How Core Values Guide Your Branding and Personal Growth

Larry Roberts [00:00:09]:

What is happening, everybody? I'm Larry Roberts.

Sara Lohse [00:00:11]:

And I'm Sara Lohse. And this is Branded, your comprehensive guide to creative branding.

Larry Roberts [00:00:16]:

And on this awesome episode of the podcast, we're going to be going a little deeper than we typically go. We're going to be talking about core values and how they relate to your brand. And in order to carry this conversation, we invited Andrea Johnson to be on the podcast. Podcast. Andrea is a transformational leadership coach who equips leaders to define a new culture by learning to think critically, create imaginatively, and lead effectively by uncovering their core values. And I think this is something that escapes us a lot of the time because we're so busy trying to create visual graphics for our brand or logos or whatever it may be, and we tend to lose sight of, you know, like my book says, we lose sight of everything that's under my red hat because that's the brand. And we lose sight of the core values that are under each and every one of our red hats. So Andrea is here today, and hopefully we can help you uncover your core values and help you tie those back to your brand.

Larry Roberts [00:01:15]:

So, Andrea, thank you so much for joining us.

Andrea Johnson [00:01:18]:

Hey, I am so excited to be here. I love talking about core values. It's, you know, when people ask that question out on social media, if there's one thing you could talk about for 30 minutes without any notes or anything else, what would it be? I'm like, passionately, core values. So we're good to go.

Larry Roberts [00:01:32]:

That's good. So give us the pitch, man. What? Give us that three minute pitch. Tell us about your core values.

Andrea Johnson [00:01:37]:

Well, for starters, none of us want to have zero impact. Most of us want to have some kind of impact. If you're an entrepreneur or if you are a content creator, for sure, you want to have impact. You want to be magnetic. And so what I do is I work with people who come from more of a disempowered side of things, you know? And this, I think that being disempowered is a result of acting within those assumptions, beliefs, and conditioning that you've accepted because you haven't developed a clear understanding of who you are and what you stand for. And that can look like things like responsibility without authority. How many haven't, you know, inconsistency, constantly compromised, feeling stifled, getting, you know, I was. I was given a promotion without a raise, that kind of stuff.

Andrea Johnson [00:02:19]:

But when I start looking at who I am and how I can move from imitating other people's principles and priorities, which is a great place to start, right? We all start there, especially if we're looking to be leaders or business owners. We start with kind of mimicking or following somebody else, but we have to take that and use it as a stepping stone to understanding and defining our own principles and our own priorities for sustainable, impactful leadership or business or marketing. And we do that all by integrating and honoring our core values, which are, by definition, inside, not outside.

Sara Lohse [00:02:59]:

We've talked about this a few times because we talk about the different components of building a personal brand. And one of those first components is, of course, what are those brand values? And we've talked about a few different ways of figuring out what they are and how to align them. But what is your process? How do you help people discover, like, this is my. These are my core values. This is what I want to align my business with.

Andrea Johnson [00:03:21]:

Yeah. The first thing I do is I help them understand the difference between business values and core values. Because there's a lot of talk out there. It's much easier to say, these are the things I want my business to represent. These are the things I want my brand to communicate, because those are not always what our core values are. They may be who we're talking to. They may include things like recognizing a red hat, being able to see those kinds of things. But there may be a mission and a vision that you have that you're communicating.

Andrea Johnson [00:03:51]:

But core values are the things that actually motivate you. These are your internal non negotiables. These are the things that, when dishonored, you will break a relationship. Right. These are the things that, when dishonored, you will, like me, develop an eating disorder, because we've allowed them to be dishonored all our lives. These are the things that we're born with that kind of, when other people look at us, they say, yep, that's totally Larry, or, yep, that's totally Sarah. That's like, those are the things that I've seen all their lives. My mother used to say about me, I'm a Gen xer.

Andrea Johnson [00:04:24]:

So it's like, andrea, you're the definition of a strong willed child. And she said that from age two. But when I look at the things that motivate me and the things that I kind of allowed to be dishonored for probably 30 years of my life, one of them is freedom of thought. I abdicated that for a really long time, and freedom and independence is huge for me because I'm just a strong woman, and I just can't help that. And the demographic I was in didn't foster that. So when I learned that and figured it out, I realized, oh, that's just the way I'm wired. And it's a core value that was showing up even as early as two. But what I, you know, I mean, it really does.

