Alex, I understand your being established and unable to change it up completely.
I joined a board, never ever ever dreaming that I would ever meet anyone from it. It wasn't local, for one thing, and, the members were from all over the world. Well, I used my real first name.
When I met the people, everyone was comfortable with calling me by my name. I could not get their names straight. I knew them as their screen names and ended up stumbling over their names.
I did eventually change my name but I used both to help those who'd known me before.
I like Alex. I like Brad. There are others on here that use their first names, I like them, too.
It feels comfy.
{ha ha, not what you want it to feel, eh Alex?
}