5 PRofessional Lessons We Can Learn From Justin Timberlake

Let's face it. We all have our favorite Justin Timberlake song we immediately go to in our mind's iTunes playlist which is probably on Yahoo's list of Top Ten Justin Timberlake Songs. But more than JT's music, his personality really shines. He's a mix of soul, suave, and lots of ladies would even say, sexy. This six-time Grammy and four-time Emmy award winner can teach us more than just how to bring sexy back and cry enough tears to fill a river. Here are the five PRofessional lessons we can learn from Justin Timberlake:

1. Stay true to your roots.

Via photo by JD Meredith

Memphis' 21st century "Elvis", Justin Randall Timberlake, was born in Memphis on January 31, 1981. After years of touring globally with N'Sync and on his own, JT has always kept roots here in Memphis. His wife and him reportedly own a house in Downtown Memphis' Harbor Town neighborhood.

Justin's business ventures pay homage to Memphis as well:

• His 901 tequila brand is named after the Memphis zip code.

• William Rast, his clothing brand's business partner and childhood friend, Juan Ayala, has been quoted saying that the clothing line is inspired by Elvis Presley.

"Elvis is the perfect mixture of Justin and I," Ayala says. "You can go back and see pictures of him in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat and a nice button-down shirt, but then again you can see him in a tux and a collared shirt with rhinestones on it and slacks. We like to think 'If he was alive today, what would he be wearing?'"

• Mirimichi Golf Course, the world-class facility located outside of Memphis in Milington, TN was redeveloped as an eco-friendly golf course at a cost of some $16 million by Timberlake.

In October 2011, Timberlake received the Futures Award at the Environmental Media Awards for his green-conscious golf course.

• Named #1 NBA Franchise by ESPN: The Magazine, the Memphis Grizzlies part owner, Justin Timberlake, took minority ownership of the NBA team in late 2012 because he wanted Robert Pera to keep the Grizz in Memphis and because he "puts on for his city."

We are constantly trying to find the "better" job or working up in our profession inside the workplace but fail to remember what mentor, job or youth group helped us along the way.

I promise it won't kill you to write a "thank you" note to a past employer, youth counselor, mentor or role model that really helped you form the professional you are today.

Invest in where you came from.

2. Make the media want more.

buzzfeed.com

In 10 years, JT has only released two albums (three if you count the 20/20 experience as two separate entities).

Could you imagine only working two years and having eight years off in your profession? How can he afford to do this?

It's all about diversifying his talent through movies and other forms of business ventures mentioned above.

In early January 2013, Justin sent out a 30-second commercial promising more to come music wise after his hiatus.

Why don't we do this in our job? He's perfecting his craft before releasing it to the public. Maybe what we can learn from him is to stop sending press releases every time an employee sneezes and to send information to the media when it matters.

3. Learn from your mistakes / regrets.

Via i.huffpost.com

When has Justin Timberlake ever regretted anything?

JT's gone on record saying he regrets wearing cornrows.

Regret isn't always that obvious to outsiders though.

You see, sometimes regret is blinded by trying to hurry up and accomplish your next goal in hopes of nobody noticing.

In 2011, he told Playboy magazine:

“God, I feel I’ve gone to therapy just to erase some of [my regrets]. The cornrows I wore with ‘N Sync. That was pretty bad. Britney and I wore matching denim outfits [to the 2001 American Music Awards]. Yeah, another bad choice. I’d probably pay good money to get some of those pictures off the internet.”

When you're at your job and begin to get frustrated and start drafting an email directed to an employee or boss and typing so fast that you're pretty sure the coworker in the next cubicle can sense you're upset, DO NOT PRESS SEND.

Working in public relations, there will be many times where you will feel upset, want to tweet out your feelings or send an email/text expressing your outrage and anger. Please think before you do it.

This also means to double think when you show someone the text, tweet or email before sending it to the prospective recipient.

Do you think Justin would have wore cornrows or denim-match his outfit with Britney Spears if he would have thought after his stylist suggested it was a good idea? (Let's hope not.)

haha I just had to show this photo too since we were on the subject of mistakes / regrets.

4. Your appearance still matters.

You have to think that at the very least, the thought of dressing more sophisticated came from the denim outfit above. Nevertheless, we can learn from JT's suave looks that appearances do still matter.

A classic suit, with your own funky take, will make you feel more confident in the workplace.

A suit isn't always necessary but you need to at least develop basic hygiene skills and not wear your favorite Sunday comfy clothes to work.

5. Have a sense of humor.

Justin Timberlake knows how to be serious when it comes to the sultry ballads he performs but also knows how to poke fun at himself and have a sense of humor.

Have you seen the #hashtag skit with Jimmy Fallon? It's all about having some humor. Watch it below.

More than just being able to poke fun at yourself, having a sense of humor is important in the workplace at appropriate times.

You've got to brand yourself as a professional but also be able to turn on that smile and occasional joke.

Nobody likes a Debbie Downer at work or someone that you can never take serious.

Balance both with a simple smile and laugh when appropriate.

#Hashtag with Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon

Having a sense of humor, when appropriate, will allow coworkers to be more comfortable with you.