Andrea Johnson [00:05:02]:

And if you have children, I actually have had a blast helping other people figure out how to start recognizing, even in our kids, what is a core value and what is regular stuff, you know, like regular childhood development. But when we start looking at our own core values, then we figure out where our boundaries lie automatically. It's very simple to see that if respect is a top core value, then that's something that. That's a boundary that's pretty easy to draw. And when I work with people, I. It's a simple. I mean, these are not. This is not my ip, right.

Andrea Johnson [00:05:34]:

Core values have been out there forever. People like Brene Brown are very big in this area, but when we start looking at them, we look at what everybody else we think might say about us, and then we start looking for things that resonate. And when we narrow those down, I help them actually walk through their own definition of what those things might be and watching people wake up to the authority that they have to act on their convictions because they all of a sudden understand, hang on, I'm the biggest perpetrator here of my own core values, and then be able to take those and say, all right, this is who I am. I don't need to be ungracious about it. I just need to live me and be willing to. That's why one of my taglines is my podcast is called stand tall and own it. That's part of what it is. It's being willing to stand up and say, this is who I am.

Andrea Johnson [00:06:19]:

But then if they're a business owner, we actually help them write those into a mission and vision statement, because most solopreneurs are representing themselves. Right. So if we're talking about brands, it could be a business brand or a personal brand. And especially for those who are a personal brand, your personal brand should at least honor your core values. If not, define or if not, like, represent them.

Larry Roberts [00:06:42]:

Well, I think core value, and you mentioned earlier, there's a difference between business values and personal core values. And I think as a solopreneur, entrepreneur, creator, whatever it may be in that arena, the personal values, the personal core values seem like to me, they play more of a role in establishing a brand at that level than personal values at a corporate level. Because once you reach a certain level, a certain size of the business and become more of an entity as compared to an individual brand, those values are going to shift and they're going to change. Is that what is. Do you find that to be true?

Andrea Johnson [00:07:16]:

Well, sure, because in a business, what you're looking at is, what is the purpose of your business? Who are you there to help? What kind of marketing, kind of market share do you need? And when you're doing a personal brand, you have to meet all those things, but you still have to honor you 100%. Whereas if you're, like, the CEO of a mid sized business, small to mid sized business, you've got a bunch of other people that are toe in the line for you that are actually making your business run, that are. That you want to. You're building a community rather than a personal brand, right? So you're building a community inside your business and for whoever your clients are. I actually just interviewed a woman who has been doing this for about 15 years inside her business, and it was so fun to watch because I work with people at the infancy stage at this, right. We're talking about the beginnings and to see how she's already done it, her business. And now what they do is they take, and I've had team members that I've worked with do this. They take their own personal core values, and then they have their team walk through their personal core values.

Andrea Johnson [00:08:18]:

And if you're just beginning to figure out what your business values might want to be, it's a great way to do it, because then you can get together as a team and say, hmm, we all have this one, like, particular core value on maybe making sure that the customer has everything they need or, you know, I mean, it's. That's very broad, but then you can actually put your business start with a new way of looking at your business core values. And she said when they did that the first time she looked at her website, she's like, oh, this doesn't even remotely represent anything that we just did. So they redid their whole website, and now they have clients that actually align. And that's another piece, Sarah, you asked about how do we align? Because I work with a lot of mid level leaders who may be in a corporation. We don't talk about aligning with any outside core value. We talk about honoring what's inside of us and finding a place where that honoring can happen in an aligned fashion.

Sara Lohse [00:09:13]:

So it sounds like you're finding those internal core values for yourself, but then creating the guiding principles go with them.

Andrea Johnson [00:09:22]:

Precisely. And I actually call them life principles. So I work in three main areas. I help people figure out their core values. I am a Maxwell certified disc consultant, speaker, trainer, coach. So I also help them look at their disc, which is, if you've never done that, it's behavioral analysis, but it's communication. So we start with our core values of who we are, we figure out how to communicate them. And then I'm the intentional optimist.

Andrea Johnson [00:09:47]:

That's my brand, that's my. You can see all the sunny yellow. But I have my own life principles. The six tenets of intentional optimism, which help people figure out how to live those out. Grace and ease, and in a way that honors everything. And, you know, none of that is anything that you have to do on a specific. In a specific way. But this is how I do it myself.

Andrea Johnson [00:10:09]:

And most of us who are solopreneurs, we figure out how to do things, and then we tell others, this is how I got here. Take what you can use, and let's see how we can help you get where you need to be if you.

Larry Roberts [00:10:19]:

Don'T have the resources to take, like a disc, because I've taken it multiple times over the years within my corporate life back in the day. But if you don't have the resources for that, how can solopreneurs do something similar and take that similar analysis to determine exactly where their core values best align with their personality traits?

