Core Values

Why Core Values Matter in Your Well-Being Business

In this post, I want to talk about something that might not often come up in conversation — but that I believe is absolutely essential to building a grounded, authentic well-being business: core values.

This topic came up recently during my Children’s Well-Being Practitioner Training — The Well-Being Journey — when we explored the idea of values and how they shape everything we do. I realised it’s something many practitioners haven’t consciously considered, yet it’s such a powerful foundation for running a purposeful and aligned business.

What Are Core Values?
Your core values are the fundamental beliefs or guiding principles that shape how you operate — in your business and often in life too.

They’re a way of saying, “This is what’s important to us. This is how we do things.”
Large organisations often publish their values proudly on their websites, but I believe they’re just as important — perhaps even more so — for small well-being businesses and sole traders. When it’s just you making the decisions, setting the tone, and showing up for your clients or students, your values become your compass.

They help you stay aligned, consistent, and authentic — especially when things get tricky.

My Core Values
At Well-Being Adventurers, and within my wider work as Julia Hankins Well-Being, I have five core values.
These are the principles that guide everything I do, from lesson planning and resource design to communication and decision-making:

1. Inclusion
2. Safety
3. Compassion
4. Integrity
5. Forever learning

It’s often suggested that between four and seven values is ideal — enough to give clarity without becoming overwhelming. These five feel right for me because they reflect both who I am and what I stand for, personally and professionally.

How Core Values Help with Decision-Making
Having clear values makes decision-making so much easier.
If I’m faced with a challenge, unsure about how to respond to a situation, or deciding whether to take on a new opportunity, I come back to my values and ask: Which choice aligns best with them?

For example, if a situation arises where a child might not be able to participate fully in a class, my value of Inclusion guides me. I’ll do everything possible — in collaboration with other adults — to make sure that child can take part in some way.
Sometimes it’s not possible, but that value reminds me to try, to look for creative solutions, and to make inclusion a conscious part of every decision.

Likewise, my value of Forever learning keeps me open and adaptable. I’m always reading, studying, and reflecting — and I don’t hesitate to adjust my teaching or training content when new research emerges.

For instance, I recently updated part of my Pathway to Calm training after further reading helped me understand a neuroscience concept more accurately. My value of learning and integrity made that decision simple: I needed to make the change.

Values Shape Practice and Behaviour
Values don’t just help with decisions — they also shape how things are done.
Take Safety, for example. It influences every stage of my practice:

• Before a lesson, I conduct risk assessments and prepare the space thoughtfully.
  
• During the session, I create an atmosphere where children feel safe — not just physically, but emotionally and mentally.
• Afterwards, I reflect on how to maintain that sense of safety in future sessions. I communicate any issues that might compromise this with other relevant people.
  
  

Because safety is a core value, it’s not something I do by accident — it’s woven into every part of my process.

Values Support Growth and Collaboration
If you ever plan to grow your business — perhaps by training others, hiring support, or building a team — your values become even more important.

They help set clear expectations for behaviour, communication, and standards of practice. They also act as a filter — attracting the right people and gently repelling those who aren’t the right fit.

When you’re recruiting or collaborating, you can talk openly about your values. People who resonate with them will feel drawn to your work, while those who don’t will likely self-select out — saving everyone time and energy.


Values also help guide your decision-making during interviews or partnerships. If someone’s approach or attitude doesn’t align with your values — for example, if inclusion or compassion isn’t as central for them — you’ll know that collaboration probably isn’t the best fit.

Values Build a Clear Identity
Even if you’re a sole trader, having clear values helps define your business identity. It clarifies who you are, what you stand for, and how you want to be perceived.
And if you work as part of a team, shared values help create a collective voice — a shared understanding of “how we do things here.”

Values give your business heart and direction. They make it easier to communicate your purpose to others, and to stay true to yourself along the way.

Reflecting on Your Own Core Values
If you haven’t yet explored this for your well-being business, I really encourage you to take some time to reflect. Ask yourself:

• What truly matters to me in my work?
• What principles do I want to guide my decisions?
• What do I never want to compromise on?
  
  

Jot down your thoughts, see what themes emerge, and start to shape your own list of values.
In my next post (and video), I’ll be sharing how you can create and refine your own core values so they truly represent you and your business.

If you’d like to chat more about this, or if you have any questions about your well-being practitioner journey, you’re very welcome to get in touch at [email protected] — I’d love to hear from you.