This is not a joke!

TRUE STORY

After college in my first sales job, my boss was an aggressive person who didn't hide the fact that she didn't really like me. She's the one who said in front of me that a monkey with a briefcase could do my job.

Respect, that's what was missing in that job.

But I asked you here today to tell you the true story of the first time I wore my hair curly to that job. I was allowed in the office before 9a.m. and not allowed back in the office until 3:00 or 3:30pm. So this took place at roughly 8:30, which is a time for as little interaction as possible with coworkers.

"Caron, please step into my office," she said.

Did I mention this was an extremely small office in which there was zero privacy? It was.

I stepped into her office and did not sit down, which was just as well since I was not invited to sit down.

"You look like you just rolled out of bed to go to the grocery store," she said. "Go home and do something to your hair."

I turned, left, went home, applied the curling iron and made the day's sales calls. Eventually I hit my stride with a good haircut and started wearing it curly every day without complaint.