The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics

Today we are digging in on inequity aversion – which is featured in chapter 12 of my new book, What Your Employees Need And Can't Tell You, titled "That's Not Fair!" Fairness is a fascinating topic and one that is really important in business. We strive to have fair standards in our business practices, in how we pay our employees, and in the offers we provide to customers…but should everything always be perfectly "fair"? Does it have to be fair? And…what the heck is "fair" anyway? Who decides what is fair? (and is that fair?) Tune in to hear all about it. You will also get to hear why fairness is like air, and what a bunch of capuchins can teach us about work (and why your employees might be ready to throw cucumbers). Listen in to learn all about inequity aversion, why it matters to business, and some tips for how to keep this from being a big problem in your work. Show Notes: [00:40] Today we are digging in on inequity aversion – which is featured in chapter 12 of my new book, What Your Employees Need And Can't Tell You, titled "That's Not Fair!" [02:32] Inequity aversion is a pretty easy concept on the surface. We want things to be equal (unless we are the ones getting the benefits…then we tend to be a little more lax in our demands for equality, right?) [03:19] I want to point out that fair and equal are not the same, and furthermore, equality is not the same as equity – remember this is inequity aversion, not inequality aversion. Equality means that everyone is given the same resources and opportunities. Equity recognizes that not everyone has the same circumstances and therefore provides resources in a way that can help receive an equal outcome. [06:02] What is "fair" and who gets to decide? One of my favorite quotes on this is from Mathew Liebermann who said, "Fairness seems a bit like air—its absence is a lot more noticeable than its presence." [08:22] When we realize we aren't being treated or paid fairly – or even if we just suspect that something isn't fair everything else can come to a grinding halt. [11:25] According to a Bloomberg article and research by Joblist of 15,000 workers who quit during this time, 40% said the job market was more difficult than they expected, 20% miss people at their old company (and many of them didn't think that was going to impact them as much as it did), 17% said their new job is not what they hoped for, 16% realized their old job was better than they realized, and 9% have found themselves in a company with bad culture and management. 14% of those surveyed who had quit their jobs said they regretted it. [14:01] One thing we do know is that we pretty universally dislike and reject things that are unfair, the problem (as you are seeing here) is that what is fair is relative. [16:54] This brings up another interesting facet of inequity aversion – because we hate the inequitable, unfair and unequal, we will sometimes put ourselves in harm's way or give ourselves a worse outcome to keep someone else from getting an even better one. [19:07] A perceived slight from years back could combine with confirmation bias and the focusing illusion so one employee is sabotaging themselves and your team to keep someone in their or another department from "winning" anything. [21:00] Whenever there is a question of fairness, motivation will tank. We become distracted and disengaged regardless of whether we are intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. Incentives and motivation are so important when we think about job performance. [22:01] When it comes to our aversion to inequity, the best thing to do is to make sure your practices and policies (whether it is pay or anything else) are, of course, fair, and equitable to begin with. [23:37] Remember, of course, that something may not be equal and still be fair and equitable. [24:52] Start by asking what you are trying to achieve. [26:12] Next, what are your priorities? [28:04] Understanding the why behind the decision is really important. Some people might still feel slighted, but that is ok you just need to align that with your priorities and the different groups you are working with. [29:18] You have to be looking for the worst way this could be interpreted and what you might have missed. Who aren't you thinking about? What aren't you thinking about? Do not skip this step. [30:01] Don't rush something out and expect people will give you the benefit of the doubt–it doesn't often work that way. [30:50] Be as open, clear and transparent as you can be with as much as you can. This doesn't mean you need to publicize how much everyone makes, but you can explain what the wage bands are for each role and why, or if there is an algorithm to determine who gets a bonus or what their base level salary will be or where the cap is, make that publicly known. [32:06] Once you can make it equitable, explainable, AND transparent, it allows the focus to come off of the external motivations and incentives (those grapes and cucumbers) and focus instead on t

