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

April MacLean | Choreographer & Entrepreneur

A while back, a mentor of mine did a lesson on the word “Animus”. Which is that which provokes a strong feeling of hostility. It’s similar to the concept of your own personal why, but with a much more raw and angry edge. My animus is loneliness. It may sound a bit pollyanna-ish, but I believe that most of the hurt in the world stems from people not feeling seen and heard and for a human to feel alone breaks my heart. Read more>>

Sam Curtis | Illustrator & Artist

This is probably going to sound super cheesy, but the thing that matters to me most (with regards to art especially) is staying true to yourself. As cliche as that sounds, I’ve battled with myself for a long time, worried that people would view me as a weirdo for making unusual art, especially if it involves nudity or heavy adult themes. It took me an annoyingly long time to realise that if I want to draw a seagull with long testicles, then why the hell shouldn’t I! I still second guess myself a lot when deciding what to do, but I’m getting more and more confident as time passes by. Who knows, in a few years time maybe I’ll have enough confidence to draw a seagull with even longer testicles. Watch this space. Seriously though, I may sound overly flippant, but I really believe staying true to yourself is so important in being creative and making quality art, just as it is in many other aspects of life. Read more>>

Patricia Ferber | Sculptor, Educator, Painter & Builder

I value truth when creating art, of myself, family, and friends. When I am working on a sculpture, pottery, painting, or preparing a lesson plan for my students, when teaching, I ask the cosmos to be shown something I have never seen before. This thought was taught to me by Peter Voulkos, with whom I studied and worked with when at UC Berkeley, “Ask the clay, show me something I have never seen before”. To this day when starting a piece, working on at my art, the statement resonates within me. My Family has always been very supportive of my life’s endeavors. They express to me their thoughts about my artwork, and I appreciate their unique viewpoints and insights. Friends, I treasure, and treat with all my love and care. They know they can count on me if needed. Close friends are also a wonderful sounding board to bounce ideas off. I believe in Karma. Read more>>

Steve Sabicer | Socially-Conscious Businessman

Integrity: It might seem clique, but walking the walk seems critically important in our society today, and especially in the meat business which has had its share of scandal and dishonesty. Personally, that means choosing a career path that has been more about my environmental values and desire to positively contribute to society, than it has been about financial benefit. For my business, it means sticking to our core values of transparency, quality and responsible sourcing as we provide the best meats to Southern California. At Electric City Butcher, we want you to be confident that the meats you’re buying are not only the best tasting, but they are also most respectful to the animal, the earth, and our farmers. So much small business is conducted with a handshake and a smile. Without integrity, I couldn’t get up in the morning to do the hard work I am so proud of. Read more>>

Justin Wilder Neese | Writer, Director & Producer

One of the principles that I value most revolves around how we view and treat others. While writing my latest feature film “Apocalypse Love Story” I really wanted to focus on that. This film tells the story of how an African American boy and a Caucasian girl come to depend on each other after finding themselves all alone in the wake of an apocalyptic event. The way these two kids view the world and each other conveys a message that is highly relevant to the tumultuous social climate we’ve all faced in 2020. In telling their story, these two characters become vessels of kindness that encourage viewers to take inventory of themselves and evaluate how they as people see one another. Read  more>>

Suren Seron | Founder & CEO

Honesty and Integrity. To me, these are the same principle and totally synonymous. You simply can’t have (or live by) one without the other. We are living in perhaps the most dishonest and deceitful period in American History. It is utterly shameful. For myself and many others in our country, it seems as if everywhere you turn, half-truths or simply outright lies dominate or at least penetrate and influence so many aspects of our national and individual character. This extends to seriously unscrupulous business practices that have permeated many of our core industries, especially the financial sector, as well as many of our entertainment, communication, and cultural industries. The values of many cultural and political icons and influencers we look to for guidance and leadership have become questionable at best while often totally polluted and devoid of any ethics or morality at worst. Read more>>