What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

If you got a chance to read the previous posts, you will have seen that we had some amazing speakers at #csparis who had a lot of words of wisdom to share to the Socials. However, for me, by the far the best question was “what is the best piece of advice you have received in your life” (hats off to David Pugh Jones of Microsoft for the question). From the speakers themselves we heard some really inspiring gems:

When you don’t know what to do, don’t do anything - David Mallet

If you do something for someone, forget it immediately. If someone does something nice for you, never forget it – Jim Haynes

Anyway we thought it was such a great question, we asked all those Social attending to tell what the best piece of advice they have ever received was. Here are the answers:

Stop thinking about you want and start thinking about what people need – Ale Lariu (Mcann NY), in her 1st job

Remember that you do what you want to do – Anders Gustafsson (CP&B Europe), from his grandmother

Briefs with lots of restrictions are the best as the best creative work comes from being restricted – Becky Power (Full Six), from Mark Beeching, Global Creative Director of Digitas

Don’t let short term greed get in the way of long term greed – Ben Palmer (Barbarian Group), from Paul Lavoie from Taxi

Never marry a man who rides a unicycle – Beth Ryan (BBH NY), from her dad

Whenever you need to buy something do you need it or do you want it? – Christine Turner (Adam & Eve), when she was a poor student

If there’s a problem, fix it – Daniela Michelon (BBH London), from a fortune cookie)

Better to be wrong and interesting than right and boring – Daniele Fiandaca (Creative Social & Digital Fauna), from Dave Trott via his blog

When you have to eat a turd don’t nibble – Dave Bedwood (LMFM), from Luke Sullivan

Don’t suffer fools gladly - David Pugh Jones (Microsoft) (accept ‘Perfect’ ones of course)

Don’t be so hard on yourself - Erik Holmdahl (BBH NY), from his shrink

Don’t lose sight of the prize – Fabio Costa (Ogilvy), from one of his Creative Partners

Get out and meet people – Gavin Rodgers (Agency Republic) from Mark Denton, CD Coy! Communications)

Love what you do and life will love you – Gemma Butler (Agency Republic), from her dad

Be yourself - Graham Fink (M&C Saatchi), not sure who told him that but I also know that Andy Warhol told him “You cant argue with your scrapbook”

If it was easy it would be easy – James Cooper (Saatchi & Saatchi NY), read it somewhere

Only boring people get bored – Laura Jordan Bambach (Lost Boys International), from secondary english teacher

Travel, sleep with loads and men and take your portfolio with you – Liz Sivell, from Nick Law

Trust your instincts – Mariota Essery (Tribal DDB), from Neil Dawson, ECD DDB London

Have faith – Mark Chalmers (Creative Social & Perfect Fools), the basis of most world religions

Join a gang, any gang – Mark Earls (Herd Consultancy), from Kurt Vonnegut’s last interview advising young people today

Leave your comfort zone – Mauro Cavelletti, R/GA, consistently throughout his life

Be yourself - Nicky Hamilton (Yourmum), clearly from Graham Fink

Your job is to amaze me – Patrick Gardner (Perfect Fools), from Lord Puttnam talking about what his old boss at CDP told him

Do your job everyday like you don’t care about being fired – Pete Petrella (TwentySix London), from Patrick Collister

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and usually when you least expect it – Tom Brunner (Microsoft)

If you can’t do it in 60 beats per minute, do it in 40 -Vincent Jansen (Boondoogle), from his drum teacher. Taught him to take learning slowly

Don’t judge someone until you have spoken to them - Viv Rosendahl (Tronic), from her mother

Take your time to listen more and slow down – Yann Kretz (JWT Paris), from Jordan Bedhoin, Atallah

Corinna Falusi ((Strawberry Frog) found any advice from her mother inspiring, check out her blog – Her Mother’s advice.

There was also one that came up so much (it was in fact my original choice) that we decided it should stand alone and that is a quote from a very wise man called Confucius: Love what you do, and don’t work a day in your life. So true, so true. If you don’t love your job then truly consider leaving and maybe look to the Lemonade documentary for some inspiration.