[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” animate=”yes” delay=”50″][vc_row_inner column_margin=”none” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” animate=”yes” delay=”50″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]Canon Wing joins the program to discuss how she has named products that have earned billions worldwide for over two decades. Canon discusses the power of a name, and what makes a great name for a product or service. Canon explores the idea of naming as an invitation to our higher self, and the difference between a label and a name. Canon also shares how the power of naming helped her boyfriend find healing after an illness.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”full_width_background” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” top_padding=”0″ bottom_padding=”7%” class=”custom-p” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”left-right” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][toggles style=”default”][toggle color=”Default” title=”Episode Transcription”][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”padding-3-percent” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]Speaker 1: Let’s just start talking, and oh there we go, it’s [inaudible 00:00:03], okay.
Canon Wing: Testing, testing.
Speaker 1: Okay. So, welcome to Hidden Human, our first podcast. I’m here with Canon Wing, The Namer, and she’s just one of my favorite humans. And so, can you tell us in once sentence, exactly what a namer is? And maybe some products that you’ve named.
Canon Wing: Sure. Well thank you for having me on your inaugural podcast. I’m very honored. You are a favorite human of mine as well.
Speaker 1: If I could kiss you right now I would, but nobody would see it.
Canon Wing: We’ll just add the sound effect. We didn’t kiss, I promise. So some of the things that I’ve named: I’ve named Lift sneakers for Puma, I’ve named the Capital One Venture Card, the Honda Ridgeline truck, a bunch of cars for Saturn, named things for Hershey’s. I named their chocolate Simple Pleasures, because what else is a kiss but a simple pleasure?
Speaker 1: Oh my goodness. I love Simple Pleasures.
Canon Wing: Me too.
Speaker 1: So, in one sentence, why is naming so important?
Canon Wing: Naming is one of those tricky things, that they think they can just name it anything and throw it up there, and that doesn’t really make a difference. People think it’s advertising dollars that make the difference. But it’s actually a pull into being of a greater future. And the greater future must be for the user or enjoyer of that product, service, or company. And that’s the tricky thing, because we’re kind of thinking about our creation as entrepreneurs, or our products, like specs and exciting details. But it’s really about where we’re taking the user, or the enjoyer, of that gift that we’ve created.
So naming is really an incantation. It brings in a greater future. And the secret is, it actually brings in a greater future for the maker of the brand, or the creator of the product as well. That’s the exciting twist in the story.
Speaker 1: So, what is it about naming that spoke to your soul? What draws you to this?
Canon Wing: What I love about naming, the process of naming, it’s truly a gift. You must let go of your ego, you must shed any kind of your own personal subjectivity. I mean, anyone who’s been around anyone trying to name a baby or anything like that, there’s always like, well I know this girl and that name and didn’t like it for that reason. And you just have to drop all of that. It’s about the end user. So when you’re naming your brand, you have to be giving. I really love that. You have to relax, you have to think about what makes that person feel seen, heard, loved, validated by that brand, and that you can welcome them into it. I mean, that’s what a brand is. You are leaping into an unknown, unfamiliar world. So you want a name that invites them into their greater future, which is usually a secret pressing on their heart. Something they couldn’t say out loud.
Like Iron Man, for example. I bet you at least 50% of the people that are in Iron Man never thought they could do Iron Man. But that name tells, like yes I’m gonna be an Iron Man. You know, deep down inside. And when you can name it out loud, it gives everyone else permission to do the same. And they leap into your brand, and they have a greater future. So that’s what I love about it.
Speaker 1: See, I just love being around you because it feels like, when I’m with you, and I’ve seen it with you with other people, I’ve seen you interact, and there’s a magic because you hold such a sacred place for this to kind of come into being. And I love the image of a secret pressing on your heart. So tell me, how young were you when you felt that secret pressing on your heart? So go back to your childhood, because usually our personalities are set by six, so we kind of want to look in that area.
