Grow the Good

Grow the Good, formerly The Sonya Looney Show, is your guide to continual personal growth, meaningful connections, and positive impact in the world. Challenge the idea that you are broken or need fixing. Instead, discover how to cultivate the good that already exists within you and amplify the strengths and potential you may not yet realize you have. Grounded in the science of positive psychology and guided by the pillars of purpose, vitality, resilience, hope, and connection, each episode is packed with tools, stories, and evidence-backed insights to help you create a more authentic and flourishing life.

Last refreshed: June 27th, 2025 at 9:56 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

Redefining Impossible with Iron Cowboy James Lawrence

"There are always opportunities every single day to challenge yourself mentally and grow and progress as a human." - James Lawrence James Lawrence, The Iron Cowboy , is a man with seemingly no limits. He holds not one, but two different records in the Guinness Book of World Records for insane Ironman Triathlon feats. His most recent record was called the 50-50-50. He completed 50 Ironman distance triathlons in 50 consecutive days in 50 different states. Many said it could not be done, but he red...

Aug 01, 2017•58 min

Taking Control of Your Health and Performance with Engine2Diet's Rip Esselstyn

What if you found out that Heart Disease, type 2 Diabetes, most cancers, high blood pressure, and even Parkinson's Disease was preventable and even reversible by changing what you ate? I found out about 4 years ago and changed my diet. Getting control back over what you thought was simply your genetics is a very powerful feeling. The answer is eating a plant-based diet. I'm really excited about today's guest, Rip Esselstyn . He is the author of 3 books and creator of Engine2Diet . Engine2 is an ...

Jul 25, 2017•1 hr 10 min

The Importance of Self-Care, Daily Routines, and Setting Boundaries with Dana Skoglund

Being Intentional in Your Life How would you show up in your daily life if you felt like all of your needs were met and you treated yourself with compassion? In this day and age with our electronic devices constantly demanding immediate attention, overcommitted schedules for both ourselves and our families, managing our work and trying to take time out of each day to take care of our health and well-being, it can be hard to navigate each day with any sense of ease or balance. Dana Skoglund has b...

Jul 18, 2017•1 hr 2 min

The Evolution of Ultra-Runner Rob Krar's Extraordinary Running Lives: Episode 10

Rob Krar is a special breed of human being. It's not only because he was crowned Ultra-Runner of the year in both 2013 and 2014, has won the Western States multiple times, or excels in Ski Mountaineering around the world during his off-season. Rob's inspiring energy and sense of calm is easily conveyed behind his beard and crystal blue eyes. It's that energy that propelled him to setting the World Record of the Fastest Known Time (FKT) of the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim and that drives him to...

Jul 10, 2017•56 min

Competence through Success and Failure with Jessica Lahey

How do you define success and where does personal motivation come from? Jessica Lahey is a law school graduate, writer, educator, speaker, and researcher. Her book, The Gift of Failure :How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed (Harper Books) is about how to motivate kids, the different types of motivation, how to avoid overparenting, and how to give your kids the right amount of autonomy. Her work has been influenced by the work of Carol Dweck and Dr. Dweck’s book, Mind...

Jun 29, 2017•53 min

The Headspace of Olympic Medalist, Catharine Pendrel

How would your approach to challenges change if you focused on giving your best effort for that moment instead of focusing what you wish the end result could be? 2016 Mountain Bike Olympic Bronze Medalist, Catharine Pendrel knows. Her plan going into the Rio Olympics was to work hard, but to show up with a mindset to ride a race she could be proud of, regardless of what the final result would be. With a crash in the first minute of her Olympic medal pursuit, she had a choice and it was to come f...

Jun 21, 2017•55 min

The Transformative Power of a Flexible Mind with Rob Loud

Rob Loud is a yoga instructor in Boulder, Colorado. His story is unique and courageous. Rob transformed from someone who struggled for many years with dark drug and alcohol addiction into a person and teacher who transmits so much positivity in the world through his work as a yoga instructor. In Rob’s classes, he always has an insightful message on cultivating mindfulness, acceptance, suffering, dealing with change, and self-discovery both on and off the mat. There is always a fun light-hearted ...

Jun 15, 2017•57 min

Special Edition: Mindset When Everything Went Wrong at the Transsylvania Epic

This special edition of the podcast is with myself and Matt Ewonus. I raced the Transsylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race: a 5 day event in the rocky, dense forests outside State College, PA. We recorded this special edition while in New York City and were doing a vegan food tour of the city! Make sure you're subscribed to my newsletter - I'll be writing about NYC soon! Leading up to the event, I had to work on the mental aspect of not feeling prepared for the race. At certain events, I've als...

Jun 06, 2017•53 min

Going All In with Popular YouTuber Brian Kennedy BKXC

There is no such thing as overnight success. This is a story about hard work, a magnetizing passion, and transparency with Brian Kennedy on his wildly popular adventure mountain bike YouTube channel BKXC . Brian says “I always wanted that mission to pour myself into 100%.... I’m not going to sit at my stupid cubicle for the rest of my life making some other guy rich when I have this crazy passion.” Brian Kennedy rides the best mountain bike trails around the world and creates 3 entertaining YouT...

May 30, 2017•57 min

The Natural Advantage with Naturopath Dr. Brent Barlow

Dr. Brent Barlow is a Naturopathic Doctor. Naturopathic Medicine is a holistic practice where the doctor works with the patient to make lifestyle changes to treat the cause of a disease or ailment rather than simply providing drugs to mask symptoms. NDs look for natural ways to help the body heal itself through changes in sleep, energy use, and diet. Treat the cause, treat the whole person. In this episode, we discuss a number of topics that are present in our daily lives as human beings and as ...

May 22, 2017•1 hr 32 min

The Inside Edition: My Story

Today’s episode is an interesting conversation about my background and how I’ve arrived at the place I am in my life with a special guest co-host: my husband, Matt Ewonus! I sincerely appreciate all of my listeners, but I realize not everyone has followed my journey and I think there are some important themes that come out along the way. Mainly, the ability to make changes in your life, being open to try new things, and the amazing life-changing direction it can take. We discuss my first memorie...

May 15, 2017•1 hr 13 min

Dr. Kristin Keim on Sports Psychology for Endurance Athletes

“It’s not just about time management, it’s about energy management.” Today is episode 1 of The Sonya Looney Show! My guest today is dynamic sports psychologist, Dr. Kristin Keim. Dr Keim has her doctorate in clinical psychology and masters in sport’s psychology. Physical effort can only take you so far when it comes to achieving your goals. The power of the mind gives you the extra edge, especially as an endurance athlete. Her mantra is “Happy Racers Go Faster.” Dr. Keim works with Olympians, pr...

May 01, 2017•59 min

Brenda Davis on Becoming Vegan and FAQs on Plant-Based Nutrition

Episode 2 with Brenda Davis RD “Diet is the king pin, there is no debate about that. Diet is the king pin where chronic diseases are concerned. We see athletes who drop dead of a heart attack because they have severe atherosclerosis because they are eating garbage.” Brenda Davis is a world class Registered Dietician and specialist in Plant-Based Nutrition. She is co-author of nine vegan and vegetarian nutrition books including Becoming Vegan as mentioned in this episode. She is the lead dietitia...

May 01, 2017•1 hr 29 min

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