Podcasts about brain chemicals

Angela talks to TJ Power about the intricacies of high performance and the role of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins in enhancing focus and mental well-being. They discuss the importance of achieving a flow state, looking at how it requires sustained attention on a single task for at least 15 minutes, and suggest that breaks should involve broad attention tasks to recharge the brain KEY TAKEAWAYS Flow State Foundations: You need at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted focus to enter a true flow state. Distractions like your phone can easily break this. Broad vs. Narrow Attention: Breaks should involve "broad attention" activities like walking or talking, not phones or sugar, to help the brain reset. Brain Chemicals 101: Dopamine drives motivation, oxytocin supports connection, serotonin regulates mood and energy, and endorphins help reduce stress. Boost Without the Crash: Cold exposure can naturally boost dopamine. Heat (like saunas) helps increase endorphins and support recovery. Dopamine Overload: Constant stimulation (social media, sugar, alcohol) overstimulates dopamine pathways, leading to a low, flat mood. Morning Reset: The best fix for low dopamine and motivation? Change how you start your day—simple shifts can improve your mental health dramatically. Timestamps and Key Topics 00:00 – Intro and flow state basics03:10 – Feeling foggy and tired? You're not alone03:41 – Why your brain needs 15 mins to reach flow04:54 – How long you can realistically stay in flow06:12 – Phone and sugar as reward spikes07:08 – Broad attention tasks explained07:32 – Neurotransmitters: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, endorphins08:31 – Cold vs heat exposure for mental clarity09:37 – Endorphins, evolution, and exercise10:40 – Saunas for recovery from focus fatigue11:05 – Mental health and mood swings explained12:44 – Low dopamine and overstimulation13:29 – First fix: Change your morning routine13:52 – Closing thoughts and podcast links VALUABLE RESOURCES Get a free snapshot of your health and personalised report at www.yourtotalhealthcheck.com Join The High Performance Health Community A BIG thank you to our sponsors who make the show possible: LVLUP HEALTH: Slow aging, repair gut health boost collagen and recovery and more with LVLUP Health’s amazing products. Save 15% with code ANGELA at https://lvluphealth.com/angela ABOUT THE HOST Angela Foster is an award winning Nutritionist, Health & Performance Coach, Speaker and Host of the High Performance Health podcast. A former Corporate lawyer turned industry leader in biohacking and health optimisation for women, Angela has been featured in various media including Huff Post, Runners world, The Health Optimisation Summit, BrainTap, The Women’s Biohacking Conference, Livestrong & Natural Health Magazine. Angela is the creator of BioSyncing®️ a blueprint for ambitious entrepreneurial women to biohack their health so they can 10X how they show up in their business and their family without burning out. The High Performance Health Podcast is a top rated global podcast. Each week, Angela brings you a new insight, biohack or high performance habit to help you unlock optimal health, longevity and higher performance. Hit the follow button to make sure you get notified each time Angela releases a new episode. CONTACT DETAILS Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Affiliate Disclaimer: Note this description contains affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned in this video and support the channel at no cost to you. While this channel may earn minimal sums when the viewer uses the links, the viewer is under no obligation to use these links. Thank you for supporting the show! Disclaimer: The High Performance Health Podcast is for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of professional or coaching advice and no client relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, or materials linked from this podcast is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for medical or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should seek the assistance of their medical doctor or other health care professional for before taking any steps to implement any of the items discussed in this podcast.

Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care, NAPA TRACS and Automotive Management Network Dan Clark explores how emotion surpasses reason in driving action, particularly in sales, emphasizing the power of storytelling to activate specific brain chemicals. He shares personal experiences, including his recovery from paralysis, to illustrate the impact of belief and a strong "why." The conversation delves into societal stigmas around emotional expression, especially for men, and the importance of genuine connection. Clark further explains how leveraging brain chemistry through storytelling enhances influence and strengthens customer relationships. He concludes by stressing that businesses should prioritize deep human connections over mere transactions. Dan Clark, Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker, New York Times Best-Selling Author of 37 Books, Expert in Next-Level Leadership for Teams, Sales, and Life. https://danclark.com/ Show Notes Watch Full Video Episode The Institute of Automotive Business Excellence: https://www.wearetheinstitute.com/ Introduction of Dan Clark (00:00:00) The Importance of Emotion in Memory (00:02:47) Emotion vs. Knowledge in Sales (00:04:17) Statistics on Sales Persistence (00:04:47) The Role of Storytelling in Sales (00:05:13) Social Stigma Around Emotion (00:05:23) Mental Health and Emotional Prosperity (00:06:01) Creating Discomfort for Growth (00:07:05) Asking for Help in Mental Health (00:07:49) The Role of Feelings in Leadership and Sales (00:08:07) The Zone and Brain Chemicals (00:09:11) Emotional Connection in Sports (00:10:06) Impact of Storytelling on Audience (00:12:07) Overcoming Struggles and Emotional Growth (00:16:29) Authenticity and Emotional Expression (00:17:54) The Importance of Belief (00:18:30) Energy and Attraction (00:19:26) Authenticity in Connection (00:19:54) Personal Injury Story (00:20:31) Rock Foundation vs. Rock Bottom (00:21:21) Core Values in Business (00:22:22) The Power of Belief (00:23:08) Asking the Right Questions (00:23:51) Connecting Head and Heart (00:24:36) Physiological Responses to Fear (00:24:49) Storytelling in Sales (00:27:32) Self-Awareness in Customer Service (00:28:29) Identifying with Roles (00:30:22) Heart-to-Heart Connection (00:30:44) Story of Empathy (00:31:07) Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care, NAPA TRACS and Automotive Management Network Learn more about NAPA Auto Care and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting https://www.napaonline.com/en/auto-care NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at

Neurochemicals not only contribute to the idea of "happy hormones" but also play specific roles related to motivation, connection, mood, and stress relief. Once you know how to regulate those hormones — and how to give yourself the right dose — you can grow mentally stronger. My guest is TJ Power, a neuroscientist and the author of The Dose Effect. Some of the things we discuss are: The four key brain chemicals and their effect on mental health and well-being How avoiding your phone first thing in the morning can balance your dopamine levels and improve motivation throughout the day How fostering personal connections increases oxytocin and enhances feelings of love and self-confidence The importance of spending time outdoors to boost serotonin How high-intensity physical activities release endorphins and alleviate stress Links & Resources Follow TJ on Instagram — @TJPower The Dose Effect Connect with the Show Buy Amy's books on mental strength Connect with Amy on Instagram — @AmyMorinAuthor Sponsors OneSkin — Get 15% off OneSkin with the code STRONGER at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Branch Basics — Right now, our listeners get 15% off their entire order by using code STRONGER15 at BranchBasics.com. Wildgrain — For a limited time, Wildgrain is offering our listeners $30 off the first box - PLUS free Croissants in every box - when you go to Wildgrain.com/MENTALLYSTRONGER to start your subscription.  Calm — For listeners of our show, Calm is offering an exclusive offer of 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription at calm.com/STRONGER.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes an analogy comes along that just clicks. It takes information you may have heard before and helps drive it home. That is what happened with my guest in this show regarding the brain chemicals that fuel our drive and motive. TJ POWER is a neuroscientist and innovator in the area of mental health. His work focuses on providing easy-to-adopt, scientifically backed teachings that empower people to take action towards healthier lifestyles. He has a really big following and when I got his book, I understood why. The book is, The DOSE Effect: Optimize Your Brain & Body By Boosting Your Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins, and in it, TJs explanations helped me see how I am increasing or depleting the brain chemicals I rely on to do the important work in my life. Most of us have heard much about dopamine, but do we really understand how we increase and decrease it? Then also, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. Now the point isn't to understand each one fluently, but to understand how they help us and what we are doing in our everyday lives that help or hurt them. I was most interested in what I learned about how I'm depleting some of these chemicals early in the day, and then later it feels like I'm lacking drive and motivation. I trust in listening to this conversation, you will be able to understand what these chemicals do for us and like me, now understand how to far better leverage them to do the things you truly want to do. You can find TJ Powers on Instagram @tjpower. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sleep Expert Dr Sophie Bostock is back with a new series to help you Sleep On. Her first guest is Neuroscientist and author TJ Power. TJ is renowned for communicating the science of how our brains work in an accessible way having built a following of over 700k people on social media. TJ created The DOSE Effect training programme, which has helped tens of thousands of adults and young people to understand how to transform their mental health, and focus to lead happier lives.  In this brilliantly helpful episode, which you will be thinking about for ages after, TJ explains how an understanding of our four key brain chemicals can help you to develop better sleep habits.  You can find out more about TJ's work on The DOSE Effect, here - https://tjpower.co.uk/ Sleep On Series 3 is brought to you by The Sleep Charity and sponsored by Lumie. 

Have you tried every diet under the sun to lose weight or stop overeating, and end up at the bottom of the ice cream pint before you realize what happened? You haven't failed, our brains are literally wired this way. But we can rewire our brain's “circuits” with a simple method called, Emotional Brain Training. This week, Jenn is joined by Dr. Laurel Mellin to discuss Emotional Brain Training (EBT) and how it works to manage your under or over eating. Dr. Laurel starts the episode by sharing her experience with obesity, and how she overcame it with her EBT technique. She explains the science behind our tendency to over or under eat, the science behind EBT, the 4 circuits of the brain, and how someone can use EBT to change their life. Dr. Laurel gives a great deep dive into how we can be in control of our food, body, love and protection circuits so that we can live a life filled with more joy! Tune in to learn more! The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast is hosted by Jenn Trepeck, discussing wellness and weight loss for real life, clearing up the myths, misinformation, bad science & marketing surrounding our nutrition knowledge and the food industry. Let's dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store. IN THIS EPISODE: [2:57] Jenn shares what members are getting this week![5:45] Dr. Laurel shares her story about turning to food for comfort.[8:54] What are the chemicals in the body that drive over and under eating? [11:06] How do these chemicals work together in a state of stress?[17:19] Dr. Mellin discusses the three different stress responses and how we get stuck. [21:43] What is Emotional Brain Training (EBT) and where do we start?[27:11] How to rewire your eating habits. [29:18] What happens to the eight chemicals after EBT?[32:06] Why it can be hard to lose weight after you have healed your food circuit. [38:15] Dr. Mellin shares about the one year program people tend to stick to for rewiring their brain circuits. [40:05] What does the process look like throughout the year? [41:00] Dr. Mellin answers rapid-fire off topic questions. KEY TAKEAWAYS: There are four circuits in our brain: the food circuit, love circuit, body circuit, and protection circuit. Each circuit plays an important role in our bodies and how they impact us is dependent on how they are ‘wired'.The circuits in our emotional brain are what can make or break our lives. They get encoded there through no fault of your own. If you want freedom, you must rewire these circuits. When you rewire your brain, you are more likely to experience, love, joy, and be able to face life head on.QUOTES: [3:52] “We have to stop focusing on the food. The food is the tail end of a fight or flight circuit that's spewing chemicals that make you want to eat. Turn off that circuit and those chemicals won't arrive, but as long as you're focusing yourself and evaluating yourself and punishing yourself for what you ate, you're not going to have the intentional control in your brain to focus on rewiring that circuit so you get lasting freedom.” - Dr. Mellin [14:59] “What happens is all eight of those chemicals collude to make it virtually impossible for you not to overeat, feel bad inside, and gain weight. It's all biochemical, and it's all affected by one thing, the stress chemicals in your body.” - Dr. Mellin[32:37] “I thought, I've got to go on a diet, and I said no, I'm not going to. I'm going to find my own natural weight. I'm not going to judge my body no matter what size it is. I'm going to eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm dissatisfied, and use the EBT tool so I can do that. And what happened is food became a non-issue.” - Dr. Mellin"You can rewire your brain for health, health in mind and in body." - Jenn TrepeckRESOURCES:Become A Member of Salad with a Side of FriesJenn's Free Menu PlanA Salad With a Side of FriesA Salad With A Side Of Fries MerchA Salad With a Side of Fries InstagramGUEST RESOURCES:The EBT website for the programLatest Book 1-2-3 JOY EBT Facebook GroupDr. Laurel Mellin's InstagramDr. Laurel Mellin's LinkedInBIO:Dr. Mellin is a health psychologist, New York Times Bestselling author, and founder of emotional brain training, a neuroscientific program for rewiring the brain out of stress overload and into states of joy and optimal health. She developed EBT during her 40 years as a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Mellin is the executive director of the Solution Foundation, which conducts EBT research and trains health professionals and coaches to deliver EBT in their practices and online.

Here are links to the previous items that I mentioned in the show notes: Podlink to Part 1 of this 2-part series First Substack Essay - Running Toward, Running Away This Substack Essay (in written form) - Return of the Happy Brain Chemicals The Oatmeal cartoon on The Blerch - The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances Patrick's musings on Pluto in Capricorn (there are several so I'm including links to my favorites here):  Fear to Love Tongue Tied Poop with Purpose *** We would love to hear your thoughts or questions on this episode via SpeakPipe: https://www.speakpipe.com/SomaticWisdomLoveNotes To show your gratitude for this show, you can make a one-time gift to support Somatic Wisdom with this link. To become a Sustaining Honor Roll contributor to help us keep bringing you conversations and content that support Your Somatic Wisdom please use this link. Thank you! Your generosity is greatly appreciated! *** To learn more about an opportunity to join the Somatic Wisdom team, contact me via LinkedIn here, letting me know you're a fan of the pod. Leave me a sentence letting me know why you feel you'd be a good fit, and I will reach out with more details. Or leave me a message via https://www.speakpipe.com/SomaticWisdomLoveNotes with your email address and/or phone number so I can get in touch.  *** Music credit: https://www.melodyloops.com/composers/dpmusic/ Cover art credit: https://www.natalyakolosowsky.com/ Cover template creation by Briana Knight Sagucio        

How do Brain Chemicals make you happy? What causes your brain to release Chemicals? What is Dopamine? Have you started your FREE TRIAL of Who Smarted?+ for AD FREE listening, an EXTRA episode every week & bonus content? Sign up right in the Apple app, or directly at WhoSmarted.com and find out why more than 1,000 families are LOVING their subscription! Get official Who Smarted? Merch: tee-shirts, mugs, hoodies and more, at Who Smarted?

Have a question you want answered? Submit it here!Ever wondered how to measure the elusive power of emotional attraction?  Struggling to balance the PIES and keep those sweet cravings in check? Join us for an intriguing and empowering Ask Me Anything episode where we spill the tea on everything from dopamine and serotonin to overcoming those pesky ideological differences with your spouse. Ready to ignite your attraction potential? Join us on an exciting journey where we'll unlock the science of attraction and empower you to create a more fulfilling, vibrant you!Click here to submit your questions!Your Host: Kimberly Beam Holmes, Expert in Self-Improvement and RelationshipsKimberly Beam Holmes has applied her master's degree in psychology for over ten years, acting as the CEO of Marriage Helper & CEO and Creator of PIES University, being a wife and mother herself, and researching how attraction affects relationships. Her videos, podcasts, and following reach over 500,000 people a month who are making changes and becoming the best they can be.

For personalized guidance, I'm offering podcast listeners a free 20-minute Thriving Mama Glow Assessment call. We'll evaluate your situation and, even if I'm not the right fit for you, I'll provide useful resources and support to help you on your journey.On this transformative episode of The Thriving Mama, host Dr. Stephanie Davis sits down with energy maven Dr. Rajka Milanovic Galbraith. They dive deep into the challenges of motherhood, underlining the crucial role of self-care in maintaining vibrant health. Rajka shares her life-altering journey through the lens of functional medicine and imparts invaluable insights on combating fatigue, bolstering nutrition, and the profound impact of self-care. Prepare to be empowered as they teach you practical strategies for reclaiming energy. These two are dedicated to helping every mom thrive.Key Topics Discussed:Motherhood challenges and the importance of self-careSeeking support through local mom groupsInvesting in health to prevent serious issuesThe role of diet diversity in immune functionStress management strategies for busy mothersTimestamps:12:48 Nutritional deficiencies, toxins and stress can impact energy levels.13:56 Toxins deplete nutrients, injure mitochondria and cause distress.19:07 A simple food practice: Eating a balanced plate and limiting meals.21:38 A diverse diet supports immunity and serotonin production.23:40 Overeating carbs at dinner affects sleep and energy.28:43 Prioritizing self-care, utilizing community support and connection.Guest Socials:Dr. Rajka | WebsiteDr. Rajka | InstagramDr. Rajka | Facebook

About the Episode:Welcome to today's episode of Uploading. Today we have the pleasure of talking with Stephanie Garcia. A seasoned digital marketing expert with an impressive 15-year career at top agencies, Stephanie Garcia is a live video strategist with a proven track record, and the host of Lights, Camera, Live a show dedicated to empowering small business owners to step into the spotlight with live streaming. Her work has been recognized and awarded by Forbes, Online Marketing Media and Advertising, PR Daily, Forrester, and Gartner 1to1 Media. She has spoken at Social Media Marketing World, VidCon, Podcast Movement, and many more.Are you thinking of starting live streaming this 2024? Want to know how to get more viewers in your streams? Or how to repurpose content from your live streams?Love this episode? Be sure to join Stephanie on April 24th at Leap by Ecamm Live for her keynote Creators: The Next $1B BusinessToday, we'll cover:- Stephanie's innovative strategies for repurposing live stream content across various platforms- The importance of distinguishing content levels for different audiences and leveraging social media for real-time engagement- How dedicating a long-form live stream to platforms like YouTube can enhance discoverability- Stephanie's 10x10 content formula for generating fresh and relevant video ideas- Stephanie's insights on approaching live streams with the right mindset, the role of teleprompters, and effective audience interaction- A closer look at the success behind Stephanie's live stream for the MasterChef cookbook, which garnered 178,000 downloads in a single dayWhat You'll Learn1. Technical Aspects of Live Streaming2. Content Creation and Repurposing3. Discoverability and Engagement4. The Power of Live Streaming5. Building a Content Engine6. Successful Live Streaming CampaignsTimestamps00:00 Transitioning from ad agency to consulting, live streaming04:42 How to get people excited to join a live stream08:58 Different frameworks for live streaming10:33 Expert tips for B2B live streaming15:26 How to drive 178,000 book downloads in 24 hours through live streaming16:42 Generating content ideas with Stephanie Garcia's 10x10 Formula18:49 The mindset you need to become a successful live streamer19:32 How to choose the right platform for your live streams22:01 Leveraging social media for better discoverability24:54 Repurposing live stream content with Castmagic26:13 Keeping old live streams on YouTube for clientsNavigating Digital Marketing Careers: "And so I left that ad agency world, started my own consulting agency, and to my surprise, fellas, everyone was calling themselves, like, a social media strategist. And I was like, well, how do I separate myself from the sea of sameness?" — Stephanie Garcia [00:02:26 → 00:02:40]Innovative Engagement Strategies: "It's one of those things where you just have to do a pattern interrupt in social media to get people to stop, look, and listen to what it is that you have to say." — Stephanie Garcia [00:03:35 → 00:03:41]Engaging Audiences with Social Media Polls: "So a lot of times I'll do polls. What do you think about this? If you could change one thing about Castmagic, what would it be? And so you get people involved in those conversations." — Stephanie Garcia [00:06:28 → 00:06:36]The Importance of Prep in B2B Livestreaming: "And I think what also makes a B2B livestreaming show suck is if you don't do a tech rehearsal with your talent, right? So, like, all of us, we showed up, we're like, oh, hey, check your mic, right? Because we know that we're going to repurpose this content." — Stephanie Garcia [00:11:59 → 00:12:15]Viral Marketing Success: "And so within that, within 24 hours, we had 178,000 downloads of her book. The client came back and was like, we've never seen this much engagement before. We've done live streams and no one showed up. But how did you get these people to show up? And that's really, that's the fascination fast track." — Stephanie Garcia [00:15:54 → 00:16:10]Successful Live Streaming Strategies: "It's not about the gear. It's about the gears up here. How do you connect and engage with your audience? Create a run of show where, yes, you are going to engage with your audience in real-time, but you're also going to deliver value, and then at that point, hit the live stream button and run with it." — Stephanie Garcia [00:19:59 → 00:20:13]Leveraging Social Media for Discoverability: "Yeah, I would say if you want to leverage the social media platforms, the benefit to it is that it gives you better discoverability. So it's easy for people to find you." — Stephanie Garcia [00:22:01 → 00:22:10]Catering to Different Audience Expertise Levels: "And so knowing how to differentiate your content from beginner, intermediate and advanced is one of the best ways. So I would say, like, hey, hang out with me on YouTube, and this is like your getting started tutorial, but oh my gosh, if you want the full framework and the case studies, then you have to go into the community." — Stephanie Garcia [00:23:35 → 00:23:51]The Power of Longevity in Social Media Content: "Oh, it still lives in perpetuity on social media platforms. So I still have people watching videos from three or four years ago, still wanting to learn how to go live on Facebook." — Stephanie Garcia [00:26:21 → 00:26:26]Show notes powered by Castmagic---Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter here.Follow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!Castmagic InstagramCastmagic TwitterCastmagic LinkedIn  ---Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of CastmagicRamon Berrios - Co-Founder of CastmagicStephanie Garcia - Live Streaming Producer at Lights, Camera, Live

