Is your name doppelgänger causing confusion?
Plus: Your guide to the week's big stories — Governor urges a return to classrooms; new city council member sworn in; Myers Park football coach takes job in Maryland; 'Schools are Safe' sign brouhaha
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Same names, different lives: Are you mistaken for somebody else online? Google results for Charlotteans turn up Rubik’s Cube champs, adult-film stars
By Colleen Brannan
For my day job, I spend a lot of time coaching people and companies on personal branding and corporate image. As pre-meeting homework, I always suggest they Google themselves. That’s always a conversation starter that ends in one of two ways: “that was a long time ago” or “that’s not me.” This got me thinking about people who share your name and may be causing confusion.
Former me: Growing up, I was Colleen Cotter, named after my dad’s sister of the same name, a nun and teacher who eventually left the convent to marry the love of her life, Father Pat. Yes, let that sink in. I was named after a nun who ran away with a priest. We had a real life “Thorn Birds” going on in our family long before the popular 1980s miniseries, starring Richard Chamberlain, ever hit the air.
Luckily for me, my Auntie Colleen, now 86 and retired, is not on the world wide web competing with me for name share. But it seems there’s a new Colleen Cotter entry into the mix who claims she is in the top 1% of real estate agents in San Francisco.
Current me: For nearly 22 years, I’ve been Colleen Brannan, and I’m proud to say I’m winning the Google war among the world’s Colleen Brannans. I’m a PR professional, but people searching for me online might think I own p’sghetti’s Restaurant in St. Louis or serve as Assistant to the President of SUNY Oneonta. I guess that’s better than being confused with Texas Colleen Brannan, God rest her soul.
Then, there’s the occasional misspelling that throws people off. Swap an “e” for an “a,” and you’ll find “buxom, freckled, redhead” Colleen Brennan, a former American pornographic actress best known for her appearances in “Supervixens” and the “Ilsa Women in Prison” films. I’m counting on the fact she’s 5’4’’ and age 71 to clear that one up.
WHAT’S IN A NAME? From left to right: Charlotte PR firm owner and writer of this column Colleen Brannan; the late Colleen Brannan of Texas; former adult-film actress Colleen Brennan (in earlier years).
Fancy footwork: I have a Google Alert set to flag me about news involving my clients. My favorites are the ones I receive for local commercial real estate developer Daniel Levine. With such a common name, it’s hardly ever about him — but it sure provides a lot of entertainment I typically share for a good laugh. Two years ago, he set a Guinness world record for solving the Rubik’s Cube in 17 seconds … with his feet. Other times, he’s a fertility doctor, trends expert or Broadway actor. Add an “a” and you might mistake him for Daniella Levine, the mayor of Miami-Dade County.
The missing link: Sonya Barnes, a Charlotte-based life and style strategist for women over 50, has encountered some confusion on LinkedIn. With 85+ people sharing her name on that platform, she says she often receives misdirected connection requests and profile views. Some of the competition includes a photographer at Lifetouch Portrait Studios in Louisville, Ky.; general manager at WUTV in west Georgia; assistant store manager at Walgreens in Austin; and a legislator in Mississippi. Knowing her, I’d say she is one-of-a-kind, but online, evidently not.
You’ve been served: While living in Los Angeles, one of my favorite freelance writers, Michael J. Solender, discovered he had a name twin when he was served with a subpoena, meant for the other guy, one night after dinner. With Solender not a very common name, Michael J. assumed he must be related so reached out and scheduled a meeting, even bringing his parents. When they arrived at the other Michael Solender’s Beverly Hills address for brunch and rang the doorbell, there was initially no answer, but eventually he came to the door in his bathrobe. Evidently they woke him up. Since then, Michael has always used a middle initial in everything from signature to web domain.
Company copycats: The same is true for businesses with the same or similar names. Take for example Charlotte’s Apollo Law and Apollo Lawn Care. Only one of them is going to cut your lawn. And, although not exactly the same, we all remember the well-publicized power struggle when Truliant challenged Truist on their new name.
So how do you differentiate or protect yourself from your name doppelgänger?
Identify the competition: Google yourself regularly and set up a Google alert so you always know what’s out there.
Use your middle or maiden name: That’s what Sonya (Sandlin) Barnes did to make herself easier to find.
Add a descriptor: Artist Ted Lee uses Ted Lee Art on Instagram.
Incorporate a middle initial: Developers Peter A. Pappas and Peter B. Pappas certainly know this trick
Keep your photo current: Silhouettes and dated pics only add to the confusion.
No confusion at all: Poor Charlotte Ledger. There she was, minding her own business across the pond as publishing director at Harper Collins in London, when a Charlotte-based startup business newsletter hijacked her name. Did she feel the impact? None whatsoever, according to a conversation I had with her on LinkedIn. In fact, she had not heard of her namesake publication in the U.S. But reading between the lines, I could tell she felt the impending threat.
This Colleen Brannan owns BRANSTORM PR but she originally wanted to be an investigative journalist or comedienne. This column is the closest she got to that but her new dream is to write for Charlotte Squawks or Jimmy Fallon, in that order. Follow her on Instagram (Colleen_Brannan), Twitter (@colleenbrannan) and LinkedIn or send fan mail to colleen@branstorm.com.
Who shares your name online? Drop us a line, tell us about that other you that you have come across, and we’ll share some of the best examples in a future edition of The Ledger.
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This week in Charlotte: Spectrum Center next up with vaccines, Phipps sworn in on city council; Governor says it’s time for kids to go back to class
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Politics
Phipps sworn in: (Observer) Former Charlotte City Council member Greg Phipps was sworn in Tuesday to fill the vacant city council seat left by James “Smuggie” Mitchell’s resignation, but some city council members say the process behind his appointment wasn’t transparent.
