The Worst Advice I Ever Got

The NFL is back and here to talk the worst advice he's ever got is former Atlanta Falcons FB, Ovie Mughelli. Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction to Obi Mahali (00:00:49) - The Worst Advice: Hard Work Speaks for Itself (00:01:40) - High School Stardom and College Transition (00:03:59) - Fighting for a D1 Scholarship (00:05:38) - Realizing Hard Work Isn't Enough (00:07:02) - NFL Politics in Baltimore (00:08:56) - Learning to Advocate with Coaches (00:09:41) - Earning the Starting Role (00:11:20) - Tough Season in Atlanta (00:13:54) - Advocacy After Football (00:14:55) - Campaigning for the Pro Bowl (00:16:27) - Transition to Healthcare and Benefits Work (00:17:42) - Overcoming the Jock Stereotype (00:19:10) - Reinvention and Business Impact (00:19:53) - The Universal Lesson: Hard Work Plus Advocacy (00:22:17) - Closing Thoughts and Takeaways

College football national champion and Heisman winning quarter back Danny Wuerffel took advantage of every opportunity and it turned him into a star. Now he thinks that was the worst advice he ever got. Chapters (00:00:05) - Former Heisman Winning Quarterback Danny Werfel on the Worst Advice (00:00:29) - The Worst Advice You Ever Got (00:01:40) - Tom Brady on Taking a Break From Work (00:08:58) - Danny Glover on Reaching Out to Others (00:11:45) - Teaching Parents to Evaluate Their Own Opportunities (00:18:35) - Danny Glover on Taking Advantage of Every Opportunity (00:19:17) - Danny Glover on Taking Advantage of Every Opportunity

TPG recently invested in Smith + Howard, bringing together two successful organizations that believe the right partnership should make both sides better. In this episode, Sean sits down with TPG Growth partner Max Wein to talk about what that partnership can become and the lesson that shaped the way Max approaches leadership, teamwork and growth. Max’s worst advice was simple: “Always listen to your coach.” It helped him succeed as a collegiate basketball player and young professional, but it also taught him to follow directions instead of trusting his own judgment. Max explains why respect doesn’t require silence, how healthy disagreement strengthens a team and why doing everything you’re told isn’t the same as making the team better.

Chapters (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:01:07) - What's The Worst Advice You Ever Got? (00:03:05) - In the Elevator With Daniel Kahneman (00:04:04) - What Was the First Thing That You Built? (00:05:34) - What are the common traits of a failure in a startup? (00:10:07) - In the Elevator With Elon Musk (00:13:20) - How Much Does Emotion Affect Your Sales? (00:16:16) - What's the Most Common Mistake Made by an Entrepreneur? (00:21:09) - Daniel Johnson on The Inventor Podcast

Kyle followed that rule for years, becoming a decorated airline pilot by shutting his feelings down. But eventually he realized the truth: every decision we make, whether in the air or on the ground, is fueled by emotions. Suppressing them doesn’t make us stronger, it makes us weaker. In this episode, Kyle shares how unlearning that advice changed his career, his relationships, and his entire approach to leadership. We talk about emotional intelligence, stress as a superpower, why control is a myth, and why real leaders act more like lighthouses than tugboats. It’s a conversation for anyone who’s been told to “tough it out” or “leave feelings at the door.” Turns out, emotions aren’t the problem. They’re the key. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:00:58) - No Room for Emotions in the Pilot's Cabin (00:03:15) - "I Suppressing My Emotions For My Father" (00:04:59) - Understanding Emotions in the Pilot's Seat (00:10:38) - Mental health: The practice of it (00:11:41) - Physical Safety and Psychological Safety (00:14:13) - Control Your Emotions (00:16:13) - How do emotions play a part in leadership or (00:21:39) - How to Win with a Difficult Dad (00:23:28) - Want to Be Emotionless? You Can't Do That

