Building Success Through Values: Inspiring Micro-Businesses and Delta Airlines
Written by: Ja’Mel Ashely Ware | 10 min read
In a world where businesses often prioritize profit above all else, it is heartening to discover entrepreneurs and established companies prioritizing values as the foundation of their operations. In this article, we will showcase the remarkable journeys of three micro-businesses—Sankofa Athletics, Lions Vision Photography, Chemistry of Zen—and the iconic Delta Airlines, all of which have harnessed the power of value-based principles not only to launch but also sustain their enterprises.
These micro-businesses hold a special place in my heart. I have been fortunate to connect with them through Project Innovate, a micro-grants program for aspiring entrepreneurs committed to positively impacting their communities. Since 2020, I have managed this program and been closely involved with these young entrepreneurs, witnessing firsthand the significance of embedding values into their businesses and their unwavering dedication to their communities.
Sankofa Athletics: A Brand Built on Integrity and Community Connection
Sankofa Athletics, an athleisure brand founded by Khalia Ervin (graduate of cohort 1), is a shining example of how personal values can profoundly influence a brand's identity. Khalia's deeply rooted values of integrity, respect, servant leadership, sportsmanship, and responsibility seamlessly intertwine with the brand's commitment to offering exceptional customer service, celebrating cultural diversity, fostering community connections, and championing humanitarian initiatives.
The harmonious alignment of personal and brand values is evident in various aspects:
Integrity and Quality Customer Service: Khalia's unwavering integrity aligns perfectly with the brand's commitment to providing top-notch customer service. This commitment to honesty and ethical conduct is paramount in establishing and maintaining customer trust.
Respect and Cultural Representation: Khalia's commitment to respecting diverse cultures and backgrounds resonates with the brand's representation, which embraces inclusivity and acceptance - reinforcing the brand's ethos within the community.
Servant Leadership and Humanitarian Work: Khalia's values of servant leadership, which center around serving others, align seamlessly with the brand's humanitarian efforts. Both prioritize making a positive impact on communities and society at large.
Sportsmanship and Community Connection: Khalia's core value of sportsmanship, encapsulating fairness and teamwork, mirrors the brand's emphasis on community connection. This emphasis fosters positive relationships and collaboration within the community.
Responsibility and Corporate Social Responsibility: Khalia's sense of personal responsibility harmonizes with the brand's commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR), as both revolve around accountability and a dedication to making ethical choices that benefit society and the environment.
Sankofa Athletics stands as an inspiring testament to how aligning personal and brand values can create a robust and authentic brand identity that resonates deeply with customers and fosters genuine community engagement.
Website: Sankofa Athletics
Lions Vision Photography: Capturing Authenticity with Love and Honesty
Royce Pearson (graduate of cohort 2), the founder of Lions Vision Photography, embarked on his entrepreneurial journey driven by personal values of love, honesty, and moral integrity. Through Project Innovate, Royce successfully transformed his passion for photography into a sustainable business, ensuring that his values were seamlessly integrated into his business principles—primarily focused on innovation, authenticity, and celebrating uniqueness.
The profound connection between Royce's values and his business values is readily apparent:
Love and Encouraging Authenticity: Royce's value of love harmonizes with his business's emphasis on encouraging authenticity. By fostering a supportive and caring environment where clients can express their authentic selves during photo shoots, Royce ensures that they feel valued for who they are.
Honesty and Embracing Uniqueness: Royce's commitment to honesty directly relates to the business's ethos of embracing uniqueness. His photography sessions cultivate an environment where individuals can openly express their ideas and perspectives without fearing judgment. This environment encourages innovation, creativity, and trust, ultimately promoting transparency.
Morals and Championing Innovation: Royce's morals align seamlessly with his business's focus on championing innovation. His emphasis on ethical decision-making and responsible innovation benefits the community and promotes diversity, ensuring that every individual's perspective is respected and valued.
Royce's consistent adherence to his values has not only propelled the success of his photography business but also led him back to Project Innovate as a mentor. Through this role, he has the opportunity to inspire and empower future generations to discover their self-worth and the value of their work.
Website: Lions Vision Photography
Chemistry of Zen: A Candle Company Rooted in Wellness
Chemistry of Zen, a candle company founded during the pandemic to address mental health and wellness, is a remarkable testament to how personal values can serve as the cornerstone of a thriving business. The business's core values—mental health/wellness, sustainability, honesty/integrity, and value—align seamlessly with the co-founder's Mckinsey Bullock-Stewart (graduate of cohort 3) personal values of peace, mental health, honesty, integrity, and stability.
