interview by Jess McCuan . photo by Anthony Bellemare

Name: Ashley Munday

Age: 35

I never would have guessed 35 for you. It’s a blessing and a curse. In my business life, people sometimes don’t take me as seriously. I used to try and act older. Now, I just don’t care… There have been times when I’m traveling with my boss, and I’ve had people say, “I thought you were his secretary.”

What do you do? I work at the Barrett Values Centre. We measure values and culture—it can be in businesses or cities or nations. It could be Latvia or Iceland. We see beyond political strategies and talk about what’s more common and human.

What does that mean in a company, for example? We look at what’s most important to a group of people. Things like financial stability, relationships, trust, future generations, or the environment. The people need to have a sense of meaning and purpose. What’s most important in any group is having similar values.

Any pearls of wisdom you can share, having talked to so many people about values? People’s perceptions create reality. If they’re feeling negative, their values impact the way that they go.