Years ago, after my parents divorced and my mother went through years of chronic physical and mental illness that made it impossible for her to work, my mom was told that part of the reason she was able to keep the house and everything going during that time was because she was excellent at organizing what needed to be done, in particular finances.
As she came out of her years of fog and was able to be productive again, she opened her own consulting firm to help others organize their financial lives. She called it Jakado. Her maiden name was Jane Kaplan, and as soon as she told me she was calling her venture Jakado, I knew it meant Jane Kaplan Can Do – mashed up. She was thrilled that I understood intrinsically. It was about her own sense of self worth, and ability to take on new things, and DO again after so many years. She even had Jakado license plates on her car for a while.
I lost my mom to heart disease well over a decade ago, and when I went to start my own business, I struggled to come up with a name. Instantly, it came to me. Although it’s not related to my name, Jakado is so important to me, and it allows me to keep my mom close. I think she’d be so proud of where I am and how I use her memory to bring fulfillment to others now.