Andrea Johnson [00:10:39]:

Just so you know, you can take their pre disc assessments online because people keys puts them out there, but they also partner with different organizations, and Maxwell is one of the organizations they partner with. But it's actually a very affordable assessment for a 32 page report. It's $49. It's actually quite affordable. But at the same time, it's a 32 page report. So there's a lot in there, and it gives you the ability to see where your strengths and weaknesses are, where your leadership skills lie. And there are lots of assessments. I've used other tools myself.

Andrea Johnson [00:11:11]:

Enneagram is a great tool that you don't have to really pay anybody for. You can do free Myers Briggs ones online that you don't really have to pay for. There are a lot of free resources that will give you a different. You need to understand that those tools all measure something different. And so you're getting different perspectives on who you are. And the more you build up those layers, the better you understand. Excuse me. The better you understand, like, the full view of your personhood.

Andrea Johnson [00:11:37]:

But when you start layering your disc with your core values, one of the things that's really beautiful about it is disc looks at two continuums. It looks at outgoing or extroverted versus reserved. And the okay, x and y, whichever one they are. I'm not a math person. The horizontal one is people versus tasks or processes. That's the word I want to use. And so we fall into one of those quadrants. And what's interesting is that people who fall like me, I don't think it will come as a surprise.

Andrea Johnson [00:12:08]:

I fall into the people and outgoing quadrant. So I'm an I, and I love being around people. And some of my top core values are things like belonging. And so a lot of times when we look at the. How we plot out in different personality areas, if you're extremely introverted, you're probably not going to have a core value that includes relationships, unless it's having deep, intimate, specific relationships. Right. It might be a belonging, but in a really different way. So when we look at how our personality shows up, that will give us clues as to what our core values might be.

Larry Roberts [00:12:45]:

Now, refresh my memory. Does disc also have color associations for all four, like red, yellow, blue, green?

Andrea Johnson [00:12:52]:

That's the most common one. Some of them are a little bit different. Just depends on who's got the report.

Larry Roberts [00:12:57]:

And I just remember because we had, again, back in my corporate days, we had those foam legos that had each of them written, and we had to have our legos organized in our disc assessment. So we walked up to somebody else's desk, we could see the colors, and we would know exactly how to engage with that person based on the order of their. There are four legos there. So it was. And, you know, they were pretty good size. They're probably four inches or whatever in bone, and we could see exactly where they're at. So that was kind of cool. So there.

Larry Roberts [00:13:24]:

There is a lot of value in those types of assessments, but they also, you know, you mentioned is, I think you said 32 or 36 page report. Oh, and let me back up just for a second, just to help you going forward. The x y axis, the way I always remembered it, the y has a tail. And so that's. Yeah, so it's. It's the. It's the vertical. The horizontal is the x, and the y is the vertical because of the tail on the y.

Larry Roberts [00:13:47]:

Not necessarily because of. But that's how I tend to remember it. So analyzing a 32 to 36 page report, whichever number it was, can be very overwhelming and very difficult for people to tie back to. How do I take this very in depth analysis assessment and tie that back to my passions, my goals, my brand. What are some simple ways or simple things that people can do that may not have the opportunity to do that in depth analysis or even define what that. And granted, I don't mean to insult anybody that's watching or listening, but I've, I consider myself to be fairly sharp, but I've seen my analysis, and I'm like, bro, I have no idea what this means.

Andrea Johnson [00:14:28]:

Well, and the reason they put out reports like that is for people like me to be able to help walk you through them. And they are designed to have a coach walk you through them and to help you. But I will say this. There are specific things in the reports that are like, this is how you add. This is how you add value to a group. This is your leadership strengths. This is how you communicate. And we did the same things.

Andrea Johnson [00:14:48]:

I give people little signs that say, like, even for teachers, we'll do this and we'll say, hi, my name is so and so. I really like to hear all the details, or I love to tell stories. And that doesn't have anything to do with the technical aspect. It just is a really good application piece. The other thing I have is I actually have a free cheat sheet that puts together like a cross crosswalk for if you see this behavior, it might be this. If you see this behavior, it might be that. And it actually is a piece of from the report. But I put it together with other things, like how you can recognize in their children and how you can show up in different ways.

Andrea Johnson [00:15:22]:

So that's an option that they have available to them. That is really fast. I actually took it into a local business. Just the cheat sheet alone, just the crosswalk into a local business that I frequent a lot. And the manager one day was like, we are having so many problems. I said, I'll bring you something next week. And she stuck it up in the lunchroom. And the, the next time I came in, she said, she pulled me aside.

