If you have a question, go ask Twitter. While at times it can be a madhouse, I’ve found Twitter to still be a great source for conversation, banter, and new ideas. That’s partly why I reference it as the coffee shop of social media during my training workshops. You can learn about your own industry, discover new ideas, or in my case, gather some great feedback on career advice.
In a recent post, I reflected on the fact that our decade is now coming to a close. If you had a chance to go back and share some knowledge with your younger self, what would it be?
If you had to pick one piece of advice that has significantly helped you in your career, what would it be?
— Ryan Goodman (@beefrunner) November 16, 2019
Well, I asked Twitter for a piece of career advice, and received 101 lessons that people were ready to share. Instead of letting the tweets fade into history, I’m archiving them in a list here you can share.

Some of these are nuggets of wisdom learned from the school of hard knocks. Others are passed along from great authors or speakers. And a few others are just a little humorous. Read ’em. Enjoy. Share them.
If you’d like to add your career advice to the list, respond to this tweet or drop them in the comments below.
101 Lessons and Career Advice
- Thank you cards are priceless. – Trenton Kissee
- Always tell someone when they’re doing well. – Trenton Kissee
- You must know yourself to lead yourself. – Lisa Lacey
- For sales: If you tell a farmer you’ll do something… Do it! – Rob Schuman
- You’re going to drive yourself crazy trying to make everything perfect. – Grandpa – Rob Schuman
- If you want to learn about agriculture, join Twitter – Ryan Goodman, in a 2013 to me in an interview about being an agvocate. I have learned more about ag, especially large commodity farming, on Twitter than anywhere else. – Caroline Warwick
- Keep reinventing yourself. – Daren Williams
- Always do the right thing even if it’s not the popular thing. #moralcourage – Matt Boyer
- Stay in school once you start. Especially if you are on a track to a degree with a license attached to it. – Jason Meadows
- Admit when you’re wrong or have made a mistake. – Conrad Smith
- Know your worth…if the organization doesn’t appreciate your presence make them respect your absence. – Austin Miles
- If there are donuts in the break room, ALWAYS go get one. – Paul Ludwig
- Little people create problems. Don’t be a little person. – Sam Wildman
- Volunteer to start early or stay late. – Conrad Gerstner
- Admit fault when you’re at fault. – Conrad Gerstner
- Praise your crew in public; correct them in private. – Conrad Gerstner
- Never make your crew perform a task that you yourself are not willing to do. – Conrad Gerstner
- Family is utmost important. Take time to enjoy them and let your crew do the same. – Conrad Gerstner
- Show up every day and think about your job, you will be in the top 25% in your field. – Mark Howard
- Spend less time trying to be interesting and more time being interested in others. – Joe Webel
- Haters are going to hate no matter what. – Boyd, @ennismil
- Don’t burn bridges. – The Food Anthropologist
- Never give a negative exit interview. Management should already know the problems and you’ll just look petty trashing a place on your way out the door. – The Food Anthropologist
- Hard work, being efficient, and being kind will get you noticed and help you advance. – Cory Ritter
- It is what it is. – @FDGenetics
- Lead by example. – Joan Ruskamp
- You better be ready to make hay while the sun shines. – Bruce Holmquist
- Work to the end of the row. – Tyson Roberts
- Don’t bring me problems. Bring me solutions. – Ed Schloz
- Be real and make connections. – Bobby Jo Hickey
- Avoid the bullshit. – Bobby Jo Hickey
- Make a good life for yourself and that’s enough. (Nannie) – Bobby Jo Hickey
- Don’t ever look up or down at anyone. – Michelle Palmer
- Spend as much time with your family and kids as you can. No one died wishing they had worked more. – @replicantsunite
- Sales: If everything is an emergency, then an emergency is normal. Continuing to have a negative reaction to normal and responding with emotion versus logic to problems will create significant problems for you. – Kate Miller
- Control what you can control. – @sd1459
- Return calls. Be early to appointments. Earn customer trust and respect. – Bridgette Readel
- Volunteer / get involved in organizations full of people you share passions with. The network will open doors for future opportunities and encouragement. And it’ll be fun! – Josh Hushon
