Evoke Greatness Podcast

Sonnie Linebarger
  • 4.9 (74)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly

Do you have an insatiable hunger for growth, knowledge, and elevating how you show up in business and in life? Are you curious how high-performing leaders think, operate, and navigate the real challenges that come with building, scaling, and leading? I’m Sonnie Linebarger, CEO and host of Evoke Greatness… a top 2% globally ranked business and leadership podcast fueled by curiosity, performance, and a deep fascination with the psychology behind great leadership. I’m a book nerd, a bit of a control enthusiast, and someone who believes that success is built as much internally as it is externally. On this podcast, we go beyond strategy. We explore the real conversations behind leadership, the decisions, the pressure, the growth, and the personal development required to execute at the highest level. We share the highs and lows and everything in between… because building something meaningful will stretch you in ways nothing else can. My hope is that something you hear resonates deeply, challenges how you think, and reminds you that you’re not in this alone. I believe that a rising tide raises all ships and I invite you along in this journey to Evoke Greatness!

  1. 5d ago ·  Video

    The Overachiever Trap: Why Doing More Is Holding You Back with Bruce McLeod

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Ep. 229 The Overachiever Trap: Why Doing More Is Holding You Back with Bruce McLeod What if the very thing that made you successful is now the thing holding you back? For high achievers, being the dependable one, the problem solver, and the person who always steps up can quietly become part of who you are. But there comes a point where doing more stops creating progress. It starts creating burnout, bottlenecks, and expectations no one can sustain. In this episode, leadership advisor, consultant, and author Bruce McLeod joins Sonnie to unpack the hidden cost of overachievement and why setting boundaries may be one of the most freeing decisions a leader can make. Because great leadership isn’t measured by how much you can carry. It’s measured by what you build, who you develop, and whether your success can last. What We Cover in This Episode The overachiever trap, and how your greatest strengths can quietly become your biggest limitationsWhy boundaries create freedom, giving you space for better leadership, stronger teams, and real fulfillmentThe hidden cost of picking up the slack, and how rescuing others can reinforce underperformanceHow high performers become the bottlenecks in their own organizationsAccountability without micromanagement, using clear expectations and measurable outcomes to help people winThe promotion paradox, and why rewarding overextension sets talented people up to failHow to build an organization that performs well without depending on people running at maximum capacityKey Takeaways Being the most capable person in the room doesn’t mean you’re the only capable person in the roomBoundaries aren’t about controlling others. They’re about owning your actions and communicating clear expectationsEvery time you quietly pick up the slack, you teach your team that the slack will always be picked upClear expectations and measurable outcomes empower people far more than constant oversight ever willSustainable success isn’t built on heroics. It’s built on systems, clarity, and people who are trusted to riseA Question Worth Asking Yourself Have you built an environment where people can succeed, or one where success depends on you doing everything? About Bruce McLeod Bruce McLeod is a leadership advisor, consultant, and author of The Healthy Company Framework. Through his firm, Company Connections, he helps leaders and organizations build cultures where accountability, clarity, and sustainable performance work together, so success doesn’t hinge on a few people carrying everything. Connect with Bruce Website: company-connections.com  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rbmcleod Resources and Links The Healthy Company Framework by Bruce McLeod, available at https://a.co/d/8iLAMEOCompany Connections, Bruce’s leadership advisory firm, at company-connections.comIf This Episode Moved You Share it with a leader, colleague, or high achiever who needs the reminder that they don’t have to do everything to make an impact. And if you haven’t already, take 30 seconds to rate and review the podcast. It is one of the most powerful ways to help more bold leaders find this community. A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness! On a health journey too? Join me as I navigate Hashimoto's and Perimenopause like a BEAST 🔥 Rho Discount Code: https://rhonutrition.com/SONNIE15 Meraki Discount Code: http://www.merakimedicinal.com/EVOKEGREATNESS Check out my website: www.evokegreatness.com Follow me on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonnie-linebarger-899b9a52/ https://www.instagram.com/evoke.greatness/ https://www.tiktok.com/@evoke.greatness http://www.youtube.com/@evokegreatness