Today we are digging in on negativity bias, which is featured in chapter 9 of my book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You. I also talked about this when Adam Hansen was on the show back in episode 176 and have planned to give it a dedicated episode for a long time, yet it has continued to hang out waiting for its moment in the sunshine – until today! It's funny, because I think it really says something about my personality that optimism bias was episode 34 and we aren't getting to negativity bias until nearly 200 weeks later. I'm ok with that, and, I'm so glad that this is finally becoming an episode because it really is a fascinating concept and super important for everyone in life and business. As with all the biases and heuristics you hear about on this show, I'm confident this will be one of those things that really changes your whole life and perspective once you realize it is there and impacting you. It's shocking how rampant this can be running in our lives and businesses. Today we will cover the four aspects of negativity bias (plus a "bonus" one) as well as ways to think about this in your life and work. Show Notes: [00:41] Today we are digging in on negativity bias, which is featured in chapter 9 of my book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You. [03:13] In its most basic form, negativity bias is our tendency to put more emphasis on negative information than positive. [03:57] Negativity bias, putting more weight on the bad than the good. Being on high alert and paying attention to potential threats was key for our survival. This is a good thing and it still serves us well a lot in our life. Sometimes, the negativity bias goes a bit far and can result in phobias or other avoidances that don't serve us well. [06:20] This is one aspect of negativity bias, where we put way, way, way more weight on the negative input than the positive. Our being a herding species is part of this as well. Being on the outskirts with the herd was something else that greatly threatened our survival back in the day. [06:53] In today's world, this overweighting of negatives can be problematic and cause a real negative spiral that keeps you stuck; focused on the bad in a way that causes you to ignore all the good stuff. You can choose to focus on the good stuff and, while still learning from the bad, don't let it have so much more impact on you than the good. [07:46] There are four aspects of negativity bias (as outlined in the original paper). The first is negative potency. It says that even if the two incidents were of the same type and size, they won't necessarily be felt or remembered the same way. We tend to have longer memories of these negative items than the positive ones and feel them more strongly when they occur. [08:09] The second aspect is of steeper negative gradients. This says that as we get closer to a negative event, its felt more and more – and at an intensity that is more than a positive event. [10:10] Negativity bias is definitely related to loss aversion and they are similar (but not the same). Negativity bias is when people pay more attention to bad news than good news. Loss aversion is when people are more worried about losing something they have than getting something new. [10:42] Now, we move on to negativity dominance. This was sort of covered in the negative potency section, but it is more about how when there is an event, the negative events will make it so our whole impression skews toward the negative. [11:35] It is important to think about the overall experience people are having with you. Even one negative element can drag an otherwise good thing down. [14:22] Knowing that people are going to have this negativity bias – both those presenting the change and those receiving it – is important as you consider how you introduce anything to anyone. [16:42] Our final aspect is negative differentiation, which is about the effort it takes to process an event. The negative stuff is more difficult to process, so it uses up more energy and cognitive resources. That makes us remember it more and for longer. [18:54] Knowing that the negativity bias exists and taking a step back to get out of your own way is important as you look at your own behaviors and actions. [19:54] We are also biased to give people like us the benefit of the doubt and not give that to people who are outside our circle of empathy. [22:02] Contagion is such an important piece and it has one of my all-time favorite examples and lines because it is very memorable and you instantly get the problem and how this can be applied in other areas. "A single cockroach can ruin a bowl of cherries, but an individual cherry will do nothing for a bowl of cockroaches." [23:53] When you think of reputation, that one negative can contaminate everything else and color your entire perspective of them and everything they touch. [24:35] It is important to realize when negativity bias, and specifically contagion, could be coloring a lot more t

In today's conversation, I am joined by Phill Agnew, host of the Nudge podcast. Phill and I have gotten to be friends over the last couple of years and I've been honored to have been a guest on his podcast before, but this is the first time he is joining me here on The Brainy Business. So, you may be wondering…why now? As you'll hear me share in our conversation, one main reason is that Phill has been EVERYWHERE on my social media recently. He is doing some amazing, relatable, applicable work. I love how he is showcasing the simple tests he is conducting to really practice what he preaches in the incorporation of behavioral economics into a business application. In today's episode, he explains some of his top tips and insights – in a way you can absolutely go through and try yourself. Listen in and then get out there and create your own test to get started! (And share it with us using the social links below.) Small changes can make a big impact. Show Notes: [00:40] In today's conversation, I am joined by Phill Agnew, host of the Nudge podcast. [01:15] Phill is doing some amazing work. I love how he is showcasing the simple tests he is doing and really practicing what he preaches in incorporating behavioral economics into business applications. [03:23] Phill shares about himself, his background, and what he does in the world of behavioral science. [04:34] In 2019 he launched the Nudge podcast. He launched the podcast to learn more, interview experts, and pick their brains to learn even more. He has been growing the show for the last three years. It is really important to him that everything on the show is applicable. [06:15] Small changes can make a big difference. [07:27] Phil shares about his tests on TikTok using the curiosity gap. [09:25] He found that his curiosity gap-inspired videos made people far more likely to watch the full video and become a follower of his channel. [11:38] Before launching The Brainy Business podcast Melina went live on Facebook for 30 days to increase excitement. [13:34] VIDEO TIP: Pack in as much curiosity as you can in the first 10 seconds. [14:49] He spends a lot of time advertising and testing things out on Reddit. [16:27] Phill shares about testing social proof. Social proof is the idea that we follow the actions of others. [17:32] 75% of the time people will give the answer they know is wrong to go with the group. Showcasing an action that other people are doing can be really smart. [19:08] Applying these small nudges to the way you communicate can make your communications more effective. [20:14] When testing, your variant and control should be very similar. The only thing that is different is the thing you are trying to test. He uses Google surveys a lot. [21:17] Fresh start effects can be really powerful. Phill shares about his tests using the fresh start effect. [23:56] Classic commitment devices can definitely have an effect as well. [25:38] Phill shares another Google survey he did about podcast cover art and what he learned from the test. [28:01] Check out Phill's podcast Nudge. [28:41] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [31:32] As you move forward with the insights from the episode, it is time to overcome your own time discount tendencies and optimism bias. Take a moment now to do something to start applying what you learned in the show today. Now is the time to do one thing. 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: [email protected] 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 How to Change, by Katy Milkman When, by Dan Pink Power of Regret, by Dan Pink Sludge, by Cass Sunstein Connect with Phill: Nudge Podcast Phill on Twitter Phill on LinkedIn Top Recommended Next Episode: How To Set Up Your Own Experiments (episode 63) Already Heard That One? Try These: NUDGES & Choice Architecture: Introducing Nobel-Winning Concepts (episode 35) Creating Content People Can't Help But Engage With featuring Katelyn Bourgoin (episode 201) Do Nudges Work? with Michael Hallsworth (episode 218) Reciprocity (episode 23) Using Behavioral Science

