Evoke Greatness Podcast

Sonnie Linebarger

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. 3d ago

    Comfort Is a Trap: David Schnurman on Choosing the Hard Path On Purpose (Pt. 2)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Ep. 215: Comfort Is a Trap — David Schnurman on Choosing the Hard Path On Purpose (Pt.2) Episode Summary Comfort feels safe. David Schnurman says that's exactly the problem. In part two of this conversation, David and Sonnie dig into the second year of his family's life abroad — the year that almost didn't happen. When summer camp got cancelled due to COVID, the Schnurmans didn't go home. Instead, they opened a map, picked a route through Spain and France with no real plan, and called it "Schnurman Summer Camp." This episode is a masterclass in choosing discomfort on purpose: a 1,800-mile road trip through Alaska to chase the Northern Lights at 21 degrees below zero, the "narrow river" mindset that helped David make peace with uncertainty, why your own family can be your biggest naysayer, and a full-circle story about meeting someone 20 years later who didn't even remember them. David closes with the one thing he'd want to leave the world if this were his last day on earth. In This Episode You'll Hear: The story behind "Schnurman Summer Camp" — how a cancelled camp turned into an unplanned, unforgettable road trip through Spain and FranceDavid's account of driving up a mountain in Alaska at 21°F below zero to chase the Northern Lights with his familyThe "kayak vs. cargo ship" story that reframed how David thinks about getting stuck in lifeWhy comfort and happiness are not the same thing — and why choosing the hard path on purpose is the throughline of David's lifeThe E + R = O formula for taking back control when you can't control the outcomeWhy your family and friends are often your biggest naysayers, and how to tell real feedback from fearThe "B to an A" problem: why getting from good to great takes ten times the effort of getting from average to goodA full-circle story from Sevilla, twenty years in the making, about the seeds we don't realize we're planting in other people's livesDavid's answer to the question: if this were your last day, what's the one thing you'd want to leave the world with?Where to find David, connect with him, and grab a copy of Eleven SuitcasesKey Quotes "Comfort is not happiness. I can give you time after time of examples of why comfort is not happiness." — David Schnurman "Going from a C to a B takes 10% of effort, but going from a B to an A takes 10x that." — David Schnurman "You don't realize you're planting seeds. You might plant a seed with one person, and twenty years later, that person might come back with nine other people to thank you for it." — David Schnurman "If someone's going to be a naysayer, make sure they've actually done what you're about to do — so they're giving you feedback from experience, not fear." — David Schnurman "The purpose of our life is to narrow the gap between who we are and who we want to be. You'll never fully get there, and that's the journey." — David Schnurman "Our unlock was traveling together and doing the hard things as a family. Life experiences outlast everything else — they get passed down." — David Schnurman Resources & Links 📘 Eleven Suitcases: How Moving Abroad Changed a Family Forever → 11suitcases.com📘 The Fast Forward Mindset: How to Be Fearless & Focused to Accelerate Your Success → Amazon🌐 Lawline → lawline.com💼 Connect with David on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/davidschnurmanA 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

    27 min
  2. Jun 23

    How to Stop Playing It Safe and Start Living the Life You Want with David Schnurman (Pt. 1)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Ep. 214: How to Stop Playing It Safe and Start Living the Life You Want with David Schnurman (Pt. 1) What does it look like to stop waiting on someday? In this rich, deeply human conversation, Sonnie sits down with David Schnurman — entrepreneur, two-time author, TEDx speaker, and CEO of Lawline — to unpack what it really takes to trade comfort for the life you actually want. David shares the winding, non-linear path that took him from Brooklyn to law school to building one of the leading legal education companies in the country — and eventually to packing his family of five into eleven suitcases and moving to Barcelona with no guarantees. What followed was equal parts adventure and chaos, including being locked inside an apartment for 52 days during Europe's strictest COVID lockdown with three kids and no way home. This episode is part one of a two-part conversation. Come ready to think differently about how you label your setbacks, how long your "someday" has been waiting, and what it truly means to live without regrets. In This Episode You'll Hear: The "Good Thing, Bad Thing, Who Knows" mindset framework David lives by — and how it started with getting thrown out of an attorney's officeHow a podcast David started in law school in 2006 became the seed of everything he's built sinceWhy it took four years to turn the Barcelona dream from a kitchen table idea into a plane ticket — and what finally made it realThe conversation David had with his 10-year-old daughter one month into living abroad that said it allWhat life looked like inside Europe's strictest COVID lockdown — 52 days, three kids, one terrace, and the clapping neighbors who kept them goingWhy vulnerability is the new currency of leadershipThe powerful connection between the regrets David hears from people in their final days and why his family made the leap they didHow Sonnie's 20+ years as a hospice nurse shaped her "show me how good it can get" philosophy — and David's real-time curiosity about itKey Quotes "We tend to label a situation bad ten times more than we label it good. And as soon as we label it bad, we experience it as bad." — David Schnurman "Being comfortable and being happy are not the same thing." — David Schnurman "They didn't have a choice whether they went or not. They chose how they showed up." — David Schnurman, on his kids walking into an international school in Barcelona "Vulnerability is the new currency." — David Schnurman "We function in our lives not out of what we want — but out of what we think other people expect of us. And your life can get lost in that." — Sonnie Resources & Links 📘 Eleven Suitcases: How Moving Abroad Changed a Family Forever → elevensuitcases.com📘 The Fast Forward Mindset: How to Be Fearless & Focused to Accelerate Your Success → Amazon🌐 Lawline → lawline.com💼 Connect with David on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/davidschnurmanA 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