Adam Lane Smith, licensed psychotherapist and Attachment Specialist, transforms relationships from blue-collar families to CEOs. With his Attachment Bootcamp and personalized coaching, he guides clients on a transformative journey to authentic connections and fulfilling relationships.In this episode Adam and Sathiya discuss:[03:50] Oxytocin and Attachment[04:27] Brain Chemicals and Attachment[08:33] Impact of Dopamine[11:05] Oxytocin Addiction[12:21] Psychological Safety and Attachment[16:10] Impact of Family Dynamics[16:46] The impact of early adoption trauma[18:27] The epidemic of loneliness among men[20:17] The crisis of masculinity and male bonding[23:08] The power of teaching and vasopressin bonding[30:33] The impact of dopamine and the challenge of fidelity[33:21] The porn issue and its impact[34:12] Physiological aspects of attachment and pornography[35:05] Erectile dysfunction and attachment issues[36:44] Improving attachment through foreplay[38:16] Vasopressin and oxytocin in relationships[40:38] Micro cheating and its consequences[44:45] Adam Lane Smith's journey into attachment theory[48:44] Recommendations for instilling secure attachment in children[50:00] Introducing the Podcast[50:23] Connecting with Other Podcast Hosts[51:01] Discussing Potential Podcast Guests Check out the Bootcamp Course of AdamFollow Adam Lane Smith on Instagram and also on YoutubeBook A Call With Sathiya's TeamFor more Free Resources, check this outFollow Sathiya on Instagram

In this episode of The Brainy Business podcast, you'll hear Melina Palmer interview Michael Schein, author of The Hype Handbook. This conversation delves into the power of hype in marketing and how to effectively capture attention and drive action. Michael shares his insights on the art of hype, emphasizing the importance of storytelling in making messages captivating and memorable. He explores the concept of certainty and how people are drawn to messages that offer it. The episode also discusses the significance of framing messages in impactful ways and highlights the power of simplicity in messaging.  This episode provides valuable insights for marketers and business professionals looking to enhance their communication skills and create more impactful marketing campaigns. Whether you want to understand the psychology behind effective hype or learn practical techniques for engaging your audience, this episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to create captivating and memorable marketing campaigns. In this episode, you will: Unleash the power of hype in your marketing to create buzz and excitement around your brand. Harness the art of storytelling to captivate your audience and make your message stick in their minds. Master the art of crafting certain messaging to build trust, credibility, and clarity in your brand communication. Learn how impactful framing can make all the difference in influencing your audience's perception and decision-making. Discover the power of simplicity in messaging to cut through the noise and ensure your marketing campaigns are memorable and effective. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction Melina introduces the episode, celebrating the milestone of 350 episodes and over a million downloads of the show. She previews the topic of hype and introduces guest Michael. 00:02:26 - The Power of Hype Michael discusses how his company, Microfame Media, helps idea-driven businesses create hype. He emphasizes the importance of understanding mass psychology and using effective strategies and tactics to generate excitement and engagement. 00:05:15 - The Hype Handbook Michael shares his inspiration for writing his book, The Hype Handbook, which explores the principles and strategies used by propaganda artists, cult leaders, and other influential figures throughout history. He explains that these principles can be applied ethically to achieve desired outcomes. 00:07:34 - Principles over Tactics Michael emphasizes the importance of understanding psychological principles rather than relying solely on specific tactics or tools. He encourages businesses to focus on what drives human behavior and use that knowledge to create their own unique hype. 00:10:09 - The Perception of Hype Melina and Michael discuss the perception of hype and why some people may view it as sleazy or empty. They explore the origins of the term in the hip hop community and how hype has been embraced as a necessary strategy for success. 00:15:01 - Make War, Not Love The first strategy discussed is "Make War, Not Love," which is the foundation for all other strategies. The conversation explores the evolutionary basis of tribalism and how it influences our preferences and biases. 00:18:25 - Positioning Against an Idea The power of positioning yourself against a commonly accepted point of view in your industry is highlighted. By becoming the leader who challenges prevailing beliefs, you can attract like-minded individuals and build a new tribe around your ideas. 00:21:35 - Basecamp's Example The founders of Basecamp transformed their project management software into a crusade against overwork culture. By positioning their tool as a solution to the problem they were fighting against, they created a loyal following and achieved success. 00:23:45 - Authenticity and Packaging It is important to be authentic and genuinely believe in the stance you take. Cynical or surface-level attempts at packaging and branding are easily recognized. The conversation emphasizes the need to find a unique strength within your weaknesses to create a compelling persona. 00:25:49 - Uniqueness and Public Persona The discussion explores the concept of creating a public persona that is a heightened version of your true self. The key is to identify a strength buried within your weaknesses and use it to stand out in your industry. 00:29:49 - Embracing Authenticity Michael shares his journey of embracing his natural people-pleasing side and how it has helped him succeed. He highlights the power of being authentic and finding strength in who you are, rather than overcompensating for perceived weaknesses. 00:31:00 - Paradox of Confidence Michael discusses the paradox of confidence and how being confident means being confident in your natural state. He emphasizes the importance of embracing your true self and finding confidence in your own abilities, rather than trying to conform to someone else's expectations. 00:32:13 - Survivorship Bias Melina brings up the concept of survivorship bias and how it can distort our perception of success. Michael emphasizes the importance of questioning the advice and strategies of successful people, as they may be presenting a curated version of themselves for marketing purposes. 00:34:49 - Uncovering Marketing Tactics Michael delves into the strategies used by successful marketers and self-help gurus. He encourages listeners to analyze the tactics being employed to persuade them to buy products or follow advice, rather than blindly following the advice itself. He suggests creating a "swipe file" of marketing techniques instead. 00:38:07 - Making It Scientific Michael discusses the importance of using scientific language and authority to establish credibility in crowded fields. He explains how presenting ideas or services as backed by scientific research can make them appear more trustworthy and authoritative. He also highlights the use of heuristics in decision-making. 00:45:00 - The Hype Handbook and Simon Sinek Michael discusses how The Hype Handbook provides valuable insights on effective communication and the power of storytelling. He highlights Simon Sinek as a master of framing messages and using repetitive slogans to captivate audiences. 00:46:14 - The Impact of Framing and Certitude Michael emphasizes the impact of framing messages in a quotable and interesting way. He also discusses the heuristic that people often associate extreme certitude with knowledge and expertise. 00:49:13 - Connecting with Knowledge Seekers Michael shares his Hype Book Club, where he recommends books on various topics, including cult leaders and social psychology. He highlights the value of curiosity and diverse learning experiences. 00:50:54 - The Power of Storytelling and Tidbits Michael discusses the importance of weaving stories together to make a point and engage readers. He emphasizes the value of storytelling in helping people remember and apply what they've learned. 00:53:01 -  Conclusion, Melina's top insights from the conversation. What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Connect with Michael: Microfame Media Michael on Twitter Michael on LinkedIn Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Simply Put, Ben Guttmann The Hype Handbook, Michael Schein Rework, Jason Fried The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, Ryan Holiday Start with Why, Simon Sinek Top Recommended Next Episode: How to pitch your business Already Heard That One? Try These:  Social Proof (ep 87) Availability Bias (ep 310 Prince Ghuman Interview (344) Priscilla McKinney Interview (ep 196) What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You (ep 147) Negative Reviews (ep 163) The science of cool, with Troy Campbell (ep 169) David Paull (ep 289) Megaan Lurtz (ep 341) Herding: Come on and Listen… Everyone Else Is Doing It (ep 19) Framing: How You Say Things Matter More than What You're Saying (ep 16) The Overwhelmed Brain and Its Impact on Decision Making (ep 32) Overview of Personal Biases (ep 45) Survivorship Bias: Stop Missing What's Missing (ep 110) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter “21 Psychology Podcasts Every Businessperson Should Listen To” Derek Sivers – “How to Start a Movement” (TED Talk) Simon Sinek – “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” (TED Talk) Simon Sinek – “Millennials in the Workplace”

In this episode of The Brainy Business podcast, you will hear an insightful conversation between host Melina Palmer and guest Jon Levy, author of You're Invited. Jon shares his expertise on using behavioral science in event design and sponsorships to create memorable experiences for attendees. Drawing from his own experiences, Jon emphasizes the power of human connection and relationships in event planning.  He discusses the importance of assembling or working together on projects to foster a sense of connection and engagement. Jon also highlights the peak-end rule, which states that people remember the peaks of experiences and how they end, and shares strategies for creating lasting impressions. He offers valuable insights on engaging high-profile individuals, building trust through vulnerability, and the significance of genuine interest in others. If you are a professional seeking to enhance your understanding of human behavior and apply behavioral science principles to create impactful and attention-grabbing events, this episode is a must-listen. In this episode, you will: Enhance customer engagement and satisfaction by leveraging the power of human connection and relationships. Apply research-backed strategies to create impactful and memorable event experiences that resonate with attendees. Foster meaningful connections among attendees through shared activities, strengthening their bond and creating lasting memories. Build trust and rapport with attendees by demonstrating vulnerability and support, creating an environment where they feel safe and valued. Discover the influential impact of showing genuine interest and curiosity in others, leading to more meaningful connections and enriching event experiences. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction, Melina introduces the episode and her guest, Jon Levy. She mentions his work as a behavioral scientist and his book, You're Invited, which focuses on human connection, trust, and belonging. 00:03:26 - Behavioral Science and Research Jon discusses his work as a behavioral scientist, including his research studies on dating and consumer behavior. He highlights the importance of applying research findings to real-life situations. 00:07:56 - The Influencers Dinner Jon shares how he started the Influencers Dinner, a secret dining experience where guests couldn't discuss their careers or give their last names. He explains how the dinners helped create connections and a sense of belonging among industry leaders. 00:09:34 - Building a Community Jon explains how the Influencers Dinner evolved into a larger community of industry leaders. He discusses the in-person and digital events they organize and emphasizes the ephemeral nature of their interactions. 00:10:57 - Impact on Society Jon discusses his objective of bringing people together to improve their lives and potentially have a larger impact on society. He talks about raising money for social issues and getting media attention to raise awareness. 00:14:43 - Building Bonds through Shared Experiences The guest discusses the importance of getting people to assemble or work together as a way to strengthen relationships and create a sense of camaraderie within a company. By engaging high-profile individuals in unique and generous activities, such as assembling flowers, it creates a memorable experience that fosters emotional connections and generates positive word-of-mouth publicity. 00:16:16 - The Value of Being an Active Partner Rather than simply being a sponsor, it is more effective to actively design or be involved in the thinking process. By ensuring that people understand the core value and proposition of a brand, partners can forge stronger connections and leave a lasting impression. Quality over quantity is emphasized, focusing on meaningful engagements rather than broad-scale reach. 00:18:55 - The Power of Invitation in Building Connections The guest shares his experience in inviting impressive individuals to his events, even without extensive connections or resources. By starting with people he knew and gradually expanding his network through recommendations and research, he was able to build relationships with Nobel laureates, Olympians, and other accomplished individuals. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the behaviors and interests of specific groups in order to make meaningful connections. 00:20:42 - The Pitfalls of Scale and Misaligned Reach The discussion highlights the importance of targeted reach rather than focusing solely on scale. Having a large number of followers or attendees does not guarantee the right audience or meaningful connections. It is crucial to consider the relevance and alignment of the target audience when seeking partnerships or sponsorships. 00:29:29 - The Power of Influence and Trust Jon discusses the influence he has as a martial arts master and reverend, emphasizing the importance of trust in building connections. He explains that trust is created through competence, honesty, and benevolence, and that vulnerability loops can accelerate the trust-building process. 00:32:08 - Building Trust through Conversations Jon shares how his dinners create an environment where guests can have more intimate and vulnerable conversations, leading to accelerated trust between individuals. He also highlights the value of connecting on a personal level beyond discussing work-related topics. 00:34:50 - The Misunderstanding of Trust Jon explains that trust is often misunderstood, with many individuals leading with competence rather than benevolence. He discusses the importance of leveraging vulnerability loops and the Ikea effect to accelerate trust-building, emphasizing the need to ask for favors and provide support to create profound trust. 00:36:39 - Overcoming Fear of Asking for Help Melina and Jon share their personal experiences of asking for help, particularly in relation to promoting their books. They discuss the discomfort and fear that comes with asking for favors but highlight the importance of understanding that rejection or non-response doesn't necessarily reflect a personal dislike. 00:39:46 - Networking vs. Making Friends Jon challenges the traditional idea of networking and suggests that making friends is a more natural and effective way to connect with others. He emphasizes that networking often feels forced and unnatural, whereas making friends allows for more genuine and meaningful connections. 00:44:03 - The Importance of Relationships Relationships define the quality of our lives, whether in business or personal settings. Being vulnerable and reaching out to others can lead to meaningful connections and impactful experiences. 00:45:27 - Be Willing to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone To expand your social circle and create an impact, it's important to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. Take action, reach out to others, and engage in activities that bring people together. 00:46:29 - The Power of Social Catalysts Engaging in activities as social catalysts can make connecting with others feel less awkward. Activities like walking, playing games, or pursuing shared interests provide a natural context for conversation and connection. 00:48:07 - Embrace Anonymity and Genuine Interest By focusing on genuine interest in others, regardless of titles or achievements, deeper connections can be formed. Embrace anonymity and approach interactions with curiosity and authenticity. 00:50:15 -  Conclusion, Melina's top insights from the conversation. What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Connect with Jon: Jon's Website Jon on Instagram Jon on Twitter Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: You're Invited, by Jon Levy The 2AM Principle, by Jon Levy Collaboration is the New Competition, by Priscilla McKinney What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M.R. Covey Top Recommended Next Episode: The Speed of Trust, with Stephen M.R. Covey (ep 320) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Reciprocity (ep 238) Biases Toward Novelty and Stories (ep 54) The Power of Story, with Michelle Auerbach (ep 288) The IKEA Effect (ep 112) Peak-End Rule (ep 97) Surprise and Delight (ep 276) What is Value? (ep 234) Disney: A Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 292) Get Your DOSE of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Loss Aversion (ep 316) Status Quo Bias (ep 142) Framing (ep 296) Using Behavioral Science in Healthcare, with Aline Holzwarth (ep 135) Decision Fatigue (ep 244) Temptation Bundling (ep 250) The Behaviour Business, with Richard Chataway (ep 134) How To Change, with Katy Milkman (ep 151) The Fun Habit with Mike Rucker (ep 251) Happier Hour, with Cassie Holmes (ep 249) The Human Experience, with John Sills (ep 277) Anthropology, Behavioral Economics, and Marketing, with Priscilla McKinney (ep 196) The Science of Connection, with Nick Epley (ep 265) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter

Kim and Kezia speak with addictionologist Dr. Evelyn Higgins from Wired for Addiction. Dr. Higgins is an expert in the epidemiology of addiction. If you could identify the brain chemicals that cause alcohol or drug addiction in your brain, then what would be the next step? What if you could start at a young age by creating different habits if you had the scientific knowledge to prepare you to do so? What gets a person to that place of addiction? If you actually knew that you didn't have to stay in that dark place, would you? If you could have had your DNA tested at a young age to see if you were predisposed to substance use disorder, would you have done so? If you knew what lay ahead, what would you have done differently? "Does your DNA predispose you to substance abuse? New research suggests that addiction is a biological condition. How would knowing your risk for alcohol or drug dependency impact your choices? Dr. Evelyn Higgins, CEO & Founder of Wired For Addiction®, is an international expert in the epidemiology of addiction. She believes the way we perceive, treat, and manage mental health and substance use disorders needs to evolve to reflect what we now know about human physiology. Technological advances have given us the genetic tools to identify the biomarkers of addiction. So why aren't we using that knowledge to improve treatment protocols? We can change the lens through which society views addiction by acknowledging its biological components and promoting science-based solutions."  Founder and CEO of Wired For Addiction®, Dr. Evelyn Higgins is a recognized international expert in the epidemiology of addiction.  As a Certified Addictionologist, Diplomate of the American College of Addictionology and Compulsive Disorders, and Diplomate of the American Board of Disability Analysts specializing in pain management, Dr. Higgins has had the honor of advising the U.S. Surgeon General, producing and hosting a Gracie Award winning nationally syndicated health and wellness terrestrial radio program, and serving as a 1996 Olympic Team Doctor and Olympic torch bearer.   With 35 years in clinical practice, Dr. Higgins has designated over 16 years to Research and Development in the science of addiction recovery. A TEDx Speaker (her TEDx Talk can be found here), panelist at the 2022 International Society of Substance Use Professionals Annual Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the 2022 International Gambling Conference in Auckland, New Zealand, and a 2021 Nominee for Modern Healthcare's Top 25 Innovators in Healthcare, Dr. Higgins finds herself at the nexus of epigenetics, neuroscience, and addiction. https://www.wiredforaddiction.com/ https://www.ted.com/talks/evelyn_higgins_am_i_wired_for_addiction --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kim-kearns/support

