In our view, values and principles are the foundation upon which our lives, careers and relationships are built. So, we asked folks we admire to open up to us about the values and principles that matter most to them.

Jessica McLernon | Residential Real Estates Sales

Integrity has always been a core value of mine. My mom taught me at a young age that keeping your word is imperative, and trust is very hard to earn back once it is lost. Since then, I have tried to live my life with honesty and transparency. Integrity has been a central tenet of my business as well. During my own home search before I became a realtor, I found the real estate industry to be frustrating and confusing. Unfortunately, I saw a lack of integrity in some of the real estate professionals with whom I interacted. When I decided to transition into residential real estate sales, I vowed that developing trust and long-term relationships with my clients and colleagues would always be the prevailing priority. Read more>>

Kirsten Helvey | CEO, Instil

Empathy is my driving value, personally and in business. My father was an immigrant and my mother was a first-generation American, so understanding others’ perspectives and feelings has always been very important to me. This has been a beacon for me in how I live my life, raise my children, and lead teams. We all approach challenges and solve problems from our own lens of experience. Being empathetic allows us to see and appreciate others’ perspectives. It allows for more diversity of thought and makes it much easier to reach a compromise. Read more>>

Noah Sharpe | Personal Trainer & Entrepreneur

Above all I value living a life based in empathy. Regardless of the situation, living a life in empathy allows me to walk in peace and constant awareness that everyone is living life through their own perspective based on their own personal journey and that I can only give love and compassion because you never know where someone is coming from. In my day to day life this provides me patience and understanding and in my profession as a personal trainer this reminds me that we all start somewhere and for many, showing up and being vulnerable is in itself a battle. Read more>>