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🎧 Episode 196: Becoming the Creative Director of Your Life with Chelsea Clarke (Pt. 1)

In Part 1 of this grounded and honest conversation, I’m joined by digital entrepreneur, investor, and author Chelsea Clarke for a real look at what reinvention actually requires…not in theory, but in real life.

Chelsea takes us back to the early chapter of her story…graduating from university without a plan, working multiple jobs just to get by, feeling discouraged about money, and trying to find her footing in a season that felt anything but clear. When pregnancy became the moment that forced her to take a hard look at her future, everything shifted.

This episode isn’t about overnight success or a perfectly packaged glow-up. It’s about the slow, intentional work of shedding old habits, releasing shame around past versions of yourself, and building trust with yourself one choice at a time.

Together, we explore how identity-based change creates lasting transformation…and why habits, mindset, and self-belief are the true foundation of growth.

Chelsea shares insights on:

• Why failure isn’t something to avoid…but something to learn from

 • How habit stacking creates momentum without overwhelm

 • Letting go of old versions of yourself with compassion, not criticism

 • The power of identity-based change versus relying on willpower alone

 • How small, consistent habits quietly reshape confidence and self-trust

 • Why honoring who you were is just as important as becoming who you’re meant to be

🔑 Key takeaways:

Reinvention happens through repetition, not perfection

Habits shape identity…and identity shapes outcomes

Self-trust is built by keeping small promises to yourself

Failure is a teacher, not a verdict

Growth begins when you stop shaming the past and start honoring it

💡 Quotes to remember:

“Failure isn’t a dead end…it’s a learning opportunity.”

“You don’t need to hate who you were to become who you’re meant to be.”

“Small habits, repeated consistently, change everything.”

If you’re in a season of transition…

If you’re quietly questioning whether the life you’re living still fits…

If you know you’re meant for more but aren’t sure where to begin…

This episode will remind you that reinvention doesn’t require a dramatic leap…just the courage to take the next honest step.

Part 1 lays the foundation.

 Part 2 is where we step fully into self-reliance, wealth mindset, and becoming the creative director of your own life.

A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness!

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

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🎧 Episode 195: When Success Breaks You Open with Josh Kosnick (Pt. 2)

In Part 2 of this deeply reflective conversation, I welcome back leadership coach, speaker, and author Josh Kosnick to explore the bridges most leaders avoid until life forces their hand…legacy, alignment, energy, relationships, and the truth about how we actually want to be remembered.

Building on the foundation of identity and faith from Part 1, this episode moves into the present-tense work of leadership. The kind that isn’t about titles, accolades, or someday success…but about the daily choices that either close the gap between who we are and who we’re becoming…or quietly widen it.

Together, we unpack what it means to live with intention now, informed by Josh’s work with high-performing leaders and my own lived experience walking alongside people at the very end of life, where unfinished business becomes painfully clear.

He offers insights on:

• Why legacy is not something you leave behind, but something you leave in others

 • The two biggest myths leaders believe about legacy…and why both are dangerous

 • What people truly regret at the end of life…and what they don’t

 • Why “good” and “great” can become enemies of what’s actually possible

 • How energy leaks reveal misalignment before burnout ever shows up

 • Why work-life balance is a myth…and what maximization really looks like

 • How your calendar tells the truth about your priorities

 • Simple practices like clarity breaks and gratitude that restore perspective and presence

🔑 Key takeaways:

Legacy is built daily, not someday

 Alignment matters more than achievement

 Energy is an early warning system for misalignment

 Presence creates more impact than performance alone

 Living intentionally now prevents regret later

💡 Quotes to remember:

“Legacy isn’t what you leave behind…it’s what you leave in people.”

“Good and great are often the enemies of what’s actually possible.”

“If there’s a gap between how you want to be remembered and how you’re living, the work is closing that gap.”

If you’ve checked the boxes but still feel an internal tension you can’t quite name…

 If you want success that feels whole, not hollow…

 If you’re ready to stop postponing meaning and start living aligned now…

This episode will meet you where you are…and call you forward.

Part 2 is where legacy becomes present tense and alignment becomes a daily practice.

A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness!

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

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🎧 Episode 194: When Success Breaks You Open: Josh Kosnick on Identity, Faith, and Rebuilding from the Inside Out

What happens when everything you’ve worked for disappears… and you’re forced to confront who you are without the title?

In Part 1 of this powerful conversation, Sonnie Linebarger sits down with leadership coach, speaker, and author Josh Kosnick to unpack the season that changed everything. After building and leading a multi-billion-dollar financial firm, Josh experienced an unexpected and painful exit that dismantled the identity he had built around achievement, ownership, and success.

