The Worst Advice I Ever Got

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.

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.

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“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.

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.

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.

“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.