“If you stand for nothing, you fall for everything”

We asked the community to tell us about the values and principles that guide their lives and businesses.

Roechelle Croskey | Educator & Community Advocate

If I would have to think about a value that matters to me, I would say community. My belief in community comes from my upbringing of having a large family and a village of teachers, mentors, and church members. They were a vital part of my growth and development as an individual. I believe that building sustainable communities especially within the black community, helps aid with resources and emotional support needed to build generational legacies for our black families. Read more>>

Ja’Quel Williams | Content Creator & Entrepreneur

What principle matters to me the most is a hard question because I can’t just choose one . But if I had to choose ,it would be Honesty. The reason Honesty matters to me the most is because I believe in trust and being trust worthy. I want to be able to trust others as well as others to trust me and my Company in return. Read more>>

Gracie Villarreal, M.Ed. | Advocate, Researcher & Writer

On top of my list is honesty – I have always believed that honesty makes up the core foundation of any relationship. Without it, you can eventually expect your foundation to collapse. Anybody that knows me, knows that I cannot stand when someone lies to me. This applies to all areas of my life. Honesty is tied to one’s integrity & if you want me to believe & trust you (on any matter), you have to be honest. One of the reasons I have always had such a strong stance about honesty is because the other values & principles that are important to me are strongly intertwined with honesty. Read more>>

Krystle Ceasar | Acrylic Artist, Photographer & Graphic Designer

Quality is the most important value to me. I strive to provide my best quality of work in all that I do, whether it be painting, photography, or graphic design. I view my work as a reflection of me, as an individual and my brands. Moreover, it must represent quality, authenticity, and integrity. Quality doesn’t always mean perfection. Quality also means making a positive impact on someone’s life, as a result of giving your all to their problem. It means losing hours of sleep trying to find a solution for the thing that keeps them up at night as well. I value being an asset to others. We each have a unique purpose(s) that we must fulfill in order to help us expand as a collective. Read more>>

Sehar Tejani | Marketer by Day || Wedding Planner by Night

Values have a great impact on who you are in life and in your career. They define who we are and how we define ourselves and our brand. They form the foundation of our character, and since you must live with yourself, your values should be one of the most important things in your life. If I had to pick one value/principle that matters to me more than anything it would have to be AUTHENTICITY. I feel like everything we do in life and in our career depends on being authentic to who you are. If you stay true to yourself, you will be authentic to the people around you in life and in your career. I have always lived by the motto: What others think of me does not matter if I stay true to who I am. Read more>>

Chloe Di Leo | Jeweler & Entrepreneur

The core value of any business is passion and hard work. As most of us struggle to create a business model or product we need our community to help By shopping local and supporting your fellow entrepreneurs how big and small you are supporting the economy and of course spreading good karma! Read more>>

Tarolyn Armstrong | Empowerment Coach

Integrity. It is my belief that in all we do it should be done with integrity. Integrity for me means to have a standard of moral uprightness. Always set a standard of respect that is unwavering. Read more>>