The symbol of our logo is the stylized Japanese Kanji for “Wish granted”. Like, once you make your wish, it’s a done deal. Isn’t that cool? Turn it 90 degrees to the right, and you also happen to have the symbol for “woman”.
How we came up with the Wishbeads logo
Wishbeads began with the quintessential entrepreneurial story—the flash of insight in the shower when the entire concept of Wishbeads, including the name, was magically downloaded to me. It’s true!
In that instant, I envisioned the process of writing down your wish, then wearing a visible reminder of that wish (cleverly disguised as cool jewelry!) as a way for people to awaken to the power they had within themselves to make their wishes come true.
Somewhere between shampoo and conditioner, I heard the name WISHBEADS, then immediately thought, “Geez, that’s the most obvious name in the world! There’s no way that’s going to be available.” I jumped out of the shower, threw on my robe, and scrambled to my computer. Much to my delight and surprise the trademark, URL and more were all mine for the taking. A sign indeed!
As you can imagine, building a business from scratch included all kinds of tasks, one of which was designing a logo that went along with the name. After a few emails to some trusted friends, I was fortunate to be introduced to Satoko Furuta, an extremely sought-after creative director. Despite her full workload, she loved the concept of Wishbeads and agreed to meet for breakfast to discuss the project.
Over lattes, I shared that I had been teaching people confidence and communication skills for years, and my teaching methods were influenced by two Japanese principles that felt very relevant to Wishbeads as well–Kaizen and Wabi-sabi.
The essence of kaizen is the art of continual improvement.
It’s a simple, yet profound outlook where one can compassionately reflect on a given situation and consider how it can be done just a little bit better. It can be applied to manufacturing, customer service, team communication, anything!
In the Wishbeads experience, specifically during the 21 days of Wishwork, you are invited to interact with the world in a slightly different way—and these mini challenges are opportunities to take the tiniest actions to bring you closer to making your wish come true. Mini improvements! Mini shifts in perception! Mini accomplishments!
Wabi-sabi celebrates the magic and beauty of Nature's imperfections.
Author Taro Gold writes that “wabi-sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.” Including you. Embracing perceived imperfections allows us to cherish what IS instead of striving for a false notion of perfection.
Wishbeads are so much more than intentional jewelry. They are the gateway for you to discover your own magic. Wishes granted. One person at a time.