Andrea Johnson [00:15:43]:

She said, oh, my gosh. Within 15 minutes, we had figured out this person's a this and this person's a that, and that's why these two people conflict. So there are ways to do this that are free, that are easy, that actually, I mean, cause solopreneurs we have, how many things are we, are we learning on a daily basis? How many things do we buy that we haven't actually walked through? And, you know, I'm a course creator as well, so it's like, how many courses do we buy and never finish? So this is a really good question, right? Yeah. So this is a really good question for solopreneurs. And there is a. I do have a free thing that you can get quite easily, and you guys will have the link to all of that.

Sara Lohse [00:16:18]:

I remember I went through this in my last position. I'm trying to wait out my dog sparking, but I don't think, I think they're still, they're still going at it. But I remember we went through this whole process and I felt a little bit attacked by my responses because they were far too accurate. But it's been a while. I am an id. What does that say about me?

Andrea Johnson [00:16:41]:

Oh, that tells me that you are, you're probably, for starters, you're outgoing and you like people, but as a D, you're a bottom line person and you move forward and it depends on how close you are to the I and the D. But it also means that you probably don't care for all the details. You just want to know how we can get the results. Is that correct? Are you a results person?

Sara Lohse [00:17:02]:

Adhd? I don't. I don't care about the details. Just tell me how it ends.

Larry Roberts [00:17:07]:

Well.

Andrea Johnson [00:17:07]:

And, you know, when you factor in other things like ADHD, it makes. It helps. Other things make a lot of sense. Right. So I'm an ICD. So it sounds like a complete. I am the definition of a non team player. I have no steady in me whatsoever, so I need a lot of.

Andrea Johnson [00:17:22]:

So this helps me as a, as an entrepreneur know who I need to work with because I need to work with people who can do the details and put the processes together. I'm going to be out here talking to people all day long. Happy to get on a podcast with 30 minutes notice, happy to do whatever needs to happen. And I will talk with clients all day long. But then following up is hard because I'm an eye. I want all the details to happen, but I'm really more about getting out there and doing it. So when I say other pieces, even if we just can recognize that I'm probably an I or I'm probably a d wearing all that red. Larry, are you a d?

Larry Roberts [00:17:58]:

I don't. I don't remember which colors associated with which letters, to be honest with you. But I do know that I was yellow. I think yellow was primary, which meant I wanted to know that people cared.

Andrea Johnson [00:18:08]:

Yep.

Larry Roberts [00:18:09]:

So I need to know that I'm accepted. I need to know you think I'm cool. I need. I need to know, I need to reassure. So, yeah, I know I was, I know, but. But then I was followed by red, which I think. I mean, that's like the counter opposite, right? Cause.

Andrea Johnson [00:18:24]:

No, it's just right next to each other. So clockwise, they start with d in the top left, I in the top right, s in the bottom right, and c in the bottom left.

Larry Roberts [00:18:35]:

Okay. Okay. Cause, you know, ids, the red means that I just want the details, too, right. Cause is that correct?

Andrea Johnson [00:18:42]:

I just want the results.

Larry Roberts [00:18:43]:

I just. Okay. Yeah, that's. That's what I meant to say. I said the direct opposite. I just want the results. I don't wanna hear all the nonsense. Just tell me, how do I do this? How do I make this? Yeah, and that's.

Larry Roberts [00:18:53]:

I remember you, like I said, yellow, red. And then I don't remember if the blue or green was next. I don't remember which of the other two fell in line there, but basically.

Andrea Johnson [00:18:59]:

Have the same disc type.

Larry Roberts [00:19:02]:

That's interesting. It is kind of terrifying because at the same time, and one of the things that makes Sarah and I, so, in my opinion, makes us so fun, and I enjoy working with her so much because we are, at least we seem to be polar opposites. Okay.

Sara Lohse [00:19:17]:

Yeah.

Larry Roberts [00:19:17]:

In every regard. I mean, she's young, she's 29. She's college educated female, obviously. I'm 52, not college educated male. I like alpha things. She likes girly things. And it's. But it makes for an interesting.

Larry Roberts [00:19:32]:

You know, it makes for an interesting dynamic, because we have. We have opinions from both sides of the aisle there. I mean, it's almost. I mean, I'm not trying to go on the political side of things here, but it's. That's different, too. So. It is so. But it still makes for an amazing relationship where we have.

Larry Roberts [00:19:52]:

We do great things together.

Andrea Johnson [00:19:54]:

Yeah.