    31 min
  3. Jun 12

    How to Rewire Your Brain for Peak Performance and Lead at Your Best When It Matters Most | Dr. Izzy Justice (Pt. 2)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Ep. 213: How to Rewire Your Brain for Peak Performance and Lead at Your Best When It Matters Most | Dr. Izzy Justice (Pt. 2) What if everything you thought you knew about peak performance, stress, and confidence was missing the one thing that actually matters? In Part 2 of this conversation, neuroscientist and performance expert Dr. Izzy Justice is back — and this time, we're getting practical. We're talking about what's actually happening in your brain in the seconds before you choke, freeze, or fall short of your best. And more importantly, what you can do about it in 10 seconds or less. This episode will change how you understand yourself — and how you show up in every moment that matters. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, go back and start there. Then come right back here. In This Episode, You'll Learn: 💡 Why peak performance has almost nothing to do with talent — and everything to do with brain access💡 What actually happens in your brain milliseconds before you choke under pressure💡 The difference between micro trauma and big trauma — and how both silently sabotage your performance💡 What neurohacks are and why they work when yoga, meditation, and mindfulness can't💡 The 10-10 neurohack you can do in 20 seconds that delivers the cognitive equivalent of up to 20 minutes of meditation💡 The Nano Climbers exercise — and why you can do it under a desk in the middle of a board meeting without anyone knowing💡 Why kindness — not gratitude — is the ultimate neurohack (and why the science backs it up)💡 How getting to 10 hertz improves your memory access by up to 40% and your learning capacity by up to 20%💡 Why "stress" isn't real — and what it actually is.🔗 Connect with Dr. Izzy: Website: drizzyjustice.comApp: Neuro580 — available to download, approximately $8/monthYouTube: Search Neuro580 for episodes on sleep, kindness, performance, and moreResources & Links Mentioned 📚 Life Explained: Chasing 10 Hertz by Dr. Izzy Justice — available at drizzyjustice.com📱 Neuro580 App — 30+ neurohacks available on demandA 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

    31 min
  4. Jun 2

    What Your Brain Does Before Greatness | Dr. Izzy Justice on Flow, Fear & Peak Performance (Part 1)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Ep 212: What Your Brain Does Before Greatness | Dr. Izzy Justice on Flow, Fear & Peak Performance (Part 1) There is a moment right before the swing, before the speech, before the decision that changes everything. And in those seconds, your brain is either working for you — or against you. Dr. Izzy Justice has spent his career studying exactly that moment. As Chief Neuroscience Officer at Neuro580 and one of the world's leading sports neuroscientists, Dr. Izzy has conducted over 18,000 EEG brain scans during live performance, certified 300+ coaches worldwide, and worked with elite athletes who have gone on to win Olympic medals and major championships. He's also coached more than 30 CEOs — because it turns out the neuroscience of a golfer about to sink a putt and a leader about to make a high-stakes decision look remarkably similar. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, we go deep into the science of peak performance — and what's really happening in your brain in the moments that matter most. What You'll Learn in This Episode: The 10 Hz discovery — Why the brain's "sweet spot" for peak performance is closer to sleep than to excitement, and what that means for how you train your mindWhy "confidence" isn't real — Dr. Izzy breaks down what confidence, flow, and focus actually are neurologically (and why our language around performance is holding us back)Sensory amplification & access — The two things that happen in your brain at 10 Hz that explain why elite performers "see the basket bigger" and "remember exactly the right thing" under pressureThe trauma-performance connection — Why our brain is biased toward storing negative experiences, and how unresolved trauma is silently capping your performance ceilingThe NASCAR driver case study — A vivid real-world example of how a single traumatic event rewired a champion's brain for two years — and what it took to reverse itFlow vs. fear on an EEG — Can you actually see the neurological difference? (Yes. And the answer will surprise you.)Why the brain prioritizes negative memories — It's not a flaw. It's a survival design. But in the modern world, it may be your biggest performance liability.About Dr. Izzy Justice: Dr. Izzy Justice is the Chief Neuroscience Officer at Neuro580 and a pioneer in the field of sports neuroscience. He has conducted over 18,000 EEG brain scans during live athletic performance, certified more than 300 coaches worldwide, and coached elite athletes across multiple sports — many of whom have gone on to win championships and Olympic medals. He is the creator of Neurohacks, rapid science-backed techniques designed to remove mental distractions and access flow in real time. Beyond sports, Dr. Izzy has worked with 30+ CEOs and dozens of Chief People Officers. He is the author of 10 books, including his most recent bestseller Life Explained. 🔗 Connect with Dr. Izzy Justice: https://drizzyjustice.com/ 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

