About David Schnurman

David Schnurman is the CEO of Lawline, the leading online continuing legal education platform that has delivered more than 5 million courses to 150,000+ attorneys, as well as a bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and entrepreneur focused on growth, learning, and intentional leadership. Known for helping leaders expand beyond their comfort zones, David combines business strategy with personal transformation, most notably through his bestselling book 11 Suitcases, which chronicles his family’s move from Brooklyn to Barcelona and the life-design lessons that came from it.

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David Schnurman

Episode Highlights

What does it really look like to design a business that gives you more life instead of less?

In this episode of Business Unchained, Bobby Mascia sits down with David Schnurman to unpack the story behind moving his family to Barcelona for two years with just 11 suitcases while continuing to lead Lawline. What begins as a conversation about travel quickly becomes a deeper discussion on visionary leadership, family values, writing down goals, founder courage, and creating operational systems that allow a business to thrive without constant founder presence. David breaks down the “little yeses” that turned a distant dream into reality and explains how intentional decisions compound into life-changing outcomes.

“When you write something down from what’s in your mind, and you put it in writing, it’s more likely to turn into something.” - David [04:52]

The conversation also explores the psychology behind growth: how entrepreneurs can stay outside their comfort zone longer, why most people retreat too quickly after taking action, and how frameworks like journaling, consistency, and “don’t break the chain” habits create long-term momentum.

In This Episode

[00:00] – Introduction
[01:55] – David introduces 11 Suitcases and the Barcelona move
[04:52] – Why writing goals down changes your future
[06:29] – David’s midlife rut and the catalyst for change
[07:16] – How he structured Lawline to run while living abroad
[11:11] – The unexpected gift of the expat community
[12:24] – The “cargo ship” metaphor that inspired the book
[16:22] – Landing in Spain: the emotional reality vs the dream
[20:36] – The school dean’s advice: say yes to everything
[22:23] – How the kids adapted faster than expected
[25:33] – Keeping the travel mindset alive after returning home
[30:37] – The Fast Forward Mindset framework for fearless action
[34:14] – Why most people crawl back into their comfort zone
[36:10] – The Jerry Seinfeld “don’t break the chain” lesson
[39:31] – ADHD, dopamine, and thriving in entrepreneurial chaos
[44:27] – David’s next chapter: family transitions, third book, and speaking