Canon Wing: So, when I was very young, my parents had me young. They were 18, 19 when they had me. And I was what they called at the time, a latch-key kid. Which means you have your key around your necklace, and I was really taking care of myself. That’s when I started to really see the power of naming, the power of standing into your greater future. The fact that you are actually the driver of your life and it doesn’t have to be an adult or a family or a culture, or a school or whatever happens to be that kind of wall that you think you need to keep running into. And you’re like, oh I could just call myself something else and walk around that wall really easily. You know? We all have those stories that we carry, like really heavy bags. And we can just put them down.
And so mine was, like, neglect. Like, oh I was neglected. Because people called me that. Child services came in and called me that. And I was like, what? No I’m not. But, when I changed that name to being, you know, I’m a doer. I get things done. I take care of myself. It became my superpower. It didn’t become a really heavy backpack to carry everywhere I go and look at the world and think it’s rejecting me somehow. I actually thought, you can make anything you want out of this world, it’s up to you. So that started to happen pretty young, like before I got boobs. So what is that? Like eight or nine?
Speaker 1: Oh wow.
Canon Wing: Yeah, I started to imagine a greater future, I suppose.
Speaker 1: So tell me the difference, in your world, what’s the difference between a name and a label? Because the way you’re describing it, name really brings in the power, it’s an empowering name but there’s a lot of talk about labeling out there. How is there a difference? What’s a distinction?
Canon Wing: I think it’s your perspective. Your belief system behind it. So, originally I was gonna say a label is something thrust upon you. And a name is something that you can give to yourself. But you could see it either way. I think that if someone calls you any name, whatever it is, and you spin it to be positive for yourself, the world responds. So my last name is Wing, and my grandpa used to tease me about it and he used to call me buffalo wing or chicken wing, and when I would say my last name to people like you do in jobs, they would also do that. And then I switched my thinking to angel wing, or butterfly wing, and everyone started calling me an angel. And I never articulated anything. It was just my own-
Speaker 1: Mind shift.
Canon Wing: Yes.
Speaker 1: That’s amazing.
Canon Wing: And I think it’s really the perspective. The energy that you put into it, as much as the actual work.
Speaker 1: Yeah. And I mean, your name, for me, the way I react to it is this person that’s shooting something into another level of consciousness. That’s floating up to the next level. So for me it’s got a lot of power. But, doing a lot of work in diversity and inclusion, there’s a lot of talk about labels. And I agree with you. I think really wrapping your mind around a strong name lifts you to the next level.
Canon Wing: So each of the, I would say 90% of the entrepreneurs that I help, and it’s been over 22 years of this, they have a similar through-line in that, one of the things is they name themselves very small. The name that they think they should name their brand is like about today. Like, this moment, where I am right now. And I always say, I am only gonna name you into your greater future. It will feel uncomfortable. Love that feeling of the stretch. If it feels exactly like it is right now, that’s the wrong name. It should be scary. You should think, can I do that? That’s the one. Because you’re going into your greater future. You don’t want to settle for right now. Right? This trend, this moment, this catch-phrase that’s in the air right now. Or this location that you have one business in one location so you’re gonna name it after that location. That’s thinking really small. You have no idea how big you can grow. So let’s name a wide open space for you to grow in.
And you never, this is the greatest thing about growth, is you never see all of the hidden treasures in front of you. You can only see the things that seem like you’re gonna have to leave them behind. When you could truly change, when you have a shift, you think, okay I’m changing. I’m not that anymore and I’m gonna lose all this identity in this stuff. You never do. You only drop what you don’t need. You keep everything you need. And you never can see all those hidden treasures before you. Right? But you cold block them. Right? By calling yourself something small. So that’s that kind of, like, transformation that each one of them actually needs. That’s why they can’t name it themselves. They’re thinking too small. Because you give them permission.
Speaker 1: And for me, you’re so timeless in everything that you do. And so that makes sense that you’re picking names into the greater future, because that’s a timeless name. So you’re talking about being scared, and it’s funny when I work with executives that comes up a lot. So tell me about a time you were really, really scared and you picked up what you needed and scrapped the rest.
