At Marie Claire’s Power Play summit in Philadelphia, we flipped the script on the usual “best advice” question and asked some of our speakers to share the worst career or money advice they’ve ever gotten. The answers? Honest, funny, and full of lessons about what not to do.
From “marry rich” to “saving is for the weak,” here’s what our Power Players had to say.
Anna Papalia, Author of 'Interviewology' and Career Influencer
“I’d say, the worst career/money advice I have ever gotten was, ‘marry rich.’ It gives women the idea that they must marry in order to have money. As the saying goes, ‘those who marry for money earn every penny.’ I would much rather have a career and a job with great benefits and an in-demand skill set than a man who has money. A man can leave you. But your career never will. You do not need a man for money. Become the man you want to marry. Give yourself what you want in a mate and then you will attract a true partner and abundance.”
Tina Wells, Entrepreneur, Author, and Market Strategist
“The worst money advice I ever got was that as a founder, I should only invest in my own business. I was told not to build assets anywhere else—just pour everything back into the company. That was terrible advice! Over time I learned that diversification is key. Yes, I’ve invested deeply in my businesses, but I’ve also made sure to build assets outside of them.”
Alyce Chan, Comedian
“My dad gave me this money advice: 'Don’t need to save. Money is supposed to be spent. Saving is for the weak.”
Erin Lowry, Finance Expert and Author of the 'Broke Millennial' Series
“The worst career and money advice—it’s kind of a two-for-one—that I ever received was constant doubt, often from perfect strangers, about the fact that I had chosen to double major in journalism and theater. People would constantly and unsolicitedly say things to me like, “Well, what are you going to do with that? You’re never going to be able to earn a living with that.” I will always defend liberal arts degrees, in large part because learning how to write well and learning how to speak well and communicate is an incredible competitive advantage. And lo and behold, the career that I ended up building for myself was really the perfect marriage of journalism and theater.”
Jung Park, Entrepreneur and Founder of Cocktail Culture Co.
“One of the worst pieces of advice I received was that I should get investors. While there are certain types of businesses that can’t grow without large amounts of outside funding, mine wasn’t one of them. Instead, I chose to bootstrap. Although it took longer (a LOT longer), and the road was hard—I was able to grow without giving up control or bringing in outside voices. Looking back, it was the right choice for me and incredibly rewarding. Don’t let anyone think you can’t do it on your own!”
Cybille St.Aude-Tate, Chef and Co-founder of Honeysuckle
“For the most part, all the advice and mentorship I’ve been blessed with has been helpful, not too intrusive, and appropriate. I’m sure there’s been something along the way, but I try not to focus on anything that won’t aid in moving the business or my career forward… Or perhaps my subconscious has done a stellar job of blocking it from my memory?”
At Power Play, speakers also pointed to the lessons that carried them forward: Michaela Jaé Rodriguez credited Rent star Fredi Walker-Browne for teaching her to treat her craft with care; entrepreneur Tina Wells recalled Oprah Winfrey’s team instilling the importance of leading with intention; Bugaboo CCO Jeanelle Teves shared a mentor’s reminder that “as you rise, you’ll have to make bigger decisions with less information”; and even the classic line to “dress for the job you want.” Turns out the worst advice is easy to laugh off, but the best ones stick.
