Where You Get Your Advice

I listened to a speaker this week who was giving advice from Texas. One piece of advice I found to be really relevant was being cautious about where we get our advice. The piece of Texas wisdom was, “Never take advice from a naked man offering you his shirt.” Though it was intended to be funny, it reminded me of how many people are offering advice and claiming to be experts without having proven their character and their knowledge.

When I wanted to get married at 20, both divorced and unmarried people wanted to offer me advice. When I had my first child, friends without kids gave me advice on how to raise them. When I wanted to start a business, the loudest voices offering me the plan for my future were the ones who had never started a business.

Though it was frustrating when I started my business to try and get clients who would trust me, I recognized the need to prove my expertise first. I read books. I studied business. I went all-in on learning to be a great leader and putting it into practice. I did those things so that I could provide value. I didn’t want to be the naked man offering someone else my shirt. I wanted to be the man who could legitimately create outcomes for his clients.

We don’t always know where to get advice, but there is a simple principle that will help us find the source we are looking for. If you are seeking to succeed in something, find the person who has the values you desire to live into AND has proven they know what they are doing. If you only pursue someone that has the money you want or the outcomes you want, but you forget about the values, you will need to beware. That is the naked man offering you his shirt!

My challenge to you is to live into the values of a great person before you seek the riches of success.