Your name is your brand and is worth $

There are companies that have worked very hard to make their name a brand and usually when a successful company is being sold the name of the company is sold as goodwill. Companies like McDonald’s, Microsoft, Nike understand the power of their name as a brand.

It is imperative that when a child is born that the parents give the child a name that can become a brand. People like Michael Jeffrey Jordan also known as MJ Jordan, Jennifer Lynn Lopez also known as J Lo, have built their names into a brand. In Hollywood years ago, movie stars were given names that became their brand. For example Rock Hudson, original name?Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Fitzgerald, American actor noted for his good looks and movie roles during the 1950s and '60s and popular television series in the 1970s; Whoopi Goldberg whose original name is Caryn Elaine Johnson, an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality or Oprah Winfrey’s real name is Orpah, not Oprah Winfrey.

Some people wear their name like a badge of honour and when a parent is known for different types of behaviour, the children of those parents suffer. My grandfather was known as a Cassanova in his day. A good looking man who was very charming. My father, when he went to visit a young lady in his youth was asked to leave the house by the mother via the backdoor because of who his father was. He said he was so embarrassed. It was then he understood the importance of having a last name that had goodwill.

I have worked very hard to ensure that my name Learmond-Criqui (my full maiden name) is respected by treating people with respect, providing quality service and helping them where I can. So when I ask someone for their name and they only want to give their first name or give me a wrong last name, I am amazed. I had an encounter with someone who upon requesting her name told me to use a name that was not her real name. She further went on to say that she was not sharing personal information with me and asked “where are you from”. When anyone WhatsApp my phone, the following comes up “Thank you for contacting Janice Learmond-Criqui. Please let me know how I can help you. I am here to educate, encourage and empower the people that I meet everyday.” First of all, if I am offering something to my readers, why would I put a phone number that would belong to a third party? And when someone WhatsApp me, you get my full name. Initially, I was offended by the discourse but after patiently explaining to the reader who I was and what I offered, she decided to send me a friend request on Facebook. I understand totally if someone’s phone was hacked or someone is a single parent and wants to be cautious. The same way, some people need to protect themselves, I also have to protect myself.

Using your correct name instead of a “house name” is also critical. If you die in the hospital and you don’t have any form of ID on you and a friend has to give your name, your friend may only know you by your house name and would provide that for the death certificate. If a wrong name is put on a death certificate, it is very difficult to have it changed. My grandmother did not like her name Albertina and decided to call herself Olive which was put on her death certificate. Doing some legal paperwork years later, when the death certificate was used, it was rejected because her name on my father’s birth certificate and the death certificate did not match.?Just keep that in mind.

#lifecoach #mentor #branding #yourname