Welcome back! Season 3 kicks off.

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. [00:00:05] Speaker B: Welcome to another episode of the Worst Advice I Ever Got. I'm your host, Sean Taylor, and joining me, as always, is my great producer, jb. Say hello, jb. [00:00:14] Speaker A: How's it going? [00:00:15] Speaker B: We're about to kick off the next season of the podcast, so we thought we would start by just having an open conversation of some of what we've learned through the journey of doing this podcast and some of what you can look forward to in the upcoming season. Because when we first, you know, started this podcast out, it was more an experiment, wouldn't you say, jb? [00:00:35] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, for sure. We didn't really know how it was going to go. We love the idea, the concept, right? What's the worst advice he ever got? But I think we were a little worried to start is like, all right, is everybody going to have the same advice over and over? We're going to hear the same kind of things, and that just hasn't happened. [00:00:51] Speaker B: Oh, no. There's so much bad advice out there in the world, and it's amazing that we've seen very little, if anything, any duplication of examples of the worst advice. In fact, not only have we not seen duplications of it, we've seen how for some people, the worst advice they ever got was, for others, the complete opposite. For example, be the most interesting person in the room was the worst advice that our special guest, Glenn Jackson ever got. And literally, our very next, yes, Kim Rittenberg, the worst advice she ever got was to be humble. Literally. Polar opposites. [00:01:30] Speaker A: Exactly. [00:01:31] Speaker B: But when you listen to how it affected both of them, it was amazing to see how one person's worst advice may not be someone else's. [00:01:41] Speaker A: Right? And that's the whole point of the podcast. And that's why you're not going to really see a lot of duplicates, even if it somehow sounds like it in the title. Each piece of advice that the guests have got are specific to them and their story and their way of thinking and the way that they did it. And while there's some similarities in how they dealt with it or how they overcame it in some way, it's always going to be a different path that they took. And I think that's what's really interesting about each guest, is that you're going to get different stories. Like you said, the be humble, be interesting, the worst advice, opposites. But you're also going to get, you know, some perspectives on health and finances and relationships and whatever that may not necessarily speak to your specific biases or thoughts, but they are what they went through. It's their story. And that's our whole tagline, right? Turning bad advice into good stories. [00:02:35] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. The other thing I was really amazed at over our first two seasons was the great disparity between how long the worst advice affected people was amazing. [00:02:47] Speaker A: Yeah. I always felt like the ones, the episodes that were the strongest, in my opinion, were always the ones where they'd listened to it for a long time. It was easiest to see why this is the worst advice you ever got. It's been a thoughtful experiment too, just for our guests. You know, each time we're talking to our guests, we do a pre interview process where we sort of talk to them about what they think the worst advice is. And we go over kind of format of the show and all these different things to prepare them, to make sure we get the best episode out of them. And, and you know, we've heard from multiple guests that like, this feels like a therapy session where they're really going into thinking about themselves in a introspective way that maybe they haven't before. Or like, how has bad advice affected me? And you kind of sometimes let bad advice sort of roll off. And when you really sit down and think about it, which is what we're trying to do here with the podcast, you are like, wow, this maybe had a bigger effect on me than I even realized. [00:03:34] Speaker B: I think it's good sometimes to go back and look at history and see, you know, how you got to where you're at. Right. When you're standing at the base of the mountain and looking up, it's hard to see how you're going to get to the top. But once you're at the top, you can turn back and look and just see the path you took very clearly and all the impacts along the way. To the left turns, the right turns, the setbacks. And this, this podcast, this format allows our guests to think about that and storytell for our listeners who can really just learn so much from their experiences. [00:04:08] Speaker A: Absolutely. And it's not just people who are, you know, in their mid-50s and 60s, end of their career, sort of thinking about, oh, here's the advice that I got. You know, we had somebody last season whose advice was the worst advice that she ever got. It was Claudia, the hat designer. And she was like that you're bad at business. And she is starting her own business, but she had just started it three months after we started the podcast. So she actually doesn't even know if she's going to be successful. And she still knows this is bad advice. So you're still getting bad advice and bad stories from people from all different times in their life. It's not just a retrospective exercise. [00:04:47] Speaker B: Exactly. Exactly right. And I think it's a nice bridge into a diverse set of experiences that I think will continue to amaze our audience from