Larry Roberts [00:19:54]:

And it's just interesting to see how these completely, what we would assume to be total polar opposites are really the same. When you pull back the layers and you look at everything underneath, and you look like a disk. Assessment, and we're essentially the same.

Sara Lohse [00:20:08]:

I don't like where this went.

Andrea Johnson [00:20:09]:

Go ahead.

Sara Lohse [00:20:10]:

I don't like where this went.

Andrea Johnson [00:20:15]:

Let me use this as a good case study, because a lot of times we want to let an assessment like a disc define us, and it does not. That is just your patterns of communication. It is not who you are, which is why we need to understand core values. Your core values may also be a little bit similar, but everything, even anybody who does your disc is going to talk to you about your personality and the way it works out. It's all. It's not all just, like, wiring. It's also nurturing. It's the kind of environment you grew up in.

Andrea Johnson [00:20:43]:

It's what demographic you fall in economically and your age group and what generation you're in and all those kind of.

Sara Lohse [00:20:50]:

Things for us, which.

Andrea Johnson [00:20:52]:

Which can feel like polar opposites. But you both have a high eye, which means you're both interested in people, which means you're both interested in hearing other people's perspectives, which means you're both interested in making sure that everybody feels, nobody feels rejected. Right? So you do that for each other. And this is just a beautiful example of how disc can show up in ways that you don't expect, but your core values somewhere in there are aligning so that it works out really, really nicely. Does that feel a little less attacky?

Larry Roberts [00:21:25]:

A little.

Sara Lohse [00:21:25]:

Well, we've had this conversation about, like, what our core values are, and I do feel like they have overlapped. I know I always say it's like creativity and authenticity. Larry's definitely on board with creativity, authenticity. I know we usually say three, and I don't think the other two are the same. I don't remember what they are.

Larry Roberts [00:21:43]:

Yeah, I don't recall either. Off the top of my head, I'm still just in awe of hearing how much we actually align. And I think we know it, you know, but it's extremely difficult to understand it. And I think most solopreneurs and beginning brand builders are going through that same question. You know, really, what are my core values? Because you may. You may think, you know, if you were to really dial it back, I go, well, just being a tough guy is my core value, and being a man is my core value, but it's really not, you know, I mean, you know, and Sarah's pointed this out on multiple occasions. When the hat comes off, I'm a totally different cat. I mean, just a completely different person.

Larry Roberts [00:22:24]:

Not to say that the person with the hat on is a facade, but.

Sara Lohse [00:22:29]:

It'S a different piece of your personality that comes out in different scenarios. And I'm the same way because according to the disc profile, I'm, like, really outgoing. No, no, me too. I have a conference Persona. I pretend I'm outgoing, and then I get home, and I'm like, no one but my dogs talk to me for five to seven business days.

Andrea Johnson [00:22:50]:

I love it. So I understand. And this is why it's like I mentioned earlier, there's different assessments to take. I actually did a whole podcast like series on the different tools that I use. And why? Because they show us different things. And when you look at the Myers Briggs, that's going to show you outgoing and introverted, like, extroverted and introverted, and I'm right on the line, and a lot of people will show up disc I, which means we're people. Remember that xy thing that whatever, that we're people oriented and we are, quote unquote outgoing. It's less reserved.

Andrea Johnson [00:23:25]:

It doesn't mean extroverted. Right. So when we talk about needing, um, extroversion or introversion, when you talk about Myers Briggs, that's where you get your energy. So didn't mean to devolve into all these different types of personality type things. But this is why it's important to me for us to understand ourselves. And when you talk about authenticity being a core value, it's going to show up for you in ways that are different, because you being Larry, being authentic. Sorry, I'm pointing. Nobody knows where I'm pointing at.

Andrea Johnson [00:23:54]:

Larry being authentic and Sarah being authentic are very different things. But knowing that you both have authenticity as something that's probably very important to you, you allow the other to do that. Because there's a few things that I want people to understand about core values. I do. I do workshops, and I have a course, and I do coaching and all that kind of stuff. But when I start a workshop, I always tell people, and I always get pushback. If you tell me that faith, family, and country are your core values, we will start over. Because none of those things are inside you.

Andrea Johnson [00:24:25]:

They are all expressions, or they are all outside you. And so when we start talking about core values, we need to understand they're intrinsic. They've been with you from the beginning. They are invisible, with very visible results when they are dishonored. Okay, so it's not something like your family. It might be for me. It's belonging. And that shows up in how I interact with my family and why my family is important to me.

Andrea Johnson [00:24:48]:

They are reciprocal, meaning it's just as important to me as it is to you. For, like, for. I have. I just had a client call yesterday, and I know that her top core value is respect. And we had a couple of conversations when I was. It was. It was an emergency coaching session. She said, can you meet this afternoon? I said, sure.

