I worked for a small manufacturing company in sales, straight of of college and took an entry level, below market salary role just to get a job.
The CEO at the time told me “when traveling for work, make sure you spend the company money as if it were your own. You wouldn’t spend your own money on expensive dinners would you?”.
Fast forwards 5 years – that CEO left the business, I got a 6x raise after a few promotions. He then came back to the business and I reminded him of that statement.
He backpedaled saying “no I don’t believe that, as some people do spend their personal money on expensive meals”.
It was only true for me at the time because I was being paid under market. So they were being cheap on my salary and my expenses.
Needless to say, I don’t work for them anymore!