Your brand should be built on a solid foundation that will withstand external changes and internal pivots. Businesses that are built to last are ones that make an impact. Knowing how your business fits into the world, what you want to accomplish, and how you want to do it can position your brand on a path to success. Whether your business has defined its mission and vision or not, the ideas to shape these statements are alive and active within your organization. Sometimes you just need to discover them. 

Core values are baked into the fabric of your organization and lived out every day. These values should be aligned with your brand, flowing from your brand story and illuminating the heart of your organization. When you put them into action, values become guides that govern the culture of your brand from the inside out.

John Paulsen is a branding strategist and entrepreneur. His diverse background includes digital media, web development, SEO/SEM, eCommerce, Social Media Strategy, and entrepreneurship.