Andrea Johnson [00:25:07]:

And when we were in our coaching, doing our coaching program, she manages front desk people. And there's this one person that's just dragging me down. Do I need to, like, lower my energy with everybody, or do I need to just kind of treat her the same as I treat everybody else. And I'm like, I need you to answer that. What is your top core value? And she goes, oh, because respect is her top core value. And I said, is it respectful to lower the energy on everybody just because this one person's getting on your nerves, or is it respectful to treat this person with respect the same way? And she said, oh, my gosh. And so even yesterday, because she's actually leaving the job and going someplace else, and, like, how do I leave? And how do I do this? I said, what's your top core value? Right. So she said, okay, I need to act with respect, because it's just as important for the people around her to be respected as it is for her to be respected.

Andrea Johnson [00:26:00]:

So these are little tests that you can do when you start looking at what your non negotiables might be, because we all have them. And 100% of the people who come to me or hop on a call with me or a podcast think they know what their core values are.

Larry Roberts [00:26:14]:

Yeah.

Andrea Johnson [00:26:15]:

100% of them don't. And we. If you've done some work, you probably know one or two, maybe three. But when you start really looking and going deep, it can be a little scary, because we're not taught to do that. We're taught to be performative. We are taught to exhibit specific behaviors. We're not taught to look inside. And we're kind of taught, depending on where you come from and what your demographic is, that what's inside might be bad.

Andrea Johnson [00:26:42]:

And so when we start looking inside, we get scared. The reality is, I believe we're all created with purpose and with beauty, and that everything that we find in there could have a good expression or a bad expression. So we need to figure out the best way to do it, because when we show up, y'all, with our core values honored, then we are bringing to the table the one thing that nobody else can bring. I get cold chills every time I say this. It is that important and that imperative. And they have affected every decision you've ever made of, every tear you've ever cried, every time you laugh, every time you see a scrolling through Instagram and find something that really just like, oh, I have to share this with my friends. You know, I mean, it's like all of those things are either touching on a core value or are affecting one. Anything that makes you really angry, you know, if you look back over the last two weeks, what is the one thing that just, you know, then, you know, you've probably got the opposite core value being kind of dishonored.

Andrea Johnson [00:27:41]:

So it's that important for us to understand what they are, and they're not that hard to figure out when we really.

Sara Lohse [00:27:47]:

Look, I'm sitting here figuring out Larry's.

Andrea Johnson [00:27:51]:

Do your own work. Keep your eyes on your own paper.

Larry Roberts [00:27:54]:

Yeah. Don't. Don't judge me. Don't judge me. No.

Andrea Johnson [00:27:58]:

It's helpful to think about what other people might say about us, but then we have to do our own. Yeah.

Sara Lohse [00:28:03]:

Respect is definitely your top core value. Yes, 100%.

Larry Roberts [00:28:06]:

Yes.

Sara Lohse [00:28:06]:

Also, is it just me, or do you feel like we're in couples therapy right now?

Larry Roberts [00:28:10]:

A little bit of. Little bit, yeah. Are we in the trust? I mean, are we in. Are we in the tree of trust? Can I.

Sara Lohse [00:28:21]:

Are you sending us a bill for this safe space? Do you take insurance?

Andrea Johnson [00:28:25]:

Love it.

Larry Roberts [00:28:26]:

Now, when you said the respect thing, it really resonated, because when I was still in corporate and I was still my corporate drone self, I got a. We bought a company. And I say we because I'd been at the company for, I don't know, 17 years at the time they acquired this company. And as part of that acquisition, we took a couple of managers, and, well, one of the managers became mine. And the irony there is, is that I interviewed him before we hired him, and several. And I wasn't even in a management spot, but several of the other managers in our department interviewed him as well. And every one of us said, no, don't hire this cat. But the VP hired him anyways.

Larry Roberts [00:29:00]:

And then to top it off, he became my boss.

Andrea Johnson [00:29:03]:

I've been there.

Larry Roberts [00:29:04]:

And then to top it off, our first conversation, he goes, well, Larry, as one of my subordinates, oh, bruh, I came out of my chair. I mean, because I was a little aggressive back then. I came out of the chair. I didn't go full Whataburger, and that's a whole other story. But I did stand up and go, look, we're getting off to a wrong start here, because I'm nobody's subordinate. And if you want my respect, you got to earn it. And by insulting me and my integrity and my position within the company that I've been for almost 20 years, calling me a subordinate is a massive insult. So that.

