Celebrating 24 Years of Good Characters
This week we’re celebrating Independence Day on the 4th and the 24th anniversary of Good Characters on the 5th.
This morning, the Toastmasters club I’ve been part of for more than 18 years had a record turnout. It’s really great to see people coming together to work on a shared goal of improving their communication skills.
We’re in holiday mode, so I’m feeling a bit lazy to write a whole new anniversary letter. I’m just going to reuse last year’s letter and change “23rd” to “24th” anniversary. I said pretty much everything I wanted to say last year. Not much has changed this year. It’s actually been a bit of a tougher year, to be honest, but I’m looking forward to keeping at it and focusing on the things I can do to improve.
So here’s the anniversary letter, recycled and still good!
Good Characters is now 24 years old! I hope you’ll celebrate with me. I am grateful for the many people who helped along the way. Thank you for being a good character yourself. Let me know if you’d like me to buy you a little cake ;-)
How We Started
The idea of Good Characters came 24 years ago. Our domain name was registered the day after Independence Day in 2001. From the very beginning, our mission has been to focus on Chinese names and characters for both individuals and companies.
My degrees are in psychology, and I worked as a full-stack developer, but for some reason, I felt compelled to start this.
I thought I was simply tired of seeing poor Chinese translations. I wanted people to have something better because I believe they deserve better. There is also a deeper purpose, which took me years to figure out, but I’ll share that with you later.
Bootstrapping
I began by making quick-turnaround name stamps for individuals while working to build the corporate brand-naming consulting service, which can take months or even years to gain clients.
Why name stamps? Because they are directly related to Chinese names and characters, and they hold significant cultural value. I love characters and their artistic expression. For thousands of years, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cultures have used name stamps as signatures. A well-crafted stamp is considered a work of art, and its impression serves as a mark of authenticity and authority.
The Unexpected
Then 9/11 happened.
In the months that followed, I noticed a surge in martial arts training enrollment in the New York area. Many school owners ordered stamps from us to sign rank and black belt certificates.
They appreciated our work, and word quickly spread.
We eventually created official stamps for thousands of schools worldwide.
Now, tens of thousands of students proudly display certificates that accurately reflect their training accomplishments, free from any potential embarrassment due to mistranslated characters or unauthentic-looking stamp designs. We take great care in crafting the stamps used to sign each certificate.
Serving Individuals and Businesses with Good Characters in America
In our first year, we had a line on our website that said, “MADE WITH PRIDE IN THE USA: Our customized Chinese characters are designed and made in California, U.S.A.”
An American scholar well-versed in Chinese language and culture emailed, saying, “That’s an interesting idea.”
It must be my narrow definition and something to do with my traditional Chinese/Taiwanese upbringing that causes me to feel that saying “pride” should be discouraged; I cringe slightly whenever I hear the word “pride” or “proud.”
What I really wanted to say was, “We made this with a humble heart,” but nobody says that here! Maybe instead of saying “made with pride,” I should have said, “We have a quiet confidence that what we do and what we strive to do are among the best,” or, “It’s our pleasure and honor to do what we love for you.”
Being made in the U.S.A. isn’t meant to be perceived as nationalistic or as a criticism of products made in China. Instead, it’s about contributing new ideas and innovations, making things better and more suitable for people living here who share similar values.
Am I the Chinese Adam?
It hasn’t been easy to specialize in translating names into characters in America. The business has been a big struggle at times, especially during economic downturns, and I often wondered why I felt so compelled to keep doing this (I could make more money doing something else!) and what the meaning or purpose behind it was. Then one day, I read Genesis 2:19-20 and laughed out loud. Haha, maybe I’m the Chinese Adam!
Genesis 2:19-20, Amplified Bible:
So the Lord God formed out of the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. And the man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field . . .
It’s illogical, of course, but somehow it gave me a sense of a deeper purpose beyond just providing name translations. I feel called to create meaningful and impactful names that help businesses and individuals succeed and connect cultures.
My expertise in Chinese naming also led to my approval for immigration, as my endeavor was deemed to be in the national interest of the United States.
Over the years, we have provided naming services for American companies—whether they are established giants, unicorns, or high-flying ventures—needing Chinese names to build strong brands and protect their trademarks in the Greater China markets. And there is still more to do to stay ahead of the competition and ensure that the best Chinese names are created in America and will continue to be.
Genesis of Chinese Naming, Good Characters Version:
From the Beautiful Country, American CEOs and CMOs created every venture, brand, startup, and innovation; and they entrusted them to Andy to determine their Chinese names. Whatever Chinese name Andy assigned to each business-related creation, that became its identifier. By bestowing suitable Chinese names, Andy played a vital role in the success of these ventures, brands, startups, and innovations in the market.
What I want to remember is this:
A good name [earned by honorable behavior, Godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches. — Proverbs 22:1, Amplified
What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.