The SMARTA Podcast at 100: Sonia Marta on Why Self-Leadership Isn’t Something You Stumble Into After University

“Take on challenges that are bigger and harder than you think you can handle.”

That’s the advice Sonia Marta absorbed from a guest on her show as it became the operating principle behind everything she built. Not because she felt qualified. Not because she had a masterplan. But because she decided to start before she was ready.

That decision, to act before the fear disappeared, led to The SMARTA Podcast, a weekly show that has now published over 100 episodes featuring TED speakers, bestselling authors, and industry leaders. It’s a show built on a simple premise: young people shouldn’t have to wait until they’re in their 40s to learn what self-leadership actually means.

At just 18 years old, Marta has already spent years speaking to young audiences about leadership, purpose, and the power of self-improvement. She’s traveled the world talking to over 5,000 children, students, and parents about the importance of education and growth. She’s a bestselling and award-winning author of four books. She won Silver at the Women Changing the World Awards in the category Young Women Changing the World.

Here’s the thing about Sonia Marta: she doesn’t wait for permission. She doesn’t wait until she feels ready. She just takes action.

The First Episode

It’s 2024. Sonia is a teenager. She has an idea for a podcast. She has zero production experience. She has no team. She has an iPad and a belief that young people deserve better access to leadership wisdom than what currently exists, tailored for them.

She books Andrew Bryant as her first guest. Andrew is a bold, philosophical keynote speaker. Extremely intelligent. Someone who commands rooms.

Sonia spent an entire week preparing for that conversation.

Fifteen minutes before Andrew joined the virtual lobby, she was convinced she had made a terrible mistake.

She was terrified. She was young. She was unproven. She had no track record. She had no idea what she was doing.

Sound familiar?

Here’s what happened next that changed everything: Andrew joined the call. And instead of waiting for her to perform, he immediately shifted the spotlight onto her. He showed genuine interest in her journey. He asked about her story. He made her feel like the important one in the room.

Within minutes, the nerves disappeared.

In that moment, Sonia realized something she still lives by today:

You have to do scary things.

Most often, the very choices that scare you most are the ones that have the greatest impact.

She told herself after that first recording: if I survive this, and did a fantastic job at plunging myself into something I have never done before, I will never be intimidated by a guest again.

And she never was.

Andrew Bryant went on to become her guest for the 100th episode as well. The same person who taught her how to begin came back to help her seal the bow. Full circle. 

What 100 Episodes Actually Looks Like

Consistency is the most underrated weapon in your arsenal.

Episode 100 of The SMARTA Podcast flipped every format Sonia had followed since day one. Over 800 days of weekly episodes. And for number 100, she did something she had never done before: she let listeners ask the questions instead of her.

And for brands looking to communicate beyond traditional advertising, this format can be an excellent way to build relevance, tell their story and become part of conversations that matter.

Why?

Because over and over, her guests kept repeating the same feedback. What value can you bring to the people you meet?

That’s the question that shaped everything.

Every 20 episodes, Sonia would rethink her structure. She would implement something new. She would try, test, fail, repeat, and succeed. She had a strong desire for each episode to feel surprising and engaging in a way it had never been before.

Here’s what that kind of commitment requires: you have to be willing to evolve out loud. You have to be okay with not having it figured out yet. You have to keep showing up even when the numbers don’t reflect your effort.

100 episodes of that is not luck. It’s discipline wearing passion as its disguise.

The Guests Who Changed Everything

Now let me tell you about the conversations that left the greatest impact.

Four leaders stand out as defining voices in the show’s evolution.

Kevin Gaskell, former Managing Director and CEO of Porsche, BMW, and Lamborghini, kicked off the new year for the podcast in 2025. When Sonia thinks of a star, she thinks of Kevin.

He is the definition of stellar, operating on a single foundational word: discipline. He hasn’t just founded and led over 15 companies, generating over 3 billion pounds in shareholder value. He is a relentless adventurer.

