Most core value exercises follow a familiar pattern. Teams gather. Words like integrity, honesty, and authenticity fill a whiteboard. The exercise feels responsible. It also tends to feel heavy.
Joey Chandler believes that weight is part of the problem.
Through Certain Growth Solutions, Chandler has introduced what he calls the Spark Word Method, a practical adjustment to traditional values work that shifts how entrepreneurs think about revenue, pressure, and performance.
He began noticing something during coaching sessions. When clients selected conventional values, their posture stayed rigid. When asked whether fun, play, creativity, or adventure described them, the reaction changed. Energy showed up.
“It’s amazing to see someone’s face light up when they identify a spark word. It’s like they tap into the joy and adventure and energy that they had when their kids and they figure out ways to apply it to their business,” said Joey Chandler, Founder of Certain Growth Solutions.
The Spark Word is not decorative. It is operational.
Why Heavier Values Can Backfire
Traditional values are not wrong. Integrity and authenticity matter. The issue appears under stress. During difficult revenue decisions or financial uncertainty, serious language can narrow thinking. The focus tightens. Options feel limited.
Chandler draws on research from psychologist Barbara Fredrickson and her broaden and build theory, which suggests that positive emotional states widen awareness and support creative problem solving. In contrast, stress-centered thinking tends to restrict perspective.
By intentionally including a Spark Word among core values, business owners introduce an expansion trigger. When revenue pressure increases, recalling creativity or adventure can widen the mental field instead of shrinking it.
In practical terms, that can mean seeing an alternative offer structure, a different pricing model, or a new partnership path that was not visible before.
Connecting Spark Words to Revenue
The Spark Word Method is applied directly to revenue planning. When clients define financial goals, they evaluate whether those targets align with their Spark Word. If the goal reflects curiosity, creativity, or play, implementation tends to follow more naturally.
A revenue number that feels imposed often gets ignored. One that connects to identity is remembered.
Chandler’s position is straightforward. Business owners often started their companies to earn income and enjoy the process. If growth eliminates enjoyment entirely, something is misaligned.
The Spark Word is meant to prevent that drift.
About Joey Chandler
Joey Chandler is an American alignment coach and entrepreneur born on October 29, 1970, in Detroit, Michigan. Now based in Reno, Nevada, Chandler earned his degree in Politics from Whitman College in 1993 before building a career that spans coaching, creative media, and retail leadership. He is the founder of Certain Growth Solutions and has also launched ventures, including You Are Videos and Joey Chandler Photography. Earlier in his professional path, he gained experience with Sports Basement, contributing to his broader understanding of operations and customer engagement. After navigating a period of personal burnout and rebuilding his business from the ground up, Chandler began developing structured alignment systems that help entrepreneurs connect their values with measurable revenue outcomes. His work focuses on practical implementation, sustained clarity, and disciplined execution.
About Certain Growth Solutions
Founded by Joey Chandler, Certain Growth Solutions is a coaching firm dedicated to helping business owners align personal values with financial strategy and daily decision-making. The company provides structured frameworks that guide entrepreneurs in translating abstract principles into consistent action. Through systems such as the Alignment Engine and Spark Word Method, Certain Growth Solutions supports clarity, resilience, and long-term revenue development. The firm works with business owners who want practical structure rather than motivational theory, emphasizing repeatable processes that reduce burnout and strengthen follow-through.
Learn More
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