringing the hope of a new day.
But there is something else there as well—a whole different image that also drives See Beyond. Can you see it?
I didn’t at first. Our graphic artist, Alyse Cappaccio, had to point it out to me. She said, “When you told me about what you want to create in your work, you talked a lot about serving those who are serving overseas.” She paused. I still didn’t see it.
“It’s not just a sunrise—it’s a servant—bowing down,” she said.
All of a sudden, it appeared. A servant bowing down. She didn’t know it, but for me it had special significance since in North Africa, this is also the posture of prayer for many residents.
Soon I began to see the sun rays as representing the values of our work and staff. They’ve changed only slightly since those early days:
1. Compassionate Care
Our providers strive to provide a welcoming, warm, engaging, and supportive space for learning and growth.
2. Professional
Our staff are highly trained in their fields. All providers take part in ongoing professional development and assessment.
3. Insiders
Our providers have lived in (or still live in) the countries in which we serve (or similar countries). We can relate to your experiences because we’ve lived a cross-cultural life in a similar location.
4. Safety
We are listeners who care deeply about being non-judgmental, trustworthy, and confidential with your personal content.
5. Accessible
We are insiders who will come to or near you whenever possible, especially when invited. We seek to price our professional services affordably.
6. Client-Centered
In all we do, we take a posture of being facilitative. While professionally holding the process, we believe you are masters of your stories and content. We provide services in a participatory manner, not as experts who have nothing to learn.
Growth Through the Years
It was about four or five years into our existence, still just my husband and I, and I was struggling to see how this organization was going to grow. I wasn’t very successful at making that happen. I remember talking to my father and saying, “I don’t know, dad, maybe we should just keep this a ‘mom and pop’ kind of business.”
Without hesitation, he responded, “Well then… you’ll need to change the name, won’t you?”
He knew I loved the name See Beyond. His words were all it took for me to remind myself to see beyond.
We’ve grown so much since then. I’m so grateful for those wise words that moved me back onto a path of hope.
As an organization, we are entering our adolescent years. That’s sure to mean changes, and a deeper grounding in our identity. I’m excited as a founder to envision a future without me at the helm and the possibilities that holds for the next stage of See Beyond’s story.
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