Bigger. Better. Bolder. Inman Connect is heading to San Diego. Join thousands of real estate pros, connect with the Inman Community, and gain insights from hundreds of leading minds shaping the industry. If you’re ready to grow your business and invest in yourself, this is where you need to be. Go BIG in San Diego!
Welcome to Lead with Fire: A soulful series for real estate game changers. This is more than business advice. “Lead with Fire” is a transformative series created for the soulful, visionary humans in the real estate industry who are done with the old playbook and ready to redefine success on their own terms.
If you’re craving more purpose, clarity, energy and alignment in how you lead, this space was made for you.
You’ll explore powerful themes like:
- Defining your core values and letting them lead
- Reclaiming your confidence and clarity
- Managing your energy instead of managing burnout
- Setting soulful boundaries and unapologetically owning your worth
- Creating visibility that feels authentic, not performative
- Building a supportive circle of women who actually get it
- Designing a business and life rooted in peace, not pressure
- Choosing what you focus on and watching it flourish
Each post includes a powerful message, a sacred invitation to reflect and a mantra to anchor your next step. This series will meet you where you are and call you toward who you’re becoming.
You’re not here to play small.
You’re here to lead with fire.
So grab your journal and breathe into this next chapter. Let’s do this beautifully, bravely and together.
How core values can clarify your path and fuel purposeful success
Success is more than strategy — it’s about alignment.
In a world that constantly tells you to hustle harder, scale faster and do more, what if the secret to sustainable success is more than strategy, it’s soulful alignment?
A clear set of core values is at the heart of every powerful business and fulfilling life. These are your inner compass. When you’re rooted in what truly matters, decisions get easier, relationships feel more authentic and your leadership becomes magnetic.
Why core values matter
Your core values are the beliefs and principles that guide your behavior, shape your decisions and influence how you show up in the world. They are daily anchors that keep you aligned when life or business gets chaotic.
When you define and live by your values:
- You make decisions with clarity and conviction
- You attract clients, collaborators and opportunities that feel like a full-body yes
- You build a brand and life that feels both purposeful and powerful
Without clearly defined values, it’s easy to drift. You might say yes when you really mean no. You might chase someone else’s version of success. You might even burn out trying to be everything to everyone.
How to identify what truly matters
Start by reflecting on moments in your life when you felt most alive, proud or at peace. What values were present in those experiences? Integrity? Creativity? Freedom? Connection?
Then, think about moments that left you frustrated or depleted – those are clues too. Often, it’s because one of your core values was compromised.
Your values aren’t one-size-fits-all. They’re personal. Sacred. And they can evolve as you do.
Decision-making becomes powerful and peaceful
Once you know your values, you can use them like a filter. Every opportunity, collaboration and challenge becomes a chance to ask: “Is this aligned with what I value most?”
When the answer is yes, you move forward with confidence. When it’s no, you can walk away without guilt. That’s empowered leadership.
Reflective journal prompts
- What core values guide the way I show up in life and work?
(These are the non-negotiables that shape how I lead, love and live.) - Where do I feel most in alignment with my values at this moment?
(What spaces, relationships or routines feel deeply true to me?) - Where am I compromising what matters to me and why?
(Is it fear, obligation or something I’m ready to release?) - How would my decisions shift if I trusted my values more than my fears?
(What would I say yes or no to from that place of alignment?) - What is one value I want to honor more intentionally this week?
(How can I embody it in my business, relationships or self-care?)
Your next step: Define your top 3 core values
I’ve created a free guide to help you uncover your core values.
This is where we start. Once you know your core values, every subsequent step becomes clearer and more powerful.
Mantra to lead with fire
“I lead with what matters most. My values are my compass, and I trust the path they illuminate.”
Next up in the ‘Lead with Fire’ series: Passion vs. purpose: Why weaving them together builds a fulfilling business
Now that you’ve clarified your core values (aka your compass), it’s time to fuel your journey with passion and purpose. In the next post, we’ll explore the powerful difference between the two, how to harness both and why balancing them is the key to building a business (and life) that doesn’t burn you out.
Debra Trappen is the founder of the Red Threads Collective, a sacred community for women entrepreneurs. Connect with her on Instagram and LinkedIn.
