Podcast 1220: From Prison to Persuasion: Luke Lunkenheimer on Selling with Authenticity & Purpose

In this deeply personal and transformative episode of Inside Personal Growth, host Greg Voisen interviews Luke Lunkenheimer — founder of Paid to Persuade. Luke’s journey is nothing short of cinematic: from a small-town football dreamer to a six-figure car salesman in his teens, to a painkiller addiction that spiraled into a bank robbery and prison sentence. But it’s what happened after rock bottom that makes his story truly powerful. Luke shares how hitting his lowest point forced him to trade a life of “taking” for one of “giving.” He rebuilt his life, started multiple successful dealerships, and ultimately discovered his real calling — helping people sell through authenticity, empathy, and connection, not manipulation. His sales training philosophy flips the traditional model on its head, rejecting outdated pressure tactics and instead teaching the power of ruthless authenticity, emotional intelligence, and compassionate interrogation. If you’re in sales, leadership, or just passionate about personal growth, this episode is packed with insights to help you communicate with more clarity, confidence, and purpose. Topics Covered: -Luke’s personal journey from prison to purpose -Why traditional sales tactics are broken -How authenticity and empathy drive high-performance sales -The importance of mindset, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness -The 3 C’s of the Paid to Persuade framework: Content, Confidence, Cadence 💡What Listeners Will Learn: -How to build unshakable confidence without relying on scripts -Why giving value is more persuasive than trying to "close" -How to transform your sales approach through emotional awareness -A practical communication technique: the “Active Listening Response” -That your personal story and why matter more than any product pitch Our Guest, Luke Lunkenheimer: ➥https://paid2persuade.com/ ➡️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukelunk/ ➡️Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luke.lunkenheimer ➡️LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukelunk/ Learn more about your Inside Personal Growth host, Greg Voisen: ➥ https://gregvoisen.com ➡️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insidepersonalgrowth/ ➡️Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsidePersonalGrowth/ ➡️LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregvoisen/ ➡️Twitter/ X: https://twitter.com/lvoisen/