A look inside the titles that influence our culture, strategy, and decision-making
At Valore Campus, we believe the best ideas often come from outside our own industry. That’s why we read widely, looking for lessons in creativity, leadership, decision-making, and execution that we can apply to running great campus stores and serving our partners.
Here are a few of the books that have made a lasting impact on how we think and operate.
This behind-the-scenes look at Pixar’s rise explores how to build a culture that fosters creativity, collaboration, and resilience.
Why it matters to us: In the campus store world, creativity isn’t just about designing a new t-shirt, it’s about solving problems in new ways, finding fresh approaches to student engagement, and encouraging teams to experiment without fear of failure. Catmull’s lessons on protecting the creative process apply directly to empowering our people to think big and take smart risks.
Lencioni argues that organizational health - trust, clarity, and alignment - is the greatest advantage a business can have.
Why it matters to us: The success of every store we run depends on how well our teams communicate, trust one another, and stay aligned with our mission. This book reinforces that culture isn’t a “soft” thing; it’s a competitive advantage.
Dalio distills decades of investment and leadership experience into clear decision-making principles: radical transparency, rigorous analysis, and a culture of meaningful work.
Why it matters to us: Running a campus store network means making hundreds of decisions every day. Dalio’s framework helps us balance data-driven thinking with clear, shared values, so our teams can make smart calls quickly and consistently.
Written by two former U.S. Navy SEALs, this book focuses on accountability, leadership under pressure, and taking full responsibility for outcomes.
Why it matters to us: In retail, things move fast and challenges come without warning. The principle of “extreme ownership” reminds us that the best leaders own both successes and failures, and use both to strengthen the team.
Horowitz shares real-world advice on leading through difficult situations ... the kind that don’t have playbook answers.
Why it matters to us: Campus retail is evolving rapidly, and we often find ourselves navigating change, uncertainty, and complexity. This book is a reminder that doing hard things well is part of the job and often the difference between thriving and surviving.
Final Thought: These books aren’t just interesting reads, they’re part of the lens we use to run our business. They influence how we lead teams, serve campuses, solve problems, and make decisions. If you want to understand how we think at Valore Campus, this is a pretty good place to start.
Study on,
Alan
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Alan Martin
VP Sales, Valore Campus