Larry Roberts [00:29:41]:

I mean, that. I don't even like using the word, but it triggered me, you know? I mean, it was definitely a trigger for me, because I. Again, respect is number one. So when you were saying that, it's really interesting, and it drives me to want to take a disk assessment again, because you know, two, when I took it back then, I may not have been in the right headspace to take a disk assessment because we're all having to take these stupid assessments, and I've got things to do. But, you know, I was probably as honest as I could be, but I definitely didn't give it the thought that I may have needed to back then to really determine what those core values are. So.

Andrea Johnson [00:30:16]:

Well, just to be clear, the disk assessment will change over time because you will grow. But it gives you three charts that will tell you, basically, these are the muscles you were born with. These are the muscles that show up when you're stressed or. Excuse me. These are the muscles that you use every day. These are the muscles that you're born with. They show up and you're stressed, and these are the muscles you've worked on the most. So the chart that will give you your actual type today will be the ones you've worked on the most.

Andrea Johnson [00:30:43]:

So if you worked more to get rid of some of those d characteristics, then it might show up as a higher I or you might have a little more s in there because that's more teamwork oriented and more status, you know? But it also. It will not give you your core values. It will just give you clues to what they might be. So, you know, I'm happy to. I would love to work with you guys on disassessment.

Sara Lohse [00:31:08]:

I remember I took it twice. I had to take it, like, when I first got hired, and then we all took it again because we actually had a consultant come in and walk through it, and I got the same result. But I realized that the first time I took it, I was answering based on, like, what I wanted to be like. And then a few, two years later, I was answering based on, like, actual. And it was actually kind of cool to see that I became what I was hoping to be.

Andrea Johnson [00:31:37]:

That's a really good story, right? I mean, it is, but I also would tell people, too. You talked about taking your hat off and being a different person when you take it as an entrepreneur or in a job. And then I've had, literally, I've had people say, I want to take this home. I want my husband and my kids to do it. Great. No problem. We have as young as ten. My son just took the one.

Andrea Johnson [00:31:59]:

He's 15. For college and career. It's 42 pages. It does then give them, but it gives them a little bit of an idea of what their values might be. That one actually does show some core values that might show up for them, but it also gives them, based on their personality type. It tells them their learning style, and it tells them like two pages of like four columns, single space of ideas for kind of work that they could do with that kind of personality that might be a good fit. So we, so I tell people, fine, take it. Let's take it to your spouse and your, and your kids.

Andrea Johnson [00:32:30]:

But you need to remember, you need to take it again because you're a different person, because you show up behaviorally different at home than you do in your work. Most of us do. Solo partners, maybe not as much, but most of us do. But there's still the work to do of looking at your core values. It won't, it won't tell you what they are.

Sara Lohse [00:32:47]:

I want to take the job. One. What should I. I went through so many things of, like, this is what I'm going to be when I grow up. I'm really curious, like, what I was supposed to be. I mean, number one is always princess, and that has not changed. But I was going, like FBI, I was going police. I was going to culinary school.

Sara Lohse [00:33:05]:

I was going to open a cupcake shop. Like, it varied so much. I think at one point it was like I wanted to be a ninja turtle. I don't know why it's princess is still above that.

Andrea Johnson [00:33:16]:

I'm going to go out on a limb and say this might be a little bit ADHD related.

Sara Lohse [00:33:20]:

Okay.

Larry Roberts [00:33:21]:

Well, you know, and I don't know, maybe because maybe I'm undiagnosed ADHD because.

Sara Lohse [00:33:24]:

I mean, I diagnosed you a year ago.

Larry Roberts [00:33:26]:

Yeah, I know, I know. But officially undiagnosed because, I mean, I did the same thing. I mean, I did, too.

Andrea Johnson [00:33:32]:

And I don't have ADHD.

Larry Roberts [00:33:33]:

Yeah. I mean, I mean, I was everything from, I remember in high school, as a sophomore in high school, I was quite the cat daddy. And I was dating a sophomore at the junior college and she was legal. It was legal at the time. Yeah, but plus I grew up in a trailer park, so it's, everything's legal there. But, but she was a biology major. So guess what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a biogenetic engineer.

Larry Roberts [00:34:00]:

So my sophomore in high, my sophomore year in high school, I took biology one and biology two simultaneously because that was my career path. But then I wanted to work at Merrill lynch, so I was going to be a financial advisor slash stockbroker. But then I was a karate guy. And this actually was, I was a.

Andrea Johnson [00:34:14]:

Karate guy for years.

