Ideas to Ponder – September 2026 Edition

An inside look at our latest explorations and undertakings.

Brené Brown comes at organizational values from a different angle than we do, and that’s what makes her work worthwhile reading. Her work is rooted in vulnerability, courage, and the idea that personal values should shape how we show up for one another at work. Ours tends to focus a bit further downstream—how shared organizational values become the logic behind better decisions, stronger cultures, and more consistent customer experiences. But we meet in an important place: values aren’t real until they show up in observable behaviors. If they can’t be practiced, taught, or held accountable, they’re just aspirations with good branding.

If you’ve been around brand or culture work for a while, much of this Harvard Business School Online piece will feel like a return to the fundamentals—and that’s not a bad thing. Sometimes the basics are worth revisiting, especially when they’re backed by research showing that organizations with clearly implemented values see stronger engagement, better alignment, and improved business outcomes. It’s a practical reminder that values aren’t just a cultural exercise—they’re a business one.

One of our values has always been curiosity. Not the kind that sends you down endless internet rabbit holes (though we’ve been known to do that too), but the kind that keeps you open to ideas that challenge how you think. This Pearlfisher perspective on the future of private label is one of those ideas. It looks beyond the old assumption that store brands compete on price alone and explores how they’re becoming differentiated brands in their own right. It is gated behind a simple form but worth it, and sharing ideas like this is one small way we try to operationalize curiosity ourselves.