When they recorded, he had already rowed across the Atlantic Ocean and was preparing to row nonstop across the Pacific for 35 days with a team of five.

He modeled exactly what it means to push absolute limits.

Then came Brad Burton, the UK’s #1 Motivational Speaker, who launched 2026 with an absolute firecracker energy. A former 31-year-old pizza delivery driver turned businessman, Brad proved that transforming your mindset transforms your reality. He handed Sonia his 1-1-1 rule to maximize action: What would the best version of me do in the next minute? The next hour? The next day? Wake up, repeat. Humble, hilarious, and deeply human, he empowered her to drive professional momentum immediately.

Right before the 100-episode milestone, Todd Cherches entered the picture. As the CEO and Co-founder of BigBlueGumball, an adjunct professor at NYU, and a lecturer at Columbia, Todd connected instantly with Sonia over their shared backgrounds in literature and communications. He taught her to “expect the unexpected” and to actively visualize her growth, echoing the principles of his book, VisuaLeadership. But his greatest practical gift was teaching her to create a “smile folder”, a dedicated space to keep a record of every celebratory message. As a lecturer of leadership, his continuous endorsement became a cornerstone of her confidence.

Finally, there was Ashley Leeds, bringing an undeniable sunshine energy and transforming Sonia’s approach to LinkedIn.

He challenged her to reframe her entire perspective with one simple question: What’s the BEST that can happen?

Here’s the lesson in all of this: the people who change your life are often one conversation away. But you have to put yourself in rooms where that conversation can happen. You have to follow up. You have to show up. You have to be the one who refuses to take silence as an answer.

The Self-Leadership Thread

Let me bring it back to the thread that runs through everything Sonia does.

Self-leadership.

It’s not something you stumble into after university. It is a deliberate choice practiced every single day.

Andrew Bryant, her first and hundredth guest, has said it best: you cannot lead others if you cannot lead yourself first. The foundation is self-awareness. It is resilience. It is the ability to face challenges and keep moving.

Sonia has lived this. She has spoken to over 5,000 young people about self-improvement and education. She has watched 10 children publish their own books after hearing her story. She has won awards for the impact she is creating.

And she is just getting started.

At 18, she is launching personal branding, media and PR, and one-on-one coaching for young professionals who want to build their presence and their confidence. And for ambitious 18 to 24 year olds who have drive but lack clarity and direction, she is proof that you do not have to wait your turn to lead.

What sets her apart is not just her age. It is her hunger for professional execution and daily, consistent self-improvement. It is her willingness to admit that she still has a lot to learn while simultaneously building something meaningful that helps others do the same.

What Comes Next

Sonia is focused on the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Always improving herself by one percent every single day.

She is building new ways to expand The SMARTA Podcast. She is exploring international live events, workshops, and deeper dives into topics her listeners care about most.

And she is writing. A new literary project is in the works. Her first ever non fiction book.

But beyond the tactics and the projects, here is what matters most about her next chapter:

She is committed to reaching young people who feel lost, overwhelmed, or intimidated by the world they are stepping into. She wants them to know that achieving success at a young age does not have to be intimidating. That you do not have to have everything figured out immediately. That the choices that scare you most are often the ones with the greatest return.

That is the message. That has always been the message.

About Sonia Marta

Sonia Marta is a bestselling and award-winning author of four books. She is the host of The SMARTA Podcast, a weekly show featuring TED speakers, bestselling authors, keynote speakers, podcasters, Harvard Law lecturers, and doctors of philosophy. The show provides scientifically based tools to start your journey to success and is dedicated to helping young people take control of their lives starting today.

Sonia has traveled worldwide speaking to over 5,000 children, students, and parents about the importance of self-improvement and education. She won Silver at the Women Changing the World Awards in the category Young Women Changing the World.

She is based in Dublin and can be found at soniamarta.com and on social media @soniamartaauthor.

“If nobody told you this today, I truly believe in your ability to create the life of your dreams.”

Tune in to The SMARTA Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms.