Okay, this isn’t really fashion related. It seems relevant here though, because I’ve talked about what it means to be a part of the Larrimor’s team. I was pretty happy about the news that two interns had won their case against Fox after doing hundreds of hours of work for free on the set of Black Swan.

I’ve had a LOT of different types of work since my first job at the mall ten years ago. I’ve done everything from styling commercials to serving food at a retirement community (I confess: the latter was really short lived).

To get to the point, there’s good guys and there’s bad guys out there as far as employers go. I think it also inevitably factors into success too. One company that gave me an “internship” in my early twenties included taking the office dog for walks and making copies at Kinko’s (while sneaking snacks on my walks because everyone was on a diet and didn’t take lunch). After less than two years, they went out of business.

Everyone loves to complain about an intern, but how great is your own work when your only motivation is updating your resume? And what can you really add at that point? Dear future employer, I became a master of carrying a French Bulldog through Manhattan that was overweight and used to sleeping all day in Palm Beach.

Here’s the good news though, there are good guys out there too. Larrimor’s has been one of them, and it shows in the employees and the attitude. A sign of a good company is one that appreciates what you do, gives you both some freedom and some responsibility, offers criticism that helps you, and compensates you for your work. At our meetings President Tom Michael always tells me, “If you’re not getting into trouble, then you’re not working hard enough.” That’s the kind of attitude you want to hear, the kind that encourages you to explore and shine by going beyond simple tasks.

You get what you pay for, be it with clothes, work, furniture, or services. So I say, go interns on this one. And to everyone who’s still walking dogs and grabbing lattes, I promise there are good guys out there too. It’s okay to look back on the bad guys and laugh, but it’s also okay to move on and shine in work where you’re noticed and valued. You don’t have to be an entrepreneur to love what you do. You just have to find the right fit for you. Dare yourself to determine your worth, then do your best work. Follow Steve Jobs advice: Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.