In today's conversation, I am joined by Kwame Christian, who I believe is our first 3-peat guest! (Though Dr. Marco Palma from the Human Behavior Lab at Texas A&M has technically been on the show three times, once was part of a panel when we launched the certificate program so I am going to say that Kwame is in a class all his own (for so many reasons)). Kwame was also my first guest on the first-ever live show of The Brainy Business on Fireside earlier this week. If you haven't heard of Fireside yet or checked out the show there, and if you don't yet have enough Kwame (I know I never will!) check out the replay within these show notes. Fireside is a new platform co-founded by Mark Cuban where I was recently invited to do a show. It lets the audience come up on stage to participate and ask questions. It is really cool and I'm going to be testing it out for a bit to see if this is a good permanent addition to the content you get from The Brainy Business. So if you want to stay around and have a chance to come behind the scenes and be part of the show, please come join us there. And of course, listen in on this episode as Kwame and I talk all about his new book, How to Have Difficult Conversations about Race. Show Notes: [00:40] In today's conversation, I am joined by Kwame Christian, who I believe is the first guest to be here on the show three times AND my first ever guest on the live show on Fireside. [01:42] Fireside is a new platform co-founded by Mark Cuban where I was recently invited to do a show. It lets the audience come up on stage to participate and ask questions. [03:20] Today we are talking all about Kwame's new book, How to Have Difficult Conversations about Race, which officially comes out on September 13th. [05:18] Kwame shares about himself and his background. Kwame is an attorney, does work in negotiation, and has a background in psychology. [07:27] Kwame shares his journey in writing his new book. He wants to be where the toughest conversations are. [08:47] He is not here to teach people how to think about race. He is here to offer guidance on how to talk about race. [11:11] We are all biased in different types of ways and we need to think more broadly about bias. People need to have a more empowered stance when it comes to bias. [12:32] Bias is real and it is going to play a role so why don't we take the time to calibrate and manage the role of bias in our favor? It is a strategic tool we can leverage to our advantage. [14:22] We are biased against bias. [15:18] Let's live with the fact that we have biases and learn to manage them. [17:22] If we are not making any mistakes that might be an indication of us not interacting with people that see the world differently than us. [18:11] We have to be outcome-oriented in our conversations. We need to know our goal and then reverse engineer a strategy for that goal. [20:04] We need to recognize that we need to be aware of the biases but not fear them. Biases make us human. [23:07] Kwame shares a true story from his book about a man named Daryl that tries to convert KKK members. He has converted over 200 members. [25:51] We have more persuasive power than we realize. [28:27] In these conversations we are not going to try to win. [30:02] His new book can be used by anybody that has any goal in a difficult conversation. [31:54] Anything that does not violate a physical law is negotiable. We can negotiate anything, we just need the right mindset. [34:05] Conflict is an opportunity. These difficult conversations provide us with opportunities. We just need to be curious and listen. [36:26] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [37:29] Not every battle is yours to fight. Choose where you can have or want impact and go full force, one strategic decision at a time. 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: [email protected] 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: Finding Confidence in Conflict, by Kwame Christian How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race, by Kwame Christian What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer How Minds Chan

Today, we get to talk about a very fun concept known as the cobra effect or the cobra problem. It is something I included in my upcoming book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, and I was very surprised at some of the early readers who work in the field and wrote comments like "WOW!" or called out this concept by name in their endorsement blurbs for the book. As I have said on the show before, there are hundreds of concepts, biases and heuristics in behavioral economics and behavioral science that are impacting our actions every day – it is near impossible to keep up with all of them, and sometimes you find a little golden nugget like this one which can be a new discovery for people even when they are experts in the field. I'm definitely not saying that I am the first person to talk about it or that no one knows about it. Rather, when I realized that it might be a little more obscure than I thought, it became a clear contender for its own dedicated episode sooner than later – plus it is awesome and the story of how it got that name is really interesting. Wanna hear that story and how you can use the cobra effect in business? Listen in… Show Notes: [00:41] Today, we get to talk about a very fun concept known as the cobra effect or the cobra problem. It is something I included in my upcoming book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You. [03:18] It all started way back when the British ruled India and the city of Delhi was infested with cobras. In order to help with the problem, the British set up a bounty and would pay anyone who brought in a cobra skin to help clean up the streets and keep people safe…but things didn't work out quite as intended. [04:45] And while the effect got its namesake from this cobra incident, it is by no means an isolated problem. Apparently, there was a very similar problem in Hanoi in 1902 when the French put in their sewer system, which essentially became a rat superhighway. [06:21] Just like the cobras, when the French got wise of the scheme, they did away with the bounty and everyone let their rats go free creating an even worse (quickly multiplying) problem. [07:49] Our next example comes from Bogota, Colombia, which tried to cut down on pollution and congestion on the roads in 2008 by limiting how often you could drive. [09:42] In my research I also found a story where the government of Quebec gave considerably more money to mental health programs than to orphanages from 1940-1960. So, to try and help those orphaned children who otherwise would have had nowhere to go, the Catholic Church of Quebec reportedly misdiagnosed many children with mental illnesses to get more funding. [11:10] The main lesson from the cobra effect is that "no loophole goes unexploited." Incentives are great and they can absolutely work, but you need to be really thoughtful about what someone might do to benefit from whatever you are proposing. [12:16] It is always so important to look beyond the surface solution and consider the problem you are really solving before you move forward with a course of action. When you think about the problem, it is important to get out of your own perspective and understand what someone really needs and what is practical for them. [13:58] You need to consider the problem you are trying to solve AND how it lines up with the real behavior of other people, as well as what they have control over and what you have control over in the new world you are proposing. Nudges and other tactics can only get you so far. You also have to really get out of your own way and think about how someone might see this differently than you. [15:41] There are lots of valid and useful incentives and not everyone is going to take advantage of the loophole or even see it…but if the loophole is big enough and there are enough people willing to jump through it that can be a time where your solution makes the problem worse. [17:42] Every decision has an impact – even the decision to do nothing – and changing one thing can change many things that are related even if you don't think about them (and it isn't always in a positive way). [19:11] It is important to spend some more time thinking about those possible loopholes, and it is important to get into the mindset of the person who would be in the situation. [19:49] The ability to be "in the moment" with someone else, to empathize and imagine we are part of that experience and show "How might we?" is so valuable and such an amazing skill. When you put yourself in that space, you can think differently, and that is really helpful when you are looking for exploitable loopholes. [21:03] Melina shares questions you should ask if you are considering implementing a payout (use your free worksheet to follow along). [22:19] Even small incentives can cause people to look for loopholes and to find opportunities for their own benefit. [25:38] Rules need to be put in place to adjust for possible loopholes. Maybe there are restrictions that need to go