the standpoint of just how much bad advice is really out there and what they can learn from what our guests have gone through. [00:05:06] Speaker A: For sure. I've been asking people to kind of expand themselves outside of career when they think about what's the worst advice you ever got? If you think about what's the worst advice I ever got from a health perspective, what's the worst advice I ever got from a relationship perspective, what's the worst advice I ever got about, you know, being friends or whatever? You know, you start with this sort of very specific piece of advice to maybe one part of your life, and then you see actually how it cascades out to affect all these different things. And I think that's what has become really interesting in these stories. You know, how do we talk for 18 to 30 minutes about, you know, the worst piece of advice? And that's how. Because it touches so many different parts of your life, it affects so many different things. And we've done a great job of staying in that timeline. When you got the advice, it's not just, oh, yeah, I got some bad advice and now everything's cool. So I guess it was bad. You know, it's like, it's really. No. How did this affect you? What happened during these times? And all those stories have been really interesting. Yeah. [00:06:03] Speaker B: For it to qualify as the worst advice you ever got, it had to have some degree of negative and. [00:06:09] Speaker A: Right. [00:06:09] Speaker B: We definitely want to talk about that so that you can feel that momentum and feel that impact and feel that pain. I mean, we've had some guests literally weep from remembering the pain. And I think, again, for our guests, it's therapeutic. When you're a guest driven podcast like we are, there's a lot of pressure. Pressure on the guests to feel like they have to perform well. But I think what we've done through this format is allow our guests to be who they are. Yep. And just tell their story without feeling like it's performative. And for them, it's a great experience. For us, as, you know, hosts, it's an incredible experience. And for our listeners, it's. It can be something where they sit back and think about something from a vantage point they hadn't contemplated before. [00:06:55] Speaker A: For that pre interview process that we did, we kind of started that just as like a. All right, let me make sure I've got 10 ideas before we say we're going to make 10 episodes. And then we sort of realized that actually having that conversation was so helpful to get just the juices going and thinking about where I'm going next and writing down the story and kind of thinking on it. And that's definitely feedback that we've got from our guests that's just like they really felt so prepared and so ready. There's a lot of podcasts in the world and I think a lot of people just sort of show up and they've got their computer mic and they're like, right, let's go. And then they just bo boop. Upload and no editing, no time to, no thought process, no storyboarding, none of these things. And while our podcast is absolutely a free flowing conversation, having those guardrails around it and understanding what we're trying to get across in the theme of the episode has made each one great. I feel confident that if you click on any episode, they listen to it. They're like, oh, this is really good, you know, and that's great. [00:07:52] Speaker B: I don't know about you, jb, but what's really been interesting is to encounter people who, first thing they talk to me about is, you know, the podcast and that they listen to an episode and it actually still just takes me back. Oh, you heard the podcast. Wow, you listened. Oh, you enjoyed it. It's been, it's been kind of an outof body experience for me a little bit to have that happen. I'm sure you've had friends say they listen to the podcast. Did you share the same experience? [00:08:18] Speaker A: Yeah, definitely. I mean, that's one of the things I think anytime, you know, you make something and you put it out in the world, there's a little bit of yourself in it, right? There's a little bit of you can be nervous and anxious about, like, oh, I wonder how people are going to respond to this and whatever. And so any kind of you, when you get that positive feedback, you're just like, oh, this is great, you know, like that I feel so much better now because, you know, put a lot of effort and time and money and all the things that go into making this podcast as good as it can be, it's. It's great to hear that, like people are getting something out of it. [00:08:49] Speaker B: One of the most comical things I heard was someone, you know, asking me if I was still in the CPA business or if this is my full time job. [00:08:58] Speaker A: So you're still doing the other things? No, yeah, yeah, I do the other. [00:09:02] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, you know, we, you know. Why'd you get into podcasting, Sean? I think it's a good reminder of why we even started doing this in the first place. I mean, it was, it's. It's a Smith and Howard podcast, really. Right. It's our family of companies and talking about the worst advice you ever got. But at Smith and Howard, we're in the practice of giving you the best advice you ever got. We don't talk about that a lot, but we wanted to differentiate ourselves a little bit. I think it's a service to our, to our guests, but also a servant, a service to our client family. And the ultimate goal is free information so that they can learn and benefit from it. [00:09:37] Speaker A: Right. And that's the whole thing, you