What is a Merchant?
Love is working toward an inspired vision of what can be, by nurturing the core values in one’s self and in others.
Merchants naturally look for opportunities to connect with others. They desire openness and closeness, seeing the best in people and helping them see it in themselves. They visualize what’s possible for individuals and communities.
This isn’t about being a pushover or people-pleasing. Merchants form genuine connections that go deep—with people, ideas, art, culture, and the world around them. They bring aesthetic appreciation and emotional intelligence to everything they do.
Merchants are drawn to music, stories, beauty, and meaning. They see the world through the lens of relationships and possibilities, always looking for ways to bring people together around a shared vision.
The Merchant’s Driving Force
What makes Merchants effective is their commitment to authenticity. They don’t just want surface-level connections—they want to see people as they truly are and help them grow into their potential.
This means Merchants are willing to have honest conversations, even difficult ones. They understand that real relationships require truth, not just pleasantries. When grounded in honesty, their natural warmth creates the kind of trust that transforms teams.
Merchants are the glue that holds people together when things get hard. Their genuine care and ability to see potential in others makes them invaluable in building strong, connected organizations.
How Merchants Contribute to Teams
When teams need cohesion and purpose, Merchants step forward to nurture relationships and bring people together. They create connection, build trust, and give people a sense of belonging.
Connection
Merchants naturally build bridges between people, fostering understanding and collaboration.
Vision
They see the potential in people and help others believe in what’s possible.
Nurturing
Merchants invest in developing others and helping them reach their full potential.
Inspiration
They inspire teams through authentic enthusiasm and genuine care for shared goals.
Merchants need to feel that their relationships are authentic and that they’re making a meaningful difference in people’s lives. The quality of their connections is what gives them a sense of purpose and satisfaction.
Merchant Learning Style: Talk and Listen
Merchants are “Talk and Listen” people—they learn by talking and discussion. Unlike builders who learn by doing, merchants process information through conversation and interpersonal exchange.
The Merchant Under Stress
When Merchants lose their grounding in honesty, their natural desire for connection can turn into people-pleasing or manipulation. Instead of building authentic relationships, they may start saying what others want to hear.
Signs of a Stressed Merchant:
- Using manipulation to maintain relationships
- Exaggerating to keep others engaged or interested
- Becoming overly dependent on others’ approval
- Avoiding difficult truths to keep the peace
- People-pleasing at the expense of authenticity
Recognizing these patterns helps Merchants catch themselves and return to what they do best: building genuine, honest connections with the people around them.
The Mature Merchant
Mature Merchants stay open and authentic, even when it’s uncomfortable. They’ve learned that real relationships can handle difficult conversations, and that honesty ultimately strengthens connections.
Stays Open and Authentic
Remains vulnerable and genuine even when it’s difficult or uncomfortable.
Invests in Long-Term Relationships
Builds connections that weather challenges and grow stronger over time.
Has Difficult Conversations
Willing to speak truth rather than avoid conflict for the sake of harmony.
Are You a Merchant?
Take the CVI assessment and discover your unique core value profile