Brand DNA

The basis of the Culture Deck is to create a lens through which we make all decisions. While we pursue our vision, we should be constantly asking ourselves “does this reflect the core values?”. If a decision or an outcome does not align with our values, then we find another way to execute our plan. This is how our core values work in tandem with our vision, which in turn defines our brand DNA.

Vision Statement

"Coffee you can be proud of”.

Core Values

Every company has a culture, whether they know it or not, and those who do not establish a clear definition for theirs, often become a product of this indifference. At Timely, our vision is that we grow to be a company where we can make positive change, and leave the world better than how we found it. We believe the clearest path to this success is an articulate and ingrained company culture, guided by a set of Core Values that define our decisions and strategies. These Core Values are:

• Be Responsible
• Be Generous

Be Responsible

“Responsibility” is how we view our impact as we move through the world, both for ourselves, and everyone we have direct impact on. This includes our peers, our team, our suppliers, our customers, our producers, as well as the environment and society around us, and all our decisions should be made through this lens. Examples of how this contribute to our company culture include:

• Realising that, as we operate from a position of privilege, we are responsible for the livelihoods and fair treatment of those who we purchase supplies and raw products from, and should spend our money accordingly. It becomes our responsibility to investigate where our money is distributed along the supply chain, to ensure fairness for those who, without our ability to take advantage of, we would not be able to survive as a business.
• Understanding that our business leaves an impact on the environment around us, and to mend this whenever possible. Whether it’s physical waste or emissions, our existence as a business contributes to global pollution, and we should be seeking ways to reduce this impact whenever possible. As contributors to its degradation, we become responsible for the environment around us, and our decisions should be made to reflect this.
• Embracing the opportunity to create a safe and inclusive environment for all people, by making decisions which reflect this value. We have a responsibility to ensure all people who access and connect with us, feel included and accepted, to help build a more fulfilling and diverse industry and wider community. This does not mean that we become “a-political” and avoid prejudice and discrimination, but that we make a conscious effort to make those who identify with minority groups feel as though they can feel safe and included when they connect with us, and thus, leading by example in creating a world we wish to see.
• Understanding that we have the potential to create a business which leaves a lasting positive impression on the world, but only by establishing a brand which survives. To do so, we must operate within the boundaries of a “for-profit” business, by being conscious and mindful of our financial expectations. While we always put our values before our profits, we must keep in mind that if our business does not survive, then our potential for change is diminished irrevocably. We have a responsibility to ourselves, to our employees, to our peers, and to our suppliers, who rely upon our purchasing decisions, to survive, and grow.
• With regard to ourselves, we also have a duty to act responsibly, both of our own time, and of the value we have the potential to create. Whether it’s finding the most efficient way of performing a task, or the most effective way to communicate our own ideas and concepts, we must always keep in mind how we are responsible to our own existence, but not unnecessarily wasting time or effort. We have a limited time and finite energy to contribute to the culture, and we are responsible in finding the best way to maximise the potential this presents to us.

Be Generous

As a for-profit business, we must limit our financial losses whenever possible, however we will never choose profit over an act of generosity. In this context, “Generosity” does not only apply to those who we provide a service or a product for, but also to those on the other side of the supply chain. Examples of how this impacts our decision making include:

• Whenever we have the opportunity to exceed our customer’s expectations, we do so, even if it costs us more of our own time or resources. As a company, we will always put customer satisfaction before immediate profit, with the expectation that the best customer is one who is engaged and in line with our values. Those who respond well to simple acts of generosity, are more likely to extend similar behaviour to their own customers, further extending this core value to people beyond our reach.
• If given the opportunity to positively impact our supplier’s lives and livelihoods, we do so, even if this results in lower profits to the business. This can be in the form of committing to futures, sharing our customer platform, or a simple act of gift giving. The aim here is to ensure our suppliers know that they are appreciated, and that we, as consumers, are aware that they have contributed time and effort into the supply chain, and that we do not take this for granted.
• We should also share not only resources generously, but also our values as well. We should provide the opportunity to our customers to operate with responsibility and generosity in mind, through establishing simple and approachable methods by which they can achieve similar goals to our own. Whether this is by using environmentally conscious resources and materials, or providing assets which enable our customers to articulate their message more effectively, we act and give generously whenever possible.