know, it's like that's what Smith and Howard does. It's like they're here to benefit you and all the ways, you know, behind the scenes and things. And so why did you get into podcasting in the first place? [00:09:48] Speaker B: Well, it's funny, jb, I found myself listening to more and more podcasts, and as I was listening to those podcasts, I thought maybe there's some thought leadership. Maybe I can differentiate our firm, our company, if we do it as a company, podcast myself, our brand in the process. So there's certainly some return on that. I know for me, what I've learned the most over the years is listening to and observing others and what they've gone through and gleaning from that, what was best for me. [00:10:18] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, that's what Smith and Howard does too. Right. A lot of times we're building up our guests and their audience and their things, and that's what's up. And Howard does. Right. Taking care of your guests. And it's a service based business and that's basically what we're doing. And they're the star of the show, that we want them, their story to come across and be good and be helpful to, to them and to the audience. And it's just a kind of an extension of what Smith and Howard does. [00:10:41] Speaker B: Smith and Howard so often takes clients, individuals, organizations who are in a position of maybe having gotten some terrible advice and they need help out of it as they are embarking on a growth plan, a strategic plan, you know, something new. And so, you know, it. It felt like it worked perfectly. To talk about a podcast coming from a group that's in the Practice of doing the best things for their clients, not the worst things for their clients. [00:11:07] Speaker A: I mean, just for me in particular, subtle advertising, I think is the best kind. You know, when you don't beat me over the head with this kind of ad of like, here's what I do and here's my thing. We're just like, here's who we are. Here's what we can help you do, here's what you can gain, and here's a thing that we do. You know, give it a listen. And then them remembering, hey, I need financial help. Who's that one that had the podcast? I'll do that. Like, there we go. There's Roi. Right? [00:11:34] Speaker B: For sure. You and I work very hard on this, and I think the point of it is to be as transparent for our. Our great employees and for our clients and our communities to see what each and every body at Smith and Howard and our family of companies are all about. Right. It's. All of our people are very much like me and that we're just looking to be helpful to others, you know, and provide, you know, service. I think that's why we continue to work so hard on this. We've got some great goals for the season coming up, don't we? [00:12:02] Speaker A: Oh, for sure. What. Which episode do you think you're most excited for coming up? Season three. [00:12:07] Speaker B: Oh, that's. That's tough. [00:12:09] Speaker A: We've got a lot of really good titles this year. That's what, like, the titles are really. They're very attention grabby. [00:12:15] Speaker B: This year, one of my favorites is don't open a dog bar. [00:12:21] Speaker A: You can't start a bar for dogs. [00:12:23] Speaker B: Yeah, that's it. Start a bar for dogs. Like, okay, I didn't even know there was a bar for dogs, but, you. [00:12:30] Speaker A: Know, Stephen, I mean, and that's the worst advice he ever got. So. Yeah, apparently you can. [00:12:35] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:12:35] Speaker A: No, I always love the advice when he comes from the parents. I always think the parents have the funniest ones. [00:12:40] Speaker B: One of them that really stuck out to me was, you know, make it perfect. You know, Kelly really struggled through life because she was always trying to be a perfectionist. But don't we all want to do a really good job? It doesn't sound like bad advice. [00:12:53] Speaker A: Yeah, right. And she even, like, says, like, she's. I loved her line in that one in particular, she says she's a recovering perfectionist. Um, we had the. The real life Karate Kid on there. His story is awesome. As he was sort of like, you know, was in karate, and his first sensei was all aggressive and then he was like, oh, there's an easier, nicer way to do this. And he found a new sensei who, like, taught him about karate being more like internal, you know, having control over your things, not being aggressive. And I was like, literally, you're just telling me this. You're the Karate Kid. This is the. [00:13:25] Speaker B: I felt like I was watching. Yeah, I felt like I was watching season three of Cobra Kai. [00:13:29] Speaker A: Oh, for sure. [00:13:30] Speaker B: We were talking to him and I mean, he was. He was all, you know, dressed up. What do you call the outfit they wear? [00:13:35] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, he's got the gi on. [00:13:37] Speaker B: The gi. Yeah, yeah, he was. [00:13:40] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. In case he didn't know who. The Karate Kid. That he was involved in karate. [00:13:46] Speaker B: Exactly. [00:13:47] Speaker A: But it's so many different topics, right? I mean, we have health, we have parental advice, we have career advice, we have, you know, the guy who said his girlfriend told him to think less. You know, we have Chris's episode where he talks about, you know, don't. Don't talk about money. And this is his whole thing about there. It's just. There's all. It just shows you how many different pieces of advice there are, how many