Canon Wing: Yeah, well, you know, it actually is a time where naming came into play. I was 30, and my boyfriend at the time, we were on a plane home from Christmas, and I was very brave and I took him home to meet all of my family on Christmas. [inaudible 00:09:38] Irish whiskey drinkers, let’s say.
Speaker 1: I got it in my head.
Canon Wing: So, when we were on the plane he was feeling faint. I was like, yeah me too. I’m dry here, you know. But he was feeling really faint. And so we went to the hospital, and within an hour they were, this 20 year old ER doctor comes in, he’s like, dude, you’ve got cancer. It’s a big shock. I fainted. I hit the floor. Just down, you know? Praying to God really. And I remember, he said, did I go through this life invisible? This is the question he asks me. I was like, what answer can you have? I was dumbfounded. I literally had no words. But I was like, no, and you will not die.
And he, I watched him … okay, so, because I was that latch-key kid, because I was alone, I knew the dangers of that. And I never went home. I actually never went home after that plane ride. I stayed with my luggage in the ER for four months. I never took my eyes off of him. That’s when my superpower came into play. You know? I was like, not on my watch. This kind of a thing. And boy, everyone wanted me to go home. Everyone wanted me to stop, they thought I was too controlling, or taking too much charge. But I saved his life so many times.
And one very dramatic one, he started to have a stroke in front of me. And I was the one who called the code blue. I hit the code blue button, and no one was looking at him. Everyone was looking at the equipment, all writing down their notes, or anything like that. No one was looking at what was actually happening. They were just in their panic. And that was like, the eye of the storm. I was so calm. I was doing CPR, I was lifting him up. I was talking to him. I was telling him to stay in his body. You know, all of that.
And he had two back-to-back surgeries. 12 hours of brain surgeries. And the doctors, they called me up in the hallway, to give me the news, and they were like, he will be blinded for life, epileptic for life, handicapped for life, paralyzed for life. And I’m looking at him, and he’s smiling with the half of his face that could smile still at me, totally unaware. And I knew if they told him that that would happen, they would call him to being that future. And I was like, something inside me just rose up like fire from Hell, like a demon. I was like, no. And they were like, there’s no yes. This will happen. There’s no proof that it won’t happen. I was like, how can there be? It hasn’t happened yet. You don’t know the willpower in that man’s heart. And I said, I forbid you from telling him that he’s blind and paralyzed, epileptic, any of that. Like, you will call him The Miracle Man, because that is what he needs. And they were like, no. And I was like, well then you’re fired. And they were like, alright. We’ll do it.
Speaker 1: We’ll do it. We’ll do what you tell us to do. So that was when you called him The Miracle Man. So what happened from there?
Canon Wing: Everyone started to call him The Miracle Man. All of the doctors, all the nurses. They would wake up and say, Hey Miss Canon, hey Miracle Man. Good morning. And he got it all back. He first learned to sit, then he learned to eat, then he learned to smile. And he learned to move his arms and he learned to walk. And he even, learned to fly a Cessna plane. I mean, all of it back.
Speaker 1: All from the power of naming.
Canon Wing: He ended up driving a car.
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh.
Canon Wing: Yeah, and that was like, that’s why it’s a calling to be a greater future. And that name got everyone on board. That’s what the greater future name does. It makes people see themselves in the best possible way. Consciously. Cause it’s out loud. And then everyone starts in that incantation. And it comes to fruition.
Speaker 1: It’s, as I was listening to the story I was thinking about, sometimes when Brian and I drive to Connecticut from Philly, and this is very simplistic, but sometimes we’ll be on 95 and there will be a warning that traffic is three miles ahead. And it’s almost like, as soon as somebody reads that sign, everybody starts to slow down. But without that suggestion, they could’ve driven three miles very easily. It’s the same thing. You named him The Miracle Man, and that’s what he became.