- Your company can never pay you what you are worth… so do your job the best that you can! – Ed Schloz
- Never stop learning and read as many books as possible. – Matthew Bennett
- Take chances. – DeEtta Lee
- Ask more questions in order to listen more. – Christi Dixon
- God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. – Daren Williams
- If you wanna be successful in business spend your time doing $100 an hour jobs not $10 an hour jobs. – Devin Moon
- Be the first guy on the job, always. – Mike Lass
- Surround yourself with successful people. – John Forman
- Show up. Shut up. Learn and excel. – Brian Rund
- Trust no one. – Tammy @serendipitidoda
- Check valve alignment before pumping. – Adam Sperry
- If it doesn’t matter in eternity, it doesn’t matter. – Terrell Davis
- Make the most of every opportunity. And be the best at it. – Tara Davidson
- If you see a problem that hasn’t been solved yet, solve it. – Tara Davidson
- Work hard and be nice to people. – Roxy Helman
- If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Don’t make excuses – Michael Kelly
- Show up earliest. Do your best. Never complain. – @sims_sh
- Always show those who you manage that you are willing to do their job. – Joe MicKinnon
- HR isn’t on your side, they are on the company’s side. – Carilynn Coombs
- You can be the greatest marketer but you need to grow bushels first to market. – Don Williams
- Hard work almost always beats talent. – Mike Pflieger
- Experience a range of industry-wide opportunities in employment and a diverse exposure to all its experts! Building a human network or foundation of expertise to remain in your peer group circle for LIFE! – Marcel Vanst
- Watch your back. – Lynn Fortin
- Put all your effort into getting the job done (just like harvest on the farm). – Janet Krayden
- Leadership is ownership. – Cora Fox
- Make it your mission to have successful customers. – Nathan Popiel
- What’s right isn’t always easy. What’s easy isn’t always right. – Jaerod Hanson
- You’ll never get rich without a little aggravation. – @craigp971
- Mistakes are inevitable; best to own up to them right away. Most generally, it’s not the end of the world. – Marcia Himmelberg
- You can’t lose money when you take a profit. – Kirby Krier
- People don’t buy from dealerships they buy from people. Relationships are key. – Brooke Doyle
- Learn to be flexible! – Annie Albers
- Piss poor planning doesn’t constitute an emergency. – @kroupa_sdfisher
- Everyone is replaceable. – @kroupa_sdfisher
- One monkey doesn’t stop a show. – @craigp971
- Work hard now while you can so you don’t have to when you can’t. – Chancey May
- Mind the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves. – Brad Brookshire
- Document everything. – @bridja
- Be here now. – Chris Beaudry
- Don’t invest in things that rust. – Scott Farm Company
- EVERYTHING is negotiable, don’t be afraid to walk away. – @DJessupFarmsLLC
- “It’s hard to make predictions, especially about the future.” – Kirk Maxey
- A bird in the cage is better then 2 in the bush. – Keith Gaudet
- Do not dwell on the problem, focus on the solution. – @helenmacgriw
- Control your emotions/emotional intelligence – Tom Tenseth
- Buy low. Sell high. – @rodgrisier1958
- There’s only a few inches difference between a pat on the back and a kick in the rear. – Dana Schweitzer
- Be generous with praise and constructive with critique! – Dana Schweitzer
- Don’t borrow money on things that depreciate in value! – Scotty Gardner
- You are 100% replaceable in seconds in any job. Family first, job second. – @mammabear25
- Some people will always let you down. Kick on. – @farmerjoe80
- Take responsibility for everything in your life! Don’t blame! Don’t be a victim! – Sandy Stewart
- Retire. – @SOndrof
- Don’t do anything STUPID! – Bill Allen
- Take care of your self, so you can take care of your family, so you can take care of your community! – @FarmingBe
- Shut up and color! – Darin Winfree
- Don’t fuck up – Ryan Brodersen
- Stay in your lane and do what you’re told. – Neal Keifer
- Do not procrastinate. The worst decision is no decision at all. – Dan Murphy
- Don’t be a dick – @Drbarry31
- CYA: Cover Your Ass (Law firm motto) – @TylerRi38642507
- When your Inner voice speaks up, listen. It’s probably right. – Bridgette Readel
- It’s better to be useful than important. – Dustin Dobberstein
What pieces of career advice would you add to the list? Add yours to this Twitter thread.
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