What are your brand values, and how do you put them into practice?
I speak about brand values a lot - they’re really important to keep in mind throughout your content generation, customer service, and general business practice. But, I thought it would be useful to hear from some other small business owners to find out what their values are, and how they channel them into their business.
So, settle in and have a browse.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed - it’s amazing to see what drives each business owner, and how they use their values every day.
Bridie Hinson
PR & Visibility Coach at Why You Create
“ My brand values were one of the first pieces of my business I laid down on paper. Like so many founders, I started my business to run things my way, and most importantly, in a way that meets my own sense of values and ethics.
My values are:
Progressive: I’m always looking to improve and reinvent.
Conviction: I will always stay accountable to a strong moral compass.
Down to Earth: I have no time for fakery or illusion; I’m here for authentic connections.
Fun: We’re all here to bring joy into our lives, right? Fun, ultimately, is the most important goal.
I don’t have these pinned up on my wall or desktop or anything, but I honestly think I do stick to these in my day-to-day business. Truthfully, I feel these values are borne out of all the wild and tumultuous moments of my career – moments when my boundaries were set forever.
These boundaries keep me safe, keep things in perspective, and keep things enjoyable. They’ve become such an embodiment of who I am, I can reflect now and notice how these four words are the reasons behind all of my business decisions. ”
Connect with Bridie on Instagram
Lucy Critchley
Founder at Untold Creative
“ My brand values are:
Balance
Positivity
Integrity
Support
Connection
Resourcefulness
My values are a mix of personal and business but all come together when I talk about Untold Creative and what we do, the way I work with my clients and the way I live my life in general.
My first value is Balance. I chose this because I want to create a balance between work life and family/personal life which was fairly non-existent before I set up my business. It is much better now but then again it's ever changing and always something I'll be working on.
I approach my work with Positivity, and I'm genuinely thrilled to get to work with such lovely clients who are doing brilliant things. I want them to see just how brilliant they are.
I think it's really important to have Integrity too when it comes to work and personal life. I'll always be honest and I'll always act ethically and professionally.
I then chose Support because I want to give my clients the best service I can, and it goes deeper than just taking on tasks they've given me. I will always go above and beyond because I really care about the people I work with and to me it's more than just a job.
I want to build a Connection with my clients, I love getting to know them on a personal level as well as professionally, and I also really enjoy introducing my clients to other people if I think they would be a good fit, or if they could help each other out in the future. It brings me so much joy joining people together!
This ties in with Resourcefulness too I think, I'll always look for a solution and because I have lots of people I can chat to and ask questions and find a solution one way or another. ”
Visit Lucy on Instagram
Visit Untold Creative Website
Meghan Downs
Copywriter and Content Writer
“ My business should allow me to live my best life and leave me creatively fulfilled. That's why my core values are:
Exploring creativity: Creativity is important to keep me interested and do my best work! With personal experience as a professional artist to lean on, I get the most fulfilment when helping other creatives to thrive.
Continuous learning: Copywriting is a versatile profession… so, I allow myself to explore and learn new areas to keep my skills sharp.
Collaborative working: I believe in collaboration over competition to not only increase the result for my clients, but to also provide a different point of view and spark new ideas. ”
Connect with Meghan on LinkedIn
Hannah Isted
Founder, HI Communications
“ I don’t often think about my brand values, but when I do they come to me pretty quickly. I always find that when I’m not excited about a project or I have a funny feeling about a client, it’s usually because one of my values is off.
“Most of my brand values are how I feel about the rest of my life too, things like community and creativity, which I think is why I find it quite easy to put them into practice. It’s great to come back to and be reminded of them! ”
Visit HI Communications Website
Jo Martin
Content Writer at The Grammar Mamma
“ I work with mums in business, taking their content writing tasks off their plate so they have one less thing to worry about.
As a business owner and mum of two girls myself, I know what it's like to build a career while raising kids. In a nutshell, it's a massive juggling act and can often feel like you're spreading yourself too thinly.
That's why I use real-life experiences in my messaging so potential clients know that I get it. I get the struggles they face, I get how they're feeling, and I get that they'd love an extra pair of hands.
For me, it's all about being relatable. I'm a huge advocate of mums supporting mums and that's what I aim to get across in my brand values.”
Visit The Grammar Mamma website
Rachel Fletcher
Mindset Coach at Pink Sky Coaching
“ Our values were chosen to reflect the coaching experience clients can expect when they choose Pink Sky Coaching. Our values are: Honest, Human, Curiosity, and Courage. These values reflect what we bring to each coaching session and how we encourage clients to engage in coaching with us.
An honest and human approach are key ingredients to building an open and trusting coaching relationship. We offer honest reflections and observations, and the human qualities of compassion, empathy, deep listening, and encouragement to support our clients’ goals.
We work from a place of curiosity (and zero judgement), to help clients clearly define what they want, what matters, what drives them, and what shapes the way they think, feel, and behave to help them work towards what they want. And, we have the courage to move clients beyond their comfort zone (and ours) and to say what they can’t see or don’t wish to hear - if it serves their goals to do so.
Working with us our clients should be prepared to be honest and curious with and about themselves, have the courage to face the things which may be getting in their way, and allow their unique humanness to be seen and flourish in a way that allows them to be themselves.”
And me? Mine are:
Making the world a better place - you need to be making a positive change in the world. In whatever way you interpret that to be. I don’t want to work with businesses where their sole purpose is to make money for themselves, it needs to be deeper than that.
Being Courageous - You need to have some courage to trust your marketing with someone else, even an expert. Plus to stand out in a sea of beige content, you need to be bold.
Nurturing - I believe in communicating about HOW things are done the entire way. Every day is an opportunity to learn, so I work with people who help each other grow.
Do you need help in defining your brand values, and understanding how to use them in your marketing messaging? Give me a shout - we can have an informal chat about how I can help you out.