    The Overachiever Trap: Why Doing More Is Holding You Back with Bruce McLeod

  2. Oct 15 ·  Video

    You Can Make the Right Decision and Still Lose Your Team | Michael Neuendorff (Pt. 2)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Ep. 228 You Can Make the Right Decision and Still Lose Your Team | Michael Neuendorff (Pt. 2) What if the biggest leadership mistake isn't the decision you make, but how you bring people through it? Leadership gets complicated when the decisions you make impact the people who trust you to lead them. In Part 2 of my conversation with executive coach Michael Neuendorff, we explore what happens when leadership moves beyond strategy and execution into the very human side of running a business. We're talking about trust, accountability, difficult conversations, and navigating organizational change without losing the people you're trying to lead. Michael challenges us to consider why integrity alone isn't enough to establish trust, why accountability must exist between peers, and how even well-intentioned leaders can create resistance when they overlook the emotional impact of change. One of the most powerful reminders from this conversation? You've had months to prepare for the change. Your people may be hearing about it for the first time. That gap matters. And how we navigate it can determine whether our teams move forward with us or begin to disengage. In This Episode, We Talk About: Why integrity alone isn't enough to build trustHow credibility and competence shape leadership effectivenessNavigating difficult decisions and layoffs with dignityWhy peer-to-peer accountability strengthens teamsCreating clarity through shared expectationsThe biggest mistakes leaders make when implementing changeWhy employees need time to process organizational transitionsRecognizing change fatigue before it damages moraleUsing coaching conversations to develop stronger leaders🔑 Key Takeaways 1. The right decision doesn't guarantee the right outcome. How you communicate, execute, and support people through a decision can be just as important as the decision itself. 2. Trust is built through character and competence. Good intentions matter, but people also need confidence in your ability to lead effectively. 3. Difficult decisions should never eliminate dignity. How we treat people when circumstances are hard reveals the kind of leaders we truly are. 4. Accountability belongs to the entire team. The strongest teams don't rely solely on the person at the top to hold everyone accountable. 5. Your timeline isn't necessarily your team's timeline. Leaders often have months to process change before their teams hear about it. Recognizing that difference is essential. 6. Great leadership requires emotional awareness. Moving the business forward means understanding the human experience behind the organizational decisions. 💡 A Thought to Leave You With You can be absolutely convinced that you're making the right decision. You can have the data, the strategy, and the best intentions. But if you forget that people are experiencing those decisions through a completely different lens, you may lose something far more difficult to rebuild than a business plan. Trust. Connect with Michael Neuendorff LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelneuendorff/ Website: https://bayareaexecutivecoach.com/ Executive Coach Training: https://bayareaexecutivecoachtraining.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bayareaexecutivecoach If you're leading through change, navigating difficult decisions, or trying to build a stronger leadership team, this conversation is for you. A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness! On a health journey too? Join me as I navigate Hashimoto's and Perimenopause like a BEAST 🔥 Rho Discount Code: https://rhonutrition.com/SONNIE15 Meraki Discount Code: http://www.merakimedicinal.com/EVOKEGREATNESS Check out my website: www.evokegreatness.com Follow me on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonnie-linebarger-899b9a52/ https://www.instagram.com/evoke.greatness/ https://www.tiktok.com/@evoke.greatness http://www.youtube.com/@evokegreatness

    You Can Make the Right Decision and Still Lose Your Team | Michael Neuendorff (Pt. 2)