In this episode of The Brainy Business podcast, you'll hear an insightful conversation between host Melina Palmer and guest Ayelet Fishbach, a professor and researcher in behavioral science at the University of Chicago. The episode focuses on the topic of goal setting and motivation. Ayelet shares her expertise in understanding the psychology behind setting and achieving goals, emphasizing the importance of intrinsic motivation and finding joy in the journey.  She provides practical strategies for overcoming obstacles, reframing goals, and maintaining motivation over time. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to improve their goal-setting skills and increase their chances of successfully achieving their goals. Ayelet's research-backed insights will inspire you to approach goal setting in a more thoughtful and effective way. So, if you're looking to enhance your motivation and achieve your goals, tune in to this episode. In this episode: Explore the science behind goal setting and motivation to uncover strategies for increased success. Overcome obstacles and anticipate temptations in order to stay focused on achieving your goals. Discover the importance of intrinsic motivation and how it can drive you towards sustainable success. Learn the power of reframing goals and shifting your focus to the process, rather than just the end result. Gain insights into planning for long-term goals and developing a more thoughtful approach to achieving them. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Episode Melina introduces the purpose of refreshing this episode and mentions the upcoming conversation with Vishal George, who references Ayelet's work. 00:02:04 - Setting Goals and Motivation Listeners are encouraged to think about their goals, especially related to money and financial stability. Melina teases the upcoming conversation with Ayelet Fishbach and encourages listeners to keep their goals in mind during the discussion. 00:02:53 - Interview with Ayelet Fishbach Ayelet Fishbach discusses her background in motivation science and goal setting. She explains how she became interested in studying motivation and self-control and discusses her early research on anticipating temptation. The importance of planning and thinking about obstacles is highlighted. 00:09:19 - Overcoming Fantasies and Intuition Ayelet emphasizes the importance of thinking beyond fantasies and focusing on potential obstacles. She discusses how fantasies are less effective than considering the challenges that may arise. The importance of questioning intuition and challenging common beliefs is also mentioned. 00:11:18 - Intuition and Counterintuitive Findings Ayelet discusses the importance of questioning intuition and presents examples of counterintuitive findings. She highlights the need to challenge common beliefs and assumptions, such as opposites attract or consistent reinforcement for behavior. 00:16:50 - The Power of Goals, The conversation begins by discussing the power of setting goals and the inspiration they provide. The example of Mount Everest is used to highlight the allure and intrinsic motivation behind achieving a specific goal. 00:19:33 - Choosing the Right Goal, The discussion emphasizes the importance of choosing the right goal, as not all goals are in our best interest. The example of climbers on Mount Everest who persist despite dangerous conditions is used to illustrate the potential pitfalls of misguided goals. 00:22:20 - Increasing Goal Adherence, The conversation addresses the issue of people giving up on their New Year's resolutions. The key factor in goal adherence is intrinsically motivating resolutions that provide immediate pleasure or growth. The importance of enjoying the path towards the goal is emphasized. 00:24:35 - Setting Pleasurable Goals, The discussion highlights the significance of setting goals that are pleasurable to pursue. Examples include enjoying healthier foods, finding fun ways to exercise, and creating rewarding work tasks. Emphasis is placed on the need to find pleasure in the process rather than solely focusing on the end result. 00:29:10 - Mistakes in Goal Setting, The conversation explores the common mistake of setting resolutions based on an idealized version of oneself. The concept of hyperbolic time discounting is mentioned as a factor that hinders long-term commitment. The speaker advises setting goals based on one's present self, acknowledging personal limitations, and planning accordingly. 00:34:52 - The Problem with Avoidance Goals, Avoidance goals, such as not being a couch potato or not eating junk food, are less likely to be successful because they bring to mind the very thing we are trying to avoid. Approach goals, on the other hand, like catching Pokemon, are more exciting and motivating. 00:36:10 - Why Avoidance Goals Don't Work, Avoidance goals may seem urgent in the short term, but they are not effective for long-term success. Instead of focusing on what not to do, it is more productive to think about what we should do. For example, setting a goal to have healthy snacks instead of avoiding junk food. 00:37:07 - Reframing Avoidance Goals, Reframing avoidance goals involves shifting the focus from what we should not do to what we should do. For example, instead of setting a goal to stop eating junk food, we can set a goal to eat healthy snacks. This reframing makes the goal more positive and motivating. 00:39:24 - Changing Perceptions of Healthy Food, Many people have a negative perception of healthy food, associating it with being tasteless. However, this perception can be changed by framing healthy food in a more positive and tasty way. When healthy food is seen as delicious, people are more likely to choose and enjoy it. 00:51:22 - Reaching Goals and Making Little Changes, Melina discusses the importance of regularly taking action towards goals instead of only focusing on the long term. Little changes and choices made today can have a significant impact in the future, such as planning for retirement. Being thoughtful and proactive is key. 00:52:03 -  Conclusion, Melina's top insights from the conversation. What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Connect with Ayelet: AYELET'S WEBSITE AYELET ON TWITTER AYELET ON LINKEDIN Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Get It Done, by Ayelet Fishbach How To Change, by Katy Milkman The Power of Us, by Dominic Packer and Jay Van Bavel Good Habits, Bad Habits, by Wendy Wood Mixed Signals, by Uri Gneezy Top Recommended Next Episode: Have Your Best Year Ever, with Cassie Holmes and Ayelet Fishbach (ep 249) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Temptation Bundling (ep 250) Priming (ep 252) D.O.S.E. Brain Chemicals (ep 123) How To Change, with Katy Milkman (ep 151) The Power of Us with Dominic Packer (ep 304) Framing (ep 296) How to Set, Achieve & Exceed Brainy Goals (ep 70) Good Habits, Bad Habits, with Wendy Wood (ep 127) Expect Error: The “E” in NUDGES (ep 39) Give Feedback: The “G” in NUDGES (ep 40) Resolutions and Keeping Commitments (ep 29) Time Discounting (ep 328) The Overwhelmed Brain and Its Impact on Decision Making (ep 32) How to Get (and Stay) Motivated (ep 67) Secrets of Motivation and Incentives, with Tim Houlihan (ep 109) Motivation and Incentives at Work, with Kurt Nelson (ep 187) Happier Hour, with Cassie Holmes (ep 257) Changing Health with the EATS Model (ep 217) 5 Years. 299 episodes. Here Are Your Favorites. (ep 299) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter Texas A&M Self-Control Research Could Help You Stick With Your New Year's Resolutions University of Chicago, Chicago Booth School of Business Faculty Directory: Ayelet Fishbach

Finding Purpose Through Goals: Unleashing Your True Potential - The Goal Smasher Podcast In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the powerful connection between understanding our purpose and setting meaningful goals. Join us as we unravel the transformative journey of how goals can anchor us, unlock our true potential, and infuse purpose into our lives. Are you feeling adrift and seeking meaning in your daily life? Together, we'll navigate how goals bring value, fulfillment, and purpose to our existence, along with the important chemicals they release in our brain. Don't miss this enlightening episode as we equip you with the tools to set purpose-driven goals and tap into your full potential. Subscribe now and experience the power of this dynamic show to align your actions with your purpose and achieve extraordinary results! Tune in to the Goal Smasher Podcast and witness the transformative impact of understanding your purpose through goals. Join the Goal Smasher Nation, Read the book, follow on social, and subscribe to the newsletter for free resources at Audreylawrence.org. Keywords: Finding Purpose, Meaningful Goals, Transformative Techniques, Goal Smasher, Audrey Lawrence, TED, Unlocking Potential, Infusing Purpose, Empowering, Dynamic Show, Value and Fulfillment, Purpose-Driven Goals, Brain Chemicals, Anchoring, Aligning Actions, Extraordinary Results.

If you've ever used shopping as a coping mechanism when you're bored, stressed, lonely, or feeling down, did you know there might be a chemical reason you're doing it? In this episode, a financial therapist explains the four brain chemicals released when we go shopping, helping you understand that your shopping cravings are about more than “willpower.” Watch on YouTube and join the community in the comments! https://youtu.be/M3IC9RHNikg

Hi! I've been in the hospital with pneumonia! But enjoy this banger of an encore about: Serotonin! Dopamine! Norepinephrine! Neurotransmitters: what's their deal? Dr. Crystal Dilworth, aka Dr. Brain, stops by to have a spirited discussion about how chemical messengers change our moods and behaviors. We chat about depression, anxiety, what chemicals drive us to get off the couch, how antidepressants work, ADHD, addiction, the microbiome, new habits, quitting smoking, starting meditation, Oreos vs. cocaine, SSRIs vs. SNRIs, what it's like to hold a human brain in your hands and if she would donate hers to science. Also: what's up with "lizard brains?"Visit Dr. Dilworth's websiteFollow Dr. Dilworth on Instagram & TwitterA donation went to The Geena Davis Institute: seejane.orgMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 1 with Dr. Russell Barkley, Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 2, LIFE ADVICE: For anyone who needs some hacks, Dolorology (PAIN), Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Chronobiology (CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS) Encore + 2023 Updates, FIELD TRIP: An Airport Full of Neuroscientists, Oneirology (DREAMS), Thanatology - NEW Interview (DEATH, GRIEF & MOURNING), Neuropathology (CONCUSSIONS), Molecular Biology (PROTEINS + SCIENCE COMMUNICATION), Awesomeology (GRATITUDE FOR LITTLE THINGS), Oikology (DECLUTTERING), Philematology (KISSING), Traumatology (PTSD), Victimology (CRIME VICTIMS), Personality Psychology (PERSONALITIES), Somnology (SLEEP),  Fearology (FEAR) Pt. 1, Fearology (FEAR) Pt. 2, Sports & Performance Psychology (ANXIETY & CONFIDENCE)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris Transcripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

You find yourself in a tense team meeting, striving to defend your stance on a significant project, but you begin to sense that you're losing ground.  Your volume escalates, and you interrupt one of your colleagues to correct their perspective. Your Brain Is Hooked on Being Right How do we use brain chemicals to change minds?  Join me for this week's podcast on Brain Chemicals That Help/Hurt Influence - Cortisol, Oxytocin, Dopamine, And Serotonin.  I will reveal how to use these different brain chemicals to help you persuade and influence.  You need to know some drawbacks before triggering this feeling/chemical in your prospect.  Discover more persuasion tools for your influence toolbox.

The core idea of multi-narrative storytelling involves identifying a central message or concept that resonates with the audience and then expanding on it through a series of complementary stories. While each narrative can stand alone, together they create a comprehensive and compelling representation of the brand's identity and message. Two major brands that have successfully utilized multi-narrative storytelling in their marketing campaigns are Nike and Apple. Both brands have managed to create a global impact with their advertisements, encouraging consumers to connect with the brand on a personal level. By using multiple storylines, these giants have enabled their campaigns to resonate with a wide range of individuals, allowing for broader appeal and deeper emotional connections. During the podcast, Melina and Dr. Troy Campbell discuss how both Nike's "Just Do It" and Apple's "Think Different" campaigns are prime examples of effective multi-narrative storytelling. Companies can learn valuable lessons from these successful brands and apply the same techniques to their own business strategies. This episode will help you to: Uncover the power of multi-narrative storytelling in enhancing brand communication. Master the art of crafting a compelling personal brand identity through diverse stories. Grasp the importance of themes, metaphors, and language in creating engaging narratives. Cater to diverse customer groups by implementing a multi-narrative approach. Gain insights from storytelling techniques employed by successful companies. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction, Dr. Troy Campbell is back on The Brainy Business podcast (one of our few three-peat guests!) to talk about multi-narrative storytelling, building on his background as a former Disney Imagineer and Netflix Consumer Insights employee. 00:05:02 - Shades of Black, Troy talks about how Netflix uses different shades of black to differentiate importance cues on their platform. 00:11:19 - Definition of Multi-Narrative Storytelling, Multi-narrative storytelling involves telling a core story or idea through multiple complementary narratives. Nike and Apple's famous ad campaigns, "Just Do It" and "Think Different," are examples of multi-narrative storytelling. 00:13:48 - Nike and Apple as Examples, The "Think Different" campaign started as a multi-narrative by showcasing the “misfits” and “rebels” who changed the world. 00:15:10 - The Power of Multi-Narrative Storytelling, Multi-narrative storytelling is about getting a core idea across. It involves creating a core story that is the center of your messaging, which is surrounded by different stories that are used to convey your message. This technique involves using narratives that have associations with your brand that the audience will recognize. (As an example in the Apple campaign, showing a picture of Einstein is powerful because of the associations we all have with him and what his image means.) 00:16:52 - Core Idea of Multi-Narrative Storytelling, The core idea of multi-narrative storytelling is to create a cause-and-effect story. It involves telling a story that explains who you are and what you're trying to achieve, and then surrounding that story with other narratives that support your message. You can use existing stories or create original ones. 00:19:15 - Using Existing Stories as Associations, Multi-narrative storytelling can involve using existing stories as associations to convey your message. This technique involves using stories that your audience is already familiar with and borrowing elements of those stories to support your message. This approach makes it easier for your audience to understand and relate to your message. 00:22:28 - The Power of Metaphor and Semiotics, Metaphor, semiotics, and word choice allow for a deeper level of understanding of how to convey messages. Using these techniques and creating a multi-narrative story around them can make the messaging more powerful and effective. 00:30:36 - Multi-Narrative Storytelling, The concept of multi-narrative storytelling involves creating a core story with multiple examples or narratives that support it. This approach allows for flexibility in communication and can be used to convey complex or abstract ideas. Multi-narrative storytelling is useful in branding, marketing, and other areas of business where a clear and compelling message is necessary. 00:32:19 - Just Do It, Nike's "Just Do It" slogan is specific enough to be relatable and broad enough to appeal to a wide range of audiences. This approach can be applied to other branding or marketing efforts by creating a core story that is supported by multiple narratives or examples. 00:38:01 - Branding, Effective branding involves creating a core story that is supported by multiple narratives or examples. This approach allows for flexibility in communication and can help to appeal to a wider range of audiences. The branding of The Brainy Business podcast is an example of this approach, using a fun and relatable logo to convey complex ideas. 00:41:29 - Thesis and Proof, Effective marketing involves creating a clear thesis and using specific examples to prove it. This approach can be used to convey complex or abstract ideas to a wider audience. The selection of imagery, titles, and stories should support the thesis and help to prove its validity. 00:47:12 - The Power of Storytelling, The way Troy implements his “scientific mind and artistic heart” approach can help businesses understand and leverage techniques from other companies like Disney or Nike to improve their own storytelling strategies. 00:47:43 - Multi-Narrative Storytelling, Companies can use multi-narrative storytelling to tie together narratives within their own organization, for the benefit of both customers and employees. Understanding the stories woven within a brand is essential for weaving them together to make a great brand. 00:48:37 - Related Episodes, Other podcast episodes relating to storytelling include David Paull on behavioral storytelling, Dr. Michelle Auerbach, and Sam Evans. These episodes and their related materials are linked below. 00:49:10 - Conclusion,  Melina's top insights from the conversation. What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! CONNECT WITH TROY TROY'S WEBSITE ON YOUR FEET TROY ON LINKEDIN Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Choice Hacking, by Jennifer Clinehens What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer The Experience Maker, by Dan Gingiss Blindsight, by Matt Johnson and Prince Ghuman Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland Top Recommended Next Episode: The Science of Cool, with Troy Campbell (ep 169) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Flip The Script! With Troy Campbell (ep 253) Why We Like The Things We Like, with Prince Ghuman (ep 172) Disney: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 292) Starbucks: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 278) Costco: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 47) Peloton: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 86) Choice Hacking, with Jennifer Clinehens (ep 141) Social Proof (ep 87) Priming (ep 252) Peak-End Rule (ep 97) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Surprise and Delight (ep 276) The Life-Saving Skill of Story, with Michelle Auerbach (ep 288) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter

Creating brain-friendly experiences involves understanding how human psychology and behavioral principles can be integrated into the design of products and services. By recognizing and leveraging these concepts, brands can establish a stronger emotional connection with their customers and create experiences that resonate long after the interaction has ended. In the podcast, Melina Palmer advocates for infusing behavioral economics concepts into business practices and learning from Disney's approach. She encourages brands to delve into the "why" behind their existence and explore principles like framing, nudges, and nostalgia to foster lasting relationships with customers. The goal is to deliver unforgettable experiences that keep customers coming back for more, just as Disney has managed to do, time and again. Discover the art of blending novelty and nostalgia to create Disney magic. Unravel the secrets behind Disney's scarcity and identity-based marketing techniques. Learn how to improve customer experience during those unavoidable wait times. Implement Mickey's Ten Commandments and Imagineering Team's guiding principles. Uncover brain-friendly storytelling methods that boost revenue generation. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction, Melina introduces the podcast episode, which is about the behavioral economics of Disney. She talks about how Disney is part of our culture and upbringing and how it is a complex web of companies. 00:06:42 - Disney's Focus on Innovation, Disney's focus on innovation and constantly working to be better has stuck with the company for over 90 years. They balance expectations with surprise and delight in a way that works with the brain's bias for the status quo. 00:09:19 - Nostalgia, Disney embraces nostalgia in its parks, movies, and merchandise. They keep some things static over decades to evoke a feeling of nostalgia and balance it with new adaptations to keep it fresh. 00:12:17 - Novelty and the IKEA Effect, Disney incorporates novelty and the IKEA effect, which is the idea that people value things they helped create. Disney has little surprises throughout its parks, like hidden Mickeys, and Easter eggs in its movies. They also let people create their own experience with the brand, like embroidering names onto Mickey ears. 00:15:00 - Emotional Bonding, Being part of the fun and shaping the experience makes people emotionally bonded to the Disney brand. Helping pick out Mickey ears or discovering hidden Mickeys can prime memories and conversations and helps people like the brand more. 00:16:07 - Scarcity and Buzz, Disney's scarcity of specialty ears creates buzz and excitement among park visitors, who love to follow the crowd. This generates social proof, making the limited item even more popular and highly sought after. It's a stroke of genius by Disney to create scarcity in a way that gets people talking about the brand. 00:19:22 - Thoughtfulness in Experiences, Disney is known for being thoughtful in their experiences, making even the bad moments an experience all their own. By creating fun and engaging interactions including, hidden Mickeys, and themed line experiences, Disney turns waiting in a long line into a dopamine-generating, anticipation-building experience. This thoughtfulness is a gift that people repay with loyalty and fandom. 00:23:18 - Mickey's Ten Commandments, Mickey's Ten Commandments are a set of guiding principles that define Disney's values and handbook. Two commandments that stand out are to "avoid overwhelm" and "tell one story at a time." By simplifying the customer experience, reducing decision fatigue, and thinking through every experience, Disney can remain the happiest place on Earth for over 65 years. 00:28:17 - Imagineering Process, Disney's Imagineering Team goes through a process of asking questions to guide every new project, starting with what could it be and ending with how did we do? By using this process, Disney creates a flexible approach that allows for variety while still maintaining a high level of thoughtfulness and attention to detail. 00:31:03 - Starting with Story, Disney starts by creating a great story and then builds everything around it. This approach is different from the standard approach where a product is created, and then a story is created around it. By starting with a story, Disney ensures that the audience is emotionally invested in the story and the products or services associated with it. 00:31:51 - Brain-friendly Experiences, Brands can benefit from creating brain-friendly experiences by starting with a story. Starting with a story creates a sense of emotional investment and makes the experience more memorable. Incorporating various concepts from behavioral economics, such as framing, nudges, and nostalgia, can help create a more brain-friendly experience. 00:33:36 - Insights and Inspiration, Disney is a master of creating a balance between novelty and nostalgia in their experiences. They recognize that people want to share their childhood experiences with future generations, and they create experiences that allow them to do so. Disney also pays attention to the true end of the experience, which is not when someone leaves the park, but when they can relive the experience through photos. Companies can learn from Disney by creating similar brain-friendly experiences. 00:35:09 - Making Memories, Disney understood the true end of their experience, which was the moment when people could relive the experience through photos. They worked with Kodak to paint the park in colors that would look best when printed on photo paper, creating amazing, stellar pictures that helped make the memories stronger. Creating brain-friendly experiences involves paying attention to the details that make all the difference. 00:35:08 - Conclusion, Melina's top insights from the conversation. What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Choice Hacking, by Jennifer Clinehens What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer The Experience Maker, by Dan Gingiss Blindsight, by Matt Johnson and Prince Ghuman Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland Top Recommended Next Episode: Why We Like The Things We Like, with Prince Ghuman (ep 172) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Starbucks: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 278) Costco: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 47) Peloton: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 86) Choice Hacking, with Jennifer Clinehens (ep 141) Why Our Brains Love Nostalgia & Traditions (ep 79) Social Proof (ep 87) Priming (ep 252) Peak-End Rule (ep 97) Loss Aversion (ep 9) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Habits (ep 256) Surprise and Delight (ep 276) Status Quo Bias (ep 142) IKEA Effect (ep 112)  Scarcity (ep 270) Reciprocity (ep 238) NUDGES & Choice Architecture (ep 35) The Overwhelmed Brain and Its Impact on Decision Making (ep 32) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter The Psychology Behind Disney's “10 Commandments” for Experience Design The Science Hiding in Mickey's Pixie Dust Disney Proves That Profitable Marketing Is About Brand Stories Be Like Disney: Why You Should Embrace Imagineering Principles in Branding How Disney Built An Empire By Designing Brand Experience Why are so many adults obsessed with Disney theme parks? Here's an upside-down Mickey at the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland

