Proven Podcast
Your Values are Either Destroying Profits or Building an Empire - Robert Glazer
21 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Welcome to The Proven Podcast, where we don't care what you think, only care what you can prove.
Chapter 2: How did Robert Glazer build a values-driven company?
On this episode, we talk to Robert Glaser, someone who has built a company that has won the award 30 times as the best place to work. From Fortune to Inc. to Entrepreneur Magazine, they keep awarding it. So what's the answer?
Chapter 3: Why is culture considered the operating system of a business?
Well, it comes down to values, something I never thought. He walks us through and even challenges my own values on this episode. It's a ride. I recommend hanging on tight and playing along. The show starts now.
Chapter 4: How does transparency foster accountability at scale?
All right, everybody, welcome back to the show. Robert, I'm excited to have you on here.
Charles, thanks for having me.
So for the four or five people on the planet who actually don't know who you are, let's explain a little bit who you are, what you're doing, and a little bit about your book.
Chapter 5: What challenges do remote teams face in today's work environment?
Sure. I have that disease called serial entrepreneurship. I've started a few different businesses, the largest of which is a global partnership marketing firm called Acceleration Partners that I'm chairman of. However, as I was building that firm, we tried to do some things differently culturally and from a leadership standpoint. We won over 30 Best Places to Work awards and
Chapter 6: How do values influence decision-making in leadership?
I kind of started writing a lot and talking about things that we were testing and doing, and that has sort of led to a second career as an author and speaker and a lot of focus on leadership and development. And I've really double-clicked on this concept of core values, both for organizations and actually, more interestingly, for individuals.
as a way of really understanding what is important to them. I think the world right now, you know, you'd agree, we are very tribal. And I think people are joining teams and doing things that doesn't make sense and virtue signaling. And that's all from a lack of grounding in values that would make you say, no, no, no, no.
Chapter 7: What is the connection between personal growth and effective leadership?
Like, that's not me. Like, I agree with that or I don't agree with that. And it's not about the teams, but it's about a consistent set of values that you can align with. to your decisions and the communities and things that you believe in.
So when you talk about core values, it's a hot term right now.
Chapter 8: Why is avoiding short-term thinking crucial for sustainable success?
Everyone's talking about, you know, core values or... Everyone rolls their eyes, yeah. Yeah, it's the same because we're used to those stupid pictures on the wall with the landscapes and like vision and all that, the birds flying and all that. As someone who's done this and has been a successful viewer, how would you define core values?
So I appreciate you saying that. I feel like I'm a little bit of a self-deprecating lawyer because I say the same thing to you. Like, look, 90% of that corporate core value stuff is BS. Enron's core values, as they were going under, were integrity and respect and whatever the other one was.
And then the funny thing is people go to individual core values, they laugh at all the company stuff and roll their eyes. And then if you look up core value exercises, you will find tons of one-word lists. And so that's equally as garbage. So I'm with all of you. And when I talk about it, I'm like, look, throw out all of your definitions. So here's my definition of actionable core values.
And I think that's kind of the difference. And they can never be one word in my book because they just that doesn't work. And we can talk about the two most popular one word ones, which are family and integrity and why those aren't core values. But core values are simply the non-negotiable principles that guide your behavior and decisions.
Historically, people have been willing to lose their life over their values. It's your red lines, if you're honest about them. So a couple qualities. They are intrinsic, not aspirational. They reflect who you are, not who you wish you were. A lot of people are trying to pick things that they want to be. No, this is like, who are you? What's your operating system? They're consistent.
A core value should show up the same way in all areas of life, work, relationships, and personal decisions. And they're clarifying. They help you make better choices about who to spend time with, what work to do, where to live. It's kind of this instruction manual you weren't given at birth. And the reason for it is that they are fundamentally formed.
during those formative years, probably like 8 to 20. And actually, for most people, absent some dramatic change later in life or traumatic thing, you can derive all of those core values back to your childhood because that's when your moral intuition is forming, even if your reasoning isn't sort of there yet.
So there's a lot to unpack there. Why is family integrity not considered values? And then also, if these are formed between 18 and 24.
Yeah, probably 8 and 20. Yeah, 8 and 20. 8 and 20.
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