  3. Oct 6 ·  Video

    The Leader You Were Won’t Get You Where You’re Going | Michael Neuendorff (Pt. 1)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Ep. 227 The Leader You Were Won’t Get You Where You’re Going | Michael Neuendorff (Pt. 1) The skills that get you promoted aren't always the skills that will make you successful at the next level. In Part 1 of my conversation with executive coach Michael Neuendorff, we unpack what really changes when you step into a bigger leadership role, and why some leaders grow into that responsibility while others simply survive it. Michael's own journey started with a deep fear of public speaking. What began as an effort to build confidence eventually opened the door to a career dedicated to helping leaders become more self-aware, decisive, emotionally intelligent, and effective. We talk about the subtle traps that can hold even high-performing leaders back: failing to delegate, waiting for perfect information before making a decision, allowing old feedback to shape how you see yourself, and trying to carry the weight of leadership alone. We also explore the growing role of AI in coaching and why technology can be an incredible tool, but may never fully replace the trust, challenge, vulnerability, and accountability of having the right person in your corner. In this episode, we talk about: • Why the skills that got you here may not get you where you're going • The three mistakes leaders often make after stepping into a bigger role • Why senior leaders have to become orchestrators instead of doers • Making high-stakes decisions without perfect information • How old feedback can quietly shape your leadership identity • Why real self-awareness requires outside perspective • The loneliness and isolation that can come with leadership • Why great leaders need people who challenge them, not just affirm them • AI coaching vs. human coaching • How to know whether your emotional intelligence is actually improving 🔑 Key Takeaways Your next level requires a different version of you. The behaviors that made you successful in one role can become the very things that limit you in the next. Senior leadership requires letting go. As responsibility grows, your job shifts from doing the work to orchestrating the people, decisions, and relationships that make the work possible. Decisiveness doesn't require certainty. Leadership often means making high-stakes decisions with imperfect information and being willing to adjust as you learn more. Feedback can become a story you carry for years. Something said about you early in your career can quietly become part of your identity long after it stops being true. Leadership can be incredibly isolating. The higher you rise, the easier it becomes to believe you're supposed to have everything figured out. Great leaders intentionally build relationships with people they can be honest and vulnerable with. The best coaching doesn't just affirm you. Whether the coach is human or AI, growth requires someone, or something, willing to challenge your assumptions and show you what you may not see yourself. 💡 Quotes to Remember “Sometimes leadership can be isolating.” “Talking to a coach can help you to have conversations that you are only having in your head.” “They don't want to be flattered. They want someone to tell them what they're missing.” Connect with Michael LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelneuendorff/ Bay Area Executive Coach on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bay-area-executive-coach/?viewAsMember=true YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bayareaexecutivecoach Bay Area Executive Coach Training: https://bayareaexecutivecoachtraining.com/ Bay Area Executive Coach: https://bayareaexecutivecoach.com/ Next week, Michael and I take the conversation from how you grow as a leader to what happens when your leadership impacts an entire organization. We get into trust, difficult conversations, layoffs and dignity, team accountability, and one of the biggest mistakes leaders make during organizational change: forgetting that while you've had months to process what's coming, your people may be hearing it for the very first time. A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness! On a health journey too? Join me as I navigate Hashimoto's and Perimenopause like a BEAST 🔥 Rho Discount Code: https://rhonutrition.com/SONNIE15 Meraki Discount Code: http://www.merakimedicinal.com/EVOKEGREATNESS Check out my website: www.evokegreatness.com Follow me on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonnie-linebarger-899b9a52/ https://www.instagram.com/evoke.greatness/ https://www.tiktok.com/@evoke.greatness http://www.youtube.com/@evokegreatness

    The Leader You Were Won’t Get You Where You’re Going | Michael Neuendorff (Pt. 1)