As a Seattle girl, I love me some Starbucks so it is fun to refresh this episode which was one of the first (and most popular) behavioral economics analysis episodes I've ever done. It is currently the 11th most downloaded episode of the show of all time, and with 277 episodes to date, that is a pretty big deal! If you aren't familiar with this format, it is an episode where I talk about a well-known company and their practices to share what concepts from behavioral economics and behavioral science in their work so you can see what you might want to emulate and what isn't a good fit for you in your company.  So, why this episode from late 2019, and why now? Well, it is because of the loyalty program and this coming Friday's episode where I am joined by Lauren Kemp and Stephen Springfield to talk about how they created an “irrational” loyalty program at McDonald's during the pandemic. It is a fascinating story with lots of insights for you to learn. Today, I chose to share an episode that showcased another loyalty program doing a lot of smart things that are different from the traditional punch card approach to loyalty. (And, good news, there is a lot more to this episode that I know you're gonna love.) So grab a coffee, and settle in… Show Notes: [00:40] Today's episode is a behavioral economics analysis of Starbucks. [04:01] In this episode we are going to dig into their Star Rewards program, featured drinks, and products, the coveted red cups, their personality, overall brand choices, their logo, locations, social media, and pricing.  [04:23] Without the original brand and pricing, Starbucks would be just another coffee shop. [05:57] One of the big aspects Starbucks had to overcome was the pricing anchor.  [08:41] Howard Schultz and Starbucks took a step back. They got out of their own way and created a new category which ended up changing the conversation about coffee around the world. Asking good questions can help you get there.  [10:19] Price is never about the price. It is all about all the things that come before the price that matters more than the price itself. [12:02] The first big drink Starbucks made famous was the Frappuccino. There is a lot of effort that goes into turning these things into multibillion dollar industries.  This created a brand within a brand.  [14:27] Most everyone knows that the original PSL started at Starbucks. Pumpkin spice lattes are one of the seasonal drinks Starbucks brings out each year. They are only available for a few weeks or months until they are gone. This is scarcity in action.  [17:39] Starbucks changed the game. They created something different and managed to hold a big piece of the market even when imitators arose in every area.  [18:28] Starbucks is constantly testing and they are not afraid to have something really popular only available sometimes.  [19:24] Making and keeping a tradition alive is something Starbucks does amazingly well. The red cup first debuted in the 1997 holiday season and has been a staple ever since.   [20:19] When you become a lifestyle brand you bear the responsibility of being a big part of peoples' lives. Your choices reflect theirs and when you do something out of character, they will tell you about it. This is both good and bad.  [22:30] Consistency is key and until you define what you are and are not you can't be whatever it is consistently. When you have your own filters and know what you are about you can shout them from the rooftops and your tribe will resonate with them.  [24:49] The value of a brand is more than money and bottom-line sales. It is about the overall experience with the brand at its core.  [27:13] Find what people are already talking about and loving and see how you can be part of that conversation.  [28:39] The Star Rewards model is built to create habits for users and increase visits. It also encourages users to try new items and has limited-time offers, and customized preferences with an opportunity to get bonus stars.  [29:48] Being willing to test, experiment, and learn is something Starbucks does really well. Essentially Star Rewards is a huge testing ground of live field environments.  [32:15] Star Rewards is super easy and built-in. You have loss aversion and reciprocity built into the promotions.  [33:50] Star Rewards is a smart balance of loss aversion, scarcity, relativity, habits and more all executed through a series of experiments to see what is bringing the most value to the company and its customers.  [34:59] Scarcity is a powerful tool when used correctly, especially when properly paired with loss aversion to help people choose your product.  [36:31] Melina's closing thoughts [38:39] There is a lot of value and loyalty that comes from delightful, unexpected experiences and a less formal program is perfect for that. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn More and Support The Brainy Business: Get your copies of Melina's award-winning books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer How Customers Think, by Gerald Zaltman Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland Engaged, by Amy Bucher Marketing to Mindstates, by Will Leach Top Recommended Next Episode: Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Framing (ep 16) Priming (ep 252) What is Value? (ep 234) Mental Accounting (ep 56) Partitioning (ep 254) Costco (ep 47) Apple Card (ep 42) Anchoring and Adjustment (ep 11) Herding (ep 19) The Truth About Pricing (ep 5) A Guide for You to Create a Brainy Brand (ep 43) Rebrand, Refresh or Reinforce? (ep 44) Availability (ep 15) The Sense of Hearing and Sound (ep 27) Habits (ep 256) How To Set Up Your Own Experiments (ep 63) Relativity (ep 12) Reciprocity (ep 238) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  A Starbucks Barista Asked Me This 1 Simple Question, and Using It May Be a Great Way to Boost Your Sales Every Starbucks Growth Strategy Is Working 30 Interesting Starbucks Facts and Statistics (2019) | By the Numbers How Starbucks Transformed Coffee From A Commodity Into A $4 Splurge Starbucks Didn't Invent the Frappuccino. Here's Who Did. Starbucks Has Made An Insane Amount Of Money From PSL Sales Starbucks Red Cups 2019: When Do Christmas Holiday Drinks Start Going on Sale? A Brief History of Starbucks' Holiday Cup Controversies Starbucks Will Be Selling Fewer Limited-Time-Only Drinks That Can Be Super Hard To Make SPAM® Pumpkin Spice

Today's episode is all about surprise and delight. Hopefully, the title concept of this episode already has you in a happy and delightful mood (that's priming for you!) and you are ready for some fun. I love thinking about experiences and incorporating fun, delightful moments. It can be with customers or employees and in totally unexpected places (that is the best strategy) like an error page of a website or the legaleze people agree to.  Little moments of thoughtfulness are my favorite, and they help us to have fun at work (we should!) as well as help our customers and employees to enjoy interacting with us (which will make them want to do it more). And, while I don't need much of an excuse to talk about surprise and delight, there is a specific reason I chose to refresh this episode from 2019 today, and that is as a lead into this coming Friday's conversation with John Sills on his new book The Human Experience.  His book is all about creating better experiences. He features brands that are already doing an amazing job and how companies can make big leaps by remembering their humanness. Great experiences shouldn't be surprising, but sadly they are as too often the experiences with brands are more of a pain than a pleasure. But it doesn't have to be this way! This episode will share why delight is so critical to companies, why surprise matters, what it all has to do with loyalty and profitability and so much more. It's a fun one and I can't wait to share it with you Friday (if you aren't already subscribed to the podcast, take a moment to do so now). And, in the meantime, let's talk about surprise and delight. Show Notes: [00:38] Today's episode is all about surprise and delight. [02:12] Great experiences shouldn't be surprising, but sadly they are as too often the experiences with brands are more of a pain than a pleasure. [04:18] If a customer has an expectation they will either be satisfied or dissatisfied by the level at which that expectation is met or not. Expectation can't lead to delight. [05:15] Ideally you are living in the satisfied territory most of the time with a few delights popping up here and there. Delighting customers takes extra work and it can be expensive, though it doesn't have to be.  [05:38] Delight is much more likely to drive loyalty than mere satisfaction. [07:31] It is important to not get stuck in the traps of false loyalty.  [10:13] A 5% increase in loyalty can increase your profit by as much as 85%.  [11:03] Loyalty is huge for businesses and delight is a big key to earning it. Loyalty isn't the only awesome thing to come out of delighting customers.  [11:57] The biggest issue is that there is no standard scale for measuring delight.  [14:14] Customers can't tell you what would cause them to be delighted because they have to be surprised. They can't be expecting it or it isn't going to hit the delight scale.  [17:46] Finding someone who is influential and loves your brand and then finding a way to work with them can both delight that person and their following.  [19:39] If your delights become standard then they become expected. Surprise is key to delight.  [22:33] Having a great first encounter helps set the relationship off on a good start. Having a dose of delight every now and then keeps customers happy.  [24:09] Empowering employees to help customers and go the extra mile can make a big difference in loyalty scores and profitability.  [26:02] Sometimes the most delightful “WoW” moments happen in the blink of an eye. If employees are not empowered and need to cross layers of approval these moments could be lost forever.  [28:27] In other businesses this could be as simple as changing the radio station on a loaner car to match the customer's vehicle when it is brought in for repairs, or knowing when a client comes to your office for a meeting drinks chai tea lattes and having one waiting on them when they arrive. Little things can make a big difference and delight your customers.  [30:01] Businesses always need to be watching the market to see what the status quo is and how expectations have changed to keep up with delight.  [32:33] Melina shares one of her favorite examples of surprise and delight.  [34:35] There are countless other ways your company can implement surprise and delight for your customers.   [36:34] Listen to customers to understand what's important to them.  [38:08] Delight is not something you do one off and hope for the best. It requires time and strategy, but it is absolutely worth it. When you give a little bit to people often they want to give back.  [40:45] Don't let herding make you feel like you have to send stuff at the same time as everyone else. That is precisely why you should send something at another time because no one else is.  [41:37] Melina's closing thoughts [43:41] It is important to take a step back and look around and disassociate from the current experience. Working with a consultant can be very helpful to bring fresh eyes to the situation.   Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer How Customers Think, by Gerald Zaltman Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland Engaged, by Amy Bucher Choice Hacking, by Jennifer Clinehens  Top Recommended Next Episode: Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Framing (ep 16) Priming (ep 18) Decision Fatigue (ep 132) Relativity (ep 12) Nudges and Choice Architecture (ep 35) The Overwhelmed Brain and Its Impact on Decision Making (ep 32) The Sense of Touch (ep 28) How To Set Up Your Own Experiments (ep 63) The Pain of Paying (ep 240) Overview of Memory Biases (ep 48) Apple Card (ep 42) Herding (ep 19) How to Create Remarkable Experiences with Dan Gingiss (ep 185) Anthropology, Market Research & Behavioral Economics with Priscilla McKinney (ep 196) Choice Hacking, with Jennifer Clinehens (ep 141) Engaged, with Amy Bucher (ep 164) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  How to Delight Your Customers Customer Delight: Foundations, Findings, and Managerial Insight Delight by Design: The Role of Hedonic versus Utilitarian Benefits Ed Sheeran Launches Own Heinz Tomato ‘Edchup' Ed Sheeran Edchup on Instagram Ed Sheeran on Instagram @teddysphotos The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful of Employee Empowerment Turkey Talk Line

In today's conversation, I am joined by Richard Shotton. His first book, The Choice Factory, is a best-selling book on how to apply findings from behavioral science to advertising. His new book, The Illusion of Choice: 16 ½ Psychological Biases that Influence Why We Buy, is a phenomenal add to what he has already contributed to the field of behavioral science.  This book (and conversation!) are both full of great examples from traditional academic research and from practical application. And, one of my favorite things that Richard does is take research and recreate it. Sometimes it replicates (and does even better than expected) and sometimes it doesn't – whatever the results, they are shared and there are learnings for everyone involved. And, of course, that includes you.  Does precision matter? Should you speak in abstract or concrete terms? Tune in and get ready for these amazing lessons and many more… Show Notes: [00:43] In today's conversation, I am joined by Richard Shotton. Richard is the author of The Choice Factory, a best-selling book on how to apply behavioral science to advertising.  [02:42] Richard shares himself, his background, and the work he does in behavioral science.  [04:06] There are thousands of biases. He covers 25 in The Choice Factory. His new book covers 16 and ½ more. (The half chapter is around the power of precision.)  [06:51] Precision is powerful. Generally if someone knows the subject they speak in precision, if not they speak in generalities.  [09:30] The precise price tends to be seen as lower than rounded ones.   [11:52] If you want to change behavior, remove friction. If you want to boost appreciation of your product, you might want to add some friction.  [13:10] The importance of framing the question is key if you are going to use behavioral science practically.   [15:42] You have this huge swing in memorability based on whether terms are concrete or abstract. If we can picture a term it becomes very sticky if not it becomes forgettable.  [18:02] Increasingly brands talk in abstract terms. It is ineffective to use that language. If you want to communicate one of those abstract objectives you have to translate it into more concrete terminology.  [20:43] Academics sometimes make behavioral science more complex than it has to be. Reading modern academic papers is a chore.  [22:41] The evidence shows that if you communicate simply you come across as more prestigious and more intelligent.  [25:50] People were twice as likely to remember the rhyming than the non rhyming phrases. Alliterating phrases have a boost of believability and memorability.  [28:06] We have to make sure that what we do is what our clients want us to do rather than worrying about the kudos that we as individuals get.  [30:19] The cafe had a problem that people didn't want to go on a Monday. So if you go on Monday you get to roll the brass dice. If you roll a six everything you have eaten is free. (Love this!) [33:27] If you know that this is the thing on Monday, everyone is going to order a little bit more because they might get it all for free.  [36:01] People are not only interested in maximizing the financial benefit of the situation. They also wanted to know that they are being treated well and not being taken advantage of.   [38:35] Questions are so important. Questions can give people a pause for thought and influence them more subtly.  [41:12] Professionals are just as influenced as consumers with the vast majority of biases. The only difference is they are even more loathe to admit it.  [42:43] Podcasts and books are a wonderful way of quickly understanding lots of different experiments. The ones you think are most interesting are worth finding the original paper and exploring further.  [44:53] Melina's closing thoughts Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: The Choice Factory, by Richard Shotton The illusion of Choice, by Richard Shotton Alchemy, by  Rory Sutherland Friction, by Roger Dooley Sludge, by Cass Sunstein Connect with Richard:  Richard's Website Richard on Twitter Top Recommended Next Episode: Friction, with Roger Dooley (ep 274) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Herding (ep 19) Status Quo Bias (ep 142) The Voltage Effect with John List (ep 190) What Problem are You Solving? (ep 126) Sludge: What It Is and How to Reduce It (ep 179) IKEA Effect & Effort Heuristic (ep 112) Habits (ep 21) Framing (ep 16) The Sense of Sight (ep 24) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Inequity Aversion: That's Not Fair! (ep 224) Unlocking the Power of Numbers (ep 17) Relativity (ep 12) Peak-End Rule (ep 97) Social Proof (ep 87) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter Schindler Precision Dynamic Pricing in a Labor Market: Surge Pricing and Flexible Work on the Uber Platform

Today, I am joined by Dr. Mindy Weinstein. Mindy is the founder and CEO of Market MindShift and was named one of the top women in digital marketing globally by her peers. She is also a global speaker, trainer, and digital marketing strategist who has worked with and trained companies of all sizes, including Facebook, The Weather Channel, Rosetta Stone, World Fuel Services, Investor's Business Daily, HBO, Fandango, Telemundo, LL Bean, Cisco, Transamerica, and Sportsman's Guide. Other digital marketing agencies come to Mindy to learn the latest trends, concepts, and methodologies. She teaches and leads marketing courses at Columbia Business School, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Grand Canyon University, and the University of Denver.  Getting introduced to Mindy was fascinating timing. A client asked if there was a book specifically about choosing the right type of scarcity tactics and how to apply them in her business. I let her know there wasn't a perfect fit and recommended What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, as a great place to start. Later that day, I got a LinkedIn message from Brian Ahearn, introducing me to Mindy, who had just published her book, The Power of Scarcity: Leveraging Urgency and Demand to Influence Customer Decisions. And, let me tell you...everyone in business needs to read this. It is so valuable and such a great resource for everyone regardless of industry. Listen in to get some amazing insights on applying scarcity in your business! Show Notes: [00:43] In today's conversation, I am joined by Dr. Mindy Weinstein. Mindy is the founder and CEO of Market Mindshift and was named one of the top women in digital marketing globally by her peers. [02:02] She has a Ph.D. in general psychology with an emphasis on technology and is the author of The Power of Scarcity.  [03:07] Everyone in business needs to read this book. It is so valuable and such a great resource for everyone regardless of industry.  [04:57] Mindy shares about herself, her background, and the work she does. She has been a marketer for the last two decades.  [06:07] As she was digging into all the factors, she realized that scarcity seemed to have the greatest power. It is also one of those factors that have been hardwired into our brain which dates back to our early ancestors.  [08:39] “Obsession is a classic side effect of scarcity.”  [09:24] Mindy shares how scarcity affected her family on their visit to Disney World. [12:06] The Star Wars ride was in high demand and it was difficult to get on. When you are faced with something like that, it becomes urgent and an obsession for your brain.  [14:52] Even though we know scarcity works, it can be really challenging to implement in business.  [15:08] Scarcity is something you can implement and it always needs to be genuine. If it is authentic and something is truly scarce, why not communicate it?  [15:42] As a small business a lot of times it is just your wording that makes a difference. Knowing how to word certain things makes a big difference.  [17:22] One of the keys is not being afraid of running out of stock and instead making that an asset to you. Letting customers know items have been restocked triggers demand related scarcity.  [19:31] Businesses can show the “best sellers” or “most popular” packages or most popular items that people buy.  [20:28] There is a lot you can do from a business and small business standpoint that isn't going to break the bank.  [22:14] Luxury goods strive with supply related scarcity when there is only a certain amount of units.  [24:47] When you are looking at the scarcity tactic you can still be a large retailer that is making a lot of money and having a lot of customers but be more focused and making sure that the things where you are advertising are going to be working for you instead of being a waste.  [26:22] Time related scarcity is any kind of time restrictions like flash sales, coupons, or limited time offers or products. Demand related is where scarcity exists because of high demand.  [28:30] Pricing isn't about price. All the stuff that happens before the price matters.  [29:10] If there is only so much of something to go around and we are looking at demand you feel like you are in competition.  [31:18] Supply related scarcity could be a shortage or an intentional restriction on supply. Supply related scarcity speaks to people that have a need for uniqueness.  [33:11] The final type of scarcity is limited edition which is any variation on the original.   [35:44] Social media fuels so much of what we know and see about scarcity because words spread really quickly. [38:38] “If you have to make an extra effort to obtain the item, that item has just become more attractive.” [39:11] If we are told we can't have something or it is not very simple for us to get it then we start to really think about it and want it more.  [40:34] As we think about all these different types of scarcity, be careful about continuing to do the same thing over and over again. You want to mix it up so you don't devalue your products or services.  [42:20] Discounting deeply is going to be going against a lot of these scarcity principles.  [44:36] Melina's closing thoughts [45:43] You never know who you are influencing and what value each moment can have on the world. Have a conversation and be generous with your time. Even a few thoughtful minutes could change someone including you for the better. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: The Power of Scarcity, by Mindy Weinstein Influence, by Robert Cialdini Influence PEOPLE, by Brian Ahearn What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer Friction, by Roger Dooley Connect with Mindy:  Mindy's Website Mindy on LinkedIn Mindy on Twitter Top Recommended Next Episode: Scarcity (ep 14) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Dr. Robert Cialdini and the (Now!) 7 Principles of Persuasion (ep 157) How To Ethically Influence People: Interview with Author Brian Ahearn (ep 104) Herding (ep 19)  Social Proof (ep 87) Coronavirus and How the Brain Responds to Pandemics (ep 91) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Time Pressure (ep 74) Surprise and Delight (ep 60) Disney: A Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 144) What is Value? (ep 234) Framing (ep 16) Friction - What It Is And How To Reduce It, with Roger Dooley (ep 72) Sludge (ep 179) Loss Aversion: Why Getting New Stuff Is Not The Same (ep 9) A Behavioral Economics Analysis of Costco (ep 47) Starbucks: A Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 73) Priming (ep 18) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter

In today's conversation, I am joined by Amy Gallo. Amy is an expert in conflict, communication, and workplace dynamics. She combines the latest management research with practical advice to deliver evidence-based ideas on how to improve relationships and excel at work. She has written two books: The HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict, and her newest which we are discussing today: Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People). In her role as a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, Amy writes about interpersonal dynamics, communicating ideas, leading and influencing people, and building your career. She has contributed to numerous books on feedback, emotional intelligence, and managing others, and is the co-author of the HBR Guide to Building Your Business Case. She is also a co-host of HBR's Women at Work podcast, which is in its eighth season. She has contributed to other books and has taught at both Brown University and UPenn, and is an all-around wonderful person I'm so delighted to have met. It's kind of a fun and serendipitous story as to how Amy ended up on the show today. Listen in to hear all about it! Show Notes: [00:45] In today's conversation, I am joined by Amy Gallo. Amy is an expert in conflict, communication, and workplace dynamics. [01:59] It's kind of a fun and serendipitous story as to how Amy ended up on the show today. [04:21] SXSW is a massive event over 10 days with a film festival, music festival, food festival, comedy festival, and a conference focused on innovation and technology. Amy and I are both speaking at it this year (my talk is on the same day this episode comes out!) [06:40] Amy shares herself, her background, and the work she does. She wears many hats. [08:02] She didn't think she would become an editor (or be at Harvard Business Review), but she always gravitated to writing.  [10:08] The HBR Women at Work podcast is still one of her favorite projects that she works on. Her work for HBR started small.  [11:41] She loved writing, but never thought she would do anything with it as a career.  [14:12] Writing the HBR Management Tip of the Day is what led to her writing the book, because she could see there was so much work being put out there by people in different fields. She let that inform the advice she was giving.  [16:07] Knowing a little bit about a lot of things and a lot about a few things is a good balance to being able to make interesting connections. [17:35] Getting Along is about navigating the messiness of human interaction and recognizing that we are not all our best selves all the time, especially at work, and that we need the skills to be able to make the most of these very important relationships.  [19:30] We have all had a difficult person at work that we don't get along with.  [20:33] Amy shares the emails with “Brad” that she talks about in her book.  [23:19] Our brains are so wired to scan for threats that we are so focused on negative things (negativity bias).  [25:26] Any time you have a tricky interaction with someone you can't force the person to see it the way you see it.  [26:12] When we are interacting with others and we find ourselves triggered or upset, there are many ways to view that situation. You have to own your interpretation as your perspective.  [27:50] Your interpretation of what is appropriate behavior at work is not going to be the same as everyone else's.  [30:49] There were two main things she wanted to do with this book. First, she wanted to give specific evidence-based advice for the situation they were dealing with.  [32:46] The archetypes are really meant to give people a way into the specific advice that they need. They are meant to get the tactics from research that are supposed to work for this type of behavior.  [33:22] The second thing she wanted to do with the book was to talk about how identity plays a role both in how we interpret difficult behavior and also in terms of the tactics that we can use and are effective for someone who shares the identity that we have.  [35:55] Change is possible. If we really take a close look at what is happening and what could be motivating that behavior, and work on ourselves…then change is possible. It is worth continuing to try to change.  [37:58] Amy shares the eight archetypes: the insecure boss, the pessimist, the victim, the passive-aggressive peer, the know it all, the biased co-worker, the tormentor, and the political operator.  [40:16] Pessimism is contagious in the same way optimism is.   [42:32] Pessimists often don't think they have agency, so giving them agency can really help. You can also give them a formal role to play as the devil's advocate then it is treating it as a benefit to the team. [44:47] We can all find times when can relate to (and likely when we have been) many of the archetypes.  [47:02] There is a good chance you are one or more of the archetypes because we all are.  [48:06] Having more people as part of your “us” can make a big difference.  [49:41] Amy shares her top episode recommendations for the HBR Women At Work podcast.   [51:31] Melina's closing thoughts [52:54] It is important to look at yourself before you look to change someone else. Amy gives tips for seeing how you are contributing to every difficult relationship, and to know that it starts with changing yourself. [54:08] There is always room to change, both for yourself and those you work with, and Getting Along is a great way to better understand what you have been doing yourself in life and work, and have a better experience with everyone tomorrow. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Getting Along, by Amy Gallo HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict, by Amy Gallo A More Just Future, Dolly Chugh Influence is Your Superpower, by Zoe Chance Both/And Thinking, by Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis Connect with Amy:  Amy's Newsletter Amy on Twitter Amy on LinkedIn Top Recommended Next Episode: Fundamental Attribution Error (ep 268) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Confirmation Bias (ep 102) A More Just Future, with Dr. Dolly Chugh (ep 247) How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race, with Kwame Christian (ep 221) Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic (ep 267) Focusing Illusion (ep 89) Both/And Thinking with Dr. Wendy Smith (ep 261) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Negativity Bias (ep 223) Herding (ep 19)  Influence Is Your Superpower with Yale's Dr. Zoe Chance (ep 189) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter Women at Work Podcast Sisterhood is Scarce Sisterhood is Trust Getting Along with a Passive-Aggressive Gossip Getting Along with a Political Operator Getting Along with a Biased Tormentor Getting Along with an Insecure, Know-It-All Pessimist Amy's Website

