Why'd You Think You Could Do That?

In this Bravery Digest, Sam Penny reminds us of a truth that stops far too many people from doing something extraordinary: you don’t need permission.

Most of us wait — for the right time, the right feeling, or someone else’s approval. But bravery isn’t about waiting. It’s about acting before you’re ready.

In this 2-minute burst of courage, you’ll discover:

• Why waiting for permission keeps you stuck.
• How action creates momentum, clarity, and confidence.
• A simple reflection to push you into your next bold step.

And stick around until the end — Sam reveals this Thursday’s guest on Why’d You Think You Could Do That?: Jim Penman, the man behind Jim’s Mowing. You’ve seen the vans, you’ve seen the beard, but there’s far more to Jim’s story than you might think.

Take the step. Don’t wait for permission.

And don't forget: If you want to work 1:1 with Sam, he has a small number of coaching spots available. Head to sampenny.com/action

What if the bravest thing you ever did wasn’t crossing a finish line, but starting again after falling short the first time?

In this gripping episode, Sam Penny sits down with Paul Watkins, pharmacist by day, ultra-endurance adventurer by choice. Paul shares how a career in retail pharmacy turned into a journey through the world’s most extreme environments, including a 614-kilometre footrace through the Canadian Arctic where most competitors quit before the halfway mark… and he came back to win.

This isn’t just a story about survival. It’s about building courage, piece by piece, until you have enough to take on something you once thought was impossible.

🧭 Inside This Episode

• How burnout sent Paul from the pharmacy to the Himalayas
• The moment he collapsed… and what came next
• Why failure in his first Arctic race was his greatest teacher
• What it really takes to finish when your body shuts down
• The mindset shift from “just finish” to “I can win this”
• How to train courage the same way you train your body
• Why ordinary people are more capable than they think
• Redefining discipline as self-love (not self-punishment)
• The role of tiny daily habits in doing impossible things

🔥 One Big Takeaway

Paul’s story will shift your perspective on what it means to be ‘qualified’ to do hard things. Spoiler: you probably already are; you just haven’t stacked the evidence yet.

👇 Links + Resources

📚 Paul’s book: Lost and Found
🌏 Paul online: paulwatkins.com.au
📸 Follow Paul on Instagram | LinkedIn

🧠 For more show notes: sampenny.com/brave

🧠 What You’ll Hear in This Episode

In this short solo drop, host Sam Penny flips the script on fear.

We all feel it—whether you're leading a business, standing on the edge of a bold new move, or simply facing a tough personal decision. But waiting for fear to disappear? That’s not how brave people operate.

In this episode, Sam introduces his practical 3-step Fear to Fuel Framework—a tool designed to help you move through fear, not around it.

You’ll learn how to:

• 🔍 Label the fear – Get specific so it stops running the show.
• 🔁 Flip the frame – Understand what your fear is really trying to tell you.
• 🚀 Move anyway – Take a small, brave step (even with your knees shaking).

This isn’t weak motivation—it’s what high-performing leaders use when hesitation starts whispering “not yet.”

⚡ Challenge of the Week

Sam lays down a practical challenge:
 Think of the thing you’ve been avoiding.
 Run it through the Fear to Fuel Framework.
Then take one small, brave step forward—today.

Tag @90dayswithsam and let him know how it goes.

🎧 Coming Up This Thursday

Don’t miss the full interview with Paul Watkins—business leader, adventurer, and a man who has built an extraordinary life by asking himself one simple question:
"Why not me?"

From epic expeditions to bold business decisions, Paul brings a powerful blend of courage and clarity that will leave you asking bigger questions of your own.

🔗 Stay Connected

👤 Follow Sam Penny – @90dayswithsam
💬 Got a story about bravery? Drop Sam a DM or leave a comment.
📩 Join the Brave Digest – Weekly insights for those building bold lives.

Subscribe to the show and share this episode with someone who needs a nudge to act—especially when fear starts whispering “not yet.”

What were you doing at 17?

Brianna Thompson was swimming the English Channel; not once, but twice, in one go. In this epic episode of Why’d You Think You Could Do That?, Sam Penny sits down with the second-youngest person in history to complete a double crossing of the Channel, and the youngest to do it three times in a single year.

But behind the headlines is a powerful story of grit, fear, identity, and resilience.

🎧 In this episode:

• The moment a teenage girl decided to swim 68km across freezing, jellyfish-filled waters
• What it really takes to train for a 22-hour endurance swim (while finishing Year 12)
• How she kept going when her shoulder seized up mid-Channel
• The mental collapse after the glory, and what it took to come back
• Why she’s setting her sights on New Zealand’s infamous Cook Strait

This isn’t just a story about swimming. It’s about choosing courage, losing momentum, and finding your way back.

If you've ever faced burnout, imposter syndrome, or that haunting question of “What next?”, this episode is for you.

