Love and friendship are great business and career practices.

February is traditionally known as the month of love and friendship, so I thought I'd start by talking about those values and how they translate into my business practices.

I published a new podcast episode yesterday, titled "Feminist Marketing and how I apply it in my business," to talk about how I use value-driven, inclusive, and feminist principles. I'm super proud (and a little anxious) of this one because discussing these topics is essential but something we don't often do in the business world.

I'm proud to be an entrepreneur striving to impact people's lives through my work. We cannot separate our work from our life. What we do and how we do it reflects our values - which is true both in business and life.

Over the years, getting clear on my values and learning how to apply them in my business and personal life has been one of the most rewarding experiences—using love and friendship in my business has shown me how to create better relationships with clients, customers, and vendors, how to be more compassionate when making decisions or dealing with compromises, and how to trust myself more easily.

In the last couple of years, I've educated myself in diversity, inclusion, and feminist marketing, which is a way of using ethical approaches to market products that focus not only on the product itself but on connecting with people's needs and values from a place of respect and understanding.

Some principles that I try to practice are:

1. Love and friendship:?I try to be open, compassionate, and friendly with everyone I collaborate with. My heart guides my work, not my wallet.?Why??Because this is the only way we can build meaningful relationships and ensure that what we're doing is truly valuable to our customers and clients.
2. Honesty and integrity:?I firmly believe in being honest and transparent with everyone. It means not overpromising my services, talking honestly about prices, and being mindful of limitations but also open to new ideas and solutions.?Why??Because that's the best way to have positive and long-lasting relationships with your clients and customers.
3. Inclusivity and equality:?This is especially important when marketing my services. Making sure everyone feels included and respected is a priority in my business—and my life. I also strive for equality among everyone who works with me, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or any other difference we might have.?Why??Everyone deserves respect and dignity. By living these values, we can create an environment where everyone feels safe and comfortable expressing their opinions and ideas freely, ultimately making us better people and entrepreneurs.
4. Compassion and kindness:??I try to be kind and compassionate with everyone I encounter. It means keeping my ego in check, being patient when things don't go as planned, listening to people's stories, and understanding their points of view.?Why??Because I want to show respect and appreciation for others, no matter what differences we may have.
5. Humility:?Last but not least - in our ego-driven, social media world, this often feels like the hardest of all values to strive for - I try to be humble and remember that I'm nothing special, just another spark of consciousness having a limited human experience, grateful for all the people who support me and help me grow my business every day.?Why??Because without them, none of this would be possible. We can't do this alone; we desperately need each other to address the many challenges we face—personally and collectively.

I'm a flawed human being with an ego prone to drama and overactive imagination???, so I'm nowhere near perfect in applying these values. However,?striving to do so every day has been a wonderful and life-changing pursuit.

Seeing the positive results, I've become passionate about how our values, moral and ethical principles can be excellent business practices and a fantastic way of life—not to mention it's good for the soul and the world!

I hope this has inspired you to clarify your values and use them in your business. If you're curious about feminist marketing, I encourage you to check out my podcast episode or reach out if you have any questions.

What do you think? Have you ever experienced a situation in your career or business where your values guided you toward success? Let me know; I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic!

Wishing you an incredible two weeks full of love, friendship, and success.

With curiosity and courage,

P.S.?Did you know I offer free 30-minute coaching sessions? They're a great way for you to ask me any questions, and for us to figure out if we're a good fit. Don't be shy! I love meeting new people!?Schedule your free session?here.