The Worst Advice I Ever Got

Moving is expensive. So is staying put, although nobody sends you that invoice. Lloyd Avram, president and CEO of the Georgia Association of Manufacturers, joins Sean Taylor and JB to unpack the advice “Don’t relocate for a job.” From giving his kids veto power to talking his way onto a nearly closed candidate list, Lloyd shares what became possible when he kept his options open. The Worst Advice I Ever Got, brought to you by Smith + Howard. Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction to Lloyd Avram (00:00:47) - The Worst Advice: Don't Relocate for a Job (00:01:27) - Early Career and the Quest for Experiences (00:03:41) - Cost of Relocating and Family Sacrifices (00:04:58) - Rejecting the Advice and Moving to Chevron (00:07:38) - Experiences and Growth at Chevron (00:09:46) - Chevron Culture and Leadership Lessons (00:11:30) - Returning to Atlanta and Joining Georgia Manufacturers (00:14:59) - Advice to Others: The Decision-Making Framework (00:16:42) - Remote Work, Relocation, and Modern Workforce Trends (00:19:42) - Closing Thoughts and Gratitude (00:20:21) - Host Reflections on Lloyd's Story

“Nobody leaves a six-figure job.” Especially at Disney. What are you, happy or something? Loren, the creator behind Legal Beef, joins Sean and JB to talk about leaving a Hollywood legal career that looked great on paper but never quite felt like his. Sixteen years, two major studios, and one very different career later, he’s got a few thoughts. And yes, the attorney includes a disclaimer. Please don’t quit your job and blame the podcast. Brought to you by Smith + Howard. Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction and Lauren's Background (00:00:46) - The Worst Advice: Nobody Leaves a Six Figure Job (00:01:46) - Life as a Motion Picture Studio Attorney (00:04:22) - The 'Meter Maid' Feeling and Misalignment (00:05:41) - From Disney to Sony and Starting Content Creation (00:07:01) - Mom's Passing and Quitting to Pursue Content Full Time (00:07:55) - Why It Took So Long: Safe vs Risky Choices (00:10:42) - Using Past Experience as a Foundation for New Path (00:12:37) - Danny Werfel Parallel and Making the Leap (00:14:21) - Life After Quitting: Immediate Effects (00:16:04) - What Legal Beef Is Today (00:17:29) - Naming Legal Beef and Brand Origin (00:18:38) - What Content Works: First Amendment Auditors and Karens (00:20:17) - Educational and Entertaining Philosophy (00:21:09) - Parenting and Balancing Passion With a Plan (00:22:00) - Vision for the Future and Closing Thoughts

“Don’t marry her.” Todd Musselman’s two best friends had watched his relationship fall apart, and they had good reasons to tell him to walk away. He understood every one of them. He married her anyway. Thirty-two years later, Todd joins Sean and JB to share the story behind that decision, including the uncomfortable question that changed how he saw his own role in the relationship. The speaker and executive coach talks candidly about betrayal, forgiveness, losing his family business, and why he’s grateful for experiences he never would have chosen. It’s a conversation about second chances and what being right can cost you. The Worst Advice I Ever Got is brought to you by Smith + Howard. Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction to Todd Musselman (00:00:45) - The Worst Advice: Don't Marry Her (00:02:32) - Meeting Beth and Early Relationship (00:03:55) - The Breakup and Devastation (00:05:37) - Meeting Frances the Healer (00:07:10) - The Drive Home: A Life-Changing Realization (00:07:57) - Reconciliation and Rebuilding Trust (00:08:47) - Friends' Reaction and Deciding to Marry (00:11:26) - Reflecting on Never Say Never and Humility (00:12:33) - Was It Really Bad Advice? (00:13:34) - The Wedding Officiated by the Same Friends (00:15:10) - JB's Crocs Story - A Different Kind of Advice (00:16:17) - Trusting Your Gut and Family Foundations (00:17:27) - The Three Steps: Acceptance, Forgiveness, Gratitude (00:19:30) - Applying the Lessons to Business Bankruptcy (00:20:21) - Getting Through vs Getting From Life's Hardships (00:22:22) - Parenting Through Pain Without Fixing It (00:24:09) - Closing Thoughts and Gratitude (00:24:45) - Recap and Takeaways from the Episode

Shari Rash was earning six figures, saving for retirement, and buying a home. Then a $1,000 car repair left her wondering why she felt broke. The worst advice she ever got? “Max our your retirement accounts.” The financial planner and founder of GWA Wealth joins Sean and JB to explain how following seemingly responsible advice left her unprepared for the life happening before retirement. They talk about the limits of generic money advice, the pressure to understand finances nobody taught you, and why a good financial plan starts with your actual goals. The Worst Advice I Ever Got is brought to you by Smith + Howard. Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction to Sherry Rash (00:00:52) - The Worst Advice: Max Out Retirement First (00:04:14) - Sherry's 2008 Lightbulb Moment (00:06:28) - The Liquidity Trap: Rich on Paper, Cash Poor (00:08:45) - Emotional Toll of Money, Especially for Women (00:10:24) - Balancing Retirement Savings with Life Happening Now (00:12:41) - Building a Flexible Financial Process (00:13:53) - Generic Advice vs Personalized Financial Planning (00:15:02) - Social Media, Podcasts, and Bad Financial Advice (00:16:56) - Employer Match and Retirement Contribution Basics (00:18:35) - Getting Started: Advice for Young Professionals (00:20:44) - Why Budgets Don't Work for Most People (00:22:57) - The Case for Financial Education and Planners (00:24:06) - How to Choose the Right Financial Advisor (00:25:27) - Defining Your Own Right Financial Path (00:26:53) - Closing and How to Reach Sherry

When Tom Rebers was told to "charge the going rate," it sounded safe and reasonable. But playing it safe nearly cost him his business. In this episode of The Worst Advice I Ever Got , Tom shares how he learned to set his own value, stop following industry norms, and build a business that actually works for him. If you’ve ever underpriced yourself or felt stuck following “what everyone else does,” this one’s for you. Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction to Tom Reber and the Contractor Fight (00:00:59) - The Worst Advice: Charging the Going Rate (00:01:52) - Understanding the Going Rate Trap (00:02:48) - Origin of the Bad Advice and Early Pricing Mistakes (00:04:24) - Years of Being Busy But Broke (00:07:37) - Trying to Fix the Wrong Problems (00:08:47) - Head Trash and Limiting Beliefs About Worth (00:11:27) - Fear, Mindset, and the Reticular Activating System (00:13:33) - The Christmas Morning Wake-Up Call (00:15:12) - Building Loyalty Through Client Touches (00:17:00) - Defining the Ideal Customer (00:18:55) - Where to Find the Contractor Fight (00:19:30) - Closing Thoughts and Reflection

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