Defining Ourselves
A reflection on PSC’s process of developing our mission and core values.
By Ellory Roske, Human Resources and Business Administrator
In 2025, we spent a lot of time reflecting on our first three years of business to help us shape our mission and values. The time we committed to developing our mission and values exemplifies our priorities. Brittany and Diana reflected on some key questions to help define our why, how, what, and who:
Why would someone choose a small, younger firm over a larger, more established one?
How does working behind our desk translate to planet health?
Is our ‘why’ different now compared to when we started three years ago?
Does our company create impact beyond PSC’s services?
We developed at least 20 mission statement iterations before the ‘aha moment’ came, “We help people help the planet.” It emphasizes putting people first since internal and external relationships are what make PSC unique. We offer our expert recommendations to people - our clients and partners - who have the power to implement them. We help the planet by arming people with information to make a difference.
At our in-person strategy session last April, our team was asked to weigh in on and finalize our core values. We knew it was advantageous to have some experience as a company and a team before deciding and defining these values. As a result, we were able to incorporate example behaviors of how we treat each other and our clients. Our values are more than words on a (web)page – they are an integral part of our daily interactions, hiring decisions, and project work.
As I think about the final outcomes, it makes me smile to think how thoroughly we exemplified our values as we created them. Here’s a glimpse into what I mean:
Partnership - Both defining our mission and our values were examples of partnership, most prominently between Brittany and Diana. As I (Ellory) facilitated a mission discussion/workshop, I was able to see our founders compliment and question each other with admiration, respect, thoughtfulness, and honesty. Brittany and Diana wanted their perspectives challenged, knowing it would strengthen the final version.
Quality – Shown by the time and effort it took to define our values, PSC places heavy emphasis on delivering quality work. We had an initial vision of our values, but our strongest wordsmith was about to go on leave. Before she left, Diana told Brittany and me, “I trust you two.” That trust motivated us to work harder and deliver a great outcome. Throughout the process, internal and external feedback pushed us to make our mission and message clearer and stronger.
Integrity – We reviewed our client interactions and testimonials and interviewed our clients to understand how others describe PSC. We were very pleased that they consistently reported that the PSC team always shows up with quality work. Our partners also appreciate the transparency we provide throughout our interactions, especially with our decision-making process.
Care – While defining ‘care’, we repeatedly asked ourselves, “What would the team say about this?” When we sent our draft for the team’s feedback, we received responses such as “Perfect.” To me, this reflects how deeply cared for our team feels. From the beginning, PSC has prioritized benefits such as health care, time off, and a standard 32-hour work week. This commitment to care makes PSC a valuable place to work, and our team and partners see this.
I am proud to work for a company that has a clear and noble mission, and whose values are so deeply embedded in everything we do. It feels great to enter into 2026 with a firm and honest definition of who we are.