Modern WisdomSONNY WEBSTER | Bad Days, Good Days & Staying Resilient | Modern Wisdom Podcast 114
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:00
Life after a 7-year weightlifting ban: identity loss and moving forward
Sonny explains how his initial four-year doping ban became a total seven-year ban after an additional sanction related to coaching. He describes the emotional impact of having weightlifting—his lifelong identity—taken away, and why he had to “draw a line in the sand” to keep progressing.
- •Initial four-year ban extended by an additional three years, totaling seven
- •Weightlifting as core identity since age 11; ban felt like losing a loved one
- •Lowest point emotionally, followed by a deliberate decision to move forward
- •Reframing obstacles as part of a personal journey rather than external validation
- 1:00 – 3:50
Catching up & the weightlifter drinking culture
Chris and Sonny reconnect with humor, reminiscing about past nights out and Sonny’s ability to function the next day. Sonny links this to weightlifting culture—periods of strict training followed by post-competition blowouts.
- •Playful catch-up after a year since Sonny’s last appearance
- •Sonny’s reputation for heavy nights and next-day productivity
- •Weightlifting camps and social pressure around drinking
- •Cycle of long abstinence during training then binge drinking after competitions
- 3:50 – 6:27
Leaving the UK: Australia tour, new relationship, and rapid relocation
Sonny shares why he felt unsettled in the UK and how constant travel became an escape. After touring Australia, falling in love with the country and meeting Lyndal, he made a fast, decisive move to Sydney.
- •Travel felt like an escape from feeling unsettled back home
- •Australia tour as a turning point; fell in love with the place
- •Met Lyndal; Bali trip over Christmas/New Year cemented the decision
- •Packed up seven years of life in seven days; fear of change vs decisive action
- 6:27 – 8:45
Visas, moving countries, and making change happen
They discuss the practicalities of relocating—passports, visas, and the reality that many people find a way if the motivation is strong enough. Sonny explains his New Zealand passport advantage and notes others use sponsorship or regional work routes.
- •Sonny uses a New Zealand passport to live in Australia
- •Point: many people could move if they truly committed
- •Friends’ situations: de facto history, business visa routes
- •Change is difficult but achievable with effort and planning
- 8:45 – 11:34
Settling into Sydney + launching Sonny Webster Academy to scale impact
Sonny explains the motivation behind building an online academy: seminars helped a small number in-person but heavy travel disrupted his training and routine. The academy allowed him to reach thousands while reducing the cost of constant travel.
- •Early adjustment period to build a new routine in Sydney
- •Academy created to scale impact beyond 30-person seminars
- •Travel disrupted training rhythm; desire to keep progressing as a lifter
- •Thousands of customers; learning how online coaching is ‘the future’
- 11:34 – 13:33
The hidden difficulty of online coaching: service, time zones, personalization
Sonny and Chris dig into why online coaching is harder than it looks. Sonny outlines challenges like maintaining high service quality globally, meeting different personality expectations, and balancing mass programming with individual needs and retention.
- •Time zones complicate live sessions and support
- •Different athletes need different coaching styles and intensity
- •Balancing scalable programming with personal attention
- •Continuous iteration of products; retention as an ongoing challenge
- 13:33 – 15:04
Athlete-to-coach shift—and the loss of competition
Chris asks whether Sonny still identifies as an athlete, a coach, or both. Sonny describes a new training approach and admits that being unable to compete leaves an unresolved itch, making the ban emotionally heavy.
- •Still trains 5–6 days/week, but with a streamlined approach
- •Blends CrossFit and weightlifting; focus on doing fewer things very well
- •Now more coaching-focused (roughly 60/40)
- •Competition desire remains; inability to compete is psychologically hard
- 15:04 – 19:43
The ban escalates: sanctions, seminar warnings, and perceived double standards
Sonny details how federations warned competitive athletes against attending his seminars and how the additional three-year ban came after he spoke publicly about his case. He criticizes inconsistency in anti-doping enforcement and the role of money/power.
