Our Values Articulation
The What & The Why
This values articulation is a living, working document. This means that it will be regularly reviewed and updated based on feedback, new knowledge gained, and as Phern Education Studios grows as a business. It is not perfect and therefore feedback is always welcome!
As the Founder & CEO of Phern Education Studios, I, Abbiola Ballah (she/her), commit to reviewing & iterating this articulation twice a year so as ensure what is stated is being practiced throughout all aspects of my business and that I am listening to the voices and perspectives of all those who interact with us as a business - whether it be as a client, contractor, employee, collaborator, or colleague.
I will ensure that there will always be a space where those voices and perspectives can be heard both anonymously and named depending on your preference.
I created this articulation to make it crystal clear what Phern Education Studios and by extension, myself as the Founder stands for. It is important to me that anyone who comes to work with me or works for me in whatever capacity understands the values that I embody and how I am actively implementing these values within all areas of my business.
The Perspective
Since the values listed below were written and come from the perspective of Abbiola Ballah, it is important to clarify Abbiola’s social location, her identities and their relationship to power & privilege, and the lens through which she views the world.
Abbiola is a cis gender, heterosexual, woman of color of mixed ethnicity who was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. She is highly educated with two Master’s degrees and speaks three languages (English, Japanese and Spanish). She has traveled extensively and has spent 20+ years living, working and studying internationally in Japan, the US and Belize. She is able bodied, of mostly stable mental health, has some neuro-divergence and walks the world in a larger body.
The Values
The values listed below are key to upholding the mission and vision of Phern Education Studios. Parts of these values are aspirational meaning that the way we implement them will continue to be iterated upon as we grow as a business. Parts of these are currently being baked into every aspect of our business and we are open to all feedback to help us improve during our review.
Note: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging are not stated as values intentionally because they are and will always be the lens through which we implement all of the values listed below.
Honesty & Transparency
These go hand in hand for us and therefore it made sense to group them together. We believe in honesty and transparency in all interactions that we have with potential and current clients, employees, collaborators, contractors and colleagues. This includes transparency in pricing, programs, expertise and outcomes of all of our programming. On the other hand, we expect honesty and transparency from those we interact with especially in the event that harm is caused to another or that you feel you have been harmed in any way, shape or form.
How we are implementing:
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We provide ways in which anyone can give their honest feedback to us either anonymously or named.
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Our pricing and payment plans will always be clearly stated on the sales page, not behind an application or call.
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The only case in which exact pricing will not be shown would be for customized training for organizations and in lieu of an exact price, we will aim to state a starting at price with the understanding that price depends on the training that is being built for the organization. Exact pricing will be given in proposals.
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Sales pages will always give a clear picture as to what to expect in our programs.
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Clarity and connection calls will never have expectations attached to them.
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Our values and expectations in all programs & training are shared with all clients.
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We have a process in place to review and iterate upon all programs & training as well as our marketing materials and social media channels.
Bravery & Curiosity
The work we do here is uncomfortable and challenging. It requires you to be vulnerable and to step out of your comfort zone. We cannot guarantee safety for all but we value bravery. Bravery to speak up and speak out. Bravery to share opinions. Bravery to listen to others’ opinions that may be different or conflicting with yours. Bravery to share your unique identities and embrace others’ unique identities. Bravery to take accountability for your actions.
Curiosity also plays a key role as without curiosity to learning and exploring new ways of thinking & doing, we will always be stuck. We want our clients, employees, collaborators etc to explore, research and ask all the questions.
How we are implementing:
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We start every workshop, training, program etc by sharing a list of actions that we all agree to adhere to as we gather in a virtual or physical space which include but are not limited to that we have a no-judgment space, uncomfortable questions are welcomed, embracing non-closure etc.
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We provide space for all clients, employees, collaborators etc to share their opinions and feedback either anonymously or named.
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We design all programs with space to have clients share, reflect and listen.
Imperfect Action Over Perfect Words
Words are great. These values are currently words on the page but actions speak louder than words. We believe that just writing it down or saying it out loud and posting it for others to read or listen to is not enough, intentional action should also be taken.
How we are implementing:
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All programs, training etc are built on the premise that clients will be able to take action after participating in any of our offers. This is built into the design of the program.
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We ensure that we put practices in place to assess and iterate upon every aspect of the business from our website to our programs.
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We clearly state how we are implementing our values because we value imperfect action.
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We encourage and guide clients, employees, collaborators etc. to take action even if it is not perfect.
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The action of sharing this living, working document is also imperfect action.
The Review
Phern Education Studios’ Values Articulation was first updated on July 1st, 2022. The most recent review & update was on January 5th, 2024. The next review & update will be in August 2024.