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Nancy Harhut, cofounder and chief creative officer of HBT Marketing. She loves getting people to take action and specializes in blending best-of-breed creative techniques with behavioral science to prompt response – online, offline, and in-person. She has spoken around the world, including numerous appearances at SXSW, and has been named one of the 10 Most Fascinating People in B2B Marketing, a Social Top 50 Email Marketing Leader, and a Top 40 Digital Strategist. Her articles and work have appeared in Admap, US Ad Review, Target Marketing, DM News, Graphis Magazine, B@B Magazine, Who's Mailing What, Copywriting Insider, and "Open Me Now" by H.G. Lewis. Prior to co-founding HBT Marketing, Nancy held senior creative management positions with Hill Holliday, Mullen, and Digitas. She's helped some of the world's biggest brands create successful campaigns. Nancy and her teams have won over 200 awards for digital and direct marketing effectiveness, for clients such as AT&T, H&R Block, the GM Card, Dish Networks, and Nationwide. Today, we get to talk about her first book, Using Behavioral Science in Marketing, which just came out this week here in the U.S. Dive into the conversation and get ready to take action. Show Notes: [00:44] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Nancy Harhut, cofounder and chief creative officer of HBT Marketing. [02:05] Her first book, Using Behavioral Science in Marketing just came out this week. [04:20] Nancy shares about herself, her background, and how she found herself in the world of behavioral science. [06:01] She took principles and research from behavioral science and applied/tested them in marketing. [07:37] Anything she could find that might give her clients an advantage or extra edge was something she wanted to explore. [10:20] It is important to test so we know what is working and what doesn't work. [11:10] Nancy's examples in the book are very tangible, clear, easy, thorough, and thoughtful. [13:49] Social proof is incredibly powerful. Nancy shares examples of using social proof with her clients and the results. [16:31] Nancy shares why she wrote her new book. People were often asking if she had a book, including her now publisher Kogan Page. [16:54] Behavioral science and marketing absolutely work. Writing a book helps many more people to benefit from it. [19:19] She wanted to create a book that was short on science and long on applicability. She wanted it to be practical, easy to read, and actionable. ("Mission accomplished!" says Melina.) [21:30] She started her book with emotional and rational thinking because it was a good foundational factor and from there she started to talk about behavioral science principles that are strongly linked to emotion. [23:24] Having more good books in the world is always a positive thing. [25:44] If you present somebody with a couple of options as opposed to just one thing, they are much more likely to make a buying decision at the moment. If there are two options the question automatically changes to "Which of these two do I want?" [28:29] When saying "You have to make a choice and if you don't, someone else is going to make it for you" leverages autonomy bias. There was a bigger response because people didn't want someone making choices for them. [30:04] Behavioral science is not just for marketing. It is applicable across so many areas and professions. [33:04] Nancy shares an example of using choice architecture with a client that sold voluntary benefits. [34:47] They made accepting the meeting the easy choice and the path with the least resistance. [35:57] Melina shares an example of a blood drive on a college campus. [39:22] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [39:42] You are constantly communicating with people and there are small tweaks to your messaging that can make all the difference. [40:13] Melina's new book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You is coming out on October 11th, 2022. [42:04] 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: [email protected] 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 com