  4. Sep 29 ·  Video

    What Building Spartan Taught Him About Surviving the Unthinkable | Brian Duncanson (Pt. 2)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧Ep 226: What Building Spartan Taught Him About Surviving the Unthinkable | Brian Duncanson (Pt. 2) In part one of this conversation on Evoke Greatness, Brian Duncanson shared what decades of adventure racing and helping build Spartan taught him about choosing hard things. But what happens when you don’t get to choose the hard thing? In part two, Brian takes us deeper into the story behind Spartan and the lessons that eventually became the foundation of his book, Becoming Spartan. He shares how Spartan grew into something much bigger than an obstacle race. Almost immediately, stories began coming back from people whose experience on the course became a catalyst for transformation. People navigating divorce. Alcoholism. PTSD after military service. Amputation. They weren’t simply crossing a finish line. They were proving something to themselves. Then Brian found himself needing those same lessons. A cancer diagnosis discovered unexpectedly during a dental visit changed everything. Suddenly, resilience wasn’t a business philosophy or something tested during an adventure race. It became personal. Brian shares how he approached cancer the same way he had approached seemingly impossible races: don’t try to conquer the entire mountain at once. Find the next checkpoint. In the hospital, that became walking laps around the floor with his IV pole. First half a mile. Then a mile. Then two. Then finding the stairwell. Little goals. Little victories. Keep moving. We also get into the business lessons behind Spartan, including what Brian calls “two-bike math,” operating without all the resources you think you need, finding opportunity inside constraints, and learning to adapt instead of waiting for perfect conditions. This conversation is ultimately about something bigger than Spartan. It’s about what happens when the mindset you’ve spent years building becomes the thing you have to lean on when life gets hard. In this episode, we talk about: How Spartan became a vehicle for transformation, not simply an obstacle raceThe unexpected stories Brian began hearing from Spartan participantsBuilding a business when resources are limited“Two-bike math” and learning to accomplish the mission with lessWhy constraints can force creativityThe cancer diagnosis that changed Brian’s lifeWhat adventure racing taught him about facing cancerCreating checkpoints when the finish line feels impossibly far awayThe power of tiny victoriesWhy resilience is built long before you actually need itThe lessons behind Brian’s book, Becoming SpartanBrian’s story is a reminder that we don’t get to decide when life will test us. But we do get to decide who we’re becoming before that test arrives. 📖 Brian’s book: Becoming Spartan: Leveraging Friction to Forge, Scale, and Outlast Find Becoming Spartan 📱 Connect with Brian: Instagram LinkedIn Brian’s links A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness! On a health journey too? Join me as I navigate Hashimoto's and Perimenopause like a BEAST 🔥 Rho Discount Code: https://rhonutrition.com/SONNIE15 Meraki Discount Code: http://www.merakimedicinal.com/EVOKEGREATNESS Check out my website: www.evokegreatness.com Follow me on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonnie-linebarger-899b9a52/ https://www.instagram.com/evoke.greatness/ https://www.tiktok.com/@evoke.greatness http://www.youtube.com/@evokegreatness

  5. Sep 24 ·  Video

    When Things Get Hard, Who Do You Become? | Brian Duncanson (Pt. 1)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧Ep 225: When Things Get Hard, Who Do You Become? | Brian Duncanson (Pt. 1) What happens when everything gets stripped away and there’s nowhere left to hide? In part one of this conversation on Evoke Greatness, Sonnie sits down with Brian Duncanson, known throughout the Spartan movement as “Spartan One” and “The Navigator.” For more than two decades, Brian has been one of the strategic forces behind Spartan’s growth, helping transform an unconventional idea into a global movement built around doing hard things. But Brian’s understanding of resilience was forged long before it became a business philosophy. He shares lessons from decades of adventure racing, where exhaustion, freezing temperatures, uncertainty, and sleep deprivation have a way of revealing who people really are. Some of the strongest athletes made terrible teammates. Others became invaluable when everything started going wrong. Brian and Sonnie unpack what happens when we intentionally put ourselves in hard situations, how doing difficult things changes our perspective, and why the challenges we choose can prepare us for the ones we don’t. Brian also shares one of the rules his team developed during grueling multi-day races: never quit in the dark. Get through the night. Wait for the sun to come up. Then decide. In this episode: How Brian became “The Navigator” behind SpartanThe early days of adventure racing and pushing beyond perceived limitsWhy incredible athletes don’t always make incredible teammatesWhat adversity reveals when there’s nowhere left to hideWhy adaptability became invaluable while building SpartanThe danger of becoming too comfortableHow intentionally doing hard things changes your perspectiveWhy you shouldn’t make the decision to quit in your darkest momentHow friction can forge resilience in life, leadership, and businessThis conversation is a reminder that we often don’t know what we’re capable of until life, or our own choices, asks more of us than we thought we could give. And sometimes the goal isn’t to avoid the hard thing. It’s to become someone who knows how to move through it. Connect with Brian Duncanson: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianduncanson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-duncanson-6825971a/ Get Brian’s book: Becoming Spartan: Leveraging Friction to Forge, Scale, and Outlast https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2RCLPLG Find all of Brian’s links: https://linktr.ee/brian_duncanson Subscribe to Evoke Greatness wherever you listen to podcasts, and share this episode with someone who may need the reminder to keep going. A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness! On a health journey too? Join me as I navigate Hashimoto's and Perimenopause like a BEAST 🔥 Rho Discount Code: https://rhonutrition.com/SONNIE15 Meraki Discount Code: http://www.merakimedicinal.com/EVOKEGREATNESS Check out my website: www.evokegreatness.com Follow me on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonnie-linebarger-899b9a52/ https://www.instagram.com/evoke.greatness/ https://www.tiktok.com/@evoke.greatness http://www.youtube.com/@evokegreatness

