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