In today's conversation, I am joined by Michael Hallsworth, managing director for the Americas division of the Behavioral Insights Team, or BIT. Michael was on the show nearly two years ago in episode 125 when he was sharing about his book which is aptly named Behavioral Insights. The reason he is here today is to talk about a debate that has been going on across the behavioral science community for the bulk of this year: "Do nudges work?" Michael wrote an article recently in Behavioral Scientist which laid out all the points in a very clear way and talked about the real question we should be asking (as well as the next steps for the field in the future). I knew he was the perfect guest to come on and speak about this. He does a great job summarizing everything here and I hope you get value from this conversation. It can be hard to look at ourselves, the fields we are in, or ourselves personally, and embrace opportunities for improvement. But, it is so necessary in order to grow, change and thrive. The field is built on solid science, and we have an opportunity to do even more going forward. Listen in to hear all of our thoughts on this hot topic. Show Notes: [00:42] In today's conversation, I am joined by Dr. Michael Hallsworth, managing director for the Americas division of the Behavioral Insights Team. He was on the show nearly two years ago. [02:37] It can be hard to look at ourselves, the fields we are in, or ourselves personally, and embrace opportunities for improvement. But, it is so necessary in order to grow, change and thrive. [05:00] Michael shares about himself and his background in behavioral science. [06:56] Nudges guide people to decide while maintaining their freedom of choice. [08:26] Publication bias is a problem that affects many disciplines (not just behavioral science) in the scientific literature. [11:19] Singular data points are not generalizable in other contexts. Context and testing are key. [13:22] First we need to understand what is a realistic effect size for some of these interventions and can we get a better understanding of how context affects results. [15:42] A missing piece of this debate around if nudges do or don't work is looking at some work that is not affected by publication bias. [16:59] We do have evidence for the real-world effects of nudging that are not affected by publication bias. Those effects are smaller than the ones in the original study but they are still meaningful. [19:06] Human behavior is complex. Results vary by context and group. [21:21] There are factors going into a result that are meaningful which may mean that something doesn't work in a different situation. [22:56] Instead of making overall claims we should be talking about some of these ideas a bit like scientists have talked about incentives. [23:53] We don't need to oversimplify or oversell because the results are there but they vary in ways we don't understand (yet). [25:34] Moving forward we can run multi-size studies so we can explore these differences more systematically. [27:42] When you take your results together, you should be able to see which idea is more supported. [29:49] They found that if you thought something was more context-dependent those studies were less likely to replicate success. [31:35] It's not about what you know. It is about how you match it to context to produce a result. [33:56] Behavioral Science "in the wild" is different from behavioral science in the lab. [35:07] Within organizations it can be really hard to start tracing the threads between studies and looking into the connections. [37:11] Michael shares about his upcoming manifesto. [39:20] The overriding question he discusses in the manifesto is "How do we help behavioral science tackle some of those bigger questions?" [40:14] "Do nudges work?" is the wrong debate. There are ways we can take behavioral science forward. [42:02] Anything that has happened so far isn't bad or wrong. We are learning from what has happened and now we are moving forward. [44:47] You may not be able to predict in advance all the potential outcomes, particularly if you are intervening in a complex environment with lots of things going on (i.e., the real world with human people). [46:11] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [47:21] The summary of what you heard from Michael is that, yes, nudges do work. And, as I have always said on this show, nothing is perfectly generalizable. [48:44] This idea of looking into the possibilities of more complex systems and being able to be even better at predicting what will happen when and why is fascinating, and something I look forward to being part of researching into the future. 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

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

A little over a year ago, in episode 157 of The Brainy Business, I was honored to have Dr. Robert Cialdini join me on the show to talk about the new and expanded version of his book Influence, which has sold many, many millions of copies around the world, and it is so impactful even nearly 40 years after its original publishing date. The new version added 220 (pure gold!) pages and a whole new seventh principle of persuasion – unity – which is of course the focus of today's episode. The six original principles of persuasion include reciprocity, liking, authority, scarcity, social proof, and commitment/consistency. Most of those already have their own episodes of the podcast, which are linked for you in the show notes along with my interview with Bob when he was on the show. So, why unity? As I said, while I've dedicated episodes to several of the initial six principles, including scarcity, social proof, reciprocity, and precommitment…I haven't done them all yet…so why jump to the end with Unity before "completing the set" so to speak? Listen in to find out why and learn more about the amazing principle of unity. Show Notes: [00:07] Today's behavioral economics foundations episode is all about Cialdini's new 7th principle of persuasion: unity. [00:48] In episode 157 of The Brainy Business, I was honored to have Dr. Robert Cialdini join me on the show to talk about the new and expanded version of his book Influence, which has sold multi multi multi million copies and it is so impactful even nearly 40 years after its original publishing date. [03:36] Unity is an underlying principle that runs through all the others. If you have unity, everything else can come easier, so understanding this technique can be impactful in most any approach. (A great reason to jump here first! It also has less info on it when you search since it is new, so I wanted to contribute there, and it has a big feature in my new book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You). [04:54] Melina shares an overview of the first six principles. Reciprocity: when given a gift, even something incredibly small, people feel compelled to give back to the gifter. [05:51] People are more likely to do business with people they like. We are also influenced by people in authority even when they don't have any expertise in the area we may be asking about. [06:28] Because we are a herding species, we are very influenced by social proof. We also are very influenced by items that are scarce. We find them more valuable, our FOMO and loss aversion are triggered. [07:04] People like to be consistent and do what they have said they will do. They also like to do business with people who do what they say they will do. Showing that you have done this is powerful. [08:02] If people aren't buying what you have to sell, whether it is an idea or a physical product or service or anything else, it doesn't necessarily mean the idea is wrong or bad. You can often change the way you are presenting the information and enjoy a different result. [08:35] Unity goes beyond liking or social proof and is in the space of how we are the same. It's not just that I like you, but we are (as they say) cut from the same cloth. When you are part of my tribe, when we are a WE, I become more compelled toward whatever it is you are asking for or offering up. [09:36] We all have a lot of identities that we flow between throughout the day; they don't have to be weighty to create that connection. [10:54] It is pretty easy for people to come up with 20 self-defining things pretty quickly off the top of their head. [12:32] The way we identify with a group can shape the way we see the world around us and the decisions we make. [14:31] A key to unity is finding what is central, core, or defining to both people. [16:25] When you find something that you like about someone else, it creates a connection that makes them, in turn, like you more. [18:03] Ask good questions and know there will be some commonality that will help you to find them more interesting and engaging, and give you something to talk about, and that it is possible they will think of you more fondly as well. [18:22] Know that when you need to ask people for things, your own affinity groups or people who you would say are part of your "I am" group are a great place to start because they are the most likely to say yes to you. [21:11] Bringing one particular aspect of your shared identity to the front of their mind at the right time – making that particular identity you share salient at the right moment – is key for using unity in your life and work communication. [22:17] People are busy and their brains are even busier. Reminding someone of that important detail at the right moment can have a massive impact. [23:32] We form an idea of who we are, what we are about, and the brain is really good at explaining why every action supports the way we see ourselves. [26:30] The main point I want to make is that our busy brains have a lot going

