Black Friday at Abercrombie is here with 25 to 50% off everything and Spotify listeners are getting an extra 15% off with code Spotify AF. It's the sale you've been waiting for. Shop Abercrombie in the app online and in stores. 30% off everything valid in stores and online from November 24th, 2025 to December the 1st, 2025 in UK-EU. It excludes clearance and gift cards. Online price reflects discount. Use code Spotify AF to get an additional 15% off everything. Installs and online at checkout from November the 24th, 2025 to December the 1st, 2025 in UK-EU. Excuse clearance and gift cards. See details online. Welcome to The Moth. I'm Chloe Samin, and in this episode, we're trying out something a little different.

I just hosted a Moth radio hour that featured stories on the theme of advice, including one from John Paul Bramer, who is an advice columnist himself.

His column, Ola Poppy, has counseled hundreds of readers over the years, and he came to the

Moth office to chat with me about the world of professional advice giving and storytelling.

We included a short part of the conversation in the radio episode, but thought you all might like hearing the whole shebang,

including us talking about how to give advice that people actually listen to, and offering up some tough love about listeners listeners real problems. We hope you enjoy.

Hey, John Paul. It is so great to have you here today. Hey, Chloe. I'm so happy to be here.

I'm so happy you're here. All right. So we're going to start with some questions.

What advice would you give your teenage self if you could go back and have a coffee with him?

Ooh, getting a coffee with my younger self would be so dangerous because I am now a coffee addict

and just like putting myself on that path even earlier, I can only imagine. You know, my advice

to him would just be, you got to calm down.

You got to relax.

Like you, I think I wanted so much stuff so fast. And I was just constantly frustrated with myself for not having it yet.

And I would just tell him the same thing I might tell myself today, which is that you got to enjoy the process, man.

It's not about

stressing yourself out to achieve results. You're going to be fine. Read a book. That's beautiful.

I think we have very similar personality types. But coffee wouldn't help with that,

obviously. You're like, look, I just need you to calm down, but here is a quad shot.

I need you to do so much caffeine.

All right.

So you're a very funny person.

...