Canon Wing: He said that he never knew that he had to fight against not being paralyzed for life. He just thought he would walk again. He believed me 100%. I ran back into the room, and I said, baby baby, they said you were gonna get it all back. Totally lied to him. You know? A white lie, a lie of love. And he was like, great.
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh.
Canon Wing: And that’s what we did.
Speaker 1: But that’s what happened. You spoke it into being. You spoke the greater future into being. So, oh my gosh.
Canon Wing: And what I love about the name of your podcast, Hidden Human, I was just thinking about it when you were talking, you know, one of the hidden powers is our collective unconscious. Right? And that name, The Miracle Man, became a collective unconscious. All of his PT, physical therapists, they also probably did too. So their work was infused with that. And, you know, when two or more come together, that’s the power of it. It’s almost like a hidden human power that we all have, and we all share, but goes blind. And if you wake people up to it.
Speaker 1: It’s amazing. It’s really amazing. And, the collective consciousness is so powerful. I mean, I believe strongly in my gut that we’re one human mind, one human family. So whatever you do to me, I do to you, cause we are so connected. And that’s, I mean, it’s proven over and over and over again. And for me, with Hidden Human, one of the things I was really kind of getting weary of, is you need these inspirational leaders, who have prepared answers. And I really, I think there is so much more to these business leaders that we have out there. And inspiration leaders, that I wanted to see what was behind it. You know, that hidden human that’s being the CEO title, or behind The Namer.
Like, what brought you here? Because, obviously, when you’ve named $6 billion in products, you’re highly successful. But there is a journey. It’s not flipping a light switch and here’s Canon Wing. You had to go through this and see the power of your words. I mean, you’re a poet, you obviously saw that early. And I kind of wish everybody was in the studio watching her test her mic, reading EE Cummings out of my favorite books, Loyalty To Your Soul. But words create a reality.
So, one of the things I love to talk about is a failure that you’ve kind of come back from. Because I feel like people can relate to our failures more than our successes. Because we’ve all failed in some form or another. So, tell me about a time, whether it was personal or professional, where you came back from something that kind of knocked you for a loop.
Canon Wing: Yeah, I recently, was it two years ago now? Let’s say three years ago, but it lasted about a year, so it ended two years ago. I took on a partner. All my clients, they wanted more from me. And I’m only one person. So I took on a partner and a staff. And I was really excited about it, and it didn’t work out. We had completely different styles of leadership, and the staff didn’t know what to do. You know? And he wasn’t on the up and up, so I got really duped by that. And I sort of fell into the trap where I wanted to help him, and save him, and that was a game that I would like to be done playing in this universe.
Speaker 1: You and me both sister. It’s like, let me fix it, here I come.
Canon Wing: I was like [crosstalk 00:17:54]. Why did I get on this game board again?
Speaker 1: Yeah, save your game board. It’s exhausting, isn’t it?
Canon Wing: It is exhausting. But I sniffed it out a little bit, and then I followed him to Europe, where this job was, and I discovered yeah, it wasn’t the right fit. So we parted ways, and it was very challenging. And there I was in Europe by myself, because you know, my ticket wasn’t for another month. I was there for another month, and I was, like, lost. And I kept thinking, hero’s journey. And I was like, I am in the belly of the beast. I am in the cave. I am in that scene in Star Wars where the trash compactor is coming. And I was like, I’ve got to get out of this cave. Where is the cave exit? And that lasted for a while. And I was also so down on myself for not seeing it sooner. For falling for my own, it’s not his fault. For falling for my own psychological thing. I’m sure he thinks he’s right, and I’m sure he’s doing great. It’s not that. I was like, how did I reorganize all the same puzzle pieces, and go through this again.
And then I was walking along the river in Lupiana, that’s where I was, and I was thinking, oh I can still be The Namer. No one can take that from me. That’s me. I did that. I have done that for two decades. I still get to go do what I was always doing before I even had this whole other side of the business. And then I literally looked up to God an laughed. This is fun. You’re funny.
Speaker 1: Such a sense of humor.