In today's conversation, I am joined by Beatrix Daros, Global Consumer Intelligence Director for Mars, and today we are talking mostly about a project we worked on together for KIND snack bars around healthy snacking and checkout/impulse buying in grocery stores. Beatrix also shares about some technology they used during the pandemic and her advice for others looking to incorporate similar work at their companies. This conversation is a revisit of the session we did together at IIEX Europe in Amsterdam a few weeks back, which was an awesome event -- thank you to Greenbook for having us out for that! Beatrix is so awesome and I'm delighted that she is joining me on the podcast. The event space in Amsterdam didn't allow for the same easy replay on the podcast, so she was kind enough (pun intended) to do another recording with me here -- so even those who watched the session live in Amsterdam will get something a little different in the episode. We talk about the questionstorming session we did in 2019, the studies they implemented based on that work, her plans for future research, and so much more. Show Notes: [00:43] In today's conversation, I am joined by Beatrix Daros, Global Consumer Intelligence Director for Mars. [01:45] Melina) will be speaking at another upcoming Greenbook event IIEX Behavior in Chicago September 13th-14th. [03:35] The event space in Amsterdam didn't allow for the same easy replay on the podcast, so Beatrix was kind enough (pun intended) to do another recording with me here. [06:02] Beatrix shares about herself and the work she does. [07:07] KIND is a healthy snack bar with very low sugar levels, high content of nuts, and very little processing. It is called KIND because we need more kindness in the world. [08:06] Beatrix shares her history and background. [10:16] Research tip: the most important thing is really to connect with people from the segments you are working with. (In their case, it was countries.) [12:02] In some countries snacking is very established; it is considered part of the normal routine and part of their culture. [13:18] How people make decisions related to health is very different across countries. They researched what is affecting these decisions. [15:11] They are doing research in the US, including looking at new products. In the rest of the world, they are looking to establish the brand like it is in the US. [18:00] Impulse buys matter a lot for the Mars legacy brands. Bars, whether they are indulgent or healthy, are very often bought impulsively. [20:43] Their expectation is that in the next five years other governments will likely follow what the UK is doing with their health regulations. [23:18] They started by really trying to understand what goes on in the brain of the consumers and what influences their decisions. They also looked at behavioral science and how they could apply it. [25:05] Melina worked with their team at a full-day workshop. They started off the day with Melina sharing about behavioral economics, how the brain works, and some specific concepts, and then they went to questionstorming. [27:26] It is important for everyone to be part of the process even if their idea doesn't ultimately get selected (this helps with the IKEA effect). [29:45] Questionstorming was much more inclusive and improved engagement because every question found a space even if it wasn't part of the first phase. It opened up and really brought people together. [31:08] Technology was wonderful for their project (especially with the pandemic) because they could learn very fast and get super clear on the outcomes. [33:19] They decided they would not go back to the way they did research before (in-person) because it was much more time-consuming. Technology can help you speed up and get results in 1-2 weeks. They may then test in stores for 4-6 weeks for validation, but it is still often faster than the old way of testing. [34:29] Beatrix tip: rely on technology, it is very reliable and we should take advantage of it. [36:25] The "deep human connection" goes back to the roots of the KIND brand. They were always in touch with the brand-consumer in a natural way. [37:13] There are three layers where they try to create deep human connections with their consumers. The first layer is to be kind to the body. The second layer is to be kind to the community, and the third layer is to be kind to the planet. [39:27] They launched a consumer closeness program. The first stream of the program was technology. [41:19] The second stream of the consumer closeness program is a consumer and associate connect. Every team member is connecting directly with consumers and trying to understand what matters to them. [44:26] Beatrix shares what she is excited about coming up in the future. [45:52] There needs to be a healthy balance between using technology and keeping human connections. [46:51] Since the pandemic, a lot of people became more conscious and we see the relationship between food and eat