Today's episode is all about the Dunning Kruger Effect, which was the second most downloaded episode of the year in 2022, so in case you missed it I wanted to be sure you had a chance to listen to it like so many of your peers did. :)  If you DID hear this episode last year when it came out, I highly recommend you still tune in now because I can guarantee it will hit you differently today than it did back then. You are a different person and you will glean different insights from the episode, I promise.  So, why this episode and why today? Well, in Friday's episode with Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, we talk explicitly about the Dunning Kruger Effect and how it applies in life and business when he shares about his new, fascinating book I, Human and our discussion is specifically around one of his other books, Why So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders (And How To Fix It). That book has too good of a title to not be honored with a refresh on the Dunning Kruger Effect, which looks at the relationship between confidence and competence, as you will learn more about today. Show Notes: [00:39] Today's episode is all about the Dunning Kruger Effect, which was the second most downloaded episode of the year in 2022. [02:22] To put the Dunning-Kruger effect into its simplest form, it would say essentially that people who are unskilled tend to overestimate their abilities and those who are very skilled experts will underestimate theirs. [03:15] Think about a kid who graduates from high school and believes they know everything. [03:35] When someone graduates from high school, they are at a point that has come to be known as the “Peak of Mount Stupid.” At the peak of mount stupid, someone has lots of confidence, but it isn't built on much competence. They have no idea how much they don't know so they are blissfully unaware of their precarious position and how close they are to falling right off the cliff. When this kid gets to college and realizes they don't know nearly as much as they thought they did, they fall into the “Valley of Despair.” [05:51] This is an opportunity to look at the things you don't yet know and begin to research them. This gradual climb is called the “Slope of Enlightenment.” You slowly gain confidence as you grow your competence…though you might never get back up to the level of confidence you had way back at the peak of mount stupid. [06:48] If you take a moment now to reflect upon your own life, I am guessing you could pretty easily come up with at least half a dozen examples where the Dunning-Kruger effect reared its ugly overconfident head. [08:17] While you are an expert in one thing, you are way overconfident in something else, where you don't have any idea of the ocean of stuff you don't know. [09:23] How the effort heuristic relates.  [11:16] I can live in blissful unawareness of my inadequacies forever and never have it be an issue until I try the thing enough to realize that I should have been a little less confident. [12:30] Have some awareness and don't assume you know better than everyone else. [13:27] There is a flip to this as well. (It isn't all about mount stupid). Remember, there is a point where you become an expert and then grossly underestimate your own abilities. [14:45] You can't do this for everything, but on the things that matter it is worth doing a little Dunning-Kruger evaluation every so often to discover if you are underestimating or overestimating your confidence and competence at this point. [15:41] Look at your own moments where you have high confidence and low competence (or high competence with not enough confidence) to determine if you are showing up in the best way possible. Also, look at others to determine where they are on that Dunning-Kruger scale. [17:08] Another place where the Dunning-Kruger effect is really critical to keep in mind is when you look at coaching or giving advice to members of your team. [18:40] Giving them too many things to change while they are feeling the stress in the “valley” is going to make the problem worse, so you need to be selective on what advice to give them. [19:55] Know that when people have low competence in something, they are likely to be overconfident in their own abilities. Those who are very competent have a tendency to underestimate their own skill or ability. [20:3] There is an interesting point when there is an increase in knowledge where you realize all of what you don't know—that increased competence results in a drastic drop in confidence. [21:17] As you build knowledge, know that you will gradually underestimate your abilities, skills, and all the effort and training that went into what you now know and can do. Just because it is easy for you doesn't mean it isn't of value to someone else. Especially when someone is new, overshare information to help with where you both are on the Dunning-Kruger scale. [22:04] Don't take your spot on the Dunning-Kruger scale as a fixed point. The context is always changing, there are new discoveries and technologies and experts every day. [23:16] I just love this concept in so many ways. It is a great opportunity to look at ourselves, and others so we can overcome obstacles we may be putting in our own way, avoid big crashes into that valley of despair, be better at coaching others, and have better relationships with colleagues of all kinds — and even understand our relationship with technology. [24:12] Keep the Dunning Kruger Effect in mind as you look around at your own choices and the relationships you have with others over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: I, Human, by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (And How To Fix It), by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer Getting Along, by Amy Gallo You Are Not So Smart, by David McRaney Top Recommended Next Episode: Confirmation Bias (episode 102) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Framing (ep 16) Priming (ep 18) What is Value? (episode 234) Mental Accounting (ep 56) Partitioning (ep 254) How to Raise Your Prices (ep 77) The Truth About Pricing (ep 5) Focusing Illusion (ep 89) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Decision Fatigue (ep 132) IKEA Effect & Effort Heuristic (ep 112) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  Dunning-Kruger Original Research Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon

Today's episode is all about herding. We humans are a herding species, just like cows and sheep and guppies, and this has a big impact on our behavior. We are tribal and we look to others to help us stay safe and make good decisions. Or, at least, what our subconscious tells us is a good decision. :) This is why things like testimonials are so important.  Herding has a dedicated chapter in my first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You because they are so important for businesses to understand.  The reason I chose to refresh this episode is because of the guest who is joining me this coming Friday, Nick Epley. We talk about the importance of social connection and why we often don't do the things that will help us to be happier because we perceive them as being uncomfortable or awkward or against the social norms in the moment.  In the business context, imagine how much value could come from having a simple chat with your colleagues or people at a conference. Most people probably stick to their groups where they are already comfortable and don't strike up a conversation, but what could happen if you did? There is a lot of value in breaking from the herd and having that conversation, even for less than a minute, which we will talk about more on Friday when episode 265 with Dr. Nick Epley comes out. And as you listen today, I encourage you to reflect on all the times you thought about striking up a conversation or asking a question and didn't. What aspects of herding made you feel like you shouldn't and what can you do in the future to engage with others more? It is valuable for you both professionally and personally, I promise. Show Notes: [00:39] Today's episode is all about herding. We humans are a herding species, just like cows and sheep and guppies, and this has a big impact on our behavior. [02:21] In the business context, imagine how much value could come from having a simple chat with your colleagues or people at a conference. [04:07] Humans herd in the same way as other species for most of the same reasons. The main reason animals herd is for protection.  [05:41] Herding is in our nature.  [08:02] Herding helps us learn by observation. Watching where others go and following the group keeps you safe.  [09:38] As humans have evolved, herding behavior has not always served us well. Herding is there to protect individuals, not the group or a complex society as a whole.  [11:41] We choose restaurants by online reviews and crowdedness. We think the people must know something we don't.  [12:58] People are more likely to leave tips when others have done it.   [15:51] Herding mentality is much more likely to come out when people feel vulnerable or are unsure of themselves.    [17:23] It is better to be conventionally wrong than unconventionally right.  [18:58] Studies have shown that up to 75% of participants will give an answer they know is wrong to go with the group.  [21:07] When everyone follows the herd and doesn't take the time to do their own research stocks or companies get artificially inflated by the confidence of others.   [23:42] Crypto is absolutely impacted by the herd mentality.  [24:16] Always beware if your brain is making you feel anxious to take steps and do something just because everyone is doing it or having your FOMO triggered in a way that makes you want to do less research before investing your time, energy, or other resources.   [27:48] People like to be part of the group and this is increased when the other people in the group are comparable and more like you.  [28:14] Whatever your business does, you are in the business of solving problems. The only reason people buy anything is to solve a problem.  [30:52] Being in a group makes us feel safe and happy because of this release of oxytocin. When we are not part of the group, our brains do whatever they can to get that bliss feeling back by seeking out more group relationships to help us feel safe and warm.  [33:28] while we can't change our natural tendency to herd, you do have options to change your behavior.  [34:28] Understanding what will trigger herd mentality in your customers for both good and bad can help you to message better and more effectively.  [36:52] If you really care about starting a movement, have the courage to follow and show others how to follow. When you find a lone nut doing something great, have the guts to be the first one to stand up and join in.  [37:09] Melina's closing thoughts [40:52] Be thoughtful with the numbers you put out into the world, and consider the herding implications for what you want people to do in the long run. [41:59] Consider how social norms and herding instincts may keep you from having conversations with other people.  Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Influence, by Robert Cialdini What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer How Customers Think, by Gerald Zaltman The Power of Us, by Jay Van Bavel and Dominic Packer You Have More Influence Than You Think, by Vanessa Bohns Top Recommended Next Episode: Social Proof (ep 87) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Framing (ep 16) Priming (episode 18) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Dr. Robert Cialdini and the (Now!) 7 Principles of Persuasion (ep 157) Unity (ep 216) The Power of Us with Dr. Dominic Packer (ep 178) You Have More Influence Than You Think, Vanessa Bohns (ep 197) Unlocking The Secrets Of The Brain (ep 1) Unlocking the Power of Numbers (ep 17) Availability Bias (ep 15) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  Poll: Despite Record Turnout, 80 Million Americans Didn't Vote. Here's Why 6 in 10 Americans don't have $500 in savings Presidential Election Voting  Human Herding: How People are Like Guppies The Unwisdom of Crowds Herding, social influence and economic decision-making: socio-psychological and neuroscientific analyses Herd behavior in consumers' adoption of online reviews Which restaurant should I choose? Herd behavior in the restaurant industry Watch These Awkward Elevator Rides From an Old Episode of Candid Camera Herding Behavior in Social Media Networks in China Herd Instinct Warren Buffett explains one thing people still don't understand about bitcoin Herding behavior in cryptocurrency markets Science Of Persuasion Oxytocin The Brain and the Herd Mentality How to Start a Movement Derek Sivers

Loretta G. Breuning, PhD, is Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. She is the author of many personal development books, including Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphin Levels. ---------- Follow me on Instagram Subscribe to the free “Happy, Healthy Newsletter" https://innermammalinstitute.org/podcast/ YT https://www.youtube.com/innermammalinstitute FB @LorettaBreuningPhD Tw @innermammal Insta @inner.mammal.inst LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorettabreuning/

In today's conversation, I am joined by Gina Bianchini, author of the book Purpose: Design a Community and Change Your Life. She's also the CEO and Founder of Mighty, where creators, entrepreneurs, and brands build digital communities and courses with cultural software. Myself included -- the BE Thoughtful Revolution moved to Mighty Networks in 2021. In 2019, Gina launched the Community Design™ Masterclass, where over 8,000 people have learned how to build a community so valuable you can charge for it, and so well-designed it essentially runs itself. Before Mighty, she was the CEO and co-founder of Ning, a pioneering global platform for creating social networks she started with Marc Andreessen in 2004. She has been featured in Fast Company, Wired, Vanity Fair, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and The New York Times. She has appeared on CNBC, CNN, and Charlie Rose. She is a wealth of knowledge and I know you will enjoy this conversation as much as I did.  Show Notes: [00:43] In today's conversation, I am joined by Gina Bianchini, author of the book Purpose: Design a Community and Change Your Life. [03:00] Gina shares about herself, her background, and how she found herself in this space. [04:05] Mighty is a software platform for people to create new digital cultures around mastering something interesting and important together.  [06:15] Gina uses her time, talent, and focus to help people learn to live an extraordinary life.  [07:50] Social networks are where we are making connections and building real relationships between people. The network gets more valuable to us with each person that joins and contributes.   [08:55] Social media is about building an audience or a following. The goal is to build the biggest audience possible.  [10:56] This shift from social networks to a world where we are passive consumers of content as opposed to all the things that allow us to build new and interesting digital cultures.  [13:46] Across the board we are not happy and less happy the more time we spend in this system. The average American spends 3 ½ hours a day on social media platforms and report fewer friends and less happiness than 20 years ago.  [15:48] We are happiest where we can play, connect, and have flow.  [18:31] A network effect is a system where, when someone joins, that new person creates more value for everybody else in the network. [19:47] The new member is able to get a lot more value from your community because of the contributions other members are making (and they add value for everyone else).  [21:40] It is so much better for us to play the role of host which is less work and more valuable for everyone involved and also feeds and scales the system.  [24:26] We are constantly shifting through our different identities and having the support and finding others like you is so fulfilling.  [27:17] We get better rewards and better returns with less risks. The same is true for how we spend our time.  [30:07] The highest order is how are you helping other people reach their fullest potential. We need to play the role of helping other people become the hero. [31:40] The role of host is the most important and will continue to be the most valuable role any of us can play in our professional, personal, or social lives through this decade and decades to come.   [33:24] A tiny change in the question can change your direction drastically.  [35:41] People pay attention to what they pay for.  [37:57] We need to build our future story. Gina's Purpose 30 model is 30 minutes, 30 days, with 6 questions (she shares all 6 in the conversation). You have a blank canvas to create the future you want. [40:12] It is very different to spend your time thinking about what is possible and what is positive than the negative thoughts.  [41:04] True meaning and true impact come from how you have helped others realize their fullest potential as well.  [43:00] It is about clearing your mind so that you can wander and explore.  [45:00] Melina's closing thoughts Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Purpose, by Gina Bianchini A More Beautiful Question, by Warren Berger The Power of Us, by Jay Van Bavel & Dominic Packer You're Invited, by Jon Levy The Fun Habit, by Mike Rucker Connect with Gina:  Gina's Website Gina on LinkedIn Gina on Twitter Top Recommended Next Episode: Network Effect (ep 262) Already Heard That One? Try These:  The Brainy Benefits of Gratitude (ep 236) Celebrate! It's More Important Than You Think (ep 80) Framing (ep 16) Questions or Answers (ep 4) A More Beautiful Question with Warren Berger (ep 200) The Power of Us with Dr. Dominic Packer (ep 178) Herding (ep 19)  Using Behavioral Science to Build Connections, an interview with Jon Levy, author of You're Invited (ep 150) Confirmation Bias (ep 260) The Fun Habit with Mike Rucker (ep 251) The Power of Story, an Interview with Dr. Michelle Auerbach (ep 145) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Friction - What It Is And How To Reduce It, with Roger Dooley (ep 72) Solving Modern Problems with a Stone Age Brain (ep 237) The Truth About Pricing (episode 5) Habits (ep 256) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter 

Today's episode is all about confirmation bias. My oh my, what an important topic when it comes to applying behavioral science to life and work. You have likely heard the term “confirmation bias” before, whether you heard this episode when it first aired back in May of 2020 or not, as this is one of those concepts that gets thrown around a bit. It is easy to understand on the surface, but the depth of its importance and impact isn't always realized.  Because our brains function largely on predictability and a love for the status quo, confirmation bias is part of our lives and work constantly. Did you know that whether or not you believe someone is difficult or easy to work with, can determine whether or not they are easy or difficult to work with? Kids' performance in school has been found to be tied to the way a teacher was told about them more than on their starting academic ability. Your view of your team or a project or a process can all be a filter that your confirmation bias either uses for good or to keep you stuck.  Now, in case you are wondering why I chose to refresh this episode today, it is because of the interview coming up on Friday with Wendy Smith about her book Both/And Thinking which will change your life. It is so good and fantastic. Because of that conversation, it felt like the best thing we could talk about today to set the stage is confirmation bias. As you listen today, think about what your biases are and where you have an “either/or” mindset. Our world is not one of binary choices. There are many opportunities in the both/and space that businesses can benefit from embracing and updating your filters to be set up for them is going to make such a difference. So, keep that in mind as you listen today. Show Notes: [00:39] Today's episode is all about confirmation bias. [01:16] Confirmation bias is part of our lives and work constantly. [03:25] In its most basic form confirmation bias comes down to our brain's desire to be correct and the subconscious filter deciding what gets through and stored and what gets ignored.  [03:59] The subconscious brain can do 11 million bits of information per second. The conscious brain can only do 40 bits.  [05:44] Stereotypes do go hand and hand with confirmation bias and many of these are taught to us intentionally or not when we are very young. [07:28] The four main ways you will see confirmation bias are: 1) not seeking out objective facts, 2) interpreting information to support your existing belief, 3) only remembering details that upheld your belief, and 4) ignoring information that challenges your belief.  [10:33] Studies have shown that seeing facts from an opposing side that contradicts what you believed going in actually has the opposite effect of what they should and can make people double down on their previous beliefs. (This is known as the backfire effect.) [11:18] You are going to seek out information that supports your beliefs and be more likely to believe, remember, and share those items that support your belief. You are also likely to attribute things to beliefs that aren't necessarily true.  [14:01] This reinforcing tendency is because of illusory correlation which is when we overestimate the relationship between two items to reinforce our biases even when little or no relationship exists.  [15:49] We humans are pretty bad listeners by nature because our brains are processing so much information at any given time.  [18:42] It is important to not start the conversation with a predetermined recommendation before they have had a chance to tell you about their situation. Most everyone should have at least two options.  [21:35] We can inadvertently talk people out of something they have chosen to get if we aren't careful.   [23:24] Confirmation bias doesn't have to be a bad thing and it can very much work to your advantage in life and business.  [24:07] Your conscious brain has limited capacity and you can't do everything so don't waste the effort on little unimportant beliefs.  [27:17] People who have been injured will often see themselves as victims, especially while they are dealing with all the legal stuff. Many people have a big improvement when their cases are settled because they are able to get out of that victim mindset. This is confirmation bias in action. [28:24] You can change the belief that has been holding you back if you are willing to put in a little effort.  [29:46] Melina's closing thoughts [30:40] You need to change YOU before trying to change them. [33:19] Try and find a real human connection point that can help you to get away from just seeing them as “that difficult team member.”  Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: A More Just Future, by Dolly Chugh Both/And Thinking, by Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer Influence, by Robert Cialdini You Have More Influence Than You Think, by Vanessa Bohns Top Recommended Next Episode: Vulnerability Loops (ep 229) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Framing (ep 16) A More Just Future, with Dr. Dolly Chugh (ep 247) IKEA Effect (ep 112) Reciprocity: The Amazing Power of Giving (ep 238) Priming (episode 18) Unity (ep 216) Dr. Robert Cialdini and the (Now!) 7 Principles of Persuasion (ep 157) The Power of Us with Dr. Dominic Packer (ep 178) The Most Important Step in Applying Behavioral Economics: Understanding the Problem (ep 126) Focusing Illusion (ep 89) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Decision Fatigue (ep 132) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  How to Effectively Combat Confirmation Bias with Melina Palmer Texas A&M Certificate program Check out the Master Your Mindset Mini-Course

