"One of the downsides to using a title that is generally reserved for larger organizations is when someone gets the opinion that you are heading up a company many times larger than you really are only to find out you’re simply self-employed.
There is no way to get your credibility back after that kind of exposure."
http://one2consult.com/calling-yourself-ceo-does-not-make-you-a-ceo/
"One of the downsides to using a title that is generally reserved for larger organizations is when someone gets the opinion that you are heading up a company many times larger than you really are only to find out you’re simply self-employed.
There is no way to get your credibility back after that kind of exposure."