    When Things Get Hard, Who Do You Become? | Brian Duncanson (Pt. 1)

  6. Sep 15 ·  Video

    The Messy Middle: How to Keep Moving When Everything Is Changing

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Ep 224: The Messy Middle: How to Keep Moving When Everything Is Changing In this solo episode of Evoke Greatness, Sonnie talks about something most of us are experiencing in one form or another right now: change. Not change from the perspective of someone who has already made it through and can neatly explain what it all meant. Change from right in the middle of it. Sonnie shares candidly about leading an entire organization through significant change while navigating change personally, and why the hardest part is often the space between what was and what will be. The old reality is gone, but the new one has not yet become familiar enough to trust. She explores the psychology of uncertainty, why our brains work so hard to predict what comes next, and how easily we can mistake discomfort for evidence that something is wrong. Sonnie also revisits the concept of choice architecture, first introduced to her by former Evoke Greatness guest, Dr. Ben Granger. We may not get to choose the circumstances, the timing, the loss, the decision, or the disruption, but there is still a choice available to us: what do we do from here? This episode offers practical ways to navigate the messy middle without toxic positivity, pretending everything is fine, or allowing fear to write the ending of a story that is not finished yet. You’ll learn: Why the middle of change can feel harder than the beginning or the endWhat uncertainty does to us psychologically, emotionally, and physicallyWhy discomfort does not automatically mean you are moving in the wrong directionHow choice architecture can change the way you respond to circumstances you did not chooseHow to separate what you actually know from the story your mind is creatingWhy shrinking your time horizon can make overwhelming change more manageableHow to recognize small evidence that progress is happening before the full outcome is visible🔑 Key takeaways: Uncertainty is not the same thing as wrongDiscomfort is not always danger. Sometimes it simply means something is newYou may not control what changed, but you still have choices about what happens nextResistance makes you carry both the change and the fight against itDo not assign permanent meaning to a temporary chapterYou do not need proof that the entire future will work out. You need enough clarity to take the next step💬 Quotes to remember: “Don’t decide how the story ends while you’re still standing in the middle of it.” “Sometimes we’re standing in a future that hasn’t become familiar yet.” “Feel it. Name it. Process it. Just don’t build a house there.” “You’re trying to review the book while you’re still in chapter seven.” “What could become possible if I stopped requiring the future to look like the past?” 🚀 If you are in a season where everything feels uncertain, this episode is an invitation to stop trying to solve the entire future today. You do not have to love the messy middle or pretend the hard parts are not hard. Get curious about what could exist on the other side, look for evidence of progress, and focus on the next thing that is actually yours to do. Listener Challenge Choose one area of your life where you are experiencing change right now. Then answer four questions: What do I know to be true?What story am I telling myself about it?What is within my control in the next 24 hours?What could become possible if I stopped requiring the future to look like the past?Choose one action you can take in the next 24 hours and take it. Then go to EvokeGreatness.com → Contact Me → Orange Button and leave Sonnie a voicemail, anonymously or with your name. Share: What messy middle you are navigatingWhat story you realized you were telling yourselfWhat becomes possible when you stop trying to make the future look like the pastWhat action you are taking nextA rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness! On a health journey too? Join me as I navigate Hashimoto's and Perimenopause like a BEAST 🔥 Rho Discount Code: https://rhonutrition.com/SONNIE15 Meraki Discount Code: http://www.merakimedicinal.com/EVOKEGREATNESS Check out my website: www.evokegreatness.com Follow me on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonnie-linebarger-899b9a52/ https://www.instagram.com/evoke.greatness/ https://www.tiktok.com/@evoke.greatness http://www.youtube.com/@evokegreatness