things that there are in the world. And, you know, we're 50 some odd episodes recorded into this, and it doesn't feel like we're slowing down, I think. [00:14:19] Speaker B: You know, in, in summary, there's so many great guests, so many great examples of the worst advice they ever got, and our, our listeners are really going to enjoy what we have to present for them. [00:14:32] Speaker A: We wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't worth doing. So, you know, as season three starts to get released, you know, just follow and subscribe and do all things. Because, like, I just really don't think you want to miss any of these episodes. [00:14:44] Speaker B: I tell you, you know, as we look at, you know, the goals for this. Because people have asked me this question too. You know, how long are you going to do it? What do you hope to accomplish? And, you know, what were our goals for the podcast when we started? And I think we never really shared that with, with, you know, our listeners. [00:15:01] Speaker A: Jb, Our big thing is just, you know, we've got this great content. We just want to expand our audience. Right? We've got, you know, it's a little bit right now that if you build it, they will come. And we've seen that, you know, we're growing on social, we're growing on LinkedIn, we're growing in our followers on Spotify and Apple. Podcasts and Pandora and all the places you get your podcast. Um, we just want to keep that going, right? You know, we know we've got the content, we have the. The stories and. And all the interesting things that, you know, everybody wants to hear. And now it's just about getting the earballs right. [00:15:34] Speaker B: We had someone unprompted, you know, contact us and ask us if they could be a guest on the podcast. [00:15:39] Speaker A: Oh, right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:15:41] Speaker B: And I think that didn't. That. Didn't that episode hit, like, tens of thousands of streams? [00:15:45] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, we've had. Yeah, we had our big. Yeah, I think those were our season one goals, right? Or see, going into season two, we wanted somebody to be on the podcast, not just us going to them. We wanted to say no to somebody because we were like, oh, like, like, you know, just, you know, the story's not there. You know what I mean? We don't have to force it. We don't have to just say yes to anybody who wants to talk to us. Not for, you know, being mean, but just, like, if it's not there and. Or it doesn't work out, like, that's okay. And then we wanted to, I think, get somebody, you know, famous. And we hit a couple of those famous ones pretty early. You know, we got Josh Mancuso on the podcast, Tony Villo. We've got some guests coming up in season three, you know, in the hundreds of thousands of Instagram and TikTok followers and all these things. So, you know, we're. It's really just every type of person that you can think of. And just, you know, I've said this on LinkedIn a bunch of times, but in case you don't follow us on LinkedIn, everybody who has said, hey, you know who I think would be great on the podcast, keep doing that. That is great. We love that. We don't want to keep talking to the same quote, unquote type of person. You know, we want every walk of life from everything. And the way we've been doing it, sort of six degrees of Kevin Bacon, right? Like, this person's on the podcast who knows this person, who knows this. And then for whatever reason, what if we had like 12 people from Denver, Colorado? I don't know why we. Denver, Colorado has been like, one of our main hubs of guests. And I don't know why. Just kind of random. [00:17:10] Speaker B: It's funny. We're definitely becoming national and. Yeah. And nothing gave me greater pleasure than to tell Kim Kardashian no, she couldn't Be a guest on the podcast. [00:17:17] Speaker A: Listen, I'm sorry, we just, we, we, we're full. [00:17:21] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm sorry. Maybe next year, Kim. [00:17:23] Speaker A: Maybe next year if you get, you just got to get a good story. I mean, that's the thing. If you don't have a good story, you can't come on the podcast. And that's part of, that's part of that process that we've been doing. You know, we want to keep that process going with everybody, is having that pre interview, talking to them out, figuring out the good stories. And so, you know, if you're somebody who thinks you got a good story or good advice or bad advice rather, and you have other people in your life, oh, this person has a doozy. You know, you're almost always right. There's always a story to pull from these bad advice things. So reach out to us and say, hey, I want to be on the podcast, or I know somebody who should. [00:17:59] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. Let's, let's get a hundred thousand, you know, streams on one of our episodes coming up. Why not? Let's reach for the stars and let's get this done. Because what that tells me is that it's valuable to our listeners and that's ultimately what the goal is. So as we move forward, we're going to continue to work hard for you. We're going to continue to bring you great examples of guests who have really gotten some horrible advice. And ultimately, it was the worst advice they ever got. And they have a story to share that can benefit each of you. So I thought this was a great idea. Jb, thanks for joining me in this conversation as we kick off this season and tune in very soon for the first episode of season three of the Worst Advice I Ever Got.