In today's conversation, I am joined by Dr. Cassie Holmes. Her fantastic book Happier Hour was named a "must-read" of 2022 by Forbes AND by the Next Big Idea Club. The Washington Post also profiled it as one of their best health books read and recommended by experts in 2022.  Cassie is a Professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. Her research examines how focusing on time (rather than money) increases happiness, how the meaning of happiness changes over the course of life, and how much happiness people enjoy from extraordinary versus ordinary experiences. Across these inquiries, her findings highlight the joy that stems from interpersonal connection and paying attention to the present moment. Cassie's academic research on the role of time in cultivating well-being has been published in leading academic journals, including Psychological Science, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and the Journal of Consumer Research, and earned her the Early Career Award from both the Association of Consumer Research and the Society of Consumer Psychology. Cassie was identified by Poets & Quants as one of the best 40  business professors under 40, and popular accounts of her research have been featured by NPR, The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and Scientific American. Happier Hour is based on her wildly popular MBA course, “Applying the Science of Happiness to Life Design.” It is so good and I can't wait to have you hear about some of the insights from her -- it will change your life for the better I'm sure. Show Notes: [00:41] In today's conversation, I am joined by Dr. Cassie Holmes, who you met a few weeks ago when she was on the "panel" episode with Dr. Ayelet Fishbach sharing how to have the best and happiest 2023 possible. [02:45] Her new and widely acclaimed book, Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most, is based on her wildly popular MBA course, “Applying the Science of Happiness to Life Design.” [04:18] Cassie shares about herself, her background, and what she does. She studies happiness and in particular the role of time. [05:22] When we feel happier, it makes us better in the work environment. [08:02] She wrote Happier Hour after the success of her course so she could share her learnings with even more people. Readers can apply the insights and experience the benefits just like her students. [10:10] You can have this huge impact from changing a couple of little things if you put a little focused effort forward.  [12:21] Our time is so important. Maximize the amount of time that feels worthwhile and minimize the time that feels like a waste.  [15:12] Cassie shares a day of her life early in her career when she experienced time poverty. She wanted more time so she could slow down and experience the time she was spending.  [17:15] Time poverty is that acute feeling of having too much to do and not enough time to do it.  [19:25] With too little discretionary time people are less happy. When we have too much discretionary spent in time that doesn't feel worthwhile, that undermines our sense of purpose and we feel less satisfied.    [21:45] It is not about how much time you have available. It is really about how you invest the time you have available. [24:20] Discretionary is what you want to do as opposed to nondiscretionary is something you have to do.  [26:35] On average people are most satisfied from social connection. The least happy activities tend to be commuting, work hours, and housework.  [28:25] After tracking your time for a week you have a fantastic data set where you can find which activities made you feel most satisfied.  [31:05] If it is not something you have to do and you are not enjoying it, that is an opportunity to reallocate that time to things that are worthwhile.  [33:49] Simply being outside had its own significantly positive effect.  [36:28] Experiencing awe can increase one's sense of time affluence.  [38:40] You don't have to have your discretionary time all in one block.  [41:14] It is not the amount of time you spend on a particular activity that determines happiness. It is really the quality and your engagement in the activity that determines it.  [42:27] Ordinary experiences can bring us as much joy as extraordinary experiences if only we are paying attention and savoring and cherishing them.   [44:33] It is not just the amount of time you spend that determines its impact, it is really how you mentally engage in that time.  [46:55] The most worthwhile investment is in cultivating relationships. The single biggest predictor of having a satisfied life was having strong supportive relationships with family or friends that feel like family and that requires investment. [49:01] She was living her dream life and she found herself charging ahead because she was in her head thinking about other things she had to do. It was pulling her out of the moment.   [51:24] The goal is to pause in those moments and smell the (literal or metaphorical) roses. If we are rushing because we are time poor through it all then we might as well not spend the time in the first place.  [53:13] Cassie explains why she doesn't make New Year's resolutions.  [55:41] Melina chooses a word and theme to help her through the whole year. [58:10] Why change something that is working. She wants everyday to be what she wants it to be.  [60:12] Melina's closing thoughts [61:29] The balance of a couple hours a day is enough for real lasting happiness.  Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Happier Hour, by Cassie Holmes Get It Done, by Ayelet Fishbach Indistractable, by Nir Eyal How to Change, by Katy Milkman The Fun Habit, Mike Rucker Connect with Cassie:  Cassie's Website Cassie on LinkedIn Top Recommended Next Episode: Using Motivation and Happiness Science to Make 2023 Your Best Year Ever (ep 249) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation with Ayelet Fishbach (ep 186) How To Change, an interview Dr. Katy Milkman (ep 151) Influence Is Your Superpower with Yale's Dr. Zoe Chance (ep 189) Framing (ep 16) Brainy Health Benefits of Nature, with Dr. Jay Maddock (ep 203) How to Become Indistractible, Interview With Author Nir Eyal (ep 78) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Focusing Illusion (ep 89) Confirmation Bias (ep 102) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  All The Books from the podcast in 2022 Some of Cassie's research on Time Affluence vs. Time Poverty and its impact on well being Giving Time, Gives You Time Does variety among activities increase happiness?

Habits are foundational to everything we do. When we think about habits we tend to think about the “bad” ones, things we want to change but there is so much more to it. Our brains run on habits, and without them, we couldn't function. Many episodes of this podcast that have been dedicated to habits and related topics throughout the years, and this is the first one, which originally aired in the fall of 2019.  Since then, I've interviewed habits expert Wendy Wood and discussed habits with Richard Chataway (links to their episodes in these notes). I included habits heavily in my books and the reason I chose to refresh this episode right now is because of this upcoming Friday's guest.  Cassie Holmes, the author of Happier Hour is my guest on Friday, and I thought that some reflection on habits is the best way to set you up to get the most out of that conversation. When you look at your day, what makes you happy? What is serving you and what isn't? What has become a habit and what you should be more thoughtful about? This episode will help you in that process to understand further what a habit is, how they work, and what to keep in mind as you look to reinforce some and change others.  The main thing to remember is that we need habits. They aren't inherently bad. Most of them are good. Understanding them and leveraging them is where the opportunity lies. Show Notes: [00:37] Today's episode is all about habits. Habits are foundational to everything we do.  [02:45] You have a lot more good habits than bad ones. You just aren't consciously aware of the vast majority of them.  [04:27] Sorting by color is a form of habitual purchasing. Even with infrequent purchases, the place you go and look is based on habits.  [06:25] The human brain essentially works on many many associations.   [09:03] Up to 95% of all buying decisions are habitual.  [11:09] Unfortunately the idea that it takes us 21-30 days to create a habit is wrong.  [13:33] 21 days is not the magic number for making or breaking a habit.  [15:16] A 2009 study from the European Journal of Social Psychology found the average number of days it took to form a habit was 66 days. (But don't let that fool you…the range of data points matters!) [16:58] We approach habit changing all wrong.   [18:20] Habits are made up of four phases: cue, craving, response, and reward. [19:31] Habits form because your brain is trying to find predictable ways to get rewards. A cue is a signal to the brain that there is a reward around and that instantly leads to craving/desire/filter for that item.  [21:21] If you want to change a habit or start a new one, the cue and reward phases are driving the behavior.  [22:44] Cues have been found to fall into one of five categories: location, time, emotional state, other people, and an immediately preceding action.  [24:27] You aren't craving the thing, but rather the reward it provides.  [27:05] When we know the cue and the reward our brain wants we can work to change the habit.  [29:31] One other crazy brain trick is word choice.  [31:27] Saying “I don't” is empowering. This was your choice. It affirms the choice you made and makes you feel determined and full of willpower. (This is very different from “I can't.”) [33:12] You should be confident that you made this choice so you can firmly say “No, I don't do that.” [35:04] We can check our notifications and emails every couple of hours or a couple of times a day (instead of every instant as we get continuous pings, dings and buzzes) and it will be fine. Once the cue is gone, we won't look at our phones as much and we can be more productive.   [38:07] Interrupting shoppers' habitual sequence can be a problem depending on your business positioning.   [39:05] As the brand leader you don't want to do too much to shake things up or rock the boat.  [41:59] The habits of your current and potential customers are important to consider when building out your strategies.  [42:28] Melina's closing thoughts [43:29] We are all surrounded by habits all day, they are a huge portion of the 35,000 decisions we all make each day. Understanding the rules of your habits is the first step in identifying which are working well for you and which you might want to let go of because they aren't serving you well. [44:58] You want to focus on the right stuff at the right time and not changes habits that you don't need to.  Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer Good Habits Bad Habits, by Wendy Wood Atomic Habits, by James Clear The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg Top Recommended Next Episode: Good Habits, Bad Habits, with Dr. Wendy Wood (ep 127) Already Heard That One? Try These:  The Power of Habit (ep 22) Framing (ep 16) Priming (episode 18) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Decision Fatigue (ep 132) Defaults: The "D" in NUDGES (ep 38) Herding (ep 19)  Availability Bias (ep 15) Unlocking The Secrets Of The Brain (ep 1) Status Quo Bias (ep 142) Using Behavioral Science to Tackle Addiction, with Richard Chataway (ep 134) Using Behavioral Science in Healthcare, with Aline Holzwarth (ep 135) Sitting Down with Habit Weekly founder, Samuel Salzer (ep 90) How To Be Indistractable, with Nir Eyal (ep 78) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  Three Purchase States How Long Does it Actually Take to Form a New Habit? (Backed by Science) Psycho-Cybernetics, A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life How Are Habits Formed: Modeling Habit Formation in the Real World How Long Does it Really Take to Break a Habit? The Amazing Power of ‘I Don't' vs. ‘I Can't' 5 Ways To Change A Habit Tiny Habits, by BJ Fogg

Today's episode is all about priming. This is something I talk about all the time, so if you have heard me speak or have read my books, or have been listening to the podcast for a while, chances are this isn't the first time you are hearing about this concept. Next to framing it is probably the thing I talk about the most. While framing's lesson is that how you say something matters more than what you say, priming shows us that whatever happens just before a moment of decision or action is very important in influencing the decision that is made. Yes, there are many examples as we get into the episode, so I won't get into it too much right now. In the “It's Not About the Cookie” framework, priming is the scent of the cookies or the burnt popcorn when we are talking about change management like in my second book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You. At the core of priming, we have the way that the brain filters information and how we make associations. These can be very literal like how we see an apple in the grocery store and are reminded of the company, and that can influence behavior or it can be more of a filter that impacts how we see people or think about a product or service.  We can be primed to buy using all of our senses, and it is important to consider them all as you think about your own messaging. As you listen to the episode today, I want you to consider all the senses and how they can impact behavior. Taking a step back and thinking holistically about your experience and looking for opportunities that are outside the norm, are great ways to incorporate priming and all the senses into your messaging. It may seem silly, but I encourage you to think with all your senses and wonder, “What might that look like? (or taste like or smell like...)  Show Notes: [00:37] Today's episode is all about priming. This is something I talk about all the time, so if you have heard me speak or have read my books, or have been listening to the podcast for a while, chances are this isn't the first time you are hearing about this concept. [01:56] We can be primed to buy using all of our senses, and it is important to consider them all as you think about your own messaging. [03:24] One of my favorite ways to start a foundations show is with a game or a series of questions to help you see how the concept works before I start explaining and today's episode is no different.   [05:33] Your brain is lazy and incredibly busy, so it takes these shortcuts all the time.  [07:45] The effects of priming wear off quickly as our brain is quickly churning through information. Primes are everywhere and it's not just about anchoring and adjustment. [09:05] Priming is about more than just numbers. It can also be done with words.  [12:43] Melina shares the results of a university study where people were primed with polite and rude words.  [15:25] Prime yourself and psych yourself up before you take any test. The brain can be very easily primed. An amazing example from Olympians. [17:11] The first step of visualization is to know what you want. Next, describe your vision in detail. Step three is to start visualizing and creating the emotions. Step four is to take daily action and step five is to have grit and preserve.  [18:31] We can be primed with physical objects as well. Melina share's a study about students holding an iced versus hot coffee.  [19:48] Always drink hot tea or coffee and get hot drinks for people you want to make a good impression on.  [21:48] Everything you do and say matters and similarly whatever was said or done right before everything you do or say matters.  [22:34] You can't control everything. It is worth looking at the things you can control. Take the extra step to evaluate if you are spending the money and buying things.  [24:29] Small things, just a few simple words, can make a huge difference.  [26:35] You are priming your brain to take on the traits of those outside influences.   [28:01] In all these studies, people said they were not influenced by the items, words, or numbers or that they didn't even see them. It may not register on a conscious level but it is getting in there even if people don't realize it.   [29:00] Marketing and advertising takes dedication and focus, consistent presence and messaging to break through the clutter, and making sure you are using the right primes to keep things moving in the proper direction instead of derailing the whole thing. Know your brand and who you are in the most simplest form.  [29:35] Melina's closing thoughts [31:24] One more thing that is so important to consider with priming, is to know that this isn't exacting and you should not expect the results to be fully generalizable. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer Misbehaving, by Richard Thaler Neurobranding, by Peter Steidl The Buying Brain, by A.K Pradeep Top Recommended Next Episode: Sense of Smell (ep 25) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Framing (ep 16) Change Management (ep 226) The Truth About Pricing (ep 5) The Sense of Sight (ep 24) The Sense of Taste (ep 26) Sense of Touch (ep 28) Sense of Sound (ep 27) Anchoring & Adjustment (ep 11) What is Value? (ep 234) What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You (ep 225) Focusing Illusion (ep 89) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  An Anchoring and Adjustment Model of Purchase Quantity Decisions Automaticity of Social Behavior: Direct Effects of Trait Construct and Stereotype Activation on Action Stereotype Susceptibility: Identity Salience and Shifts in Quantitative Performance “Math is Hard!” the Effect of Gender Priming on Women's Attitudes New To Visualization? Here Are 5 Steps To Get You Started Here's The Trick Olympic Athletes Use To Achieve Their Goals Who's Minding the Mind? Material priming: The influence of mundane physical objects on situational construal and competitive behavioral choice Apple's Logo Makes You More Creative Than IBM's

Dr. Loretta Breuning's groundbreaking book Habits of a Happy Brain describes how the chemicals in your brain are in charge of making you feel happy. When you learn to understand how the brain controls these chemicals, you can create new habits to manage the release of your happy chemicals and put yourself into better moods. In this episode, Dr. Breuning and Matt O'Neill discuss the 4 happy-brain chemicals. They also discuss the 2 unhappy-brain chemicals. By understanding these chemicals and why your brain releases them, you are able to take control of your moods and live a happier life. Here are some power takeaways from today's conversation: Chemicals in our brains make us feel good or bad Get a Dopamine boost by rewarding yourself for progress Build your bridges with others for Oxytocin Create your legacy to trigger Serotonin Make time to laugh for an Endorphin rush [09:57] Dopamine and Oxytocin Dopamine is a happy chemical released when you're closer to meeting your needs and goals. Oxytocin comes from the good feeling triggered by social support. In the modern world, humans bond with each other to feel less isolated and stimulate oxytocin. [18:43] Serotonin and Endorphins The confidence chemical serotonin makes you feel good when you feel like you're in a position of strength. Endorphins, on the other hand, are released as a response to physical pain. [24:55] Creating Your Happiness Habits You can regularly stimulate dopamine when you set your goals and take action to achieve them. Understand your own personal reward system and create a pathway of achievement, goals, and dopamine. Start an oxytocin habit by remembering that it's natural to seek support from others. Focus on having realistic expectations to get your serotonin. Notable quote: [02:56] Happy chemicals are released when you take action to meet survival needs. [03:01] [15:45] Serotonin is the good feeling that you're in a position of strength, so your brain is constantly comparing you to others. [15:50] [34:06] If you're kind to others, then you anticipate other people being kind to you. And that's creating a more comfortable world for yourself. [34:11] [29:34] It's so important and useful to understand your personal reward system. [29:38] Resources Mentioned: Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust Habits of a Happy Brain by Loretta Breuning Status Games by Loretta Breuning Science of Positivity by Loretta Breuning The Innermammal Institute and their course Download the Good Mood Toolkit here! THE GOOD MOOD SHOW Podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Anchor, and more… About the Guest Dr. Loretta Breuning is a Professor Emerita of Management at California State University. She is the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, where she helps people understand and manage their mammalian brain chemistry.

Today's episode is another refresh from the series I did on “All the Biases” back in 2019. Two weeks ago on episode 242 we had the one on numbers-based bias called “Math is Hard” and this week is all about time. It focuses on the past and the future and how we don't look at them in the same way, and how that can impact our behavior (it isn't always the same and our preferences definitely change when we are looking forward versus backward) and how this changes the way we value things and so much more.  I chose to refresh this episode today because this coming Friday, Dolly Chugh is on the show to talk about her new book, A More Just Future. We talk specifically about how the way we look backward isn't the same as when we look forward, and how that impacts our likelihood to take action. Even when we are furious in the moment, and are adamant we will take action, because the past and future don't impact our behavior the same way we often don't. This can be really problematic when we are looking to right the wrongs of the past and present for a better future.  As you listen today, I encourage you to consider how the past, present, and future are different for you. Think of a time when you were outraged by something in the moment and said (either aloud or in your head) that you were absolutely going to do or say something and never did. Why is that? When you remember that incident do you feel as upset about it? What if you heard it was going to happen tomorrow or a week from now? What might you do to prevent it? Why do the past and future feel different and how can this knowledge change the way you support other humans? Show Notes: [00:39] Today's episode is another refresh from the series I did on “All the Biases” back in 2019. [01:39] Because the past and future don't impact our behavior the same way, it can really be problematic when we are looking at history and helping to right the wrongs of the past and present. [03:48] People want immediate payoffs.  [06:23] Due to impact bias, we overestimate the duration of the intensity of the impact of how we will feel in the future. We are also victims of projection bias.  [08:26] To prove a point now you might be making a choice that negatively impacts your future self.  [10:08] The sunk cost fallacy is where people will keep spending and justify pouring into a bad prior investment even though evidence shows it is bad.  [12:37] As your brain gets overwhelmed your subconscious is more likely to take the reins, meaning you will make more battery and present-focused decisions instead of snowball, future-focused decisions.  [14:05] In the cold state we may know that something is a good idea and commit ourselves that when you are in a hot state you don't have the option to let that hot self take over and make a bad decision about the present.   [16:03] People think that when you are in that cold state you're not going to require, need, or want whatever the things are as much as you actually will when your body chemistry has changed to the hot state.    [16:49] People are impacted more by losses than gains and it takes double the joy felt by a gain to equal the pain that is felt by a loss.   [18:03] You may consciously want to stop dreading something. However, as long as your subconscious is still getting some kind of reward or benefit from the physical act of dreading you would need a lot of extra savoring, positive benefit, and something to enjoy at the moment to combat the dread.  [20:45] We do not really like risks and will avoid them when we can. Due to a zero risk bias, we humans prefer to reduce a small risk down to nothing than we would like to take a bigger reduction in a larger risk.  [22:27] When you think you are safer, you are more likely to take risks in other areas. For example, people drive worse when wearing a seatbelt. [25:01] Because we don't want to change, we may ostrich and avoid the potential negative even at our own personal cost.    [26:13] For one person to succeed it does not mean everyone else has to lose or fail.  [28:52] When you know the rules of the game (all these biases and how they work together) it can be easier than you think to trick your brain into doing more in your own favor and use these biases in your favor so you can make decisions today that you will appreciate tomorrow or help get yourself out of a negative spiral.  [31:52] Melina's closing thoughts [32:37] Time discounting is such a big hurdle for us but knowing about it and how it combines with bikeshedding, planning fallacy, and optimism bias is the first step in tackling this.  Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Fierce Conversations, by Susan Scott A More Just Future, by Dolly Chugh A More Beautiful Question, by Warren Berger How Minds Change, by David McRaney Behavioral Investor, by Daniel Crosby Top Recommended Next Episode: Time Discounting (ep 51) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Focusing Illusion (ep 89) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Decision Fatigue (ep 132) Bikeshedding (ep 99) Planning Fallacy (ep 114) Optimism Bias (ep 34) Loss Aversion (ep 9) Math Is Hard (ep 242) A More Beautiful Question with Warren Berger (ep 200) Endowment Effect (ep 139) Status Quo Bias (ep 142) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  Diversification Bias: Explaining the Discrepancy in Variety Seeking Between Combined and Separated Choices Mixing Virtue and Vice: Combining the Immediacy Effect and the Diversification Heuristic Research on How Self-control Works Could Help You Stick With New Year's Resolutions Free Will in Consumer Behavior: Self-control, Ego Depletion, and Choice A Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion Effect Hot–Cold Empathy Gaps and Medical Decision Making Exploring the Cold-to-Hot Empathy Gap in Smokers Anomalies: The Endowment Effect, Loss Aversion, and Status Quo Bias Experimental Tests of the Endowment Effect and the Coase Theorem Does Market Experience Eliminate Market Anomalies? The Case of Exogenous Market Experience