Nondiscrimination resolution: (Observer) Mecklenburg County commissioners adopted an LGBTQ nondiscrimination resolution Tuesday. It is not binding and is unenforceable, but it paves the way for a possible binding ordinance in the future.
Education
Cooper’s return-to-schools guidance puts pressure on CMS: (Ledger 🔒) N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday urged North Carolina counties to get their students back into classrooms, and new state guidance says that students in grades K-5 “should return to in-person instruction five days per week to the fullest extent possible while following all public health protocols.” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students are scheduled to return to buildings in hybrid in-person and virtual rotations starting Feb. 15 for K-5 and Feb. 22 for grades 6-12.
Big changes in college admissions: (Ledger 🔒) Local experts in the college admissions field say this year has seen some sweeping changes that will likely last into next year, including an explosion in the number of applicants to big-name schools and more colleges going SAT/ACT test-optional.
Local news
Spectrum Center to host mass vaccinations next weekend: (Observer) The city’s football, hockey and NASCAR venues have all hosted massive vaccination events, and now the Spectrum Center in uptown will host one next Saturday. Novant Health says the vaccination clinic will be Feb. 13 for residents 65 and older. It’s unclear how many appointments are available, although scheduling will be based on Novant’s special vaccine allotment.
Why are some Covid tests free, while others are not? (WSOC) After Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris advised county residents that there are plenty of places to get free Covid tests, WSOC’s Joe Bruno set out to learn why some charge, while others are free.
Business
New OMB plans call for townhomes and apartments: (Ledger 🔒) Plans on tap for a second Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in downtown Cornelius now call for 398 apartments and 50 townhomes. Brewery owner John Marrino says he needs neighbors in a walkable distance from the brewery to make it viable.
Metropolitan improvements coming: (Agenda) The Metropolitan shopping center in Midtown is getting a refresh later this year geared at making it more pedestrian friendly. The Northwood Investors real estate company plans to improve the retail and dining “front door” area and connect its outdoor spaces better. (The Ledger previously broke the news of an apartment tower slated for the Metropolitan.)
Sports
Myers Park football coach steps down: (Observer) Myers Park High School football coach Scott Chadwick, who built a nationally ranked program and led a team that went 48-7 in the last four seasons, is leaving Charlotte, reportedly for a recruiting position at the University of Maryland. The move comes less than a week before preparation for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spring football season begins.
Youth soccer merger: (Ledger 🔒) The YMCA of Greater Charlotte announced this week that it’s teaming up with local soccer powerhouse Charlotte Soccer Academy to help run its recreational soccer program. YMCA soccer families will see prices rise slightly and they’ll be privy to some training, resources and facilities improvements with the CSA partnership.
Hornets are fun again: (Agenda) In a winter when we could all use a little uplift, Charlotte Agenda’s Michael Graff spells out why the Charlotte Hornets are worth getting excited about this season.
Good reads
Hot stock tip — Food Lion in 1957: (North Carolina Rabbit Hole) If you’d been one of the lucky ones to buy Food Lion shares when the company started in 1957, you could be reading this from the drawing room of your mansion right now. Jeremy Markovich weaves the tale of how the Salisbury-rooted grocery store chain became one of the most insanely lucrative investments in United States history in his engaging newsletter with surprising facts about North Carolina history. (The Ledger published a version of the piece in our newsletter on Monday.)
Growing concern over domestic abuse: (North Carolina Health News) Reports of domestic abuse spiked last year, with North Carolina counties logging almost 2,000 more cases in 2020 than in 2019. Covid made it more difficult to access services, and as was the case before the pandemic, people of color are disproportionately at risk.
Good read for political junkies: (The Atlantic) This in-depth profile of N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper by The Atlantic’s Edward-Isaac Dovere seeks to explain the secret to his success. “Figuring out why Cooper keeps winning could have potentially huge implications for determining whether he’s a fluke or a model for Democrats across the South and in other red states. Cooper’s races never became national Democratic causes. He has set no major fundraising records. He’s not an otherworldly political talent. And yet his success is already a source of chatter among some political obsessives gaming out the 2024 presidential ticket,” writes Dovere.
Ledger originals
Teen mental health (Friday 🔒): Experts say the pandemic has taken a major toll on the mental health of adolescents, many of whom are still learning from home and lacking the personal connections and daily structure that they need. This story also tells you the warning signs that teens are in trouble, and what to do about it.
Economic development priorities: (Wednesday 🔒) Charlotte City Council member Tariq Bokhari took over Tuesday as chair of the city’s Workforce and Business Development committee. He shared with The Ledger his priorities for creating an economically thriving community.
Be decisive, plan for college: This week’s installments of “A Better You in 2021” showed you how to stop dithering and become a more decisive person from TV journalist-turned-podcaster and life coach Colleen Odegaard (Wednesday 🔒) — and how to approach the daunting task of saving for college, from local financial planner Carlton S. Whitman. (Friday 🔒)
‘Schools are safe’ sign drama: (Friday 🔒) Parents pushing for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to return students to the classroom have launched a yard sign campaign, but they say some of the signs are disappearing from yards and roadways. See a video of a Cotswold woman confronting a code enforcement officer removing a “Schools are Safe” sign from in her yard, with a response from the city’s code enforcement department to allegations that the signs are being targeted by city workers.
Groundhog Day verdict: (Wednesday) Queen Charlotte, the Queen City’s portly resident groundhog at Discovery Place Nature, waddled decisively toward a food bowl marked “winter” on Tuesday, signifying that we’re in for another 6 weeks of winter.
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