  7. Sep 8 ·  Video

    How to Find What’s Stalling Your Business Growth | David Asarnow (Pt. 2)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Ep 223: How to Find What’s Stalling Your Business Growth | David Asarnow (Pt. 2) In part two of this conversation on Evoke Greatness, Sonnie and David Asarnow move from using AI effectively to identifying what is actually limiting your growth. David begins with the decision to step away from his business for an entire month and trek more than 120 miles through the Himalayas with his son, reaching 17,000 feet without oxygen. The experience became more than a physical challenge. It revealed what becomes possible when you stop letting perceived limitations make your decisions. He then shares the principles behind building two eight-figure businesses, including setting goals so big other people think you are crazy, creating a flywheel that sustains momentum, and protecting your vision from people who cannot yet see what you see. David also breaks down the Revenue Multiplier Matrix: visibility × trust × conversion × lifetime value. When growth stalls, the answer is not always more effort. One weak score can quietly limit everything else. You’ll learn: What trekking 120 miles through the Himalayas taught David about challenge and perspectiveWhy bold goals and a clear flywheel create sustainable business momentumHow other people’s limitations can quietly change what you believe is possibleWhy visibility, trust, conversion, and lifetime value determine your growthHow improving one weak score can double or triple your resultsHow to find a blue ocean by solving the customer’s real, unresolved problem🔑 Key takeaways: What you focus on expands, including the limitations you acceptYou cannot improve what you have not measuredMore visibility will not solve a trust or conversion problemDifferentiation begins with the customer’s pain, not another claim that you are the bestCore values only matter when they become visible, repeatable behaviors💬 Quotes to remember: “Whatever you focus on, you expand.” “The only way you’re going to get improvement is if you know your baseline.” “You’ve got to do whatever you can to show people how you’re unique in solving their problems.” “Sit back sometimes and just be grateful for whatever it is that you have.” 🚀 If you are working harder but your business still feels stuck, this episode will help you stop trying to improve everything at once. Identify the score holding you back, understand the problem from your customer’s point of view, and focus your energy where it can create the greatest change. Listener Challenge Score yourself or your business from 1 to 10 in each area: VisibilityTrustConversionLifetime customer valueWhich score is the lowest? Choose one action you can take this week to strengthen it. Then go to EvokeGreatness.com → Contact Me → Orange Button and leave Sonnie a voicemail, anonymously or with your name. Share: Which score revealed your greatest opportunityWhat truth you had to acknowledgeWhat action you are taking nextYour courage builds the movement. Connect with David Asarnow: David Asarnow’s linksFacebookInstagramLinkedInTED Talk: The New Secret Superpower for EntrepreneursA rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness! On a health journey too? Join me as I navigate Hashimoto's and Perimenopause like a BEAST 🔥 Rho Discount Code: https://rhonutrition.com/SONNIE15 Meraki Discount Code: http://www.merakimedicinal.com/EVOKEGREATNESS Check out my website: www.evokegreatness.com Follow me on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonnie-linebarger-899b9a52/ https://www.instagram.com/evoke.greatness/ https://www.tiktok.com/@evoke.greatness http://www.youtube.com/@evokegreatness

    How to Find What’s Stalling Your Business Growth | David Asarnow (Pt. 2)

