Core Values. How boring is that?
When most people hear the term “core values,” they think of interchangeable, corporate buzzwords plastered on an office wall. Passive, abstract, and incredibly dull. They can be, if they’re thoughtlessly written down instead of being understood, lived and reflected in every decision.
Early in my career, meetings about “core values” made my coffee intake skyrocket. I wanted to be out there—talking to journalists, organising press events, and creating content everyone remembered. What did I do instead? Refilling my mug, staring at a whiteboard, and learning how to ask the right questions, to listen, to analyse the answers, and to write core value manifests. Only then was I allowed to draft the copy that would actually catch the audience’s attention.
Over the years, working with everyone from personal brands and start-ups to global corporations, I understood why. Long-term success always starts with a solid foundation. The businesses that grow sustainably are the clearest. They know exactly who they are, what they stand for, and why people should choose them.
Thinking their approach matches mine toward brand building and business growth, at a certain point in my career, someone gave me a copy of Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard. One story stayed with me in particular.
The Patagonia Moment: Values as a growth factor
When Patagonia faced a challenging time in 1991, Yvon Chouinard took a small group of his senior leaders into the mountains of Patagonia, Argentina. There, they stepped away from the day-to-day business and defined Patagonia’s mission and values—a compass for every important decision that followed. Looking at Patagonia’s success and my experience, core values aren’t so boring after all. Quite the opposite—once they are in place, the sky is the limit.
Rooting Every Success in Core Identity
Media Placements. Meta Ads. 360° Campaigns. Events. Brand Videos.
Whether you are launching a start-up, re-positioning a brand, or creating a fresh strategy for an established business—sustainable growth always connects to who you are and how well you tell that story.
To see if your foundation is in the right place, try this experiment right now:
- Strip away the logo.
- Strip away the social media.
- Strip away the advertising.
- Strip away everything designed to attract attention.
What’s left?
If the answer is unmistakably your business, you’ve built a solid brand. If not, you’ve built marketing. Which, as long as the money flows in, is nice. But if leads don’t convert into customers, or your competitors grow more than you, it’s time to check the status of your coffee supply, have a look at your core values, and retell your story.
Ready to become the obvious choice? Let’s talk—the coffee machine is already on.
These are ours:
