A new book by Denise Cole
Finding the Way™
Most of us move through life shaped by other people's expectations — never stopping to ask what truly matters to us. Discover your five core values and find your WAY.
The Book
I did not set out to write a book. I set out to survive.
I had just lost my job. And in the quiet that followed — the kind of quiet that sits on your chest at 6am when the alarm goes off and there is nowhere to be — I found myself asking something I had never seriously asked before.
Who am I without this?
Someone pointed me toward a career class. I expected resume tips. What I got was a teacher, a table, and a stack of one hundred cards. Each card had a single word on it. A value. She told us to sort them. To pick the ones that felt like ours. Not the ones that looked good. Not the ones we thought we should have. The ones that made something in our chest say yes.
When I was done, I had five cards in my hand. And I understood myself in a way I never had before.
That is what this book gives you. Not advice. Not a personality quiz. A process — the same one that changed everything for me — for finding the five core values that are already yours. The ones that explain why certain things drain you and others make you come alive. The ones that, once you name them, make every decision easier and every path clearer.
It is told as a story, because stories open hearts in ways that instructions never can. And it is for everyone — whether you are fifteen and lost, or fifty and wondering how you ended up somewhere that does not feel like you.
The answer has been inside you all along.
"When your job aligns with your core values, it stops feeling like work. You would do it without getting paid. You wake up excited. You lose track of time. You feel like you are finally, completely, living as yourself."
"A lot of the kids we label as problems are not problems at all. They are just kids whose lives do not fit who they actually are. Nobody has ever asked them who that is. Nobody has given them the cards."
Free Download
The values discovery process starts with these 100 cards — one value per card. Sort them, reflect on them, and narrow them down until you find the five that feel most like you.
Download the full deck as a printable PDF — completely free. Choose the format that fits how you want to print.
Free · No sign-up required
Now Available
The values-discovery process from the book is coming to your phone. The WAY Values app guides you through a thoughtful card-sorting journey to discover the five core values that are already yours.
Free to use. Unlock premium features for $2.99 — including your personalized Values Action Plan and access to the private WAY Values Community.
Follow @WhoAreYouBook on Instagram, @whoareyoubook on TikTok, or WAY Values on Facebook for updates.
Your Core Values
What's Next
The book is just the beginning. Here's what's in the works — follow along at findingyourvalues.com for updates.
A guided digital experience to discover your five core values — card-sorting, personalized profile, PDF export, social sharing, and past journey history. Now live on Android. iOS coming soon.
Live on AndroidValues discovery sessions for classrooms, advisory periods, and small groups — available now in 60/90-minute, 3-session, and 5-day formats. Get them on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Available NowA private community for WAY Values app members — three spaces for young people finding their way, career changers redirecting their path, and guides supporting others on the journey. Available now with premium app access.
Premium FeatureA guided companion journal to work through alongside the book — with reflection prompts, exercises, and space to document your values journey.
PlannedFor Counselors & Educators
The one who can't sit still. The one who pushes back on everything. The one who gets labeled a problem before anyone asks why.
Who Are You? Finding the Way includes a Facilitator Guide and a full Counselor's Toolkit with seven techniques — all written for you, inside the book. The full curriculum series — 60/90-Minute Workshop, 3-Session Format, 5-Day Classroom Curriculum, and the standalone Counselor's Toolkit — is now available as printable, ready-to-use resources.
See the Full Resource Shop on Teachers Pay Teachers60/90-Minute Workshop
A single-session values discovery workshop — ready to run with any group, no repeat contact needed.
3-Session Format
Spreads the process across three sessions over a week or two — built for advisory, SEL blocks, or small groups.
5-Day Classroom Curriculum
A structured lesson plan guiding students through the full values discovery process over five consecutive days.
Counselor's Toolkit — 7 Techniques
Values-Based Intake, Crisis Reframe, Parent–Student Bridge, and four more — one for every situation.
Get in Touch
Whether you're a reader, an educator, a counselor, or someone who just wants to know more — Denise would love to hear from you.