We’ve always believed that forming a strategy is impossible until your clear on what your values and principles are. Without values and principles to guide you, making decisions can seem impossibly difficult. Given how important setting values and principles is to decision making we asked folks we admire to tell us about the values or principles that matter most to them.

Isis Pierre | Graduate Student, Legislative Scholar & Humanitarian

Integrity and trust are a part of my “Top 5” values. I find trust to be a key-value that should never be compromised. Everything we love should be rooted in trust. Trust and integrity are the foundation of many families, friendships, and even the success of businesses. Growing up, I was taught to always do things with the best of intentions and to help those who cannot help themselves, even when there’s no one to witness. My most important values: trust and integrity, not only applies to my relationships but my business as well., As a small business owner, I have a deep sense of appreciation for all of the customers who spend their hard earn money buying Earth Nutrients products. I have a responsibility to my brand and I pledged to create more compassionate products for self-care. My mission is to deliver high-quality organic goodies that are eco-friendly and handcrafted with the highest intention. I aim for my customers to trust my brand and to trust in my products. Read more>>

ByLavs Laura Arana & Victor Salinas | Designers and Creators

As any other creative person, we always dream for our work not to be forced. Working for yourself allows you to develop the clients needs your own way and not being so conditioned under other person’s team or ideas, not only in the creative elements but also in the schedule, place of work etc. Do you have a budget? How do you think about your personal finances and how do you make lifestyle and spending decisions? Budgeting in our personal life is something that we thought we knew until we started our own company and we found out we had much to learn yet. But to make it simple, after covering all the basic expenses we save 50% of the money left and use the other 50% for anything extra that we would like to do or have. Our spending decisions are based on the rule “spend as much as you want (staying on the budget previously said) in the few things we have chosen as our more relevant, and almost nothing in the rest of things. Read more>>

Sophia Montealegre | Digital Marketer & Oil Painter

When I was younger, my mother would always repeat two quotes that really had an impact on my work ethic. “I don’t care what you do in life, as long as you give it 100%” and my brothers’ favorite- “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” I truly believe that with the right attitude, passion, and their hardest effort ANYONE is capable of achieving their dreams. Sometimes it’ll happen overnight, sometimes it’ll take 10 years, but you will get there. Perseverance is the key to anyone’s success, no matter how strong a born talent is. Read more>>

Nancy DeSaram | Manager For The Cravens

Speaking on behalf of The Cravens, three (yes, THREE) values / principles come to mind. They are entwined with each other: 1). Dedication to what we do musically as a band and as individuals, which leads to 2). Hard Work, as an ethic (which comes naturally when dedicated), and the all arching principle, 3). Honesty. Being honest with your art, with your craft…. your writing. If not honest, it will show. Read more>>

Jessi (Wax) Harris | Abstract Artist and Conscious Designer

Transparency and integrity. As an artist who likes to consider myself a conscious designer, the ability to be transparent and honest about myself, my business, and my interaction with clients and peers is so imperative. Although I’m not yet able to create 100% sustainably, that is one of my goals – and I’ve always had a knack for transforming one man’s trash into another artist’s treasure. I bring this concept into my art by upcycling and giving vintage finds a new life, as well as redesigning single use plastics into installations, paintings, and accessories. But transparency is more than just business – it’s personal. I’ve noticed that the majority of people I’ve interacted with carry a certain level of shame and disdain for themselves, and whether it be due to childhood traumas, shame culture, or constant comparison to their peers, it’s a sure way to get stuck. Read more>>

Natalia Cortes | Freelancer Photographer

The principle that matters to me the most is honesty. I believe honesty is the key to a successful career, not only as a professional individual but among the members of a team; being honest with the client is also extremely important. Another value I would highlight is empathy. Being empathetic to others helps us develop a deeper connection and work with the same passion, which will be reflected on the end-result. Read more>>

Jennifer Sullivan | Founder of The Middle

When I started The Middle, I promised to offer news that was both unbiased and nonpartisan. I, however, am only human, so while I consider myself a moderate, I naturally lean a little more one way than the other. But I made a promise to my readers, and part of being an effective business owner is honoring the promises that you make to your consumers. So every day I aim to operate with integrity. Sometimes, that means going against my innate impulses. Other times, it means heeding them. Either way, I make it a priority to ensure that I am operating in good faith and making good on my pledge. Whether that means checking to ensure that the language that I use is equitable or that I am covering both sides objectively, I make a concerted effort to act as a check on myself so that I can put forth the best product and hold true to my word. In business, we are often inclined to act in a manner that is most expedient or most profitable or most personally gratifying, when, really, we should be acting in the manner that is most principled. Most judicious. Read more>>

Anitria Sangster | Personal Trainer

“As a man thinketh in his heart so is he” Proverbs 23:7. I value the mindset an individual. 95% of our brain activity happens in our subconscious mind which leaves 5% for our conscious mind. Our conscious mind is currently aware of what is going on right now. Our subconscious is where our dreams and imaginations go on, when we sit and make up those scenarios in our head, where we keep our fears and failures, our memories, hopes and dreams. If we are not careful of what we think, we could manifest those made up scenarios and fears in real life. We , the people don’t know how strong our own minds are. Now just imagine, if you were to think positive of yourself and your surroundings, make up positive scenarios instead and also watch what you put in yourself on the daily informational wise, I am 100% sure we would be more successful. The heart motivates the mind, “As a man THINKETH in his HEART so is HE”. Read more>>

Mariela Azcuy | Content Strategist @ Carve Communications

I’ve done many values-focused exercises throughout both my personal and professional life. It’s a good way to check in with myself — make sure I’m being true to who I am and what matters. The most important values to me have pretty steadily been: curiosity, creativity, honesty, loyalty, and fun. If I had to pick one, I’d say curiosity. I think curiosity is the driver of so much of what’s important in the world. Without curiosity, you can’t have empathy and deep relationships. You also can’t have strategic thinking, learning, or experimentation. My curiosity has also led to a lot of fun, like mozzarella making and trapeze classes, Shakespeare book clubs, tango classes in Argentina, and collaborative blogs with friends. Read more>>

Cameron Graves | Photographer

What means the most to me when it comes to values and principals, would have to be authenticity and being original. This is most important to me when creating my own work. I take a lot of inspiration from other artists and creatives but I still want my work to be its own creation and idea. Read more>>

Dr Alison Thompson | Global Humanitarian- Founder-Third Wave Volunteers First Responders.

Throughout my 40 years of volunteer service I have learned many things working out in the disaster field from always checking your shoes for mice before you put them on to loving how OCD volunteers are great at cleaning up refugee camps. One of the most important values I have learned in life, besides LOVE and TRUTH is service to others- as in service to others in volunteering your time. Volunteering is about giving, contributing and helping other individuals and the community. The Cambridge dictionary describes it as ” a person who does something, especially helping other people, willingly and without being forced or paid to do it. I love that definition. I really believe service has made me the happiest person I know and has spilled out into other areas of my life from work to health to relationships. I believe service is one of the great secrets to life that is available for everyone and with service comes love. Read more>>