    33 min
  5. May 20

    How to Organize Your Life, Protect Your Energy and Put Yourself Back on the List | Lisa Woodruff (Pt. 2)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Ep. 211 How to Organize Your Life, Protect Your Energy and Put Yourself Back on the List | Lisa Woodruff (Pt. 2) You started Part 1 understanding the weight you've been carrying. Now it's time to put it down. In Part 2 of this conversation, Lisa Woodruff is back and we are going deeper. We're talking about the practical, no-excuses systems that will change how your home runs — and how you show up everywhere else because of it. We're talking about the invisible projects piling up in your corners, your closets, and your mind. And we're talking about something most women never do: organizing their own room first. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, go back and start there. Then come right back. In This Episode, You'll Learn: 💡 Why your disorganized home is creating a quiet fraud complex at work — and how to fix it💡 The generational conversation you need to have about stuff — and how to make it land with love💡 Why it's always easier to organize someone else's space than your own (and what that's really telling you)💡 Lisa's 24-hour rule that will stop half-finished projects from taking over your life💡 The permission slip you didn't know you needed: abandon what you're no longer going to do💡 Why organizing your own bedroom first is one of the most powerful acts of self-leadership💡 What Lisa's upcoming book Escaping Quicksand gives women that they haven't been able to give themselves✨ Pull Quotes "I am successful at work. Put me in the board meeting, I can do it. And I come home and I don't even want to go home." "When you're at work and somebody needs information, it's — call mom in the middle of a meeting." "Ladies, go organize your own bedroom. We spend every weekend doing it for our kids and guess what we have to do next weekend? Their rooms again." "Just do it. No one is going to stop you, and no one is going to give you permission." 🔗 Connect with Lisa: Website: organize365.comPodcast: Organize 365Instagram: @organized365Resources & Links Mentioned 📚 The Mindset of Organization by Lisa Woodruff📚 Escaping Quicksand by Lisa Woodruff (coming soon)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

    24 min
  6. May 12

    How to Stop Drowning in Clutter and Reclaim Your Mental Clarity | Lisa Woodruff (Pt. 1)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Ep. 210 How to Stop Drowning in Clutter and Reclaim Your Mental Clarity | Lisa Woodruff (Pt. 1) 📝 Show Notes What does the pile of paper on your counter have to do with your capacity to lead? More than you think. Lisa Woodruff is the founder of Organize 365 and author of the upcoming book Escaping Quicksand. She has spent decades helping women build functional systems for their homes and lives. And she is quick to say: organization is not about color-coded bins. It is about reclaiming the mental capacity you have been quietly losing one postponed decision at a time. In Part 1, Lisa and Sonnie dig into why the most capable women are often the most buried at home, why decluttering alone keeps you stuck in a cycle, and the identity work that has to happen before any system can stick. 🔍 In This Episode We Cover: Why high-achieving women often sink the fastest into organizational overwhelmThe difference between decluttering and organizing, and why confusing them keeps you stuckHow identity and emotion get wrapped around our stuffWhat decision fatigue and executive function have to do with a messy homeWhy Pinterest-perfect organization often makes the real problem worseThe 3-step starter system for any room when you don't know where to begin🔑 Key Takeaways: Quicksand accumulates one postponed decision at a time. It is not a reflection of your intelligence or your worthDecluttering is a tool, not a solution. Used alone, it creates a cycle of purge and reaccumulateFunctional organization always beats aesthetic organization. A system no one can use is not a systemGetting organized in a new season requires new skills. What worked before may not serve where you are going🔗 Resources: Book pre-order + bonus book club:EscapingQuicksand.comWebsite:Organize365.comA 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

