Our Story
Maneki Marketing founder, Jonathan Wood, began his first venture at eight years old. With parents frequently asking for back scratches, he realized several key ingredients for a successful business were in place: a clear target audience with a pain point (literally), very little competition, and the perfect location...living down the hall from his only customers. So naturally, he began charging ten cents a minute.
That entrepreneurial spirit never went away.
Over the years, Jonathan launched multiple businesses, including a fine art gallery in Seattle he ran for more than a decade. There, he led a team that produced monthly exhibitions, each supported by full-scale marketing campaigns. After creating more than 100 events, he learned how to blend creativity and strategy while maintaining an authentic voice to maximize community connection.
Having grown up in Orlando, Jonathan made a major decision during the 2020 pandemic lockdown to move back to Florida and be closer to family. He fell in love with and settled in St. Petersburg, where he spent several years sharpening his skills in corporate marketing. He first worked as director of marketing and social media for a corporation overseeing three retail brands, leading strategy and creating both traditional and digital ad campaigns.
Curious about the future of marketing, Jonathan next joined a cutting-edge experiential agency that produces large-scale ad campaigns and events for film studios, television networks, sports teams, and other major brands — think fan experiences, publicity stunts, and immersive activations built for maximum impact. While there, he gained firsthand insight into the psychology, storytelling, and neuroscience behind how some of the world's biggest brands connect with people.
But no matter how large the campaigns became, Jonathan never lost his passion for championing local small businesses — the soul of a thriving community. Maneki Marketing brings big-picture strategy, authentic storytelling, and practical marketing support to businesses that deserve to grow without losing who they are. We'll help you work more efficiently while standing out from the competition.
Let's get started!
What's Maneki?
The Japanese word maneki (muh-NEH-kee) by itelf means "inviting" or "welcoming", but is often combined with the word for cat (neko) to refer to the beckoning figurines. When placed at the entrance of homes and businesses, maneki neko are believed to bring good luck. A raised left paw is believed to attract customers, and a
golden one, like in our logo, brings in wealth and prosperity.