Canon Wing: [crosstalk 00:19:39] You came out of that cave a long time ago. You can just step right out.
Speaker 1: Just hit the button on the trap door.
Canon Wing: Just, open the trash compactor.
Speaker 1: You are no longer in Star Wars.
Canon Wing: Totally. And it took me a while to remember. Sometimes I think half of that is remembering, more than having to recreate from scratch. It’s about remembering how much you’ve actually accomplished in your life. Whatever it is. Psychological, physical, financial, spiritual. It’s like, oh yeah, you get to still be you. No one can take that from you. They can only make the illusion that they can take that from you. And you could fall for it for a while. But then you can wake yourself up.
So that was a lovely thing to do. So I was like, so let me put the coffee on [inaudible 00:20:32]. Cause I don’t need him and I’m doing great.
Speaker 1: I think what you said is so key, because there’s a piece there that I think a lot of entrepreneurs, and even humans, period, fall into. Is that they discount their mental real-estate, and their value of their experiences. That has value. You know? Especially when I’m working with a new entrepreneur that’s just launching their business. I’m sure you’ve dealt with this too, but when they price something they always price lower. And I’m like, okay wait a second. You’ve got a PhD, you’ve got this, this, and this. You’re 50 years old. All of that experience has value, and you can’t discount that.
Canon Wing: There’s a famous story about Picasso. He’s in a bar, and someone asked him to draw him something on a napkin, right? And he was like, that will be $1 million. And the person was like, that took five seconds. And he was like no, it took me, whatever his age was, it took me 80 years to learn to draw like that. And it is an easy thing to discount if you forget the value of it. You know?
Speaker 1: Well yeah, and we live in a society of course, that flips a switch and all of the sudden you’re a star. So that’s why I think this is so important to talk about, because there is that journey that has value and we shouldn’t just kind of gloss over it.
Canon Wing: And it’s about believing in yourself. You know, like, in that failure, what I forgot was to believe in myself. You know? I was trying to fit the puzzle pieces. Not realizing I’m the right puzzle. Like, I don’t really need to fit all those puzzle pieces if they don’t fit. My puzzle is already perfectly great. It’ll keep growing and, you know, I don’t need that piece. There’s pieces everywhere. There’s no lack of collaborators. People to help you, to reach out, and to grow in a different direction, if that direction isn’t for you. Sometimes we get so, we have this goal in mind, this vision of what we want, and it’s such a small thing no matter what it is. That detail, that little bullseye that you’re trying to hit, there’s bullseyes everywhere. There’s so many, that you can just take on a shift and remember that you actually had that value. Like in your education and all of the things that you’ve accomplished. So yeah, I can see that. It’s a big trap for entrepreneurs.
Speaker 1: It is, and I think that for people period, and especially women, you know, we discount that. But it’s funny because as I was listening to you, I was thinking about how we get a lot of opportunities thrown our way. And there are times in my, it doesn’t happen anymore but, where I’ll say, oh if I say no to that or that, another opportunity like that is never gonna come along again. Well then I read a quote by Richard Branson, where he said, business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one on it’s way. It’s true. I mean, if you look at it, there’s always something kind of popping out.
Canon Wing: I think we’re as powerful as what we say yes to, as what we say no to.
Speaker 1: Yes. Oh my gosh.
Canon Wing: It’s a great feeling to say that’s not for me. You know? I never, I did it when I was younger. I saw the power of it. I named something that, which I can’t mention, but it, in my opinion, didn’t do good by the world. And it made millions. It did millions. And I was like whoa, okay, I gotta be much more responsible in this. So I never do it now. Never. I mean, it’s been decades. Or at least over a decade. Where, you know, I get great opportunities, like cigarettes and things like that. I’m like, no thank you. It’s not for me. You know? It’s the freedom of choice, and it’s not my choice.
