10 No Cost Ways to Present Yourself at Your Best – #6 & #5

So here we are in week 3 of a 5 week series dedicated to no cost things you can do to treat yourself well and demonstrate that you value yourself.  After all, if you don’t treat yourself well – who else should?

This week, I have 2 additional tips (and stories of course!) for you.

#6. Keep your shoes clean and in good repair.

So I am not a person that is easily shocked (especially in work situations).  But I must say, a work situation that deeply shocked me involved shoes – let me explain…

I had an opportunity to sit in on a meeting with a CEO of a very large firm – let’s say it was a “him” and that his name was John Smith (I assure you this story is true but I am just changing the person’s identity to protect and forgive them for an obvious moment of temporary insanity).  Anyway, I was thrilled to get into this meeting.  It was a chance for a large group that I supported to get some recognition for some amazing breakthrough goals and financial results they achieved in a short period of time.  The group got the attention of this CEO who wanted to know how they did it.

The meeting was held in a small, informal conference room.  The CEO sat in a chair in the middle of a horseshoe shaped 1/2 circle (very “Sharon Stone/Basic Instinct-ish”).  Anyway, I was sitting all the way at the end of one side of this 1/2 circle.  The meeting was going great and then the CEO crossed his legs so that his ankle rested on his thigh – and there it was – “the mother of all holes in a shoe”.  I couldn’t believe it – I went numb.   The bubble over my head would have read – “????? – Times a little tough in the CEO Smith household???”  From that point on I could not hear anything else he said.  Clearly a CEO of this caliber could afford some wing tips – so what was up with the holes?

Shoes get noticed – A LOT!  By both men and women.  There’s the phrase – “put your best foot forward” – if you work, your foot is (hopefully) in a shoe.  Are your shoes worn or dirty – do they have holes?  We can see from my story that bad shoe decisions can happen to even the most powerful people – don’t fall prey to it.  You can’t present yourself at your best in worn or dirty shoes.

Every day we brush our hair (or maybe not – read my next tip) and our teeth.  We wash our body and clothes (again, maybe not – here is a clue for some of my upcoming tips), but how often to you clean your shoes? They need care like everything else and they say a lot about us.  No matter how much you chose to spend on shoes – at least make sure they are clean and in good repair.  Here is a link to a blog about shoe upkeep for men – take a peak …

http://www.groomingguys.com/random-observations/how-often-do-you-really-notice-a-mans-shoes/

#5.  Keep your hair clean and well-styled.

Like Lady Gaga says – you “…are your hair” and for women it is said that your hair is your “glory”.  Hair is important for everyone including men.  As long as your hair is clean and well styled you can probably get away with it being any length – even in a corporate environment.  Just note that long hair on men who work or aspire to work in a conservative corporation will probably be met with some reservation.  This blog says it better than I can…

http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/hair-health-11/hair-statement?page=1

Catch tip #4 & #3 next week – until then- take care – comb your hair ;-)