A couple years ago, Scott Martineau and I were talking about how excited we were with the growth of the company. At the time, we had a couple thousand people using the software and we had about 50 employees. On the other hand, we started to become concerned about our ability to grow the organization and maintain the feel and the culture of our business.
Then we came across Michael Gerber’s Dreaming Room and Jim Collins’ books Built to Last and Good to Great. In short, we learned how to capture and preserve the vibe of our business that we knew was special. It’s all about having a Core Philosophy, which contains Core Values and a Core Purpose.
When you articulate, preach and practice the Core Philosophy, you build a company that will be around for the long haul. (I can also say that it can help you grow to a company that’s worth a lot of money.) The reason is that you establish the brand, the vibe, the culture of the business and then you force yourself to stay true to that brand. I like to think of it as the DNA of the business.
Naturally, you might ask us what our Core Philosophy is at Infusionsoft. Here it is:
Core Purpose
- Dream: Revolutionize the way small businesses grow
- Vision: Be the standard in marketing automation software that small businesses use to grow quickly and profitably
- Purpose: Liberate and empower entrepreneurs so they can enjoy doing business, wow their customers and better serve their families and communities
- Mission: Create the leading marketing automation software for small businesses that’s easy to use and powerful enough to make them grow fast
Core Values
- Entrepreneurship
- Authenticity
- Integrity
- Passion
- Compassion
I could go into detail about each one of these things; the important thing is we live the Core Purpose and Core Values every day for every customer. It’s the DNA of our company. It’s the reason behind why I love this company so much. It’s also the reason why we will be successful in accomplishing our Dream.
What core values do you have in your organization? Share them in the comments.
Clate,
Thank you for this insights You mentioned several great books, which no doubt were seminal in your articulation of Core Values (I call it governing values instead of core values, because it dictates our decisions, actions and directions) and Core Purpose.
Most companies, let alone people, have no idea what their governing values are. Yet these governing values dictate their every decision. Over 90% of companies have never actually given this aspect of the business any thought, much less have written them down.
Infusionsoft has done this. And more importantly what has been written down are very strong and vital values. These are the values that are now guiding your company. The people are important, Yes! but the “Helmsman” is really these Governing Values (Core Values). So, you and Infusionsoft are to be applauded for setting a good example.
You will recall a book called “In Search of Excellence”, Waterman & Peters. In that book they highlighted a company which I worked for, for many years 3M. 3M was portrayed in that book and has been portrayed ever since, as a Quality Company with a strong “Entrepreneurial Spirit”.
Prior to that book, the people at 3M knew they were “Entrepreneurs” and “Innovative”. Actually, we called ourselves “Creators”, and we coined our own word for ourselves. We thought of ourselves as “Creatrepreneurs”.
The point is it took Waterman & Peters to articulate in writing what 3M had always thought of themselves. And after that, we grew into BEING, exactly that.
The number one Governing Value of 3M is “Absolute Integrity”, interestingly that is one of the Governing Values of Infusionsoft. Since, leaving 3M and starting my own consulting company, no matter where I went or who I helped. People would say to me “I can see where got your values from… 3M” That was the highest compliment that could have been paid to me.
You guys are well on your way to having people and customers say to you…. “I can see where you got your values from… Infusionsoft.
Keep doing what you are doing, and Thank you for such a great tool.
Kevin Barrett
http://www.kjbarrettcrm.com
Thanks for the thoughts, Kevin.
I have a lot of respect for 3M. It’s great to hear how your experience there has shaped you and your approach to building an organization. Like you, I was part of a company that had a profound impact on me and the way we’re building Infusionsoft. And I can’t wait to hear stories 10 years down the road about former Infusionsoft employees who were impacted by our Core Philosophy… and then went on to create amazing businesses of their own.
BTW, it’s amazing to me how most business owners neglect the Core Philosophy aspect of business building. I’ve learned that whether a business owner aspires to create a million-dollar business or a billion-dollar business, laying the groundwork of core philosophy maks it SO much easier to accomplish the vision because it guides the daily actions of the organization.
Thanks again for your thoughts, Kevin! And I’m glad you appreciate the tool (Infusionsoft) that we’re using to accomplish our dream of “revolutionizing the way small businesses grow.”
[...] of our blog might recall our mission — to create the leading marketing automation software for small businesses that is easy to [...]
[...] make this possible. We do it with tenacity, finesse, ethics and pride. Recently, Clate shared our core values, purpose and overall company philosophy here on the blog, it’s worth checking [...]
Clate. Congratulations on the growth of your brand and for sharing your core philosophies. It is without a doubt that the culture you have built has led to the success and valuation of your company. Also, congratulations on your second round funding announcement today. Thanks for helping to put and keep Arizona on the map with VC’s!
can you email me?
I purchased infomillionaire and there have been some shipping problems.
and the autoresponsers sending me “comforting” emails only make me feel duped..
Robert Wynn
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Great posts! Thanks for the quality information.
OUR CORE VALUES
Compassionate, Holistic, and Prompt
OUR MISSION
Create the leading video email and web video marketing software for online marketers, sales professionals, and small businesses – that is easy for a novice to leverage, yet versatile enough for advanced user – and teach people how to use it to save time and make more money while providing better customer service.
Great posts! Thanks for the quality information.
OUR CORE VALUES
Compassionate, Holistic, and Prompt
OUR MISSION
Create the leading video email and web video marketing software for online marketers, sales professionals, and small businesses – that is easy for a novice to leverage, yet versatile enough for advanced user – and teach people how to use it to save time and make more money while providing better customer service.
[...] root of defining our Core Philosophy came from reading a post by Clate Mask in the Infusionsoft Blog. He is also a huge advocate of Jim Collin’s [...]
[...] our people here at Infusionsoft, while specifically focusing on our Core Philosophy (comprised of Core Purpose and Core Values). We’ve created departmental development plans, a library and book club for continuous learning [...]
[...] users with relevant marketing that empowers, not overpowers them. It means the heart, soul and core values of the company are dialed toward the [...]
[...] in March was a glimpse of our DVPM becoming a reality. The July shift in our business model was years in the making. Now, with a new [...]
[...] in March was a glimpse of our DVPM becoming a reality. The July shift in our business model was years in the making. Now, with a new [...]
[...] users with relevant marketing that empowers, not overpowers them. It means the heart, soul and core values of the company are dialed toward the [...]