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 b

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Chuck Howard, an Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. In his research, Chuck asks questions like, "Why do consumers so often underpredict their future expenses?" and "Why do people who work in the gig economy over-predict their future income?" He then designs simple solutions for these problems that help people improve their financial well-being. Chuck's research has earned awards from the Society for Consumer Psychology, the Society for Judgment and Decision Making, and the Behavioral Insights Group at Harvard University. Chuck earned his Ph.D. in Marketing and Behavioral Science from the University of British Columbia, and his BA in Economics and Finance from Ryerson University. I met Chuck on a recent trip to College Station and we have had a few conversations since then. Upon hearing about some of his recent research I thought it would be something that you would find interesting (I sure did!) and while it is more on personal financial decision-making, we definitely talk about this from a business aspect, and the insights are relevant to everyone -- especially all the people in the financial industry who I know listen to the show. Show Notes: [00:41] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Chuck Howard, an Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. [03:36] Chuck and Melina didn't meet in the same way as most guests of the show. [04:04] Chuck shares about himself, his background (including a "gap decade"), and how he found himself in this space. [06:30] He was able to combine his passion and knowledge of psychology and economics to land on studying consumer financial decision-making. [07:38] Making ridiculously optimistic budgets or underpredicting your future expenses can help a lot of people spend less money. They often spend more than they budget (but still spend less than they used to) as long as they track their spending. [10:12] Melina and Chuck talk about some weird common sayings and how they don't always translate around the world. [10:51] There are a number of situations in which you need to have an accurate view of how much you are going to spend in the future. [13:14] He was motivated to understand why people underpredict expenses and how we can improve their predictions and accuracy. He wanted to help people make better financial decisions to improve their financial well-being. [14:25] People's predictions of expenses are deeply grounded in their past experiences. The problem is they are only thinking of the very typical things they have endured. [16:18] In their research, they never found that the tendency to underpredict expenses or over-predict income is tied to being an optimist. It is simply about what comes to mind most easily when you are making the prediction. [18:23] Chuck shares about a study they did where they asked people over several weeks to tell how much they spent the week prior, how typical their spending was that week, and how much they think they will spend the following week. [19:25] Atypical expenses are common in the sense that they happen a lot of the time, but then they are uncommon because it is not the same thing repeated over time so people don't think they will happen again. [22:20] If the person you are thinking of is similar to you then it could be helpful to think of their spending. It could help you gain perspective on your spending. [24:59] To make more accurate expense predictions they prompt people to consider a handful of reasons why their expenses will be different than usual. This helps them think of those atypical expenses and increases prediction accuracy. [26:23] So far, they have people type out the reason that their budget could be atypical. Writing it down may help because it takes a load off your working memory. [29:00] They were motivated to do budgeting research because there was a debate about whether or not budgets actually work. [30:08] Even though peoples' budgets are wildly optimistic and they never end up spending as little as they have budgeted, they still end up spending substantially less than they used to. [32:23] You have to be tracking your spending against your budget. Once a week is ideal. [34:58] At the end of the day it is typically about understanding why. [36:53] Be very conscious of what information you are giving to people and when. [38:55] Even if you haven't hit your budget (because most people don't), you are still spending less than you used to. [41:40] They found that budgets are an effective way to decrease spending across a number of different personality traits. [42:11] Tracking and monitoring your behavior against a goal can be very powerful. [45:21] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [47:40] 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 li

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

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Wiam Hasanain. Wiam is a seasoned social impact consultant, with 20 years of experience operating at the intersection of policy reform, societal development, behavior change, and civic engagement. She is a problem solver, utilizing data-driven insights to create practical approaches to resolving pressing social challenges on a range of projects and industries. She built her foundation at Unilever, and over the last decade, she has spearheaded nationwide programs in the areas of unemployment, health, financial literacy, sports, and career planning. She has established the structure and strategy for nudge units, set their national agendas, and designed behavioral interventions to serve public policy. After consulting with Bain and Company Middle East she moved onto a senior role in her native Saudi Arabia; leading the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) function at a Mckinsey subsidiary and creating nationwide community programs. From there, she spent a decade as a partner at the foremost boutique consultancies in the GCC, leading social impact and behavior change efforts. Her passion is advising on behaviorally informed policies across sectors. Wiam believes strongly in spreading knowledge about the implementation of behavioral change across industries and has published a variety of articles on the practical application of behavioral science and has an MBA from UC Berkeley as well as a master's from the London School of Economics and Political Science. In continuing to have a more global view of the representation here on The Brainy Business, Wiam is our first guest from Saudi Arabia. I'm excited to share some of her work with you on a specific CSR project on the show today. Show Notes: [00:40] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Wiam Hasanain. Wiam is a seasoned social impact consultant, with 20 years of experience operating at the intersection of policy reform, societal development, behavior change, and civic engagement. [01:58] Her passion is advising on behaviorally informed policies across sectors. [04:27] Wiam shares about herself, her background, and how she found herself in this space. [07:30] She is from Saudi Arabia and has spent the majority of her life there. [08:16] She worked with a client on a corporate responsibility program that focused on helping the youth in Saudi Arabia find their career path. [10:41] They agreed that they could help open the youths' eyes to other careers that were out there as opposed to the traditional STEM careers. [12:04] Their project was such a success that it ran for three years in a row and kept growing each year. [14:29] It is really nice for her to see how the social norm has changed and know that they were part of this change. [16:31] The parents along with the career counselors had to work together to really help the students bridge the intention to action gap. It was also important for the parents to see that these other jobs were acceptable as well. [18:20] The parents had a different hang-up than the youth. (Know all your audiences and plan accordingly!) [19:55] Wiam shares how they reduced sludge and friction in their project and made things easier. [21:41] They had over double-digit changes in their perceptions of certain careers. The short-term response was very promising. [22:27] An RCT is a randomized control trial. [24:03] You are always adding sludge and removing sludge in various ways. [24:54] Wiam shares how they added some sludge to help with the problem they were trying to solve. They made it difficult for students to leave without going through all the exhibits (to help increase exposure to careers that wouldn't have been a focus previously). [26:57] They utilized augmented reality in some of the exhibits so that would be where the majority of the students were drawn (and these were typically for the non-traditional careers to broaden horizons). The most desired careers were also at the end, so you had to have some exposure to the other careers no matter what. [28:08] There are times when customer experience, behavioral science, and corporate responsibility all come together so be more concerned with your end objective. [30:18] Whether you think about it or not you are influencing the decisions that people make with the way you put the booths in the space even – so you should definitely think about it! [31:43] Don't think anything is too small to be considered a small step towards behavioral change. Be thoughtful and intentional. [32:52] Melina's three tips for setting up your own experiment are to keep it small, be thoughtful, and test often. [34:29] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [35:41] My upcoming book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, is now on presale and will be in a bookstore near you on October 11, 2022. [36:21] 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

