Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Bennett Sullivan has played banjo on Broadway, at the Grand Ole Opry, and on the Poker Face soundtrack. By any measure, he belongs on any stage. And for years, he couldn't convince himself of it.
In this episode, Bennett is honest about the gap between what he's accomplished and how it's felt from the inside: the comparison that made him great and got in his way at the same time, the night on Broadway he was sure he'd ruined the show, and the shift that finally let him get out of his own way, which turned out to have almost nothing to do with the banjo.
If you've ever been good at something and still felt like you were about to be found out, this one's for you.
LINKS & RESOURCES
- Bennett's teaching site: banjolicks.com
- Find your Pressure Profile (free assessment): https://performanceneurology.institute/pressure-profile
- The Genius and the Impostor (Dr. Josh Turknett's book): GeniusAndImpostor.com
- Institute for Performance Neurology: https://performanceneurology.institute
CONNECT
Instagram: @brainjojosh
Brains, Banjos & Beyond (Substack): joshturknett.substack.com
ABOUT THE SHOW
The Performance Neurology Podcast explores how people build, deploy, and sustain real capability, with the science of what happens in the brain when it matters most. Hosted by Dr. Josh Turknett, MD, board-certified neurologist and founder of the Institute for Performance Neurology.
If you want more conversations like this one, subscribe on your favorite podcast player.
CHAPTERS
00:00 — Open
00:11 — Intro: who is Bennett Sullivan
05:48 — "I honestly didn't think I had the skills"
07:30 — Why lessons didn't work, and the Alison Krauss recording that unlocked everything
12:35 — The comparison trap: what built his skill and blocked his creativity
14:08 — You've done all this, so why is the judgment still there?
25:10 — Broadway, a live kickoff, and "don't mess up"
25:45 — What the audience heard vs. what he experienced
27:30 — What flow actually feels like: "it's happening without me"
32:40 — How not trying to be the best made him better
33:52 — The identity shift: from "best banjo player" to teacher and writer
38:00 — His advice: you only get better at performing by performing
Bennett Sullivan has played banjo on Broadway, at the Grand Ole Opry, and on the Poker Face soundtrack. By any measure, he belongs on any stage. And for years, he couldn't convince himself of it.
In this episode, Bennett is honest about the gap between what he's accomplished and how it's felt from the inside: the comparison that made him great and got in his way at the same time, the night on Broadway he was sure he'd ruined the show, and the shift that finally let him get out of his own way, which turned out to have almost nothing to do with the banjo.
If you've ever been good at something and still felt like you were about to be found out, this one's for you.
LINKS & RESOURCES
- Bennett's teaching site: banjolicks.com
- Find your Pressure Profile (free assessment): https://performanceneurology.institute/pressure-profile
- The Genius and the Impostor (Dr. Josh Turknett's book): GeniusAndImpostor.com
- Institute for Performance Neurology: https://performanceneurology.institute
CONNECT
Instagram: @brainjojosh
Brains, Banjos & Beyond (Substack): joshturknett.substack.com
ABOUT THE SHOW
The Performance Neurology Podcast explores how people build, deploy, and sustain real capability, with the science of what happens in the brain when it matters most. Hosted by Dr. Josh Turknett, MD, board-certified neurologist and founder of the Institute for Performance Neurology.
If you want more conversations like this one, subscribe on your favorite podcast player.
CHAPTERS
00:00 — Open
00:11 — Intro: who is Bennett Sullivan
05:48 — "I honestly didn't think I had the skills"
07:30 — Why lessons didn't work, and the Alison Krauss recording that unlocked everything
12:35 — The comparison trap: what built his skill and blocked his creativity
14:08 — You've done all this, so why is the judgment still there?
25:10 — Broadway, a live kickoff, and "don't mess up"
25:45 — What the audience heard vs. what he experienced
27:30 — What flow actually feels like: "it's happening without me"
32:40 — How not trying to be the best made him better
33:52 — The identity shift: from "best banjo player" to teacher and writer
38:00 — His advice: you only get better at performing by performing