Decisions are everywhere — we are making them all day long. Even if you know you are making a lot of decisions, you probably don't grasp the full weight of them. Think about yesterday, how many decisions can you remember making? How many decisions do you make on an average day? Research shows that people make 35,000 decisions every single day!  Can you believe it? Clearly, the bulk of those are done subconsciously as we couldn't exist if we had to do all of those on a conscious level. So, how do we make better decisions? What happens when we make too many decisions? Is there a point in the day when we have hit our decision number and it's all downhill from there? Or is there an opportunity to recharge those batteries and have a second wind?  When do we reach the point of decision fatigue and what can we do to avoid it? That's what this episode is all about. This refreshed episode originally came out on Christmas day, 2020 (at the end of a year full of decision fatigue). It includes tips for making better decisions around the holidays and is useful all year round. Ready to optimize your decisions? Listen in… Show Notes: [00:39] Today's episode is all about decision fatigue. [03:21] We humans make an incredible number of decisions each day.  [04:48] We all make about 35,000 decisions every single day. Some of those are big choices evaluated by our conscious brain but over 90% are made by your subconscious.  [05:51] As you begin to get fatigued, you rely on your subconscious rules of thumb to make decisions. You'll be more cautious and make decisions that are risk-averse without even noticing the change in your behavior.  [07:48] If you don't bog down your brain with mundane choices you can free it up so it doesn't get fatigued as quickly.  [09:34] Doing something today is the best way to make tomorrow easier.  [11:14] Decision fatigue is similar to overwhelm but they are not the same thing. Your brain can get overwhelmed by more than just decisions.  [14:08] Be thoughtful about the things you will be thoughtful about. There are lots of things that seem important at the moment that simply aren't.  [14:33] Dopamine is a chemical that your brain likes. It forms lots of habits around getting more of it and Dopamine goes hand and hand with anticipation.  [15:16] Just because it feels bad or painful doesn't mean it is wrong or that it isn't in your best interest to continue down the path. It might just be your subconscious rebelling about not getting the Dopamine it is used to. Take that painful moment as a good sign and celebrate it and keep moving forward.   [16:58] It is so important to put extra thought into your customer experience journeys. You want to reduce that friction and make it as easy as possible to do business with you.   [19:04] You are making it easier for someone to make a choice.   [20:47] Look for ways to reduce decisions and make it easier to work with you.   [21:12] Decision fatigue is another reason batching content and tasks is so important. When you set aside some time to plan out content in advance, you condense all those decisions into one. It is a super simple brain hack. [22:17] Another closely related item to batching is delegating. Don't hold onto every little decision and choice on a project. Fight the urge to have everything done perfectly in the way you would do them and free up your brain from making decisions that someone else could do.   [24:04] Take breaks. Take a lunch break, weekend off, breaks throughout the day, and even naps.  [25:59] It isn't selfish or self-indulgent in a bad way. It's actually beneficial to your overall decision-making to take this time for yourself. It helps keep your brain clear, your decisions stronger, and your work better and more meaningful. Taking care of your brain is important.   [27:41] Melina's closing thoughts [27:53] When you can streamline the things you do and reduce the unnecessary decisions in your life by making them habits, it can really help you to do more and better things. [29:45] The more you streamline and plan while you are in a cold state (before the moment of distraction hits) the easier it will be in the long run. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Essentialism, by Greg McKeown Good Habits, Bad Habits, by Wendy Wood Friction, by Roger Dooley The Selling Staircase, by Nikki Rausch Sludge, by Cass Sunstein Top Recommended Next Episode: Habits: 95% Of Decisions Are Habitual - Which Side Is Your Business On? (episode 21) Already Heard That One? Try These:  The Overwhelmed Brain & Its Impact on Decision Making (ep 32) Defaults: The "D" in NUDGES (episode 38) Good Habits, Bad Habits: An Interview with Wendy Wood (ep 127) Bikeshedding (ep 99) Time Discounting (ep 51) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Friction - What It Is And How To Reduce It, with Roger Dooley (ep 72) How to Make it Easy to Do Business With You With Nikki Rausch (ep 96) Sludge: What It Is and How to Reduce It (ep 179) Planning Fallacy (ep 114) How to Set, Achieve & Exceed Brainy Goals (episode 70) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  How Many Daily Decisions Do We Make? Decision Fatigue: What it is and how it's killing your focus, motivation, and willpower How Willpower Works: How to Avoid Bad Decisions When Thinking is Hard: Managing Decision Fatigue You're facing a lot of choices amid the pandemic. Cut yourself slack: It's called decision fatigue. What is Decision Fatigue? The Science of Decision Fatigue How to Identify When You're Experiencing Decision Fatigue

Today's episode is all about the pain of paying. This episode originally aired as number 59 in August of 2019. It was formed from a paper I had found and researched before I started doing interviews on the show. I had never met or really considered connecting with the author of the main paper I reference in the episode, Ofer Zellermayer (this paper was his doctoral dissertation). In addition to having an episode on this, I included a full chapter on the pain of paying in my first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You which came out in May 2021.  Well, funny enough, in October of that same year, he reached out to me! He said that he had gone to search something related to his paper and found the podcast episode so he dropped everything to listen! He approved of it (phew!) and reached out to connect, which is such an awesome thing. I'm always amazed at the power of the podcast and all the relationships and connections that have come from it over the years. Remember what I said last week in episode 238 about reciprocity? Business is a long game, give freely and you will be amazed at how great things can be.  Anyway, you may be wondering why I chose this episode for today's refresh. For one, with the holidays upon us and just finishing up Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday here in the states, it felt like a great time to talk about the pain of paying. Buying things can feel like physical pain, and it is important to know that, but not go too over the top to compensate for it. Deals and discounts abound this time of year, and people buy differently when they are shopping for gifts. It is all interesting stuff to keep in mind as you consider your own buying this holiday, and any sales you may be running for your business. It felt like the perfect time to refresh this episode for you. Show Notes: [00:38] Today's episode is all about the pain of paying. [02:57] Buying things can feel like physical pain, and it is important to know that, but not go too over the top to compensate for it. Deals and discounts abound this time of year, and people buy differently when they are shopping for gifts. [04:21] Buying things isn't all fun and games and the process of paying for things can actually cause pain for many people.  [06:14] Everyone experiences some level of pain of payment in various scenarios and those conditions tend to be pretty universal. Context is incredibly important when it comes to the pain felt making a payment.  [07:09] Melina shares the reasons and continuums that impact the pain felt in a payment. [09:30] The brain loves a story. This story can impact the pain felt by paying. [12:28] Price is not about price. Everything that comes before the price matters much more than the price itself.  [13:57] When the pain of paying is too much, people who don't buy things that they need or want because it is too difficult to give up money are called tightwads. Those who spend too much too easily and do not feel an appropriate amount of pain before or during the spending process are called spendthrifts.  [16:58] Being a tightwad is different than being frugal. Frugality is rooted in joy when saying money.  [19:16] 60% of people are unconflicted, 25% are tightwads, and 15% are spendthrifts. Your biggest challenge is overcoming the 25% who are tightwads.  [20:08] Tightwads are most sensitive to framing adjustments so that is where you can make a difference. Tightwads can have a difficult time paying for things with cash so make it easy to pay with a credit card. [22:17] The pain was found to have less of an impact when buying what is considered virtue products than vice products. It is important to know what category your product falls into when you are looking at how to frame your message.  [23:46] One of the big issues for spendthrifts is that they do not account for or intuitively understand the opportunity cost at the moment when they are getting ready to buy or they want to buy things.  [25:52] Everyone will feel some sort of pain when paying. It is your job as the person selling to figure out what the buyer needs, what would benefit them the most, and then present it to them in a way that will have the last pain felt so they can actually enjoy spending the money.  [27:39] For your business, think about how people interpret what they are getting. If it was not their choice are there some other areas where you can help them feel like they did make a choice so there is less pain felt in the experience?   [31:26] When the pain of paying isn't felt as much it doesn't impact the experience as negatively.  [33:51] In some ways, you are making the loss and pain much more prevalent, reducing usage by consumers, and impacting the overall experience.   [35:29] The payment that is triggering pain doesn't have to be from money, it can be time as well.  [37:36] When consumption and payment are coupled together, you experience pain as you consume, it has a certain level of pain and joy associated. When you uncouple them, you experience each item separately which can increase each unless you implement them properly.  [40:03] The pain of payment can be removed when the payment is taken care of before consumption.  [42:12] “Strong buffering and hence reduced the pain of paying occurs when the consumer can directly connect the costs in terms of money with the benefits in terms of product or service. The ability to associate costs and benefits is just as important in physical pain.” [44:26] The pain of paying was potentially completely eliminated when it was given as a gift. [45:06] Melina's closing thoughts [45:26] The fact that we think about gifts differently than something we need — and that we want to spend LESS on the things we functionally NEED is so interesting. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer How Customers Think, by Gerald Zaltman Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland Engaged, by Amy Bucher Marketing to Mindstrates, by Will Leach Top Recommended Next Episode: Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (episode 123) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Framing (episode 16) Priming (episode 18) What is Value? (episode 234) Mental Accounting: How To Make Your Money Math Work For You (episode 56) Partitioning How to Raise Your Prices (episode 77) The Truth About Pricing (episode 5) Focusing Illusion (episode 89) Decision Fatigue (episode 132) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280711796_The_Pain_of_Paying The Red and the Black: Mental Accounting of Savings and Debt The Pain of Paying Tightwads and Spendthrifts: An Interdisciplinary Review

Today's episode is all about the brainy benefits of gratitude. At the end of the year, I always like to do episodes about reciprocity, gratefulness, happiness, and planning…and this year is no different. One thing that is new this year, is that we have two episodes a week including our Tuesday refreshes so this episode from November 2019 on the brainy benefits of gratitude gets another day in the sun. I really enjoy this episode as it looks at the difference between happiness and gratitude and how they might not work the way we think they should (which you will of course learn all about in the episode today).  Here's something to think about as we start the episode: Do you have to get what you want to be happy? Is synthesized (or manufactured) happiness the same as natural happiness? What is best for your overall psyche and those around you? Keep that in mind as you listen, and share your thoughts with me on social media! Show Notes: [00:39] Today's episode is all about the brainy benefits of gratitude. [01:55] Gratefulness and reciprocity have an important thing in common, a tie that can bond them together which is a feeling of happiness and joy. Doing things for others or giving things away can make you feel happier.  [04:09] Our brains systematically misjudge what will make us happy.  [05:36] Dan Gilbert tells about how people don't know what will make them happy. One of the most important things the human brain does is allow to synthesize the future, imagine what is to come, and predict how we should act for the best possible outcome.  [06:29] Natural happiness is a product of getting exactly what you want.  [06:41] Synthetic happiness is what we get when we don't get what we wanted. Synthetic happiness, not getting what you want but still being happy about where you are is just as enduring and every bit as real to the brain as if you got exactly what you wanted or thought you wanted.  [09:36] A fascinating example using Monet paintings to show how our preferences change. You can be grateful, appreciate things, and have them make you happier even if you don't remember going through the process before.  [10:09] We think we will be happier if we have more options or choices but there is such a thing as too much choice. Freedom to choose is the opposite of happiness.  [11:20] Those who were stuck and had no room for deliberation after the fact were much happier than those that had the option to ruminate. Those who were stuck had no reason to ruminate and counterfactualize and were considerably happier. [13:00] Not getting what you want can make you just as happy or happier than if you had gotten what you set out for. Synthesized happiness is the same as natural happiness. Lots of choices and opportunities to ruminate are a recipe for unhappiness.  [14:23] Gratefulness goes first.  [15:07] The benefits of gratitude filtering can impact all areas of your life in a positive way. When you are filtering for gratitude you are resetting the way your subconscious is looking at the world around you.  [16:50] It is important to write gratitude by hand when you can. Writing things by hand has tons of benefits.  [17:41] One reason writing by hand does all these things is because it forces you to slow down and be thoughtful. Your brain pays more attention to things you write down.  [18:38] Gratitude can also improve relationships. Sharing the good makes it easier to share the bad allowing for growth and progress together.  [20:08] It is time to filter for gratitude and start writing what you are grateful for. [20:12] Melina's closing thoughts Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Stumbling on Happiness, by Dan Gilbert The Paradox of Choice, by Barry Schwartz The Happier Hour, by Cassie Holmers Tiny Habits, by BJ Fogg Good Habits, Bad Habits, by Wendy Wood Top Recommended Next Episode: Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less (episode 171) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Reciprocity (episode 23) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (episode 123) The Littery - Interview with CEO Michael Manniche (episode 75) Counterfactual Thinking (episode 68) Prefactual Thinking (episode 71) Expect Error: The "E" in NUDGES (episode 39) Priming (episode 18) How to Set, Achieve & Exceed Brainy Goals (episode 70) The Power of Habit (episode 22) Framing (episode 16) Confirmation Bias (episode 102) Focusing Illusion (episode 89) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  The Surprising Science of Happiness Dan Gilbert TED2004 What Does It Take To Be Grateful? In Praise of Gratitude 5 Reasons Writing by Hand Is Good for the Brain and for Well-Being Three Ways That Handwriting With A Pen Positively Affects Your Brain 9 Incredible Ways Writing By Hand Benefits Our Bodies And Brains How Arianna Huffington, Tony Robbins and Oprah Winfrey Use Gratitude as a Strategy for Success

Today's episode is all about prefactual thinking. Prefactual thinking is closely related to counterfactual thinking, which was episode 68 of the podcast, and this episode originally aired as number 71. In its simplest form, counterfactual thinking is our “what ifs” and “if onlys” where we look back and wonder what might have been if only something had been different. This can be from outside factors or things within ourselves that might have changed an outcome, and our brains are really good at coming up with idealized scenarios where things would have been amazing and perfect “if only” this one thing had been different.  Prefactual thinking is when we do something very similar but are looking into the future. Why did I hand pick this episode for you to listen to and reflect upon today? This coming Friday, my guest in episode 233 is Leigh Caldwell. He will talk about why he believes there is actually a System 3. You've heard me talk about System 1 and 2 (or rather, the subconscious and conscious processing of the brain...our elephant and rider) and Leigh says there is something else in there that should be its own category altogether. It has to do with imagining and thinking into the future, so it felt like a good idea for you to have a nice refresher on prefactual thinking today so you are all set and ready to be thinking about this possible System 3 question on Friday. So, as you listen today, think about the possibilities and what might come, and be ready to reflect on this when you tune in for episode 233. (And, if you haven't already, now is a great time to subscribe to the podcast to be sure you don't miss it!) Show Notes: [00:38] Today's episode is all about prefactual thinking. Prefactual thinking is closely related to counterfactual thinking. [01:25] While counterfactual thinking is looking back at how things in the past might have been different “if only”...prefactual does something similar, but looking into the future. [03:39] Goals are so important. As the year is ending you are looking back at what you did, and what you could have done, and also looking forward to what you can do in the future.   [04:33] Counterfactuals are looking back at something that has already happened and essentially undoing it in some way in your mind. Prefactuals are when you look to the future and think about what could be.   [05:54] When you think about what could happen or how you might succeed in the future, studies show you can actually have great benefits in all sorts of tasks.    [07:06] Your brain is driven by its desire to get these chemicals and there are different rewards with each.  [08:15] The treat for the brain is in the build-up, the prefactual, so it wants to think through scenarios over and over and it isn't always wired to do this in a positive way unless you put in some interventions.    [09:26] Melina shares a real-world email example.  [12:05] There are countless examples because our brains dwell on stuff all the time – they are wired for it. And they don't happen in isolation; it is easy to jump from counterfactual to prefactual and back again.  [13:18] To use prefactuals for positive behavior change you want to look at the “if / then” and future outcome action ties.   [14:04] The specifics give your brain something to process and remember in the future.  [16:12] After she received an email letting her know about the error, Melina was able to take some time to think about what could happen (prefactual) and because she didn't dwell too much on what might have been (counterfactual) she could take steps to make it better.   [17:38] One key to using counterfactuals and prefactuals for your benefit is to look for the learning opportunity. [20:56] Knowing the true impact is really important before you send anything out. Your brain is going to blow anything out of proportion with the tools it has in its arsenal.  [22:25] Breathe, assess, question, action, and reflection.  [23:19] Studies have found that people perform better on a task after doing prefactual thinking even if they have no prior experience. This is why role playing and visualization techniques are so important.  [25:34] Moving out of the negative counterfactuals and prefactuals into the positive space is such a useful and versatile skill for everyone.   [26:35] There is always something to learn and always a way through to the other side. You will get there faster and easier if you structure your counterfactuals and prefactuals to the positive.   [26:49] Melina's closing thoughts Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: The Psychology of Price, by Leigh Caldwell Get it Done, by Ayelet Fishbach How to Change, by Katy Milkman Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman Nudge, by Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein Top Recommended Next Episode: Counterfactual Thinking  (episode 68) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Expect Error: The "E" in NUDGES (ep 39) The Overwhelmed Brain & Its Impact on Decision Making (ep 32) Peak-End Rule (ep 97) Priming (ep 18) How to Set, Achieve & Exceed Brainy Goals (ep 70) The Power of Habit (ep 22) Availability Bias (ep 15) Framing (ep 16) How To Set Up Your Own Experiments (ep 63) The Top 5 Wording Mistakes Businesses Make (ep 2) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  How to Break the Negative Cycle of 'What If' Thinking Correction: Improving Physical Task Performance with Counterfactual and Prefactual Thinking When Thinking It Means Doing It: Prefactual Thought In Self-handicapping Behavior Fixing Your Brain: A Guide to Balancing Neurotransmitters

Today's episode is all about branding — and specifically, my insights for how to incorporate brain science and behavioral economics insights so you can have a brainy brand that resonates better with your potential customers, clients, members, etc., and is one of those coveted “favorite brands” in the mind of your consumer.  When your brand is thinking about becoming a beloved “favorite” it is important to consider the experience people have with you. Becoming a favorite is a lot like dating and marriage. On a first date, you are looking for all sorts of data to help categorize someone as a hero or a zero — you want to be able to cut your losses before you invest too much. It's the same with brands. It is important to not make mistakes. You especially want to be on your best behavior early on in the customer relationship to build up that “favorite” status. The tips in this episode will help you leverage behavioral economics to do just that (including what your brand needs to learn from your favorite actors). Now is a great time to be thinking about your brand and goals for the next year. What changes can your brand make and where is it worth the investment in becoming a more brainy and beloved brand? Keep that in mind as you listen today. Show Notes: [00:41] Today's episode is all about branding — and specifically, on my insights for how to incorporate brain science and behavioral economics insights so you can have a brainy brand that resonates better with your potential customers, clients, members, etc., and is one of those coveted “favorite brands” in the mind of your consumer. [01:26] When your brand is thinking about becoming a beloved “favorite” it is important to think about the experience people have with you, and becoming a favorite is a lot like dating and marriage. [04:14] A brand can take a generic item and turn it into something more.  [05:37] Marketing and branding are not the same things. Marketing is all the one-off things that you do to get your name out there.  [07:45] A brainy brand knows what it is trying to achieve and builds quantitative and qualitative research projects to test, learn, and grow.  [08:26] Truly great marketers (like great scientists) are great questioners. [10:55] Our brain makes associations whether we ask it to or not.  [12:35] Priming is really related if you want to make sure you have a brainy brand. You want to make sure you are associating your brand properly with the right things.  [15:01] It is important to be strategic and thoughtful about what it is you are doing for your company.   [16:51] You need to use the associations of the brain to make it as easy as possible on the customer. Be strategic. Think about how you can make it easy, as well as where they might make an error so you can help them avoid missteps and make the right choice.  [18:31] Above all, a brainy brand knows that everything matters.   [19:47] Brands have personalities just like people and for good reasons. Known personalities create expectations in our brains.   [21:09] Smart brands know the work is never done.   [24:04] Method acting is a lot like business branding because they both require a lot of preparation and understanding of things that may never be brought up. [25:16] Brainy brands know everything about who their brand is as if it were a person or a character.  [26:31] The other important thing to remember if you want a brainy brand is that perception is reality.   [27:28] Brainy brands need to have everyone on board rowing the boat in the right direction.   [28:35] Behavioral economics and other studies of the brain look into why people do the things they do and how to use insight to predict what they might do in the future.   [29:14] Melina's closing thoughts Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Branding that Means Business, by Matt Johnson & Tessa Misiaszek What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer Blindsight, by Matt Johnson & Prince Ghuman Contagious, by Jonah Berger How Brands Grow, by Byron Sharp Top Recommended Next Episode: Matt Johnson (episode 227) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Why We Like the Things We Like, with Prince Ghuman, coauthor of Blindsight (episode 172) Peak-End Rule (episode 97) Priming (episode 18) How to Set, Achieve & Exceed Brainy Goals (episode 70) The Power of Habit (episode 22) Availability Bias (episode 15)) Framing (episode 16) Surprise and Delight (episode 60) Reciprocity (episode 23) Disney: A Behavioral Economics Analysis (episode 144) Apple Card: A Behavioral Economics Analysis (episode 42) Starbucks: A Behavioral Economics Analysis (episode 73) Questionstorming at KIND / Mars with Beatrix Daros  (episode 215) The Overwhelmed Brain and Its Impact on Decision Making (episode 32) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (episode 123) Expect Error: The "E" in NUDGES (episode 39) How To Set Up Your Own Experiments (episode 63) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  Unconventional Wisdom How to Make Your Content Go Viral Dogs on the Street, Pumas on Your Feet: How Cues in the Environment Influence Product Evaluation and Choice 15 Actors Who Went to Seriously Extreme Measures for a Role HR and Marketing: A Natural Partnership

