ASCENDANCE TURNS 2! TIME TO CELEBRATE OUR CORE VALUES!
AS WE CELEBRATE 2 YEARS AS A STUDIO, IT’S A FITTING TIME TO FINALLY UNVEIL OUR CORE VALUES!
Core Values were something we were slow to adopt at Ascendance. I was really averse to slapping together some cheesy words and not having it feel authentic, so it was something we put off during our first year of operation. Our team knew we wanted our studio to have a real heart and passion, not just a list of words like “Integrity” and “Accountability” on our wall that were empty and void of meaning.
So why Core Values? Why do they matter?
Core Values are the ideals we refuse to compromise as we conduct our mission in pursuit of our vision. In order for a group of people to work together at the highest level, we have to have a shared belief in where we are going, how we’re getting there, and the ways in which we interact with one another along the way. These values are our essential and timeless guiding principles. They are what define our culture, and guide all of our actions. Core Values are the source of our distinctiveness – our identity.
Our Team BBQ - July 2019
The challenge for us was that our team was so diverse, and so different in backgrounds, styles, passions, and strengths. It felt like a daunting task to puzzle out who exactly we were.
So, in the beginning when we set out to develop our Core Values, we just listened. We watched. We looked at other companies and studios we admired for inspiration. Then we started by throwing ideas out there in a Slack channel. Later, we met for an All Staff BBQ last summer with a stack of sticky notes and we asked ourselves these questions:
What is important at our studio?
What is unique about working here and Why do you enjoy working here?
Think of someone here at the studio you really enjoy working with, learning from, or want to be more like. What attributes do you love about them?
What are we not?
Our sticky note exercise
We used sticky notes to put up our responses on my kitchen window. Then we compiled the responses into categories that featured similar ideas.
Those categories ultimately grew into our Core Values! It was a lot of collaboration and soul searching, but finally, we’ve created a concrete list that truly represents our business, our team, and our community.
So… drum roll… we present:
July 2019. We’ve picked up a few new Ascendance Fam since last year. <3
OUR VALUES
Together, we share these values
Fun!
Ascendance is our playground, and here it is recess all the time. We take full delight in fun, play, and laughter. We are here to cut loose and shake our asses, squeezing every drop of joy from each moment. If there is no music in the air, no cheers echoing from our walls...if there is no one hanging upside down...then there’s probably a global pandemic to contend with. You can bet we’ll be back at it when the coast is clear!
Community
We believe that as we learn together in class, as we give each other support, we bind ourselves together and create something entirely new. Our community is built through the common love of movement, education, and the beauty found in everyone. We accept all people. We celebrate all lifestyles. We are stronger together.
Grace & No Egos
Grace is more than elegance of movement. It is about leaving room for others to succeed in the place they are without fear of comparison. When we walk through the doors of Ascendance, we leave our egos behind. We give ourselves room to learn and grow, and to not be perfect. We reject assholes and embrace the perfectly imperfect.
Explore & Experiment
We encourage our students to investigate the meaning of pole and aerial arts for themselves. We want them to experiment and then tell us their unique stories with motion. Try something new, test and learn, create and recreate.
Sustainability & Longevity
Our art and our community is something that must be nurtured and grown over time. As individuals, we know that it takes time to develop mastery. As artists, we advocate for our medium, investing in what we love and pushing it forward to develop new audiences. As business leaders, we actively seek ways to reduce waste (material and otherwise) and to prevent burnout. Most importantly, we advocate for the sustainability and longevity of people. Understanding the power of our bodies and the connection of a healthy body to a healthy mind is true Ascendance.
So there you have them!
These values aren’t just a collection of words that we thought sounded nice - they represent the essence of our studio! They are Ascendance!
I’m so incredibly proud of what this team has come together to accomplish, proud of what we’re building, and excited for what is to come. This year has brought on challenges we could have never anticipated, and we’ve risen to each one. I’m looking forward to many more years of growing and Ascending.
Thank you to each and every person who has been a part of the studio, as a friend, cheerleader, student, leader, volunteer, and everything in between. We would not be here without each of you.
Join us in celebrating the studio and embracing our values as we celebrate our 2nd anniversary.
Brightly,
Tara Steed