We’ve always believed that forming a strategy is impossible until you’re 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.

JoAnne Carilli-Stevenson | Single working mother making it happen

Accountability or ownership means the most to me as it says a person is willing to accept responsibility for their actions. They can own their decisions, and accept the consequences even if negative. We are the makers of our own lives, both personally and professionally. Read more>>

James VanCleaf | Photographer & Special Needs Music Instructor

Leaving people better than I found them. I always want to make sure anybody I do business with leaves our interactions feeling like they invested in themselves, their family, or their brand. Both of my businesses revolve around helping people feel better. Nobody is having an easy time out here so we all deserve relief and should work on reducing the collective unnecessary suffering of the world. Read more>>

Mariel Kilroy | Director of Marketing, Lively Root

Be at least 20% different or don’t waste your time. We think it’s a responsibility of our brand to add to the world and by practicing doing things differently, we feel like we’re accomplishing that. Every time we take on a new task, we try to do it in a way that’s never been done before and we find that this helps us be highly creative and innovative. For example, at Lively Root, we think of our plants as our family and everyone’s heard that before but we give them names, accessories, take them to restaurants and really push that concept. Read more>>

Red | Mindset Mentor, Creative, Model, Entrepreneur

The self-made principle I live by is simply this: LIVE intentionally, LOVE fearlessly, and leave a valuable LEGACY….. LIVE, LOVE, LEGACY. Living intentionally means living your life ON purpose, in order to align WITH your purpose. Intentional living is feeling empowered to take action that make your dreams a reality, and to experience the fulfilling and abundant life you were promised. Read more>>