Note: The mantra of Craving Balance is that balance is "making consistent choices that honor your values." Here's one example of how one's personal values intersect with work values.

VOICE: So, there’s a kind of vitality in your voice today. What is it?

JANE: It’s going to sound a little woo woo, but I had an epiphany about values.

VOICE: Last time we spoke you were kind of flat on the worthiness of values. What happened?

JANE: I looked at my own values and realized that I wasn’t living as if there were a correlation between my own personal values and the values of my business.

VOICE: Where did that realization lead you?

JANE: Well, I saw that not only was there no correlation, I was suspicious that it was even relevant. I was cynical about the very things I had nurtured and espoused 9 years ago. I mean, the company’s values are all over the website, in all of our collateral materials, everywhere. But I’ve been complacent.

VOICE: What changed?

JANE: You asked me if my values of compassion, service, creativity and inspiration were present and active every day, what would be possible in both my life and my work. And I realized they weren’t. I stopped liking our clients and dreading new business.

VOICE: So where’s the epiphany?

JANE: I want to love my business. I want to love our clients. So what that means is  making a shift in the kind of business we take on.

VOICE: A change in focus?

JANE: Yes. We’re going to work with green. Sustainable businesses. Businesses and people who want to give back, contribute, do something worthy.

VOICE: What about your existing clients? Are you, well, dumping them?

JANE: No, we’re just going to ease them out.

VOICE: You mean to tell me that ALL of your clients are un-green, or don’t fit your value profile?

JANE: I think so.

VOICE: I have to say I’m loving this epiphany, but something's off. How can you bring your rediscovered values of compassion and inspiration to bear with your existing clients? Not very compassionate to dump them is it?

JANE: I really don’t want to work with them.

VOICE: This sounds a bit like a midlife crisis in a marriage.

JANE: It is!

VOICE: But what if who you’ve been being in your life and work up until now was not “green” or compassionate, or inspiring, or creative?

JANE: I haven’t been. But I also haven’t been working with the kinds of clients I admire.

VOICE: Who’s fault is that? Take responsibility, here, please.

JANE: Okay. How?

VOICE: You tell me. How would a compassionate, creative, inspiring business owner—who is committed to service—be responsible with her existing clients?

JANE: I would invite them to be green.

VOICE: OK. Tell me  more.

JANE: I would get my entire staff on board first and brainstorm with them about how to inspire our existing clients.

VOICE: Really? That’s a pretty amazing plan. Are YOU committed to it?

JANE: Yes. Now the epiphany is starting to grow legs.

VOICE: And what if your existing clients don’t jump on it? I mean, not everyone can re-tool at the snap of the fingers.

JANE: Oh my god, I’m going to bankrupt our company!

VOICE: Ohh, no. Let’s pause for a second. This is an amazing thing you’re doing for yourself and for the life of your company. I just want you to really look at each individual client and see where YOU can be more green for THEM. It’s your shift, your change, after all. And your existing clients are the ones who’ve lead you here.

JANE: Oh geez, yes. I see it. Really, I do. 

VOICE: What do you see?

JANE: What if we were to simply “be” more green, more compassionate, more inspiring in our every day, moment to moment work? What if the shift is from the inside out? What if there’s nothing for our existing clients to do, right now?

YES: Yes. So what's the epiphany?

JANE: I guess I’ve been making my clients wrong for who I’ve been. Or who I haven’t been.

VOICE: How long have you been tolerating that?

JANE: Years. I'm calling it done.

VOICE: Brilliant.

Your 2 cents?

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