🔗 Links & Resources:

• 💪 Follow Brianna’s journey: Brianna’s Channel Swims on Facebook
• 📷 Connect with Brianna on Instagram: @brianna.t17
• 🌊 Read the article at: sampenny.com/brave

🧠 Quotes to Remember:

🔔 Subscribe & Stay Brave:

New episodes every Thursday — conversations with extraordinary people who dared to say yes to the impossible.

🎧 Visit the Podcast Home Page at sampenny.com/brave
💬 Share this episode with someone who needs a dose of courage

#WhyDidYouThinkYouCouldDoThat #BriannaThompson #ChannelSwimmer #BraveryPodcast #SamPenny

In today’s Bravery Digest, Sam Penny throws down the gauntlet: Are you leading your life from courage, or coasting in your comfort zone?

This isn’t just another motivational pep talk. Sam introduces the Bravery Audit; a 5-question pulse check designed to help you spot the subtle ways comfort creeps in and quietly takes over.

If you’ve ever found yourself playing small, avoiding discomfort, or hesitating when it’s time to leap, this episode is your call to arms.

Sam doesn’t just talk theory. He offers a practical tool you can use right now to re-align with your braver self. Whether you’re at a crossroads in business or life, this is your wake-up call to lead deliberately.

🛠️ In This Episode:

• Why bravery isn’t a fixed trait, but a daily decision
• How comfort sneaks in and sabotages growth
• The 5-Question Bravery Audit you can take in under 2 minutes
• What your score really says about your leadership
• A bold challenge to act before the day ends

💥 Bonus:

Get ready for Thursday’s full-length episode with Brianna Thompson, a powerhouse of next-gen courage who’s redefining what it means to carry a legacy forward.

🗣 Quote of the Episode:

📩 Your Turn:

Which Bravery Audit question hit you hardest? Send Sam a DM or drop a comment. He wants to hear from you.

What do you do when your mast snaps in the middle of the Southern Ocean, 1,000 miles from land, no engine, no sails, no rescue on the way? You fight. You survive. And then you go back and finish what you started.

In this gripping episode, Sam Penny sits down with Lisa Blair, world record-holding solo sailor, bestselling author of Facing Fear, and subject of the documentary Ice Maiden. Lisa recounts the harrowing night her boat was nearly torn in half during a solo Antarctica circumnavigation, and the moment she knew she might not make it out alive.

But this isn’t just a survival story. It’s a masterclass in preparation, resilience, and courage. Lisa shares how she turned fear into focus, why she chose to go back and finish the job after nearly dying, and how her climate action campaign is leaving a powerful legacy, one Post-it note at a time.

Whether you’re climbing mountains or chasing bold dreams in business, Lisa’s story is a reminder that bravery isn’t about having no fear, it’s about showing up anyway.

🎯 What We Cover:

• The terrifying night Lisa’s mast snapped in the middle of a Southern Ocean storm
• How preparation and muscle memory saved her life
• The 12-day journey back to land with no sails
• Why she went back and finished the Antarctica circumnavigation
• What it really feels like to sail through 15-metre waves
• How she built her boat into a floating science lab
• Why every action matters in the fight against climate change
• Her upcoming Arctic Circle record attempt and basalt-fibre boat
• What “Facing Fear” really means, and how to build courage in everyday life

💬 Notable Quotes:

🌎 About Lisa Blair:
Lisa Blair is a solo sailor, climate advocate, motivational speaker, and author. She holds multiple world records in ocean sailing, including the first woman to sail solo around Antarctica with one stop. Through her campaign Climate Action Now, Lisa inspires communities to take small sustainable actions that add up to massive collective impact. Her next project? A solo, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle—something never done before by any human.

📚 Book:
Facing Fear – Available wherever books are sold
Ice Maiden Documentary - Available on SBS On Demand and Amazon
Lisa Blair’s Website - lisablairsailstheworld.com
Follow Lisa on Facebook and Instagram - @lisablairsailstheworld

Visit sampenny.com/brave for other episodes on "Why'd You Think You Could Do That?" podcast
Follow Sam everywhere on Socials @90dayswithsam

This week on the Bravery Digest, Sam Penny explores the real difference between people who move boldly and those who stay stuck: the speed of their decisions. Discover why acting before your fear takes hold is the single most powerful habit you can build, and get Sam’s practical “Two-Minute Rule” for making braver choices—starting now.

Key Takeaways:

• Bravery isn’t about being fearless—it’s about acting before fear talks you out of it.
• Most people get stuck not because they don’t know what to do, but because they wait for perfect conditions or permission from someone else.
• Fear thrives on hesitation. The longer you wait, the louder your doubts get.
• Sam’s Two-Minute Rule:
  When you’re faced with a decision, set a two-minute timer and make the call before the buzzer. Don’t overthink it—move before fear gets a grip.
• Momentum and confidence don’t come from waiting; they come from action—even if you don’t feel ready.
• Your challenge for the week: Identify one decision you’ve been sitting on, use the two-minute rule, and notice what changes.

