Values
“If you’re going to work for yourself, make sure you really love the job.”
When I left my full-time role as head of growth to build Delivering Value, I got some great advice from my friend, Wes Bush.
He warned me not to say “yes” to every opportunity that came my way. To be intentional. To create a business, and a schedule that gave me joy every day. And not just chase dollars.
I think about that convo weekly.
I took his advice one-step further by defining my values. A set of beliefs that keep me grounded and help guide my decision-making. I thought I’d share them publicly so that people can learn a bit more about how I think - and understand the type of person you’re hiring if we decide to work together.
Here they are 👇
Enjoy every day: I’m happiest working with positive people - and on problems I find interesting. I seek out these environments as much as possible. On the flip side, sometimes that means turning down work that doesn't excite me - or when things don't feel right.
Practice gratitude: I’m incredibly thankful that I can make a living working for myself. I look for opportunities to be grateful every day - and I try to weave gratitude into my coaching and advising practice when it’s appropriate.
Process over pretending: I have some experience, but I definitely don't have all the answers. I think that’s a strength. I focus on sharing the systems and frameworks to find the right answers, instead of pretending to know everything.
Build people up: I'm against tear-downs. I prefer to build people up. When someone asks for help, I give suggestions, tips, ideas, things to try, and examples of what's worked for other companies solving similar challenges. Whatever I can do to help.
Application over perfection: The growth space is full of confusing terminology and unnecessary jargon that stops people from taking action and being successful. I focus on simple and actionable approaches. Making the best decision with the information available is better than not making a decision in hopes of finding a perfect solution.
When in doubt - give value: I started Delivering Value to help the growth community be successful. In turn, they could help their organizations grow faster. And those organizations could help their customers achieve their goals. Providing value is at each stage of that process. When I'm struggling with a challenge, I think about how I can provide more value. That mantra helps guide my decision making.
I debated putting “family first” on this list too.
I decided to focus on my business full-time so I could have more flexibility in my schedule and spend more time with my family. That flexibility means that when my son is home sick from daycare, I take the day off to hang out with him, so my wife doesn’t have to burn her vacation days. I let all my clients know that this will inevitably happen from time to time and that my priorities are always with my family.
But family-first also describes my approach to leadership and team building. I hate jumping into work without understanding what’s going on in peoples lives first. If we work together, expect the first 2-5 mins of each call will be me asking what’s new in your world.
So even though, people first didn’t make sense to include as a business value. It’s a big part of my personal philosophy.