In this episode of The Worst Advice I Ever Got , Jamie shares why traditional business plans can be a trap for creative entrepreneurs. From freelance life to launching multiple ventures, he talks about embracing uncertainty, staying agile, and why “figuring it out as you go” isn’t failure—it’s freedom. Whether you’re a planner, a dreamer, or somewhere in between, this episode will make you rethink the way you start something new. New episodes every Friday. Subscribe and follow to never miss a bad idea turned good. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice Ever Got (00:00:43) - Don't Write a Business Plan (00:05:56) - Do You Need a Business Plan? (00:06:38) - What's the Difference Between a Business Plan and a Goal? (00:08:40) - How to Start a Business on Social Media (00:09:32) - "Time Is an Ally" (00:10:10) - How has your approach to business plans evolved (00:11:34) - Why do you think people are still doing this? (00:12:21) - Did Business Plans Ever Work? (00:15:03) - The Evolving Brand World (00:16:53) - Don't Tie Yourself Down to a Business Plan (00:17:55) - How To Stop Procrastinating Over Your Business Plan

“Don’t rock the boat” can sound like keeping the peace. But sometimes, it really means staying quiet, hiding what happened, and making everyone else comfortable at your own expense. This week, Sean and JB sit down with author and speaker Allan Paul Roberts. Allan shares how a terrifying experience at 16 changed the direction of his life, forced him to stop worrying about what other people thought, and started a lifelong search for truth and faith. They also discuss the spiritual experience that led Allan to write The Globalist Plan to Collapse Everything to Usher in a New World Order , why he chose to be completely open about how the book came to him, and what it means to speak honestly without rocking the boat just for attention. Whether you agree with every conclusion or not, Allan’s story is a powerful reminder that keeping the peace is not always the same thing as doing what is right. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:00:57) - Don't Rock The Boat (00:06:06) - When You Can't Get Your Dad To Understand You (00:06:29) - What Happened At the Hospital After I Overdose (00:08:05) - Alan on Don't Rock the Boat (00:14:40) - In the Elevator With Alan Moore (00:17:46) - Alan on Being Authentic (00:20:10) - Alan Paul Roberts On The Worst Advice He Ever Got

When Kavi's parents moved from Vietnam to the deep south in the U.S., they wanted her to fit in as best she could. They told her to do that, she needed to make sure she didn't stand out. That was the worst advice she's ever got. Chapters (00:00:00) - Best Advice I Ever Got (00:00:49) - Worst Advice Ever Given (00:04:31) - Vietnam poet expresses her dissatisfaction with the status quo (00:08:14) - "I Should Try to Fit In" in Vietnam (00:13:55) - Does It Take a Certain Time to Belong? (00:14:42) - Kaybe On How To Fitting In (00:16:27) - "Fitting In" (00:17:11) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:20:11) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got

Chapters (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:01:00) - "Gotta Hire More People!" (00:04:08) - The End of the Headcount Model (00:05:52) - Reasons Marketing Agencies Should Stick to the Traditional Model (00:08:49) - Is IT the Big Company Problem? (00:10:06) - Do You Lose Your Job Because You Don't Know AI? (00:14:02) - WSJDLive: What's the Upside to AI? (00:20:14) - The Last 10% of Work Time (00:24:34) - Billing for Services (00:26:04) - Best Advice For Small Businesses (00:28:00) - Bill Lynn on Growth and AI (00:29:44) - Lynn Ward on The Worst Advice I Ever Got

Chapters (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:00:53) - The Worst Advice You Ever Got (00:03:21) - The Good Advice My Dad Got Me (00:11:35) - How I Learned to Give Back (00:18:46) - Have You Had The Same Success As You Had Before? (00:20:06) - Ronald McDonald on Giving Back (00:21:10) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got

Chapters (00:00:04) - Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:00:32) - The Worst Advice You Ever Got (00:04:16) - Have We Been Burned By Early-Stage Investing? (00:05:59) - Get Rich Quick on the Blockchain (00:12:01) - Gavin Smith on His Crypto Investment Loss (00:17:35) - Do You Need to Invest in a Crypto Coin? (00:19:38) - The Worst Advice You Ever Received (00:23:01) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got

