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.

Madeline

The principles I build my business on are honesty and integrity. Running my business with honesty and integrity is important to me because it helps me build trusting relationships with my photography clients. When I am able to do that, I often will get booked more than once by the same client. Honesty and integrity can look like communicating with a client if and when I am running behind on getting them their final gallery and/or their sneak peeks. Read more>>

Libby Ogletree | Boulder Feet Forward Program Director

At the root of everything I do and my organization does is the believe that everyone has the right to dignity, and that all people deserve second chances. We work within a community which is often marginalized, overlooked, or outright ignored, and frequently spoken over–whose very real pain and trauma are at best minimized and at worst criminalized. Read more>>

Fred Dayton | Owner, Mach983 CrossFit

Community! Building a strong internal and external community has been very important to me and how I run my business. Inside Mach983 CrossFit, making sure that everyone feels like they have a safe space to come workout and external ensuring that we are partnering with local business and non-profits to help our community thrive. Read more>>

Russell Rae-Ruemancek Apell | Tattoo Artist & Accordionist

What I value most when it comes to my art and work in general is connection. That can go hand in hand with so many factors when it comes with tattooing. I used to be a person who struggled with social anxiety for years and lacked self-confidence when it came to meeting new people. Once I hopped into this job, I had to tear my own walls down really fast and cross my comfort zone to grow as an artist and a person. Read more>>

joe kollasch | Sports Photographer and Designer

For me personally, I value my integrity over everything. If I don’t plan to show up at 100%, I don’t see the point in giving the effort. Ive learned that having integrity goes a long ways. It helps establish yourself with clients, create at a high level, and most importantly keeps you happy. The more effort I put in, clients see that, and it shows I not only care about the business they are giving me, but also care about my relationship with them. Read more>>