So I think it is, we are as powerful as what we say no to as well. And I think, women entrepreneurs particularly, have this challenge in front of them. Because the media, everything about it, is telling us that we’re in scarcity. We’re not enough. You know, we gotta prove everything. We’ve gotta be the glossy magazine. We’ve got to be this now, and that now. And boobs are in, and butts are back. And eyelashes are in, and hair’s back. And you know, they’re always moving a body part that we’ve got to fix. It’s never just fine.
So I think that applies on a macro level. Because we grow up that way. We think, oh I’ve got to fix this part. This part isn’t right. Or should I make a little part better. So, it’s easy to say yes to everything, because that becomes another little part to put on our shelf of trophies. Some trophies you don’t want.
Speaker 1: No, and it, for me, and knowing you the way I know you, which is about this much. You’re so secure and you kind of know yourself. And that sort of hearkens me back to some of Byron Katie’s teaching, when she talks about saying no. It’s about K-N-O-W yourself. And you know for yourself that cigarettes are a no-go, or this is a no-go, because you have those really certain values that are in your DNA. As much as I’ve interacted with you, that’s sort of what I see.
Canon Wing: And that is what branding is. So if you are an entrepreneur and you’re starting your brand, you want to build your brand like it is a whole town with shared values and ethics. Right? When you go into an Apple store anywhere on earth, you see their values and ethics. You see that all are welcome here. There are ushers to bring you in. Technology is of excellence here. It’s absolutely beautiful, all bright and clear. It’s easy to use, plug and play. Everything, their website, their boxes, everything is artistic, excellent, welcoming, and cutting-edge. And what a great combo, to have something that’s technologically cutting-edge, which should be intimidating, with a brand who’s so welcoming. Great on them to do that.
So with our values and ethics, if we’re not conscious to them, everyone’s reading them anyway. There’s no getting around this. Whether it’s a brand or it’s a book that you’re writing, or a business that you’re building, you should know them, state them, put them in your mission statement, put ’em in every bit of your branding. Because they’ll make them up for you if you’re not conscious of them, by default. You’re gonna create a house that shares values and ethics, you might as well be in charge of what they are. Think about them.
Speaker 1: Well, because what you’re saying is the world’s gonna write them for you anyway, so you need to scaffold yourself up and know exactly the direction you’re going in. I just, I could talk to you forever, you know that. So what was your favorite, that you can mention. What’s your favorite name that you gave somebody? Besides Miracle Man, because that’s on my top ten.
Canon Wing: Really, it’s my sister’s, but. I got to name my sisters.
Speaker 1: You got to name your sisters?
Canon Wing: Yes. [crosstalk 00:27:09]
Speaker 1: How did that come about?
Canon Wing: In the delivery room. [crosstalk 00:27:18] This happens a lot. [crosstalk 00:27:18]. My friends call me. Yeah like, everyone’s like, I can’t figure it out. I want it to be like this or the other and I don’t know what to do. And I was like, Annie, Annie, that’s the name, Annie. And then we wanted the middle name, so her name is Annie Elena, and then my mother’s second child, same type of thing. She didn’t know what to do, but she wanted them to be As, and it’s [Aliyah Livie 00:27:42]. Which is my favorite.
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh.
Canon Wing: And they love their names, and I love them, so that’s my absolute favorite.
Speaker 1: How young were you when that happened?
Canon Wing: 21. We’re about 21, 23 years apart, each of us.
Speaker 1: And did it happen just instantaneously? You’re in the delivery room and boom, that’s what just happened?
Canon Wing: Yeah, we were, we knew that we wanted to be an A, and yeah. I think, you know, I loved Aliyah’s name too. Because it could be Liyah, Lili, we call her Lilu sometimes. It’s super fun. And they’re just the light of my life. I couldn’t be more proud of them. They’re killin’ it right now.
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh.
Canon Wing: Yeah, so those are my favorites. But, you know, everyone loves Flips pretzels. And that’s kind of fun, because when people find out they’re like, oh my God I stayed up all night talking to my best friend eating flips pretzels. Can I take a picture with you and send it to her? She will totally get this. So I really like that I get to be a part of pop culture, in a secret way.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Because are you recognized on the street? Because you’re an inspiration to millions.