What followed was grief… a loss of identity… and ultimately, a deep internal reckoning that led to the creation of The Kairos Code and his transformational Five Bridges Framework.

In this episode, Josh vulnerably shares:

• What it feels like to lose a business that once defined you
• Why grief shows up after both “good” and “bad” exits
• The identity he had to dismantle when success was stripped away
• Why spirituality must come before performance
• How misaligned success leads to burnout, broken relationships, and regret
• Why most leaders skip the inner work and rush to external fixes
• How faith, identity, and purpose form the foundation for sustainable leadership

This conversation is for the leader who looks successful on paper but feels restless, tired, or disconnected inside. It’s for the achiever who senses there has to be more than grinding, producing, and providing… and is ready to rebuild from the inside out.

✨ If you’ve ever tied your worth to your role…

 ✨ If you’ve experienced loss, transition, or identity confusion…

 ✨ If you’re craving success that doesn’t cost you your health, faith, or family…

This episode will meet you right where you are.

🎧 Part 2 dives deeper into the remaining bridges, relationships, environment, and legacy… so be sure to subscribe and stay tuned.

A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness!

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

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🎧 Episode 193: Where Real Leadership Begins with Laurie Maddalena (Pt. 2)

In this powerful continuation of my conversation with leadership expert, executive coach, and author Laurie Maddalena, we move from insight to application. Part Two is where leadership gets practical.

Laurie shares how leaders can break free from reactive cycles, lead through uncertainty with confidence, and create sustainable impact without burning themselves out. This episode dives deep into confident coaching, intentional focus, and the leadership behaviors that quietly determine whether teams merely function or truly flourish.

She offers insights on:

How to create space for constructive conflict without shutting it down

 Why lack of focus and lack of delegation quietly sabotage leadership effectiveness

 How leaders can move from reactive to intentional in demanding environments

 What confident coaching really looks like during uncertainty

 Why promoting technical skill over leadership readiness keeps organizations stuck

🔑 Key takeaways:

Constructive conflict strengthens teams when leaders normalize it

 Intentional focus is a leadership discipline, not a personality trait

 Delegation is essential to elevate both leaders and teams

 Coaching requires curiosity more than certainty

 Great leadership is sustainable when priorities are placed on purpose

💡 Quotes to remember:

 “Leadership becomes unsustainable when everything feels urgent.”

 “Moving from fixer to facilitator can change your leadership and your life.”

If you’re leading a team, a company, or a growing vision and feel pulled into constant reaction, this episode offers practical tools to help you lead with clarity, confidence, and intention.

This episode builds directly on Part One and brings the conversation full circle.

Connect with Laurie Maddalena:

 Website: https://www.lauriemaddalena.com/

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriemaddalena/

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauriemaddalena/

A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness!

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

Send us a text

🎧 Episode 192: Where Real Leadership Begins with Laurie Maddalena (Pt. 1)

In this powerful episode of Evoke Greatness, I welcome leadership expert, executive coach, and author Laurie Maddalena. Laurie shares the pivotal moments in her own leadership journey that revealed why traditional leadership models often fall short and where the real work of leadership truly begins. Together, we explore what it means to move from fixing and managing to leading with intention, awareness, and influence.

She offers insights on:

Recognizing the moment when doing more no longer creates better results

 Why leaders default to fixing instead of facilitating growth

 The internal shifts required to elevate leadership effectiveness

 How intentional leadership begins internally before it ever shows up externally

 The quiet leadership saboteurs that limit even high-performing leaders

🔑 Key takeaways:

Leadership evolution begins with self-awareness, not control

 Fixing problems can unintentionally limit growth in others

 Intentional leadership requires slowing down to lead more effectively

 Sustainable influence starts with mindset before skillset

 Elevated leadership creates space for people to rise, not depend

💡 Quotes to remember:

 “Leadership stops working when we rely solely on performance instead of presence.”

 “Elevated leadership isn’t about doing more. It’s about becoming more.”

If you’ve ever felt successful on paper but stretched, reactive, or disconnected in practice, this episode will meet you where you are and invite you into a deeper way of leading.

Part Two goes even deeper into confident coaching, navigating tough conversations, and elevating culture without burning out.

Connect with Laurie Maddalena:

 Website: https://www.lauriemaddalena.com/

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriemaddalena/

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauriemaddalena/

A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness!

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

Send us a text

🎧Ep 191: A Masterclass in Hard Conversations & Why Clarity Is Kindness

In this leadership-deepening episode of Evoke Greatness, Sonnie breaks down one of the most avoided and most essential skills in leadership: how to navigate hard conversations with courage, compassion, and clarity.