Today I'm joined by Scott Schutte and Dr. Janine Stichter, co-founders of the Healthy Behavior Institute. Scott is a personal trainer, weight loss behavior coach, gym owner, and fitness educator who has successfully guided thousands of people on their fitness journey. Janine (whom he calls “Dr. J”) has been in the field of behavior change for over 20 years as a researcher, author, educator, and practitioner.  Her career has focused on understanding the “why” behind behavior and identifying clear practices that are practical and result in sustained change. As part of her research, she has procured over 14M in federal grants, published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and three books. (As well as chairing 40+ doctoral dissertations and masters committees, providing over 150 international and national presentations, and over 80 workshops.)  Together, they co-founded the Healthy Behavior Institute, an educational platform for fitness professionals and gym owners that specialize in behavior modification. I was particularly interested in having on the show because they are changing an industry where everyone has just sort of accepted that people don't do what they “should,” yet where everyone keeps doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results instead of trying something new. Thankfully, they have, and so I have asked them to enlighten us on the work they do and the advice they would give to others looking to do something similar – in any industry.  Show Notes: [00:44] In today's conversation, I am joined by Scott Schutte and Dr. Janine Stichter (Dr. J), co-founders of the Healthy Behavior Institute. [02:21] The Healthy Behavior Institute is an educational platform for fitness professionals and gym owners that specialize in behavior modification. [05:14] Scott shares about himself, his background, and how his work is related to behavioral science.  [06:06] Dr. J shares about herself, her background, and how her work is related to behavioral science. She has a doctorate in behavioral analysis. [08:22] The case for the need for behavioral science often comes from a health or wellness example because it is an area where everyone knows what they “should” do…but behavior rarely changes.  [09:50] Many times fitness trainers or the industry have misinformation because they are looking at things through their own lens.  [11:50] A lot of us can do something for a period of time that is extreme but we don't maintain it.  [12:15] Behavior does not persist unless it is being reinforced and serving a purpose.  [12:56] When they talk about the root causes they use the EATS Model - Escape, Attention, Tangible, and Sensory.  [14:21] If we can figure out and help people figure out what the root cause of the behavior is then we can find a replacement that matches that.  [16:09] Your eating behaviors and reasoning can flow throughout the day.  [19:01] Having a guide through these changes is the fast track and going to keep you on point.  [19:55] People go through different stages of life so they have different wants and desires. This is an ongoing process that we need to reevaluate and reconfigure along the way.  [23:16] We need to focus on the minimum we need to do to trend in the direction of our goals. Tracking or journaling can be a short term learning tool but it is not something everyone has to do long term.  [24:26] Your clients are coming with different personalities and different ways they are naturally wired – you need to meet them where they are at.  [25:45] Using tracking or journaling at certain points can be helpful when necessary to educate or just give a better picture.  [28:03] The EATS Model gives you a place to start to try to understand the behavior.  [30:37] We don't have to adjust everything every day. We could make adjustments a few days a week and still see an impact.  [32:56] Understanding the problem and the behavior shift you are trying to make is so important.  [34:32] Be cognizant of not trying to address the symptom but actually look at the why. [35:55] Behavior is a manifestation of what is going on in our heads. It is just an outward expression and we often need to get past that symptom.  [38:39] In behavior analysis and research the EATS Model is called the four functions of behavior and it applies to all industries.  [39:48] Any one thing can be all of those things (escape, attention, tangible, and sensory) at any given time.  [41:46] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [43:26] Taking the time to explore and explain how every behavior could be a source of Escape, a way to get Attention, getting something Tangible, or being Sensory is a great way to better understand (and potentially shift) that behavior. [45:08] Thank you to Andrew Gavigan for recommending this week's guest! If you have a recommendation for someone you think should be a guest on the show or a concept or topic you want to be sure I cover please reach out to me through email or social media.  Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! More from The Brainy Business:

Loretta Breuning is the Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today.She has a lot of experience in the sphere of brain chemicals. Loretta ​​is the author of "Habits of a Happy Brain" and "Status Games: Why We Play and How to Stop" books.We discuss theories of human motivation, the science of positivity, and how to retrain your brain in the right way on today's episode.https://innermammalinstitute.org

TUNE IN TO LEARN: Dopamine and norepinephrine - one gives you motivation and drive, the other energy to take action. There are 2 very effective and simple/zero cost routines to boost both. Most high achievers do them without knowing it - it just makes them "feel good". Here's how it works. Bonus tools: cancel sleepy unproductive afternoons with 2 zero-cost routines.Produced by Angela Shurina,Schedule our call HERE.CERTIFIED NUTRITIONIST,  BRAIN PERFORMANCE COACHNutrition + Neuroscience + Behavior ChangeI help you use nutrition and lifestyle protocols, biohacking and space design as tools to unlock your brain genius and unlimited energy level, off-the-charts productivity

In today's conversation, I am joined by Daniel Pink; author of five New York Times bestsellers, including his latest, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward (which is the focus of our conversation today). His other books include When, A Whole New Mind, Drive, and To Sell is Human. Dan's books have won multiple awards, have been translated into 42 languages, and have sold millions of copies around the world. I reached out to Dan while I was writing my new book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You (which is now on presale and coming out on October 11, 2022) because I reference his book Drive a few times and wanted him to have a chance to weigh in and make sure I attributed everything correctly (something I do for every mention in my books). I was so deep in writing mode that I didn't realize he had a new book coming out at that time, so I asked him to come join me on the podcast to talk about his newest book, The Power of Regret. You will hear all about it in our conversation of course, but let me tell you, this book did not disappoint. It is full of great examples and extensive research -- it will change the way you think about regret and what it means to be human. You don't want to miss this conversation where we talk all about it. Show Notes: [00:40] In today's conversation, I am joined by Dan Pink. He is the author of five New York Times bestsellers. [01:51] In this episode we talk about his newest book, The Power of Regret. [03:41] Dan shares about himself and his background. [05:49] He realized in his early thirties what he was doing on the side (writing) should be what he was doing full-time.  [07:12] He shares about the manga comic book he wrote called The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need. It is a 180-page graphic novel written in the Japanese comic form of manga.   [09:41] The book received a number of awards, including one from the American Library Association.  [12:06] In the first week the book came out he got an offer for the movie rights, which he declined, and he never got another one. (Per the theme of today's episode…Does he regret it?)   [14:43] Dan's tips for writing books: When it comes to writing and content creation there is a lot to be said for getting the reps. Start small and work up to writing a book. Listen to the feedback you get. [15:59] When writing a book you have to have a very high bar for whether something is worth writing a book about. Many ideas don't have shoulders broad enough to carry a full book and they would be better as an article or essay.  [17:20] Writing a book is hard so if you don't pick a topic that you are deeply interested in it is going to be a profoundly miserable experience.  [19:50] Does your book deserve 9 hours and 300 pages of someone else's time? And, do you want to live with this for the rest of your life? [21:13] His early book Free Agent Nation was about the rise of people who were working for themselves.  [22:41] At any point in our lives we want to have some exploration but at a certain point, we have to execute.  [25:15] Dan loves sharing what he is working on along the way and getting feedback from others.   [27:14] Not only is regret normal and exceedingly common. Everybody has regrets.  [28:15] We want to use our regrets as information for understanding what our value is and learning to do better.  [29:21] He did two pieces of original research, one was The American Regret Project. It was a very large public opinion survey of the US population.  [30:59] He also did a piece of qualitative research called The World Regret Survey where he invited people around the world to submit their regrets (over 20,000 of them!).  [31:55] He found that people around the world had the same four core underlying regrets over and over again.  [33:42] One of the core regrets is foundation regrets. These are regrets people have about small bad decisions early in life that accumulate and have negative consequences later in life.  [34:23] Boldness regrets are if only I had taken the chance regrets. Moral regrets are if only I had done the right thing. Connection regrets are regrets about relationships.  [36:37] We need to process our regrets and use them as a force going forward. A starting point is looking at our regrets and deciding if they are regrets of action or regrets of inaction.  [38:15] Regret is one of the most common emotions that we have. Everybody has regrets.  [38:30] We have a massive amount of evidence that when we confront and think about our regrets we can use them to make better decisions, solve problems faster and better, avoid cognitive biases, become better negotiators and strategists, and find more meaning in life.  [39:59] Feelings are for thinking. They are signals, data, and information. When you have negative feelings even when it is unpleasant we need to figure out what it is teaching us to use them as a force of progress.  [41:35] You want to have way more positive emotions than negative emotions but a life well lived is not a life of only positive emotions. Negative emotions serve a role and are part of life. [43:43] Discomfort is a sign of growth so you want a little discomfort because that is how we learn and grow.  [46:00] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [48:15] If you enjoy the experience I've provided here for you, will you share about it? That could mean leaving a rating/review or sharing the episode with a friend (or 10!) Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! More from The Brainy Business:

Before I introduce you to this week's guest, I want to take a moment to celebrate a very special anniversary...two days before this episode airs, on July 6, 2022, we celebrated the four-year anniversary of The Brainy Business Podcast! Four years, 212 episodes (including this one, of course) and we are also dangerously close to 600,000 downloads of the podcast from over 170 countries, which is so awesome! (Pretty confident this episode will push us over that threshold…) I am so excited to introduce you to Dr. Daniel Crosby. In this episode, we talk a little about his books and the work he does in behavioral science around investing, which is very cool and so relevant. Investing is a time when we tend to throw logic out the window and the subconscious runs a bit rampant. But the main reason he is here today is that he recently had a tweet go viral. It had nothing to do with his work, and seemed like a fascinating opportunity to hear what it was like to create a tweet like that and live in the space of something everyone says they want -- to go viral -- and see what it has done for him personally, for his business, outlook...and any insights on what this says about human behavior that we can keep in mind for all the application in business. As I'm sure you can appreciate, this is so relevant to his work in investing and how people will randomly jump on one bandwagon over another and invest because the herd is doing so even when they haven't done their own research. Check out the episode to hear him tell you all about his viral tweet! Show Notes: [00:48] Two days before this episode airs, on July 6, 2022, we celebrated the four-year anniversary of The Brainy Business Podcast! [02:35] In the episode today, we talk a little about Daniel's books and the work he does in behavioral science around investing, which is very cool and so relevant. [05:40] Daniel shares about himself, his background, and the work he does. [07:31] He loves studying human behavior and thinking deeply about why people do the things that they do but he didn't want to do it in a clinical context.  [08:57] He has two popular books: The Behavioral Investor and the Laws of Wealth.  [11:03] The Laws of Wealth is his “ten commandments of investor behavior” and it talks about the power of behavioral principles.  [12:50] The Behavioral Investor is a deeper dive into externalities that are incredibly important but often overlooked.  [14:40] Dr. Crosby's top investment tips: automate, have a financial process, and get a third-party opinion on decisions.  [16:02] One of the reasons folks have such a hard time investing is because it is so counterintuitive.  [17:40] Our herding instinct does not serve us well in investing.  [20:38] Daniel's went viral with a tweet.  [22:17] When he figured out what was causing his tooth pain he decided he needed to make better health decisions and gave up Diet Coke.  [23:44] He snarkily tweeted that he had given up Diet Coke over a month ago and he didn't have any of the joys people told him he would receive.  [24:39] Elon Musk responded to his tweet and it went crazy with over 32 million views and over half a million likes and retweets.  [26:34] Part of what made his tweet go so viral was that there were at least two camps chiming in the comments, especially Diet Coke addicts. It also went viral on TikTok and Instagram.  [28:12] It struck something powerful in two very different groups of people.  [28:39] The most fascinating piece to him was follower count because he initially lost thousands of followers and then he ended up about where he started.  [29:55] His analytics showed that he gained 87 followers from a tweet that 32 million people saw in one day. It shows that going viral in an off-brand way doesn't do much for you.  [32:28] We spend so much time thinking about going viral and then it often doesn't help much.  [33:42] It was uncomfortable for him to have the heat turned up that high and know that many people were looking at him.  [35:40] He decided not to use the viral tweet for self-promotion or business because the content was very different.  [36:32] Melina shares an article that she recently wrote for Inc. about Brand Lessons from the Michelob Ultra Guy.  [39:18] Daniel shares about the Ocean Spray guy and his interaction with an intern at Diet Coke. He got a 24-pack and 2 six-packs of free soda.  [42:08] Usually we expect viral posts to be over the top. His tweet was surprising, it was funny and still vanilla.  [44:53] There is nothing so low stakes on the internet that people can't make a big deal about it. It gave him the sense of the power of a crowd so it actually made him go into his shell a bit.  [47:24] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [47:52] Melina shares Daniel's full viral tweet. [49:02] We as humans feel this need to strive for that silver bullet...the one thing that will change everything, but in reality, it is a lot of little things that add up to a life and business that makes a difference. [50:45] Don't sit around hoping and lamenting over that one thing that could change everything. Instead, focus on one thing you can do each day to get a little bit closer to your goals and show up where it counts, so people can rely on you and your content. [51:44] Whenever you are listening, will you pay it forward and share an episode with a friend? If you love the Brainy Business, let's share it with more people from around the world who would love to be a little more brainy. None of this would be possible without you, so thank you again for listening, subscribing, sharing, rating, and leaving reviews. I appreciate you! Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! More from The Brainy Business:

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Agnis Stibe, a 4x TEDx speaker, MIT alum, YouTube creator, globally recognized corporate consultant, and scientific advisor. He is the Artificial Intelligence Program Director and Professor of Transformation at EM Normandie Business School, and the creator of the STIBE Method, which we will of course talk about in today's episode. He is also the Adjunct Professor of Human-City Interaction at the University of Oulu, Paris Lead of Silicon Valley founded Transformative Technology community.  While at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he established research on persuasive cities for sustainable wellbeing. We talk about his research, how social proof can change behavior when it is made more visible, the importance of testing, why you need to try different approaches for any concept, and so much more. Listen in! Show Notes: [00:43] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Agnis Stibe, a 4x TEDx speaker, MIT alum, YouTube creator, globally recognized corporate consultant, and scientific advisor. [03:19] Agnis shares about himself, his background, and the really fascinating work he does. He is passionate about helping people, teams, organizations, and societies to get where they want to get.  [04:17] It is our counterproductive psychology that is oftentimes our roadblock to our own success and happiness.  [07:22] Awareness is number one. Once awareness is there, then there has to be a degree of willingness.  [09:33] Not everything is worth coming up the “Slope of Enlightenment.”  [10:23] We have access to the same curiosity throughout our lives. The question is do we allow ourselves to be using it? [12:31] He encourages people to take away unnecessary bias before they start a conversation about AI. [14:13] Together we are on a journey and the only obstacles are our human biases. [15:32] Agnis shares some success stories.  [17:15] After five meetings using their transparent system, everyone was on time.  [18:18] Melina's second book What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You comes out in October 2022.   [20:11] Many people don't want to see themselves in comparison with others on the same screen, but that is their resistance speaking.   [22:02] Technology takes away the bias. It is a more reliable perspective that it makes existing patterns more transparent and visible.  [23:51] Agnis shares about The Littery and his role with it.  [26:32] They amplified the effects of that solution by adding a social layer. Technology also played a role in making things more transparent.  [28:28] Humans over our evolution have gained a lot and we have lost some essential awareness of who we are.  [30:42] Thanks to technology we get a deeper and clearer perspective of who we are.  [33:19] Technology has huge impacts. There is bias towards technology.  [34:34] Agnis' hypothesis: technology is perceived by an average human being the same way an average human being perceives another human being. [36:28] Everything we experience with technology is giving us an opportunity to look at ourselves - the more technology the closer and deeper we see ourselves.   [38:24] The STIBE Method has ten tools split among three major stages. [39:55] Most of the time the problem with failed solutions is that there is not enough awareness of the problem.  [41:33] The final and crucial phase is to make assurance for long-term success. [45:33] Melina shares her closing thoughts.  [45:45] The impact of social proof can change when it is made more visible and there is a record. [50:04] Thank you again to everyone who has subscribed, rated, and left those five-star reviews of the podcast. I appreciate you and please keep them coming. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! More from The Brainy Business:

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Emily Cadiz, founder, and CEO of Finnegan the Dragon. What is Finnegan the Dragon, you ask? Of course, Emily will tell you all about that during our conversation, but here is the short, teaser version. Finnegan the Dragon is a new company I've had the honor of being an advisor for. This is an organization that is all about improving brain development and language learning for kids using inclusive music.  When I was given the opportunity to be part of the advisory team for this company, I knew it was something I had to do. There are so many amazing things on the horizon for Finnegan the Dragon and I am so excited to finally be able to share what Emily and her team are up to so you can learn all about it! Emily will be sharing about all the great work they are doing, exciting milestones coming up (including your opportunity to be a beta tester for the upcoming game launch), and how to get their free Ebook that came out this week. Listen in!  Show Notes: [00:44] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Emily Cadiz, founder, and CEO of Finnegan the Dragon. [03:40] Emily shares about herself and how she got connected to Melina.  [05:12] She has always been a service provider, teacher, musician, and public servant before starting her own business.  [06:48] She suffered a traumatic brain injury in the classroom, which turned her world upside down.  [07:37] During her recovery she found herself going back to music. She started studying how her own brain was recovering through sound and music.  [09:01] In her research she stumbled upon inclusive music which is how we use music to strengthen the brain multiple times throughout our lives to either cope, acquire, or realign ourselves with language.  [10:29] Going to traditional therapy never helped Emily because it was a reminder to her that she was disabled. Medical interventions can sometimes serve as a consistent reminder that you're different and that your access point to the world is not the same as everyone else. This was a spark for creating something new with Finnegan the Dragon.  [11:51] If we make this work part of the entire curriculum from a very young age everyone can benefit so you don't have to make anyone feel different.  [12:31] Developmentally speaking, stages happen at different rates for different children. Finnegan the Dragon wants to make things accessible for everyone.  [14:23] The process of making her brain tired and then letting it repair was the process that music had — it helped her to “sweat” her brain.  [16:35] Melina shares her experience taking college music classes during high school.  [19:43] There are 1.5 billion people that speak tonal-based languages.  [20:56] We can see in a lot of countries where tonal-based languages are dominant or even with people that are studying tonal-based languages, their brains are cognitively able to do things that other brains aren't.  [21:36] The standards for developmental milestones have gone down. We have 33-34% of kindergarteners needing special education interventions coming into the 2022-2023 school year.  [23:53] If your child is spending more than 30 minutes a day in front of a screen per day with passive engagement their chances of having ADHD or a mood disorder are increased by 50%.  [25:37] Passive screen time is the root cause of a lot of this.  [26:54] Passive screen time is silent participation with the screen. Using your finger doesn't fully activate your brain for learning either.  [28:02] There needs to be sound, noise, singing, motion, and movement going on for little ones to really understand how their world works.  [30:23] We know it is unreasonable to expect zero screen time (or even less than 30 minutes) so Finnegan the Dragon is an optimized game and accompanying classroom curriculum.  [33:10] Little kids have trouble with r's at that age, we shouldn't correct them. We can often encourage inappropriate sounds that are very hard to correct down the road.  [35:55] Tone is equally important at this age to all of your academic subjects. Tone and language develop at the same rate. If we ignore tone we are not strengthening the brain as much as we should or need to be.  [38:20] Music (at home and in schools) are so important for development in all areas of life.    [39:41] Meet Finnegan and learn his story in their free ebook, Finnegan the Singing Dragon. He uses music to help him overcome some things he is facing. Get your free ebook.  [41:38] It is so important to help our generation of little learners be able to have a fighting chance and help all the children be on a level playing field. Will you support them and Finnegan? [42:35] The Finnegan beta game will be coming out in the fall. Sign up for the newsletter to be first to know when it's available. [44:24] Melina shares her closing thoughts.  [47:00] If you enjoy the experience I've provided here for you, will you share about it? That could mean leaving a rating/review or sharing the episode with a friend (or 10!) Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. 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