Photo credit:  box fish

Sunday is Mother’s Day, a day when moms will be celebrated, catered to and honored for making us who we are today.  We thought we’d see how all that wisdom helped to shape our amazing staff.  So we asked everyone, “What was the best advice your mom gave you to help you succeed in business?”

The answers came back quickly.  All were wise.  Some were poignant.   And some were pretty funny.  They sorted out into three distinct themes:  relationships, passion for what you do, and, not surprisingly given our trend-savvy staff, grooming.   So here are the wise words that shaped the women and men of MMC.

Relationships:

• Surround yourself with people who will push you to be your best!
• Form good relationships with the receptionist and office administrators. They’re the ones who really run the place.
• Treat people the way you want to be treated.
• Be nice those you meet on the way up because you’ll see them again on the way down.

Passion and Work:

• Don’t be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone!
• No one knows how to write anymore.  You’ll stand out if your writing is flawless.
• If you love what you do, you’ll never view it as work.
• Fake it till you make it.
• Be the light you want to see at work: don’t burn up in the politics, and don’t burn out from the pressure.

Grooming:

• Wear lipstick and look people straight in the face.
• Good clothes open all doors.
• Always get your nails done for important meetings.
• Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. And, oh, get a haircut!

Finally, there was one wise mom whose advice didn’t really fit a category, but seemed important nonetheless:  Never teach a pig to dance – it just gets you muddy and frustrates the pig.

For all the moms and moms to be…have a wonderful Mother’s Day!