Before becoming a household name, Kim Kardashian made a small but significant change to her identity—one that would shape her public persona for years to come. In a recent interview with Time, the media personality revealed why she decided to drop “Kimberly” in favor of the shorter, punchier “Kim” ahead of the premiere of Keeping Up With the Kardashians in 2007.

Kardashian explained that her full name, Kimberly Kardashian, felt cumbersome for the screen and for viewers to remember. “I used to always go by Kimberly, until we signed on to do the reality show. And when I looked at my chyron, Kimberly Kardashian, I said, ‘I think that’s so long for people to say.’ And like, ‘Let’s just shorten it to Kim,’” she said.

Despite the change, Kardashian admitted that adjusting to the shorter version hasn’t always been easy. Friends and family members from her earlier years still call her Kimberly, making the transition feel “so weird,” she said.

The revelation offers fans a glimpse into the careful branding decisions behind her meteoric rise. Even a simple tweak to a name, Kardashian shows, can make a lasting impact in the world of entertainment.