Real Good Company is a show where we talk with real people building good companies that are making a real impact. We’re so excited to welcome today’s guest, Brant Menswar, a speaker, author, core values activist, and author of “Black Sheep.”

The book was inspired by his son, Theo, who was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer at the age of 14. After 263 straight days in the hospital, the family was told to say their goodbyes. Unbeknownst to Brant, his brother posted a Youtube video pleading for help for Theo. The video went viral overnight, and doctors around the country reached out offering to help. They found a solution to an impossible situation, and Theo survived.

After the jarring experience, Brant was motivated to live with more intention and to figure out his nonnegotiable values, aka his “Black Sheep Values” or the things that make him 100 percent, original, and unique. He went on a years-long journey of doing the work to figure out his “Flock of Five,” his nonnegotiable values that can be honored on a daily basis.

Today, Brant’s values are clearly established and unchanging. His Flock of Five (plus an additional bonus value) include: hope, creativity, impact, empathy, family, and authenticity. Every decision he makes gets filtered through these six things. Previously, before finding his non-negotiables, Brant was speaking about 25 to 30 times a year. After he did the work to find his values and to live with intention, by July of 2019, Brant was speaking 70 times a year, his speaking fee tripled, and Washington Speakers’ Bureau named him one of the Top 10 Speakers in the country.

On today’s podcast, we focus on values-driven leadership and how discovering our nonnegotiable values leads to success. Brant says that people who know their Black Sheep Values have a competitive edge in life versus those who don’t know their non-negotiables and are just winging it.

Brant shares how to bring your values to work and how to create values-driven leadership and values-driven organizations. Without these “organizational Black Sheep Values,” a company’s success is based on pure luck or chance. He shares how connecting the head and the heart helps establish those values. Brant also explains how organizations have to be deliberate about how their values are going to be experienced and creating bridges between employees’ personal values and organizational values.

You can find out more about Brant and everything mentioned on today’s show here. Also, you can find Brant on Instagram @brantmenswar and on Facebook here. Get to know our hosts on Instagram @CaitlinCrosby and @AllieBridge. Please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe so that we can stay in Real Good Company!

Brant Menswar: On Finding Your Black Sheep Values