Larry Roberts [00:34:15]:

Well, that's because I didn't do you know, I could have been better, but I am terrible with money. Yeah. I just. It's here to spend. I'm telling you. That's what it's for. It's not for saving. But anyways, I went through those same types of iterations.

Larry Roberts [00:34:27]:

You know what I mean?

Andrea Johnson [00:34:27]:

Yeah.

Larry Roberts [00:34:28]:

But I think it'd be interesting now to take it again, because I know I've grown, at least from an empathetic perspective, over the last five years and definitely over the last seven or eight years since the last time I took one of these assessments. So it'd be super interesting to kind of see where it's at and see how it all ties into the brands that Sarah and I are building together and the personal brand that I have on my own as well and really see how I can title together to take that brand to the next level. I think that'd be kind of cool.

Sara Lohse [00:34:55]:

I'm curious if they, like, update the profession options because of how much they change. Because, like, is it still, like, doctor lawyers now? Is it like, you're going to be a YouTube star?

Andrea Johnson [00:35:04]:

Oh, that's what he would like to be. Yeah, that's what he would like to be. Or he. Well, he likes, you know, supercars, so we'll see. You know, we might take automotive issues. Sophomore. I will say this. The reason my son is adopted, this is part of my story, is that my son is adopted.

Andrea Johnson [00:35:21]:

I went into menopause at, like, 37, but we discovered and understand and learned about ADHD because of my son. And so here's the deal. Even if. Even if you have ADHD, it is a superpower. It is. It gives you the ability to be multi passionate and look at all these different things, and using all these tools in understanding your ADHD and how it shows up for you will give you the ability to do things that nobody else can do. So I don't know if how y'all ever look at it, but I see it as a Ferrari brain with bicycle brakes. Right.

Andrea Johnson [00:35:53]:

It's like, just figure it out, because you. If you just figure out how to harness that Ferrari power, you're in great shape.

Sara Lohse [00:35:58]:

Multiple passions. Yes.

Andrea Johnson [00:36:00]:

Yeah.

Sara Lohse [00:36:01]:

However, actually following through with any of them. No, I have everything you could possibly want to become a hand embroiderer, to become a clay jewelry maker. Like, I have so much stuff.

Andrea Johnson [00:36:14]:

Mm hmm.

Sara Lohse [00:36:15]:

As I'm like this, I'm super passionate about this. I'm gonna start doing this. This is my new hobby. And, no, it's. It's not. It's all in the box if anyone wants to buy it off of me. Sitting in a closet, untouched.

Andrea Johnson [00:36:28]:

Marketplace is a good place.

Larry Roberts [00:36:33]:

I think this has been a fun conversation and super insightful. And I know that if we were to take a desk assessment or work with you to find out what our core values are, at least get an idea of how to identify those core values. I think all of us that are building brands and building businesses could be much more effective in our efforts. So I really appreciate that. Before we wrap this thing up, tell people where they can find you and reach out to you and potentially work with you.

Andrea Johnson [00:36:56]:

Sure. I am the intentional optimist, so you can find [email protected]. dot. I am on LinkedIn and Instagram most. And if you dm me through there, tell me you heard me on branded, I will know that you're not spam and I will respond. But I love hearing that way. You can email me. I also have a podcast called Stand Tall and own it.

Andrea Johnson [00:37:14]:

And I just mentioned that I did like a whole series on the tools that I use. And I just had one interview with the gentleman about ADHD. He discovered it at 57 and he's now 83. And it was amazing. And, yeah, so there's plenty of ways to find me. I am, when you go to my website, there's a couple of buttons above my head. One of them says free core values exercise. There's a way to start that that is free.

Andrea Johnson [00:37:39]:

But if you, we mentioned the disc cheat sheet. If you go to theintentionaloptimist.com cheat, like just cheat plain, you'll get the cheat sheet. And so these are things that you can do on your own and then reach out to me if you need extra help. I'm always here and I love to hear from you. Awesome. I.

Larry Roberts [00:37:58]:

That'S amazing. Thank you so much once again for joining us. We really appreciate it. My pleasure, everybody. Once again, I know I found a lot of value in this episode. I think you probably learned a little bit more about Sarah and I and Andrea as well. I think it was a very insightful episode. So if you did, hopefully not.

Larry Roberts [00:38:17]:

But if you did find some value in this episode, do us a huge favor. Hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast player or on YouTube. We'd love to have you at both. If you want to subscribe on both platforms, that'd be amazing. And with that, I am Larry Roberts.

Sara Lohse [00:38:31]:

I'm Sara Lohse, and we'll talk to you next week.