What if some of the best leadership lessons come from people you’d never put on a company values poster? On this episode of The Worst Advice I Ever Got, brought to you by Smith + Howard, Sean and JB sit down with leadership consultant, speaker and author Steve Williams. After more than 45 years in the electronics industry, six books and over 200 articles on leadership, quality and management, Steve has spent a lot of time studying what actually makes people follow someone. His latest book takes that research into some uncomfortable territory. Steve looks at figures like Blackbeard, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan and Al Capone and asks a question most leadership programs avoid: if these people built loyalty, negotiated effectively, created powerful brands and influenced others, are we really better off pretending they have nothing to teach us? To be clear, nobody here is endorsing piracy, organized crime or invading a neighboring department. The point is to separate the behavior from the lesson and look honestly at why certain leadership tactics worked. The conversation gets into trust, challenging the status quo, the danger of insecure leaders, why groupthink makes teams weaker and the four questions Steve uses to expose bad business processes. It’s leadership advice from some very questionable sources, which makes it a pretty natural fit for this show. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:00:54) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:04:27) - The Notorious: Lessons From History's Most Ruthless (00:07:34) - What Is It About These People That Made a Following? (00:11:32) - Steve on Going Down The Path (00:13:20) - Leaders: Shattering the Status-Quo (00:15:53) - Insecure Leadership: The Problem (00:20:41) - Thanks for Appearing On The Podcast (00:22:31) - Steve on Bad Advice and Leadership (00:24:52) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got

“It’s all in your head” isn’t helpful advice. It’s dismissive. It takes a real struggle and turns it into a personal failure: if nothing’s physically wrong, why can’t you just get over it? On this episode of The Worst Advice I Ever Got, brought to you by Smith + Howard, Sean and JB are joined by sports psychiatrist Dr. Jimmy Moley to unpack why that phrase can do more harm than people realize, especially for athletes who are already under pressure to look tough, stay focused and keep performing. Jimmy explains how athletes can internalize that message, blame themselves and start believing that asking for help means they’re weak or not cut out for the sport. The conversation also gets into the other side of the equation: the mental tools athletes are told to ignore can be the same ones that improve confidence, focus and performance. They also talk about athlete identity, burnout, overtraining, youth sports, early specialization and why parents should probably be just as loud with their support after the strikeout as they are after the home run. Plus, Sean and JB make enough old baseball references to guarantee at least one dad feels extremely seen. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:00:45) - It's All In Your Head (00:05:47) - On Athletes' Mental Health (00:10:43) - Kobe Bryant on Mental Fitness (00:12:06) - How to Help an Athlete Cope With Their Game (00:18:02) - What Can Parents Do Better? (00:18:42) - Chris Cleveland on Multiple Sports for Kids (00:24:14) - Mental health support in sports (00:24:55) - Jimmy Kimmel on Helping Athletes Who Are Struggling (00:26:42) - The Worst Advice Ever Given To An Athlete

Chapters (00:00:00) - Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:00:44) - The Worst Advice You Ever Got (00:06:20) - on Working Hard to Get A Degree (00:06:44) - In the Elevator With Rich People (00:11:55) - What positives came from not pursuing college? (00:15:00) - No College Is Necessary For You (00:17:38) - Wayne on The Worst Advice I Ever Got

Chapters (00:00:00) - Ann Curry on Her Worst Advice Ever Got (00:00:52) - Best Advice You Ever Got (00:07:02) - Cox Curry CEO on the Business (00:08:37) - Don't Sell Your Business: Barbara Cox (00:12:13) - In the Elevator With Barbara Cox (00:14:36) - When Did You Give Up Volunteering? (00:16:06) - Part 6: Responsibility Beyond Yourself (00:17:55) - Ann Cox Curry on Volunteerism (00:21:03) - Anne Cox Curry on Her Worst Advice She Ever Got