Canon Wing: I’m not recognized on the street.
Speaker 1: So you’re able to do all this really cool stuff, and you don’t have to … you’re the hidden human behind these.
Canon Wing: I am. I love that.
Speaker 1: I love that. But so, these names, they don’t pop in like that, for you, right? You were telling us about your process. Walk us through the process, just kind of briefly.
Canon Wing: Well the main thing that anyone who’s trying to name needs to know, is that every great name has four attractions. And they’re the same four attractions for every great story. It needs to be emotional. We only make emotional decisions. They’ve put people in brain scans, and they scanned their brains while they’re looking at brands that they know and brands that they don’t know, and our brains light up as if we’re looking at someone that we love. It’s emotional. So your name has to be emotional. And that usually means it’s not descriptive. Right, it’s emotional. It needs to be a wish fulfilled. I want to go somewhere. I want to see that greater future. When I go see that movie and it’s a romantic movie, someone bloody well better get married at the end, right? Or have a baby or something. Because if I see a revenge movie and there’s no revenge, I’m walking out. There must be a wish fulfilled.
Then it needs to be memorable. So, Miracle Man was memorable by the alliteration and that call-to-future. And this is the, so memorable can be easy to say, easy to pronounce, easy to spell. Think about other languages, we all have websites now. We’re all international audiences. Like, sake means urine in Russian. Not good. So check your stuff. And then the fourth is new but familiar. And this is a healthy balance. When you’re going somewhere new, I recently went to the Amazon, completely new. No [inaudible 00:30:31] there, but there were hot showers with frogs. Not something I usually do.
Speaker 1: I can’t even picture it. The visual. Not the usual.
Canon Wing: I sought out what was familiar, in order to enjoy the new. So if your name is too familiar, it sounds like everybody else and they just don’t care. And if it’s too new, it’s like, I don’t belong there. That’s for those people who know about that. I don’t know about that. That’s like an insider, elite language.
Speaker 1: Wow.
Canon Wing: So you want that balance of new but familiar. Just like when you’re in the Amazon, but you’ve been in a canoe before. Right? So okay, I know how to canoe. I can canoe down the Amazon. That’s my familiar. Okay there are monkeys and pink dolphins and boa constrictors and jaguars in the water, and that’s new.
Speaker 1: I’m in a canoe. But I’m familiar with this. Never seen this. That’s awesome.
Canon Wing: You want that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, but I mean, this is not an instantaneous process, is the point.
Canon Wing: No.
Speaker 1: It takes a lot of thought, a lot of care, a lot of intention. A lot of incantation.
Canon Wing: Yes it does.
Speaker 1: So, I’m gonna ask you a couple of rapid-fire questions, and then we’ll close out. So, what books are on your nightstand right now?
Canon Wing: Right now, okay. Gosh I have so many that I’m reading right now. I’m reading ‘How to Love’ by that monk, I’m gonna mess up his name,
Speaker 1: Tich Nhat Hanh.
Canon Wing: Thank you. Tich Nhat Hanh. That’s fantastic. I just open a random page and read that every day. I’m reading ‘Good to Great’. Just started that. And I just finished this branding one. ‘What Great Brands Do’. And I loved that. Cause I was like, yes, that’s what I’ve been saying all along. Yes, yes, yes. I was super excited to hear that other people believe it too. So those are top on my list right now. I would take a recommendation though. I could eat books for breakfast.
Speaker 1: Me too. I love ’em. And my audible is always-
Canon Wing: Audible.
Speaker 1: Yeah Audible. I love Audible, cause it makes my car ride faster.
Canon Wing: Yeah, that’s right. My car is my classroom. I just took this cross-country trip, so I’ve listened to all these books on Audible. It’s a fantastic resource, and so cheap. You can get educated.
Speaker 1: I know, right?
Canon Wing: In your car.
