• (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.

• (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.

• (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

• (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.

• (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

Early in her career, Hala Moddelmog was told something that stopped a lot of people before they even start.

Women can’t have it all.

She heard it at the exact moment she had the chance to step into a top leadership role. And instead of backing off, she decided to go for it anyway.

She went on to lead major organizations, build an incredible career, and raise a family along the way.

This episode is about what it actually means to “have it all,” what it really costs, and why letting someone else define your limits might be the worst advice of all.

• (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got
• (00:00:56) - Wonders of the World:
• (00:05:43) - Have You Got It All?
• (00:11:20) - Had It All: Marian Woodruff
• (00:15:11) - Helena Smith on Trying to Have It All
• (00:18:15) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got

Early in his career, Jamie Mantzouridis was told something that actually made sense.

If you want to be taken seriously as a trainer, you need to look the part.

So he went all in.

He transformed his body, built credibility fast, and started getting results. But the deeper he went, the harder it became to see where the line was between discipline and damage.

This episode is about what happens when the thing that makes you credible starts to cost you more than it’s worth.

• (00:00:00) - Best Advice I Ever Got
• (00:00:44) - The Worst Advice You Ever Got
• (00:02:49) - Back to college: The partying and the work
• (00:03:49) - What did your life look like after you left university?
• (00:05:19) - Becoming a Personal Trainer Was An Instant Decision
• (00:10:20) - Diabetes Survivor on Taking Steroids
• (00:14:52) - The Biggest Bodybuilder Coach's Transformation
• (00:17:34) - The Secret to Becoming a Personal Trainer
• (00:20:42) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got

Early in her career, one comment from a CEO changed how Kacie Lett Gordon showed up at work. And like a lot of bad advice, it worked. She climbed fast, became a senior leader, and checked all the boxes.

But over time, that version of success started to cost her.

This episode is about what happens when you realize the advice that helped you succeed isn’t something you want to keep.

• (00:00:00) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got
• (00:00:44) - The Worst Advice You Ever Got
• (00:05:37) - Working Mother's Experiences
• (00:08:18) - How I Made a Different Kind of Pivot
• (00:12:31) - The Worst Advice You Ever Got
• (00:19:22) - What are the things that every single person on the planet can embody
• (00:24:10) - The Worst Advice I Ever Got