The stuff we live by

A few years ago I read "Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hsieh - the guy behind Zappos shoes.

“Who?” you say? Well they are a US outfit that Amazon purchased for 1.2 billlllllion dollars! (*best Dr Evil voice*)

Zappos built their business on a set of core values that they actually live by, at work and at home. They even publish theirs onine. https://www.zappos.com/about/what-we-live-by

Before photography I worked in the corporate world. My employer had a set of values and they were meaningless to me, but Tony's approach made me think.

We took weeks (and a fair few bottles of wine!) to work out what we really stand for. It was cathartic, giving us freedom to focus on things through this prism. These values are pretty much how we live our lives and key elements we want to bring to our business.

Because Zappos found that publishing their values to the world helped them we thought, "why not?!"

So here they are - the values that you're getting when you hire me to work for you.

1. Family comes first. This is the top of all our values. Everything we do is for our family - and the families I photograph.
2. Treat clients like friends. We value friendship and wish to do as we would be done by so honesty, loyalty and doing the right thing are important.
3. Be passionate: don't just go through the motions.
4. Wow them. Exceed their expectations, surprise them, delight them.
5. Be quirky. Life should be fun. Be a bit, creative, eccentric.
6. Grow organically. Slow and steady wins the race.
7. Keep things simple. No complicated processes here.
8. Support the small guys. Buy local, buy interesting, artisan, handmade. Make friends.
9. More haste less speed. A steady river still reaches the sea. Glaciers can move mountains.

That’s it. Our 9 core values. This stuff matters to us!

Reading List

Since I mentioned Delivering Happiness above, it feels right to share a few other books that have influenced me over the years. No affiliate links — just honest recommendations.

I'm an avid reader of business and personal development books. Some I've taken huge value from. Others, just a single quote — but even that's often enough to shift something in how I think or work. A few I've bought second-hand and quietly sent on to others when the moment felt right.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but if your values line up with mine, you might find something here that speaks to you too.

Books That Changed The Way I Think

• First and foremost is Dr Susan Jeffers - Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway. This one book changed how I viewed the world. Seriously. Also worth a look: End The Struggle And Dance With Life and Feel The Fear... And Beyond.
• Jack Black's - Mindstore. Made me think differently too - especially about possibility.
• Tony Robbins - Awaken The Giant Within. Is a classic that I got much from.
• Victor Frankl - Man's Search For Meaning. Not an easy read, has had much impact on me in accepting what I have in life and finding more contentment in it.
• Stephen R. Covey - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I find myself going back to concepts in it all the time.

Business and Mindset

• Tony Hsieh - Delivering Happiness. The book that kicked off this whole values conversation for me.
• Richard Branson's autobiography Losing My Virginity, and the follow-up Screw It Let's Do It he may be full of himself but there's plenty to take away!
• Adam Braun - The Promise Of A Pencil. This is quite the tale, showing how you can build something that can really make a difference with lots of small steps.
• Michael Heppell - How To Be Brilliant. Practical stuff, well delivered. His book Flip It is also worth a look.
• Napoleon Hill - Think and Grow Rich. Yes, it's dated - but it introduced me properly to the idea of the "Mastermind", and through that I met two of my very best friends. Every month still meet virtually to talk about our businesses and lives.

Navigating Change

• Dr Spencer Johnson - Who Moved My Cheese. A curious little book that helps me notice changes going on around me.
• Malcolm Gladwell - Tipping Point and also Blink. Both made me pause and think - which is often half the battle.

Money and Simplicity

• George S Clason - The Richest Man In Babylon. Old-fashioned, yes, but solid advice told simply. I've gone back to this one several times.

On Happiness and Kindness

• The Dali Lama - The Art Of Happiness. There's no single secret to happiness, but this isn't a bad place to start.
• Robert Fulghum - All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten. There's a passage in here sometimes shared online as "Warm Milk and Cookies". Years ago, I was handed a photocopy of it on A4 — before email circulars and Facebook memes. It’s stayed with me ever since.

One Last Thought

Alfred Korzybski – “The map is not the territory.” It’s just a line — not from a book I own — but it’s stayed with me. Polish-American scientist and philosopher Alfred Korzybski's, "The map is not the territory" stays with me today both on my long walks over the hills and when I hit obstacles that weren't in my plans.

I first came across it in the 1990s in a pricey “work concept” kit: cards in boxes, black and white with a chess-like theme. It was just one quote on a flip-card, filed under project management. But as someone who loves maps, it hit home.