Never Take Advice from Anyone More Screwed Up Than You Are

John Addison
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  • Self-Improvement

It sounds simple, yet it’s amazing how many people take advice from someone who is an absolute mess. More than 20 years ago, John Addison spoke at a convention in Oklahoma City, shortly after becoming co-CEO of Primerica. The speech was recorded, and it became the thing he has received more feedback on than anything else he’s ever done. People kept asking him to update it, and he did, because the message matters more now than it did then. In 2002, social media was barely a blip. Today, the craziest ideas and the worst advice are a few seconds away on any platform. This six-part series is a reminder to be deliberate about who you listen to, and it’s a call for leaders who are positive, focused, and willing to tell people the truth. Whether you lead a company, a team, or a family, who you listen to shapes where you end up.

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    Pt. 7: Live Every Day Like It's Your Last

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! What if today really were your last? N In this episode, John Addison explores what it means to live every day like it’s your last: to stop scrolling past your own life, look up, and see what’s actually in front of you. The people you love. The ordinary moments you keep postponing. The chances you keep telling yourself you’ll get to someday. This isn’t about grand gestures or bucket lists. It’s about presence, about noticing what you have before it’s gone, and finally seizing the day instead of waiting for a better one.

    Pt. 7: Live Every Day Like It's Your Last

  2. 6d ago

    Pt. 6: Get Happy Now

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! When someone said “we have a crisis,” John’s first question was “how many people are dead?” In this closing episode, he explains the difference between a crisis, a problem, and a situation, and why leaders should run toward adversity. He also describes the happiest time of his life, when money was tight and Christmas presents came from Big Lots, and argues that happiness can’t wait for better circumstances. If you take nothing else from the series, take this one.

    Pt. 6: Get Happy Now

  3. 6d ago

    Pt. 5: None of Us Are a Big Deal

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! John was once co-CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, and then he wasn’t. In this episode, he explains why titles are temporary and ego is dangerous, and why leaders should shine the light on other people. Then he talks about Rusty the dog, a cornfield that grew only weeds, and why you have to weed the garden of your own mind before you can lead anyone else toward the positive.

    Pt. 5: None of Us Are a Big Deal

  4. 6d ago

    Pt. 4: Battery Drainers and Dead Trees

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Some people fill your battery and some drain it. John talks about the power of association, and the equally real power of dis-association: how to let go of other people’s negativity without being a jerk, how to choose where your energy goes after the pandemic, and what the trees he plants on his farm taught him about knowing when you’re looking at a dead tree.

    Pt. 4: Battery Drainers and Dead Trees

  5. 6d ago

    Pt. 3: The Lighthouse, Not the Weather Vane

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! The higher you climb as a leader, the bigger your gear gets, and every move you make turns all the smaller gears around you. John shares the “gear ratio” idea he learned from a professor, Dr. T.P. Hall, while earning his MBA at night. He explains why leaders can’t afford to muse out loud, why people follow a lighthouse and not a weather vane, and how focus builds trust.

    Pt. 3: The Lighthouse, Not the Weather Vane

  6. 6d ago

    Pt. 2: Success Is Voluntary

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Life isn’t fair, and luck won’t do it for you. In this episode, John shares the tough lessons he gives his leadership students at the University of Georgia, why you need to be a Weeble who bounces back up, and what a crowded gym in January teaches about recruiting, retention, and finding the leaders who determine the destiny of the team.

    Pt. 2: Success Is Voluntary

  7. 6d ago

    Pt. 1: Who You Listen To Matters

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In this opening episode, John explains why “never take advice from anyone more screwed up than you are” sounds obvious but is harder to follow than it seems, and why the first person you need to work on is you. Get the free companion guide at [URL].

    Pt. 1: Who You Listen To Matters
  • 7 Episodes

About

It sounds simple, yet it’s amazing how many people take advice from someone who is an absolute mess. More than 20 years ago, John Addison spoke at a convention in Oklahoma City, shortly after becoming co-CEO of Primerica. The speech was recorded, and it became the thing he has received more feedback on than anything else he’s ever done. People kept asking him to update it, and he did, because the message matters more now than it did then. In 2002, social media was barely a blip. Today, the craziest ideas and the worst advice are a few seconds away on any platform. This six-part series is a reminder to be deliberate about who you listen to, and it’s a call for leaders who are positive, focused, and willing to tell people the truth. Whether you lead a company, a team, or a family, who you listen to shapes where you end up.

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