I just returned from the Healthy Living Summit, and my oh my did it exceed my (already really high) expectations! I was looking forward to reppin Greatist with Derek while meeting bloggers and listening to some interesting presentations and panels, yet I was blown away by the amount of inspiration I felt, the really awesome stories I heard, and the amazing people we met.

To kick off the summit, Derek spoke briefly about the history of Greatist, and what it takes to build a successful healthy living blog. One of the key points he made was to create a vision for your blog, stick to it, and make sure to communicate it. You need to ask, “Why did I create this site?” The answer can be as broad as providing top-notch, relatable content on all things health, fitness, and happiness (a la Greatist), or more specific: a place to describe challenges and solutions for living a gluten-free life, what it takes to train for a marathon, or (hopefully) a mess of running ramblings, love-hate attitudes towards new york city, travel diaries, and sombre poetry (this?).

And as I met people over the weekend, I loved asking what tempted them to start their blog and what vision they were communicating. I was humbled by people’s stories: hearing what they were passionate about and what prompted them to start writing. Everyone had a unique story to tell, and when I’d excitedly head back to my hotel room at night to not-so-creepily stalk these blogs from new friends, I could totally hear their vision through each post. Really wonderful stuff!

Moreover, Healthy Living Summit really reinforced how proud I am of Greatist and how lucky I feel to be along for the ride. Reading emails and comments from people saying your site inspires them is one thing — but hearing it in person is a whole other experience. And as I sat crunched up on the long bus ride home, I was reminded of our team’s core values, which is what allows us to communicate our vision: Inspiring the world to make healthier choices. Here they are!

Obsess over quality.
Greatist is different: We believe people deserve a brand and a business that’s truly on their side. And we know the only way to achieve this is by never compromising the quality of our content, products, message, and anything we put our name on. We don’t compromise those standards — the world deserves better.

Expect greatness.
At Greatist, we expect greatness from each other. We recognize the only way an organization can grow and improve is through creativity, dedication, innovation, and hard work. Our motto: Just F***ing Do It. We push ourselves to be the best and we motivate others to do the same.

Trust each other.
At Greatist, we’re all on the same team. That’s why we’re transparent, open, and honest about everything we do. We over-communicate and always give each other the benefit of the doubt. We’re all learning, and we’re all pushing toward the same ultimate goal: making better choices easier for everyone.

Laugh a lot.
Greatist is fun. We value being goofy, spontaneous, and silly. Sometimes we sing aloud. Sometimes in foreign accents. If you’re here, you’re still a kid at heart and believe nothing is crazy: If we want to make an impact on the world, we can.

Be a greatist.
We live the life we champion, because Greatist isn’t just a job — it’s a lifestyle. We work to become more fit, healthy, and happy in a relatable and fun way. And, just like our readers, we struggle with challenges along the way. It isn’t easy for us either, but we try our best to make one better choice at a time.

LAST THING: This weekend’s highlight was definitely (and finally!) meeting the community team behind DailyFeats. Sara, Shannon, and Monique are probably the coolest people in the world, and I’m forever grateful for the friendship and fun they provided. The cocktail party would not have been nearly as fun if vodka and a photo booth didn’t make a presence. (Luckily, both did.)