Values are the guiding principles that shape an individual’s actions and choices in life, serving as the framework for our personal and professional operating systems.

So values come first, and I want to share mine.

For years I didn’t know what my values were because I hadn’t taken the time to externalize them. I was subject to them in ways that sometimes felt mysterious to me.

Once I began to reflect and articulate my values, I noticed a significant shift in how I approached decisions and interacted with others.

It became easier to align my actions with what truly mattered to me, fostering a sense of authenticity and purpose.

More importantly, the people I started attracting were more my target audience.

They cared about the same things I cared about.

By clearly defining my values, I could navigate through the noise and focus on the people I actually want to work with, and work on things that make me happy.

I believe a Values page says a lot about a company. Or an individual.

Below are some of the core values I hold dear. They embody how I show up in the world.

• People Over Profits
• Do What Is Right
• Embrace Being Weird
• Play The Infinite
• Lead With Curiosity
• Eternal Learner

People Over Profits

Surround yourself with the right people, with the same morals, the same values, the same integrity. Nurture and care for those people as if they’re the most important asset in your business because they are.

Most businesses look at the end result, how do we get more money, how do we get them to re-sign with us.

Let’s focus on caring for people instead. Love people, and the selling will take care of itself.

— Todd Brown

How we interact with the world determines who we are. If all we care about is money, then that’s how we will come off as.

I believe that on the other end of every interaction is a human being who, just like us, wants to shine a little brighter in the world.

I hate seeing people being used as a commodity in the game of profiting from hyped-up attention and big promises.

There’s little I can do to change this, but I can show up with integrity and create a different experience for people who deserve (and want) more.

Do What Is Right

Businesses are the building blocks, not just of an economy but of a whole way of life. What they do and how they do it have an impact that extends far beyond the economic sphere.

They shape the communities we live in, the values we live by, and the quality of the lives we lead. If businesses don’t hold themselves to a high standard, the entire society suffers.

— Bo Burlingham

This stems from the basic principle of treating others as one wants to be treated. Behind every decision is someone just like me — you — seeking help, an answer, looking for a human connection.

I never want to lose touch with that.

There’s no limit to what doing the right thing looks like, only that when faced with an opportunity to do the right thing, I make the right decision.

I like how Basecamp interprets this as well:

We all have to use our best judgment, and everyone’s judgment varies, but a good rule of thumb is “what would you do for a friend or a neighbor if they asked for help?”

Embrace Being Weird

We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.

— Dr. Seuss

In 2011 Seth Godin published We Are All Weird: The Rise of Tribes and the End of Normal.

A short book about how we are all weird, and we are merely looking to find other people that care about the same things we care about. In business we just call it a niche.

It’s okay for you to not want to do marketing the way others are, it’s okay for you to pursue happiness and balance through your business. It’s okay for you to show up as yourself, not as a corporate office with automated phone systems.

There’s people out there that will buy from you because they agree with how you choose to show up in the world.

If I’m weird because I choose integrity and ethics in marketing, then I’m glad I’m weird.

Play The Infinite Game

Finite players play to beat the people around them. Infinite players play to be better than themselves.

— Simon Sinek

The aim of business is not to win but to keep playing (forever).

This idea comes from an excellent book written by Simon Sinek in 2019, The Infinite Game.

Infinite games emphasize cooperation over competition. Players in these games concentrate on improving themselves rather than “defeating” others around them.

Many aspects of life, such as marriage, friendships, and business, can be considered infinite games, where participants come and go, rules evolve, and the objective is simply to keep playing.

In discussing his book, Simon Sinek highlights how a finite win/lose mentality can undermine various areas of life. For instance, relationships like marriage cannot be “won,” and “there’s definitely no such thing as winning business,” he said.

Finite games are based on a win/lose model. Infinite games create the possibility for everyone involved to win.

Lead With Curiosity

When you give people that attention and you have that genuine curiosity, it makes people feel good. We all want to feel seen, we all want to feel special, we all want to feel acknowledged.

And when you give somebody that energy and they’re able to receive it, they’re going to give it back to you.

— Francesca Hogi

One of the greatest passions in my life is curiosity. I love to create a connection with someone, to learn something new, to understand something I didn’t before.

To pay a little more attention, and listen as the world presents itself.

Being curious is a gift. Lead with it, and connection and creativity will follow.

Eternal Learner

Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.

— Anthony J. D’Angelo

This is a natural progression from curiosity. The more curious you are, the more you learn.

It humbles you, knowing how little you actually know even with all the years of accumulated experience.

There’s always something new you can learn that will help you grow.

I don’t strive for perfection, simply for growth. One step, one day at a time.

Thanks for stopping by and reading this page. Reach out anytime. I read every email.