We've added a lot of new faces over the past few months, so over the next few weeks I'm going to walk through each of our core values one by one. I want every single person here (new or tenured) to know exactly what we stand for and what we expect of each other.

We're starting with the one I believe is most misinterpreted: Unimpeachable Character.

Be the type of person with whom people are always proud to associate, personally and professionally. We look for true alignment of thoughts, words, and actions toward a goal worth pursuing.

Why this one, first: At my last company, we had plenty of competitive people. Plenty of honest people. Plenty of winners. But the trend I noticed over time was that the thing separating our absolute best people from the rest wasn't talent or drive it was their character on and off the field.

It was the understanding that conforming with the crowd is not always the best idea (in fact its usually awful) The understanding that who you are in private is who you are in public.

I got to see this firsthand at one of our team meetups. We had a leader on the team who was a rock star by all counts: incredibly competitive, worked really hard, and was honest with his teammates. At one of our team meetups the team went out after and saw firsthand that he was unfaithful to his wife.

What I watched after that was how deeply this affected his career. Two people the next week told me they didn't want to work for him anymore. Over the following months he went from being one of our star leaders to someone who was ‘shadow banned’ to a degree by the team.

It wasn't long after that that we were on the verge of letting him go. As we were doing our investigation, we found that he was stealing from the company, which ended in a lawsuit and a terrible experience for everybody around him.

That's when I understood very clearly that there is no line between business and personal. It is just life, whether we want it to be or not :)

That's why, when we started Acquisition.com, I added it in.

What it actually means: Living with integrity, honesty, and ethical behavior at all times regardless of circumstances or who is watching. Who you are on the field and who you are off the field. It doesn't count when it's easy. It counts when it's hard.

It means consistently doing the right thing even when it's difficult. Being disciplined, not lax, in the standards you hold yourself to. It's the foundation of trust in business and in life and it's what keeps a reputation untarnished over the long term.

What it looks like day-to-day:

Why this matters so much to me:

We have a short period of time on this earth. TBH I don't want to spend mine building a company full of people who don't want to be great people, our partners an customers deserve the absolute best. Not just competitive. Not just winners. Genuinely great humans who want to contribute positively to this earth.

We also have an immensely powerful brand. Every person we add into this company contributes to that brand, whether you like it or not. If you impact it negatively through how you interact with people, what you do behind others' backs, or what you do when nobody is watching then you are not upholding our values.

To borrow from Warren Buffett: "Lose money for the firm and I will be understanding. Lose a shred of reputation for the firm, and I will be ruthless."

These values are not for everybody. And we are not for everybody. That's okay. But if you've chosen to join this team, you have agreed to take them as seriously as I do.

DM’s are always open if you have any questions or want clarity on any part of this.

Have a killer week🚀

Leila

P.S.

If you follow us on social, you already know. Alex and I are having a baby! I wanted to tell you myself here. 

This community has been part of our journey for a long time. Sharing this with you felt important. Alex and I have built a lot together over the years, and we are proud of every bit of it. This new chapter we are stepping into is already the greatest thing we have ever done. We are filled with unending and perpetual gratitude for this baby on the way and so ready for everything that comes with it.

As we shared with People Magazine on Friday, life has taken us through a lot. The highest highs and the lowest lows. We show up for all of it. This is no different.

Thank you for being part of this community and for letting us share this news with you.

Read more in the exclusive article from PEOPLE Magazine.

With love, Leila

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