Why'd You Think You Could Do That?

All week we’ve been exploring the story of Lachie Smart, who at just 18 became the youngest person to fly solo around the world. We heard the spark at his kitchen table, the struggles of sponsorship setbacks and near disaster, and the breakthrough that carried him 45,000 km across the globe.
But today isn’t about Lachie’s story — it’s about yours.
In this Action Friday episode, Sam Penny guides you to take the final step in the Spark → Struggle → Breakthrough → Action arc. You’ll:
  • Reflect on Lachie’s lessons of bravery and persistence
  • Complete the final sentence: “One thing I will do this week to make a difference is…”
  • Choose one small, practical action that moves you closer to your own impossible goal
  • Learn why accountability matters and how to make your action real by sharing it with someone you trust
Your spark, your struggle, your breakthrough — they all lead here. One action. This week. Because bravery isn’t about being fearless. It’s about doing the thing even with fear right beside you.
👉 Explore Lachie’s full guest hub: sampenny.com/lachie-smart

If this episode sparked something in you, share it with a friend who needs the same nudge — and don’t forget to subscribe to Why’d You Think You Could Do That? so you never miss your next spark.
#ActionFriday #LachieSmart #Bravery #WhyDidYouThinkYouCouldDoThat

Creators and Guests

Host
Sam Penny
Sam Penny is an adventurer, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker who lives by the mantra “Say YES! to the Impossible.” From swimming the English Channel in winter to building and selling multi-million-dollar companies, Sam thrives on pushing boundaries in both business and life. As host of Why’d You Think You Could Do That?, he sits down with ordinary people who have done extraordinary things, uncovering the mindset, resilience, and bold decisions that made it possible — and showing listeners why their own impossible is closer than they think.

What is Why'd You Think You Could Do That??

They’ve swum oceans, scaled mountains, launched empires, and shattered expectations. But before they did any of it, someone, maybe even themselves, thought: “You can’t do that.”

Hosted by Sam Penny, Why’d You Think You Could Do That? dives into the minds of people who said “screw it” and went for it anyway. From adventurers and elite athletes to wildcard entrepreneurs and creative renegades, each episode unpacks the one question they all have in common:

“Why'd you think you could do that?”

If you’re wired for more, haunted by big ideas, or just sick of playing it safe, this is your show.

Sam Penny (00:00)
I'm Sam Penny and this is Why Do Think You Could Do That? All this week, we've been living inside the story of Lachie Smart, the youngest person to fly solo around the world. On Tuesday, I walked you through the spark, the struggle and the breakthrough. And yesterday, you heard the full conversation with Lachie. His near crash over Tasmania, the 13 hour legs over the Pacific, the small acts of kindness that kept him going and the hard lessons he carried back home.

But stories don't change us unless we do something with them. Today, it's your turn. This is the action episode. And here's the truth. Lachie's record isn't the lesson. The lesson is that a 15-year-old kid at a kitchen table declared an impossible dream, faced down fear and doubt, and kept taking the next step until he touched back down as a world record holder. And if he can do that, the real question is, what's your version?

This week, I gave you three sentences to complete. Firstly, the spark, I want to, and then I'm going to, and then the struggle, I'm afraid that. And lastly, the breakthrough, even though I'm afraid of, I will anyway. Today, we add one more, and it's this. One thing I will do this week to make a difference is, and then you complete it. Take a moment right now and say that sentence out loud.

Don't overthink it. Don't write a 10 point plan. Just name one small action that you can take this week that moves you closer to your spark. And here's an example. If your spark was starting a business, maybe one thing is reaching out to three potential customers. Or perhaps it's if your spark was running a half marathon, maybe one thing is lacing up and doing your first five K's. Or perhaps if your spark was writing a book,

Maybe your one thing is sitting down for 30 minutes and getting words on a page. It doesn't have to be dramatic. Lachie's flight was 45,000 kilometres, but every single kilometre was made of tiny ordinary choices. Check the gauges, adjust the heading, keep flying. That's what this is all about. One action, repeated. And here's the trap that most of us fall into. We wait until we feel ready, but confidence doesn't arrive before you start.

Confidence is built inside the discomfort of doing. Lachie didn't wait until he felt fearless. He acted with fear right beside him. And that's why your action this week matters. It's not about erasing fear. It's about proving to yourself that you can move forward anyway. So speak it again. One thing I will do this week to make a difference is, now I want you to take one more step. I want you to tell someone, send a text,

write a post or email a friend because when you speak your action out loud, it becomes real. And when someone else knows, you're far more likely to follow through. That's your challenge this week, not a thousand steps, just one. I'm Sam Penny, and this is, why do you think you could do that? This week, Lachie Smart showed us that bravery isn't about being fearless. It's about saying yes to the impossible one step at a time.

If this action episode gave you the push you needed, share it with a friend who's sitting on their own impossible goal. And don't forget to subscribe. The next story could be the spark you need. Until next time, keep saying yes to the impossible.