Listen for:

• Sam’s honest take on why most people let fear call the shots
• The science behind why fast decisions kill hesitation
• Practical tips for breaking the waiting habit in business and life
• A challenge to the audience: Move now, reflect later

Special Guest Announcement:
Don’t miss this Thursday’s interview with Lisa Blair—record-breaking sailor, climate advocate, and world-class action-taker. Lisa’s story is all about staring down huge fears, taking fast action, and redefining what’s possible even when the odds are stacked and the seas are rough. If you need proof that courage is about moving before you’re ready, this is the episode to hear.

Episode Summary
Gerrard Gosens has never seen the path ahead — literally. Born completely blind, Gerrard has defied every limitation the world tried to place on him. In this episode, Sam Penny dives deep into Gerrard’s extraordinary life of endurance, from running ultra-marathons and representing Australia at the Paralympics to climbing Mount Everest, dancing on national television, and launching a chocolate empire.

Whether he’s running 2,000 kilometres, flying a plane, swimming the English Channel, or raising a blind daughter to chase her own dreams, Gerrard shows us that bravery isn’t about the absence of fear — it’s about showing up again and again.

In This Episode

• Growing up blind in rural Australia and turning perceived weakness into strength
• Riding to school by following the sound of his brother’s bike
• How sport became his way of breaking barriers — and bones
• The hilarious and humbling story of the fastest 400m ever run at Yeppoon High
• From founding the Paralympic Committee to competing on the global stage
• Running from Cairns to Brisbane (five times) and why he never saw it as “big”
• Why trust is the cornerstone of bravery — from dance floors to icy oceans
• Climbing to 8,300m on Everest without sight
• What really happened during his English Channel attempt in 2024
• The emotional reality of raising a blind daughter
• Why he believes bravery lives in the next step
• His upcoming 50km Manhattan Island swim, racing Daytona, and chasing a new dream: the Paralympics in para-climbing

Quotes to Remember

Resources Mentioned

• Gerrard's adventures: gerrardgosens.com.au
• His artisan chocolate business: chocolatemoments.com.au

Connect with Sam Penny

• Website: sampenny.com
• Weekly Bravery Digest: Subscribe Here
• Instagram & TikTok: @90dayswithsam
• Podcast Archive: sampenny.com/brave

Most people wait to “feel” brave. But what if that’s the wrong game entirely?

In this Bravery Digest, Sam Penny breaks down why you don’t rise to the level of your motivation — you fall to the level of your environment. Motivation fades. Willpower runs dry. But if you build the right systems, routines and surroundings, bravery becomes inevitable.

This short, sharp solo episode gives you five tactical ways to build an environment where bold action becomes your default, not the exception. If you want to stop waiting and start showing up braver — even on the hard days — this one’s for you.

🧠 In This Episode:

• Why motivation is overrated and unreliable
• The truth about willpower and comfort
• 5 ways to engineer a braver environment:
  1. Physical cues that trigger bravery
  2. Accountability you can’t escape
  3. Removing easy outs that lead to comfort
  4. Raising the room and upgrading your circle
  5. Automating bravery with repeatable habits
• Plus: a preview of Thursday’s full interview with blind endurance athlete and adventurer Gerrard Gosens, who lives and breathes these principles.

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

• Subscribe to the Bravery Digest: https://sampenny.com/bravery-digest
• Gerrard Gosens interview (drops Thursday): https://sampenny.com/brave

🎙 Host: Sam Penny
Coach for the brave. Ultra-endurance athlete. Business builder. Helping people turn bold goals into daily action.
Follow on Instagram/TikTok: @90dayswithsam
Book a call: https://sampenny.com/chat

This Man Destroys People for Fun | Lazarus Lake on Endurance, Suffering & Why Most People Quit

📝 Episode Description / Show Notes:
In this episode, Sam Penny sits down with the legendary Lazarus Lake—the mysterious mastermind behind the Barkley Marathons and the man who’s redefined human limits through races that most never finish.

You’ll hear the raw and unfiltered philosophy of a man who builds races designed to break people. Laz opens up about the psychology of suffering, the myth of motivation, and why the finish line is always further than you think.

We talk about:

• How Laz engineered events to reveal who people really are
• Why most people don’t quit when it gets hard—they quit before it starts
• The "ordinary people doing extraordinary things" philosophy
• Why he believes "the purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things"
• The real reason behind the infamous Barkley Marathons' design
• What he thinks about achievement, failure, and human potential
• And why, despite it all, he’s never run his own races

This episode is more than a conversation—it’s a challenge to everything you think you know about endurance, resilience, and what you’re capable of.

🎧 Listen if you’ve ever:

• Wondered what separates those who finish from those who falter
• Felt stuck at the starting line
• Wanted to push yourself further—but didn’t know how
• Needed a wake-up call on what it means to be truly brave

🔥 Quotable Moments:

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

• Barkley Marathons Documentary
• Laz’s race calendar
• Sam Penny’s coaching for bold achievers → sampenny.com

📌 Subscribe to the podcast:
Built to Sell | Built to Buy — new episodes weekly.

📱 Follow Sam:
Instagram / LinkedIn / TikTok → @90dayswithsam
🎙 Podcast HQ: sampenny.com/brave