  8. Sep 1 ·  Video

    How to Use AI to Grow Your Business Without Losing Your Voice | David Asarnow (Pt. 1)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Ep 222: How to Use AI to Grow Your Business Without Losing Your Voice | David Asarnow (Pt. 1) In part one of this two-part conversation on Evoke Greatness, Sonnie sits down with David Asarnow, creator of the Revenue Multiplier Matrix, founder of Business Nitrogen, and former top trainer for Tony Robbins and Chet Holmes at Business Breakthroughs. David has driven more than $745 million in client revenue and built two eight-figure companies, one from zero to $45 million in five years and another from zero to $10 million. Most business owners are using AI to work faster. David makes the case that the real revenue is in using it to think better, even when that takes longer. He breaks down where artificial intelligence creates leverage for entrepreneurs, where it quietly destroys customer trust, and why he still refuses to give it access to everything in his own business. Then the conversation turns personal. David shares the season early in his career when he was certain he was about to be fired, and the single change that took him from closing almost nothing to becoming one of the top speakers in the company in 90 days. It's a lesson about authenticity that applies to anyone following a proven playbook and wondering why it isn't working. You'll learn: Why AI has both a curse and an advantage, and what separates entrepreneurs who get leverage from those who get lazyHow to use AI as a 160-IQ thinking partner instead of a shortcutWhy slowing down with artificial intelligence can produce a dramatically better business resultThe guardrails every business owner needs before automating, and the client mistake that triggered a cease and desist letterWhy AI-driven conversion drops the moment a customer senses they're talking to a machineWhat thousands of entrepreneurs taught David about how fast decisions drive growthWhy following the script perfectly was the thing holding him back🔑 Key takeaways: AI used as a crutch removes strategic thinking; AI used as leverage multiplies itThe highest-value use of artificial intelligence is better thinking, not faster outputIf you're not checking AI's output, it isn't your output anymorePeople still do business with people, and automating everything breaks the trust that drives conversionGreat information delivered without your own fingerprint still lands flatThe highest performers know what they want and make fast decisionsMost people won't put in the extra reps, and that's exactly where the opening isEgo is the trap; the willingness to keep growing is the way out💬 Quotes to remember: "There's a curse of AI and there's an advantage of AI." "People still do business with people." "You may actually take longer if you use artificial intelligence. However, the end result could actually be greater." "If you're not checking what it's doing, then it's not your output anymore." "Your website sucks. Come work for us." (Chet Holmes' recruiting email) "I don't know. I'm just being myself." 🚀 If you've adopted AI tools but aren't seeing revenue from them, or you've been following all the right advice and watching it land flat, this episode gives you a different way to think about both. ⏭️ Coming next week in Part 2: David's son asks him to take a month off work, and what he says yes to is 120 miles through the Himalayas at 17,000 feet without oxygen. Plus the four-part revenue equation behind $745 million, why 85% of searches now end without a click, how to find a blue ocean in a saturated market, and the two words Bob Proctor said to him in 1999 that changed how he built every company after. Listener Challenge: Think about where you've been running someone else's script. A framework you follow to the letter, advice you've taken without adapting, a way of showing up that isn't quite yours. This week, run it your way once. Tell your own story instead of the borrowed one. Then go to EvokeGreatness.com → Contact Me → Orange Button and leave a voicemail (anonymous or named). Sonnie wants to hear: Where you'd been following the scriptWhat you changedWhat shifted when you didYour courage builds the movement. Connect with David Asarnow:  https://linktr.ee/realdavidasarnow https://www.facebook.com/realdavidasarnow https://www.instagram.com/realdavidasarnow Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidasarnow/ Ted Talk- https://www.ted.com/talks/david_asarnow_the_new_secret_superpower_for_entrepreneurs A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness! On a health journey too? Join me as I navigate Hashimoto's and Perimenopause like a BEAST 🔥 Rho Discount Code: https://rhonutrition.com/SONNIE15 Meraki Discount Code: http://www.merakimedicinal.com/EVOKEGREATNESS Check out my website: www.evokegreatness.com Follow me on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonnie-linebarger-899b9a52/ https://www.instagram.com/evoke.greatness/ https://www.tiktok.com/@evoke.greatness http://www.youtube.com/@evokegreatness

    How to Use AI to Grow Your Business Without Losing Your Voice | David Asarnow (Pt. 1)
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About

Do you have an insatiable hunger for growth, knowledge, and elevating how you show up in business and in life? Are you curious how high-performing leaders think, operate, and navigate the real challenges that come with building, scaling, and leading? I’m Sonnie Linebarger, CEO and host of Evoke Greatness… a top 2% globally ranked business and leadership podcast fueled by curiosity, performance, and a deep fascination with the psychology behind great leadership. I’m a book nerd, a bit of a control enthusiast, and someone who believes that success is built as much internally as it is externally. On this podcast, we go beyond strategy. We explore the real conversations behind leadership, the decisions, the pressure, the growth, and the personal development required to execute at the highest level. We share the highs and lows and everything in between… because building something meaningful will stretch you in ways nothing else can. My hope is that something you hear resonates deeply, challenges how you think, and reminds you that you’re not in this alone. I believe that a rising tide raises all ships and I invite you along in this journey to Evoke Greatness!

Information

  • Creator
    Sonnie Linebarger
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    229
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Evoke Greatness Podcast
  • Show Website
    Evoke Greatness Podcast