Chapters (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:00:57) - The Worst Advice You Ever Got (00:04:04) - In the Elevator With Apple's Board (00:06:51) - When Did the Board Decide to Play It Safe? (00:08:27) - Inventors Take a Risk (00:09:30) - In the Elevator With the Company's CEO (00:10:12) - What You Need to Do Now to Win (00:13:22) - In the Elevator With Business Advisors (00:14:53) - Disruption: The Signs That Are Coming (00:16:34) - Are People Ready for the Future of AI? (00:17:32) - 3 Things That Make Your Company Competitive Advantage (00:20:41) - Is It Time to Slow Down on AI? (00:21:44) - The Worst Advice You Can Get (00:25:04) - Peter Walsh on Making Decisions With Risk (00:26:01) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got

In this conversation, Kirk explains why he believes entrepreneurial success comes from adaptability, salesmanship, coachability, and frontline experience, not spreadsheets and analysis paralysis. He shares stories about growing businesses from the loading docks up, surviving major legal battles, pivoting his company during COVID in less than a day, and why he’d take a gritty former athlete over a polished Ivy League MBA in a hiring interview almost every time. Whether you agree with him or not, this episode will absolutely make you think differently about leadership, education, and what actually prepares people for success. The Worst Advice I Ever Got is brought to you by Smith + Howard. Chapters (00:00:00) - Best Advice I Ever Got From People (00:00:41) - The Worst Advice You Ever Got (00:02:28) - Disruptors: Don't Get An MBA (00:06:41) - An MBA isn't necessary for success (00:13:16) - Marriott Hotel General Manager on Leadership (00:15:00) - MBA's Don't Helped You (00:19:13) - MBA's and the Challenge (00:21:24) - Farmers and Fishermen Share Their Stories (00:22:04) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got From Kirk Smith

Actor and musician Johnny Sneed (Fever Pitch, Love & Mercy, Outer Range, Painkiller, Parks and Recreation) is joining us on The Worst Advice I Ever Got to talk about the worst advice he’s ever received and why he wishes he never listened to it in the first place. From sharing the screen with Bryan Cranston and Josh Brolin to portraying legendary drummer Hal Blaine in Love & Mercy, Johnny’s career has blended music, comedy, drama, and character work across film and television. Now he’s sitting down with us to unpack the advice that quietly shaped years of his life and the regret that can come from realizing too late that the wrong voice got in your head. Chapters (00:00:00) - Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:00:40) - Johnny on The Worst Advice Ever Got (00:04:46) - The Real Job Interviews (00:05:50) - Anthony Hopkins on Turning Down Acting Opportunities (00:10:37) - Johnny on The Worst Advice Ever Given (00:15:17) - Johnny DeFrancisco on Saying No to Jobs (00:17:16) - George Clooney on Bad Advice (00:18:11) - Johnny Depp on His Worst Advice

Chapters (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:01:01) - Best Advice You Ever Got (00:02:57) - The Alternative Paths of Colleges (00:07:01) - Post-College Career: How To Persistence (00:14:23) - How to Deal With No (00:16:59) - Andrew's Advice For People Who Get No

She was told to lead from the back. It sounded thoughtful. Humble. Empowering. It didn’t work. In this episode of The Worst Advice I Ever Got , Manya Whitaker shares how that advice led to confusion, stalled teams, and zero direction… and why real leadership can’t come from hiding in the background. As a college president and CEO, Manya breaks down what actually works: clear direction, visible leadership, and creating space for others to succeed without leaving them guessing. This one gets into the real tension of leadership: how to lead from the front without micromanaging, how to empower without disappearing, and why “humility” can sometimes backfire. If you’ve ever been told to step back… this might change how you show up. Listen now and subscribe for more episodes of The Worst Advice I Ever Got. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got (00:00:51) - Dr. Whitaker on The Worst Advice She Ever Got (00:05:56) - What Made You a Leader? (00:07:15) - Leading From the Back (00:08:44) - President of Colorado College on Leading From the Front (00:14:48) - "Lead From the Back" (00:15:52) - What's the Hardest Part of Leading From the Front? (00:18:24) - Tom Clancy on Leading From the Back (00:21:08) - What Do We Do for People Who Want to Lead From the Front (00:25:42) - Dr. Whitaker on The Worst Advice Ever (00:27:36) - Dr. Whitaker on The Worst Advice I Ever Got