The Best Advice I Ever Got

Last night I was reading the July 6th, 2009 issue of Fortune magazine. In the magazine it had quotes from Bill Gates, Colin Powell, Tiger Woods and many others regarding "The Best Advice I Ever Got."

Certainly there is good information in the magazine. I like taking tips from people who certainly are wiser than myself. But it got me to think, what is the best advice I have ever received? Would this advice have come from my father, mother, or family? Or my spouse? Or my friends? Or maybe just some random stranger?

This question honestly is a tough one for me to answer.

From a business standpoint I would have to say it came from John Rupchich III, who is the President of Life Style Staffing in Madison, Wisconsin.

Life Style Staffing has been a customer of TempWorks for seven years. I was on-site at their Madison location for many weeks during their initial software installation. I noticed John was always dressed up in a suit, tie, nice dress shirt, you get the idea. I on the other hand was used to wearing jeans with some sort of t-shirt while at the TempWorks office. But when I was on-site at a customer location I would wear a dress shirt and tie (or TempWorks polo) with a nice pair of Dockers.

One day I asked John why he always wore a suit, when he didn't need to. He told me, "It's my uniform." And then he mentioned the phrase, "You want to dress for the job you want...not the job you have."

Whenever I go out to visit our customers I always wear a suit. When I am at the office, I typically wear a nice dress shirt and tie with a pair of dress pants. Not because I have to, but it's my uniform...and I dress for the job I want.

Thanks John for the advice.

What is the best advice you have received?