- •Federations warned that attending Sonny’s seminars could risk athletes’ eligibility
- •Seven-year ban described as unusually severe for out-of-competition context
- •Belief that speaking publicly accelerated/triggered the additional ban
- •Claims of unequal treatment in enforcement; compares to high-profile cases
- 19:43 – 22:51
Bad days, good days: using transparency to teach resilience
Sonny explains why he shared both successes and failures in training online: beginners and elites both face bad days, missed lifts, and low motivation. Experienced athletes can shorten others’ learning curves by showing how they manage setbacks.
- •Transparency about training struggles as a teaching tool
- •Bad days are universal across skill levels
- •Handling missed lifts and low motivation is a core skill
- •Learning from experienced athletes reduces the beginner ‘learning curve’
- 22:51 – 25:20
A resilience framework: depersonalize setbacks and iterate fast
Sonny lays out his practical philosophy: acknowledge anger/frustration, extract the lesson, then choose the next route quickly. He uses a parking ticket analogy to show how rumination worsens outcomes, while swift acceptance preserves momentum.
- •Resilience improves when you shorten the time between setback and action
- •Remove emotional rumination; focus on ‘what did I learn?’
- •Parking ticket analogy: pay, learn, move on—don’t spiral
- •Obstacles are inevitable; adaptability is the advantage
- 25:20 – 28:26
Choosing your response: Sam Harris & Viktor Frankl in practice
Chris connects Sonny’s approach to ideas from Sam Harris about the fleeting nature of emotion and to Viktor Frankl’s claim that your response is the one thing no one can take from you. Sonny adds that calm responses can frustrate others who expect reaction.
- •Emotions fade quickly; thinking/rumination sustains them
- •Frankl: the final freedom is choosing your response
- •Sonny’s calmness after mistakes surprises people close to him
- •Not feeding negativity can disarm critics and preserve focus
- 28:26 – 34:28
High agency and ignoring the ‘keyboard war’: building despite critics
Chris frames Sonny as ‘high agency’—the type of person who finds a way through barriers. Sonny explains he avoids responding publicly to negativity, keeping social media as a positive platform while acknowledging the private toll it can take.
- •High agency: act, adapt, and move regardless of constraints
- •Critics may project insecurity when others succeed despite obstacles
- •Sonny avoids public negativity; refuses to escalate online drama
- •Private vulnerability exists, but public output stays constructive
- 34:28 – 40:44
The content creator’s trap: algorithms, TikTok randomness, and consistency
They discuss how platform incentives reward shallow or accidental viral content over high-value education. Sonny notes algorithm slowdowns on Instagram, experiments with TikTok, and commits to consistency even when his most valuable content performs worst.
- •Instagram growth slowed; engagement affects creator psychology
- •Value-rich long content often underperforms vs quick viral clips
- •TikTok’s reach can be explosive and unpredictable
- •Consistency and originality matter more than short-term metrics
- 40:44 – 44:53
Business growth principles: outsourcing, incentives, and ‘skin in the game’
Sonny and Chris compare notes on scaling: hiring help, outsourcing weaknesses, and structuring deals so collaborators share upside. Sonny explains bringing on a videographer with revenue share, while Chris gives examples from YouTube and nightclub promotions.
- •Growth requires investment in people, tools, and systems
- •Outsource weaknesses; hire ruthlessly where needed
- •Revenue share/ownership creates better incentives than fixed fees
- •Examples: YouTube splits, brand collabs, percentage-of-door nightclub deals
- 44:53 – 55:01
What’s next: smarter travel, retreats, Saudi coaching, and giving back (Soweto gym)
Sonny outlines upcoming plans: reducing constant globe-zigzagging, focusing on routine and training, and still running select seminars/retreats. He then shares a bigger mission—building a gym in Soweto via a ‘Lifting Dreams’ charity, fundraising events, and even a wine project whose proceeds support the gym build.
- •Prioritize routine, health, and training while selecting travel more strategically
- •Retreats broaden impact beyond lifting—community and comfort-zone growth
- •Upcoming private coaching trip to Saudi Arabia; future seminars in Toronto/Bali
- •Soweto gym project: equipment needs, youth impact, Olympic dream, fundraising + wine proceeds
