Image courtesy of Larissa Degen
I used to hate my name. I wanted to fit in and be like everyone else, and as a child of the 80s, the popular girl names were Jennifer, Stephanie, or Michelle, not Alexis. I was too young to understand how Alexis Carrington was hurting my rare name, and I was also too young to understand that unique, or at least not popular, is cool. I began to embrace my name by 6th grade, and I became proud to be Alexis. I knew what I stood for, and I had fun nicknames that were available to me, although I’ve stuck with Lex and Lexy most of my life. I also learned to appreciate the meaning of names and thought behind them. I was named after my Great Grandfather Aaron who was fluent in many languages and a mensch.
When my first son was born, we followed the Jewish tradition of honoring wonderful people who no longer graced Earth; some I had known, some I hadn’t. Charles was my Great Grandfather and my husband’s Great Uncle and Grandfather were also named Charles. Since Day 1, we’ve felt that Charlie is the perfect name for him. We gave Charlie a Hawaiian middle name to pay homage to my upbringing, and also named him after a classmate of mine who passed away from cancer within 7 months of high school graduation. Her Hawaiian name, Ke’anue’nue, means rainbow. I shortened it to Keanu and it was a good choice. Keanu reminds him of the Biblical story that no matter how bad the storm may be, there’s always the promise of hope, calm, peace and beauty that follows.
After having a child, you realize how often you say their name, and the importance of picking a name you love for the next child becomes that much more significant, especially since there are now three of you saying the name! My second son’s first name, Cole, was something my husband and I liked. The focus turned to his Hawaiian middle name; we knew we wanted to honor a few people with names beginning with ‘P’, and during a babymoon trip to Hawaii, we discovered Pono. Pono in the Hawaiian language is referred to most popularly as ‘righteousness’. As is stated in the Hawaii state motto: Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono (translated directly as: the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness). However, the word is often used to mean correct, honorable, or good. There are strong cultural and spiritual connotations to the word. A loose definition could be a state of harmony or balance. Choosing pono is a phrase that reminds us to make the right choice. This is well-suited for my son who is a sweet boy who struggles with impulsive behaviors. Choose pono is something we say often in our home.
When it was time to name my marketing consulting company, I was struggling to find the right name, something that represented who I am, what I wanted to bring to small businesses, and why my company is important and different. My husband suggested something Hawaiian and that’s when Mana came about. Mana has several meanings, but is commonly referred to in Hawaiian as power or life energy. You can gain power or lose power by your choices. Choose pono, and gain mana. It’s that simple. Strategic marketing brings power and energy to business.
My marketing philosophy is about defining, understanding, listening and analyzing. Clearly defined company goals (that are measurable), mission statement, vision statement, and core values allow you to stay focused and aligned in all of your business decisions and actions. Understanding your marketing challenges and your customers (or clients, consumers, patrons, guests, etc.) allow you to provide better services and products that help solve your customers’ needs. Listen to your customers and the marketplace and discover insights to help differentiate yourself or improve your customer’s experience with your brand. Analyzing data allows you to see what’s working, what’s not, how your users are engaging with your company online and in-person. Data can also unveil usage patterns or discover pain points or help you see opportunities. Put that all together and create powerful marketing strategies and campaigns that will drive your business forward.
When you work with Marketing Mana, you are making an investment into your company’s future success. You will see marketing ROI as your top line grows, and your marketing dollars go farther. Marketing Mana is more than just a well-named company; Marketing Mana is the power through listening. We listen to you, your customers, the marketplace and trends. We dive deep in customer understanding and building a strong connection between your brands and your customers (and prospects). Drop us a quick note below and we’ll set up a free 45-minute consultation to discuss your marketing challenges and goals.