Sonnie shares why avoiding hard conversations doesn’t protect anyone… it actually deepens discomfort and robs people of the chance to grow. She takes listeners through a step-by-step framework for delivering honest feedback, redirecting defensiveness, creating psychological safety, and leading with confidence even when the moment feels uncomfortable. 

You’ll learn:

• Why the “feedback sandwich” weakens trust and confuses the message
• How to open tough conversations with honesty and congruence
• What to do when someone gets defensive, minimizes, blames, or derails
• How to use silence as a powerful leadership tool
• How to create psychological safety while keeping accountability high
• How to close the conversation in a way that builds trust and clarity

🔑 Key takeaways:

• Avoiding hard conversations deepens discomfort and erodes trust
• Clarity is kindness… and ambiguity is cruelty
• The feedback sandwich confuses people and signals fear
• Silence is a strategic tool that promotes reflection and accountability
• Safety doesn’t mean comfort — it means respect
• Leaders grow courage by having the conversation, not thinking about it
• Tough conversations done well strengthen teams, trust, and leadership maturity

💬 Quotes to remember:

“Avoiding hard conversations is actually unkind.”

“Clarity is kindness. Ambiguity is cruelty.”

“Defensiveness isn’t disrespect — it’s protection.”

“Hard conversations don’t get easier… you get stronger.”

🚀 If you’re a leader craving clarity, courage, and the ability to have conversations that actually transform performance, this episode gives you the roadmap.

Listener Challenge:

Think of the one conversation you’ve been avoiding...the one that knots your stomach, the one you keep pushing off.

 Have that conversation within the next 24 hours.

Then go to EvokeGreatness.com → Contact Me → Orange Button and leave a voicemail (anonymous or named). Sonnie wants to hear:

• What conversation you had
• How it went
• What shifted afterward

Your courage builds the movement.

A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness!

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

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🎧 Episode 190: 5 Secrets to Break into the C-Suite with Katy McFee 

In this inspiring episode of Evoke Greatness, I welcome Katy McFee, Founder of Insights to Action. Katy shares her journey from corporate frustration to executive success and how she's now dedicated to closing the gender gap in senior leadership. She offers insights on:

• Navigating the corporate ladder from director to EVP
• Overcoming challenges and misconceptions in leadership roles
• The power of authenticity and kindness in executive positions
• Creating supportive communities for women leaders
• Strategies for career growth and overcoming plateaus

🔑 Key takeaways:

1. Finding a supportive peer group is crucial for leadership growth
2. Balancing ambition with authenticity in male-dominated environments
3. The importance of self-reflection and awareness in career development
4. How to create structured networking opportunities for meaningful connections
5. Actionable steps for women feeling stuck in their careers

💡 Quotes to remember: "More women in leadership is the solution to so many of the challenges we face." - Katy McFee 
"You can do the hard thing... and still be kind." - Katy McFee

If you're a woman looking to advance in your career or seeking to make a bigger impact in leadership, this episode offers valuable insights and strategies for breaking through the glass ceiling.

Connect with Katie:

• Course Information: https://insightstoactioncc.com/coursesignup/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a/
• Instagram: @insights_to_action
• Sign up for Katy's weekly newsletter for in-depth insights and advice: https://insightstoactioncc.com/

#WomenInLeadership #CareerGrowth #GenderEquality #ExecutiveCoaching #EvokenGreatness #GlassCeiling #WomenEmpowerment

A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness!

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

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🎧 Episode 189: The Inside Story of the Rise of the Self-Help Empire: Sex, Power, and Transformation with Marcia Martin (Pt. 2)

In this episode of Evoke Greatness, we continue our powerful conversation with Marcia Martin, a pioneering force in personal development and one of the original architects of the Human Potential Movement.

In Part 2, Marcia takes us even deeper behind the curtain — into the patterns that shaped her leadership, the dynamics of power as a woman in male-dominated rooms, and the hard-won wisdom that comes from decades of reinvention, influence, breakdowns, and breakthroughs.

We dive deep into:

 • How childhood patterns shape our leadership and relationships as adults

 • Navigating ego, authority, and credibility as a woman in male-dominated spaces

 • The difference between demanding respect and attracting it

 • How high-achieving women claim their voice without shrinking their power

 • Why leadership is an action, not a title, and how to speak reality into existence

 • Understanding language as the bridge between intention and outcomes

 • Fame, power, and blind spots — and how leaders can stay grounded

 • The necessity of facing your “shadow” to become who you’re meant to be

 • Reinvention, resilience, and evolving publicly without apologizing for your growth

 • Why centering yourself before you act transforms your decisions and your life

🔑 Key takeaways:

 1 Leadership isn’t a title — it’s the capacity to move things forward through presence, language, and intentional action.

 2 Reinvention requires courage, humility, and a willingness to confront the truth of “what is,” not what you wish it to be.