The connections between these two sets of values are undeniably strong:
Mental Health/Wellness: Both the business and the co-founder's values prioritize mental health and wellness, emphasizing a shared commitment to well-being.
Honesty/Integrity: Both sets of values underscore the importance of honesty and integrity, highlighting the significance of trust and ethical behavior in all aspects of the business.
Sustainability: While sustainability is explicitly mentioned in the business's core values, it is evident that the co-founder deeply cares about sustainability personally.
Value: The business's core value of "Value" relates to providing value to customers and valuing oneself on a personal level. This dual commitment to value is integral to Chemistry of Zen's success.
Peace/Stability: The co-founder's values of "Peace" and "Stability" contribute to a sense of well-being and align perfectly with the business's core focus on mental health and wellness.
Chemistry of Zen's journey vividly illustrates how personal values can form the foundation of a business that not only thrives but also addresses critical societal needs. Chemistry of Zen has created a brand that deeply resonates with consumers seeking products aligned with their values through its commitment to wellness, sustainability, honesty, and value.
Website: Chemistry of Zen
Delta Airlines: A Century of Success Rooted in Values
Delta Airlines, founded in 1925 as Huff Daland Dusters, has demonstrated remarkable resilience over the decades by steadfastly adhering to its core values of honesty, integrity, respect, perseverance, and servant leadership. C.E. Woolman, Delta's founder, famously stated, "There is only about two percent difference between success and failure—and that two percent is the determination and singleness of purpose that makes us do things. Without it, we are just another airline—with it, nothing can stop us."
Woolman's words encapsulate a robust set of values that have driven Delta Airlines to unparalleled success. Perseverance, as emphasized by Woolman, aligns perfectly with the core value of dogged determination, highlighting the importance of persistently forging ahead in the face of adversity. His unwavering commitment to determination reflects a dedication to surmounting obstacles and achieving ambitious goals. Woolman's implicit conveyance of respect for the company's mission mirrors the organization's deep-rooted core value of respect for its objectives. Furthermore, his strong support for the principle of integrity, doing what is right even when unseen, resonates seamlessly with the emphasis on determination and purpose. Lastly, Woolman's implication of a profound commitment to serving the company's mission and, by extension, its customers embodies the essence of Delta's core value of servant leadership. These values have guided Delta Airlines throughout its storied history and propelled it to be a paragon of success and excellence in the aviation industry.
Delta Airlines' century-long success story shows how values-driven leadership can create a lasting legacy of excellence. The company's unwavering dedication to honesty, integrity, respect, perseverance, and servant leadership has not only earned it a prestigious reputation but also garnered recognition and awards:
Fortune 2023: Delta has consistently been named the World's Most Admired Airline by Fortune, securing the top rank across various dimensions in the industry, including values, innovation, and people management.
Wall Street Journal 2022: In the annual airline scorecard rankings of the Wall Street Journal, Delta Air Lines was honored as the Top U.S. Airline of 2021.
These inspiring micro-businesses and Delta Airlines have vividly demonstrated the transformative power of values in shaping their identities and propelling their success. Whether through the alignment of personal and business values or the unwavering commitment to core principles over the decades, these businesses stand as beacons of authenticity, integrity, and purpose in a world often preoccupied with profit at the expense of principles. Their stories serve as a powerful reminder that, in the realm of business, staying true to one's values can lead to financial success and create a profound positive impact on communities and society at large.
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In this enlightening four-article series, we have explored the profound importance of instilling values into startups. It is evident that values are not mere words; they are the foundation upon which the entrepreneurship journey is built. By embracing and integrating values into their core, startup founders can pave the way for enduring success. These values serve as a guiding light, aiding in decision-making, shaping company culture, and fostering strong partnerships. Moreover, values align startups with the expectations of today's workforce and the values-driven preferences of consumers.
As we've witnessed in the inspiring stories of micro-businesses like Sankofa Athletics, Lions Vision Photography, Chemistry of Zen, and the legendary Delta Airlines, the transformative power of values cannot be underestimated. Whether aligning personal and business values or staying committed to core principles over the decades, these businesses stand as exemplars of authenticity, integrity, and purpose in a world often fixated on profit at the expense of principles. Their stories remind us that staying true to one's values leads to financial success and engenders profound positive impacts on communities and society as a whole.
So, let us remember that instilling values into a startup is not a mere feel-good exercise but a strategic imperative for long-term success. Your values are not just personal but the cornerstone upon which your startup's future is constructed. As you embark on your entrepreneurial journey, remember that your values are not merely something to discuss; they are the guiding principles that propel your startup forward, enabling it to thrive, make a difference, and leave a lasting legacy.