    28 min
  7. Apr 28

    Dominance vs. Prestige, Human Skills, and the Science of Leadership Influence | Dr. Benjamin Granger (Pt. 2)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Episode 209: Dominance vs. Prestige, Human Skills, and the Science of Leadership Influence | Dr. Benjamin Granger (Pt. 2) 📝 Show Notes What does evolutionary biology have to do with your leadership style? More than you think. In Part 2 of this conversation, Sonnie and Dr. Benjamin Granger go deeper into the science of leadership, from the two paths humans use to gain social status, to why your physical environment shapes behavior in ways you never see coming. Benjamin unpacks the difference between dominance and prestige as competing leadership strategies, and makes a compelling case for why prestige-based leadership is not just the ethical choice, it is the most effective one for navigating the future of work. They explore why humans are far more susceptible to their environments than they want to believe, why negative feedback is actually a sign of a healthy team, and what science says about the direct and indirect ways leaders shape behavior every single day. One concept from this episode will stop you cold: choice architecture. Every leader is designing the decision environment around their team whether they know it or not. The question is whether they are doing it intentionally. Benjamin closes with a final piece of wisdom from Stephen Hawking that will stay with you long after the episode ends. 🔍 In This Episode We Cover: The two evolutionary paths to social status and what they reveal about your leadership styleWhy dominance-based leadership is still alive in modern organizations and what it costsHow environments shape behavior gradually, and why no leader is immuneWhy negative feedback from your team is actually good newsThe body language habits that silently signal whether people feel heardWhy human skills and metacognitive skills are the most critical leadership capabilities in the age of AIWhat choice architecture means and how every leader is using it whether they realize it or notWhy the physical environment of your workplace sends a message louder than your values statement🔑 Key Takeaways: Leaders who earn followership through prestige outperform those who rely on dominance, especially in times of uncertainty and changeNo one is immune to their environment. The most self-aware leaders ask: is this environment healthy for me?Negative feedback means your team trusts you. Silence should concern you far moreHard skills are being commoditized. The ability to learn, adapt, and lead through ambiguity is what differentiates the best leaders nowEvery policy, artifact, and physical space in your organization is a form of leadership communicationMankind's greatest achievements have come about by talking. Its greatest failures by not talking. (Stephen Hawking) 🔗 Connect with Dr. Benjamin Granger: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-granger-7147991b/Website: https://benjamingranger.comA 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

    40 min
  8. Apr 21

    Becoming a Leader Worth Following | Dr. Benjamin Granger (Part 1)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎧 Episode 208: Becoming a Leader Worth Following | Dr. Benjamin Granger (Part 1) 📝 Show Notes What separates a leader people genuinely want to follow from one they simply tolerate? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Sonnie sits down with Dr. Benjamin Granger, organizational psychologist and author of A Leader Worth Following, to explore the human side of leadership that most managers never learn in a training room. Benjamin traces how a lifelong curiosity about human behavior led him into organizational psychology, and why that same curiosity is the single most underrated skill in any leader's toolkit. Together, they unpack how leaders shape organizational culture every single day, not through big speeches or annual reviews, but through presence, communication style, and the micro-environments they create in every meeting, conversation, and decision. From meeting dynamics to psychological safety in the workplace, this episode breaks down why talented team members stay silent, and what high-performing leaders do differently to unlock trust, contribution, and better collective thinking. The core insight of this episode: leadership effectiveness isn't about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about creating the conditions for others to use theirs. 🔍 In This Episode We Cover: What organizational psychology reveals about effective leadershipWhy employees stay silent in meetings and what it signals about cultureHow leadership behaviors shape team culture in everyday interactionsHow to build psychological safety on your team and why it drives performanceThe power of asking better leadership questionsWhy nonverbal communication and body language often speak louder than words🔑 Key Takeaways: Curiosity is one of the most critical and most overlooked leadership skillsLeaders influence organizational culture through daily micro-interactions, not just big momentsSilence in team meetings is almost always a leadership signal, not an employee problemThe best leaders ask intentional questions, then actually listen to the answersPsychological safety in the workplace is a performance driver, not a soft skillNonverbal cues shape how your message lands, often more than the words themselves🔗 Connect with Dr. Benjamin Granger: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-granger-7147991b/Website: https://benjamingranger.com/Book: A Leader Worth FollowingA 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

    28 min
4.9
out of 5
72 Ratings

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!

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