 3 Every experience — even the storm — is part of the “how” that shapes who you are becoming.

💬 Memorable quotes:

 • “Looking back now, I see it was also my first lesson in the intoxicating power of absolute certainty… a force that would eventually transform thousands of lives while destroying others.”

 • “You have to be careful that you don’t allow them to give you your answer.”

 • “There’s an edge there… there’s light and dark.”

 • “People are thrown to being right, looking good, and needing to know the answer.”

📚 Connect with Marcia Martin:

 Website: marciamartin.com

 Book: Sex, Power, and Transformation

 Membership & Resources: marciamartintransform.com

If this episode challenged you, moved you, or lit a fire in your soul — share it with someone who’s ready to rise.

A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness!

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

Send us a text

🎧 Episode 188: The Inside Story of the Rise of the Self-Help Empire — Sex, Power, and Transformation with Marcia Martin (Pt. 1)

In this episode of Evoke Greatness, I welcome Marcia Martin, a true icon in the personal-development industry and one of the original architects of the Human Potential Movement.

Before stadiums filled for Tony Robbins or The Secret became a global phenomenon, there was est (Erhard Seminars Training)—and behind its meteoric rise was Marcia Martin.

 As a founding member and Vice President of est (now Landmark Worldwide), she helped bring transformational education to millions, co-created the Transformational Leadership Council with Jack Canfield, and trained more than 300,000 people across the globe.

Her new memoir, Sex, Power, and Transformation: The Inside Story of the Rise of the Self-Help Empire, pulls back the curtain on the creation of a $48 billion industry and the personal cost of living at the intersection of influence, ego, and authentic power.

We dive deep into:

 • The cultural movement that made millions hungry for transformation

 • How a small San Francisco seminar grew into a worldwide phenomenon

 • The intoxicating pull of absolute certainty—and how to guard yourself from it

 • Where influence ends and manipulation begins

 • How to recognize when “guidance” crosses into control

 • Why pretending to have it all together keeps you from becoming who you really are

 • The difference between performing transformation and truly living it

 • What it means to reclaim your own voice and lead from authenticity

 • How to build movements that liberate instead of control

🔑 Key takeaways:

 1 True transformation doesn’t come from someone else’s certainty—it comes from your own.

 2 The person you’re pretending to be is already who you truly are; courage removes the fear in front of it.

 3 Influence without integrity becomes control—stay grounded in truth and self-awareness.

💬 Memorable quotes:

 • “Looking back now, I see it was also my first lesson in the intoxicating power of absolute certainty… a force that would eventually transform thousands of lives while destroying others.”

 • “You have to be careful that you don’t allow them to give you your answer.”

 • “There’s an edge there… there’s light and dark.”

 • “People are thrown to being right, looking good, and needing to know the answer.”

📚 Connect with Marcia Martin:

 Website: www.marciamartin.com

 Book: Sex, Power, and Transformation

If this episode challenged you, moved you, or lit a fire in your soul—share it with someone who’s ready to rise.

 Leave a review to help more bold leaders find this show, because Evoke Greatness isn’t just a podcast…it’s a movement.

A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness!

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

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🎧 Episode 187: The Power of Your Story — How to Turn Life Lessons into Lasting Influence (Part 2)

In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Bill Blankschaen — master storyteller, brand strategist, and founder of StoryBuilders — returns to go even deeper into the inner side of storytelling.

Because before you can tell your story to the world, you have to change the story you’re telling yourself.

Bill and I unpack the “confidence trap,” that quiet belief that everyone else’s story is more significant than our own, and how comparison keeps us from showing up in the fullness of who we’re called to be. We talk about reshaping those inner narratives, standing firm in your chapter instead of comparing it to someone else’s, and recognizing that your story still has power — no matter what chapter you’re in.

If Part 1 was about discovering the structure of storytelling, this one is about discovering the soul behind it.

We explore:

✨ The “confidence trap” — why we tend to deify others and diminish ourselves

 ✨ How to stop comparing your chapter 3 to someone else’s chapter 20

 ✨ Why every story matters — and the freedom that truth brings

 ✨ How to rewrite the story you’re telling yourself to reclaim confidence and purpose

 ✨ The role of emotion in crafting stories that connect and stick

 ✨ How storytelling builds trust, vulnerability, and authentic connection in leadership

 ✨ The ripple effect — how believing in your own story can change the trajectory of others

 ✨ Why your story isn’t over yet… and how to live like it

This episode is a reminder that you don’t need a perfect story — you just need the courage to tell it. When you lean into your story, you not only change how you lead… you change how you live.

Connect with Bill :

📲 Connect with Bill: Company Website: https://mystorybuilders.com/

Instagram:

A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness!

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