Speaker 1: It’s amazing. It’s amazing. And I find myself crying in my car, or having driveway moments, which I love. And if you don’t know what a driveway moment is, it’s when you park in your driveway and you can’t stop listening to whatever’s on the radio cause it’s so good.
Okay, so what’s on your playlist?
Canon Wing: On my playlist, music-wise?
Speaker 1: Besides Rihanna.
Canon Wing: Rihanna. I mean, God.
Speaker 1: Wild Thoughts?
Canon Wing: Rihanna is, right on there. I’m really into Dean Martin right now. Ella Fitzgerald. Nina Simone.
Speaker 1: What about Billie Holiday?
Canon Wing: Billie Holiday.
Speaker 1: Love Billie [inaudible 00:33:10].
Canon Wing: Good morning. Yeah, she is amazing. Yeah, I’m into that right now, a lot. I like that soulful, deep. Nina Simone can lay it down.
Speaker 1: Yeah, she can. And there’s so much angst and emotion. That’s what connects me to her music, is that emotion.
Canon Wing: You know, if you wanna become a great copywriter, write some great copy for your brand, country music. Country music. They hit all of the senses. They talk about the scent of the trees, the feel of the blue jeans, the sound of the grandmother’s voice, the taste of the pudding. They hit everything. They completely tell a story and bring us right there. That’s a master-class on writing copy. Country.
Speaker 1: They’re so great at storytelling, too. I mean, it’s just really fantastic. Okay, so last question. What are you most grateful for in this moment right now?
Canon Wing: Well, this, of course.
Speaker 1: Of course, [crosstalk 00:34:09]
Canon Wing: Making your inaugural podcast.
Speaker 1: I mean, my kickoff. My queen of the kickoff. I adore her. I mean, I’m just so grateful I can’t help it.
Canon Wing: I’m really grateful for that. That’s lovely. No one can take that from me.
Speaker 1: No, not often. You don’t have a superpower in your office, right?
Canon Wing: No.
Speaker 1: I mean, it’s fortunate that I have that, but. So how can people get in touch with you? How’s the best way?
Canon Wing: CanonWing.com. Make it simple.
Speaker 1: And it’s C-A-N-O-N Wing.com.
Canon Wing: A butterfly wing.
Speaker 1: Yes, just a floating feather of consciousness. I love it. Thank you so much.
Canon Wing: Thank you very much.
Speaker 1: I love you, you’re just awesome.
Canon Wing: I love you too. We’re gonna hug now.
Speaker 1: And you hear the kisses? All right Doug, we’re done.
So let me figure out. Oh, you need to unlock this for me.
Canon Wing: Yeah. You know what you should do, [inaudible 00:35:04]
What’s your outline?
Speaker 1: My outline?
Canon Wing: What’s your list line, that you want to say?
Speaker 1: Um, usually I just say thank you.
Canon Wing: Okay, so I say, thank you for joining me on this walk and talk. I hope today’s talk has inspired you to go out and become an inspiration to millions. Because when I say something we talked about is truly how you come out of nowhere. And remember the most important thing is to love what you do, and not how you do it.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Canon Wing: So you need just like a little, and we can come up with something.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Canon Wing: Like you asked me, right, what’s my motto? And I said, love what you do. Love what you do. What was your motto?
Speaker 1: My motto is always to have one conversation that can change people’s lives. An authentic conversation. Dropping the ego and just really connecting.
Canon Wing: So you could say, I more than thank you for having an authentic conversation. To our listeners, I hope this has inspired you to have more authentic conversations in your life.
Speaker 1: Perfect. Alright.
Canon Wing: You gotta record it.
Speaker 1: Yep. I’m gonna do it again. Ready?
So, thank you so much, Canon, for having an authentic conversation with me and creating such a deep connection. I hope, to the listeners, that this inspires you to have authentic conversations and create deep connections in your life.
Canon Wing: Thank you very much for having me. You’re great. You give great authentic conversations.
Speaker 1: Well, thank you.
Canon Wing: That was great. That’s great.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/toggle][/toggles][/vc_column][/vc_row]