Today I am very excited to introduce you to David McRaney, you may have heard of his first book You Are Not So Smart which is an international bestseller that is now available in 17 languages. He went on to create an awesome podcast of the same name and wrote a second book You Are Now Less Dumb. I highly recommend both of those and his podcast…and today we are talking about his new book, which just came out this week, called How Minds Change. As you will hear us talk about in the interview, this book is a fascinating journey we take along with David as he seeks to answer the question, "How do minds change?" The book is filled with interesting stories, lots of science, and fun anecdotes. I really enjoyed it and learned so much along the way, some of which you can hear about in today's episode. Join us to hear all about it! Show Notes: [00:43] Today I am very excited to introduce you to David McRaney. You may have heard of his first book You Are Not So Smart which is an international bestseller that is now available in 17 languages. He has a phenomenal podcast of the same name. [03:35] David shares about himself, his background, and how he found himself in this space. [05:30] When his second book came out, he started a podcast. His podcast has been the centerpiece of his world for the last twelve years. [07:55] David found something that he was interested in and wanted to find the answer to and he started to dig. [09:01] Don't jump into anything because you are trying to get rich quickly or because it is the hot new thing. [10:27] Don't follow the trends. Take the content you are skilled at and marry it to the thing you are obsessed with. Then plug away at it. [13:39] Everything that you do builds a skill set that you can laterally apply to other stuff later. [15:56] He writes his books by taking the reader along with him on the journey so they are able to learn with him. [16:40] David shares about the cookie segment that he had on his podcast for 100 episodes. He and Melina bond over baking and business. [19:41] He started the cookie segment because of several cookie studies he read and he knew there was a way to put it into his show. [22:26] He has gotten access to many different people in interviews for the book, podcast, and other work – how can you do the same? [24:27] You can email anyone and at least they will tell you no, but 75% of the time people say yes. [25:34] He explains in his emails that he is reaching out because he needs them and it would be a better show/book/project if they are part of it. [27:33] When people realize that you genuinely care and are interested they are more likely to say yes. [28:13] One of the biggest parts of How Minds Change is the exploration of "The Dress" and the neuroscience behind it. [30:37] Reaching out to his connections often led to other connections and allowed him to create even more connections. [33:14] He shares about "The Dress." The dress is an image that appeared on the internet where people could not agree on what they saw. [35:23] With the dress, truly you saw it either one color (black and blue) or the other (white and gold) and you couldn't see it any other way. [37:32] When we see something that is overexposed we have no choice, the brain lowers the overexposure a bit to try to help us see what the image actually is. [39:43] Everything you experience is only happening in your brain. Every color you see is an illusion. Colors are things the brain makes. [42:23] There are two humongous populations of human beings that have had different life experiences, and because of those different life experiences they disambiguate an ambiguous image with a different kind of disambiguation than the other side and this leads to different conclusions. [43:57] When we try to prove that we are right, we miss out on getting to the deeper truth of the matter. [45:04] Pascal's team recreated the dress image using Crocs. They used Crocs and paired them with socks because it was an inanimate object with no default color. [46:49] It seems like older people see white socks version because they have more experience in their lives with socks that weren't colored. [48:28] David shares about his new book, How Minds Change. [51:41] His book is an explanation of how people do and do not change their minds, understanding the nature of the resistance, and discovering what you have to do to overcome that resistance. [54:54] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [55:55] One of my favorite things that David said in our conversation was that you need to "listen your way into changing somebody's mind" -- it isn't about force or proving someone that they are wrong, there is so much interesting work showcased in the book about how people can actually change their own minds when they are asked the right thoughtful questions and someone takes the time to listen. [57:18] If you enjoy the experience I've provided here for you, will you share about it? That could mean leaving a rating/review or sh

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: [email protected] 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: 🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉 Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: A More Beautiful Question, by Warren Berger How to Change, by Katy Milkman What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M.R. Covey I

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Anant Sood, one of the co-founders of the nudge coach Worxogo. What the heck is a nudge coach you ask? It is, by my own definition, an awesome amalgamation of behavioral science and AI to help people be better managers, improve employee performance, and so much more. Anant is going to share a lot more about it in the conversation, but just know that when I heard about this I absolutely had to profile it in my new book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, which is currently on presale to come out October 11, 2022, and to follow that up with this episode. You are going to love this, trust me! Show Notes: [00:41] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Anant Sood, one of the co-founders of the nudge coach Worxogo. [03:54] Anant shares about himself and the really fascinating work he does. For the last 22 years he has largely worked in the area of transformation and organization. [06:05] Before starting Worxogo, one common thing they heard from their customers was that the first 3-6 months after a change things were excellent, but after 6-9 months the change started to taper off. After a chance meeting with Baba Shiv they realized it was not a technology or process problem, but a behavioral problem. [07:37] Customers wanted to change, but the change didn't stick and it would just go back to the way it was. [08:28] Melina's new book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, is currently on presale to come out October 11, 2022. (Hooray!) [10:37] Worxogo uses AI to customize to each individual in a unique way. [11:35] There are reasons why we don't follow through on things even when we have the intent and ability to improve. [14:04] Some people are motivated by competing against themselves and others are motivated by not letting the team down and others are more motivated by beating someone else on the team. Those are all proper ways to motivate people and if you don't know how someone is going to react you can try one but it might not hit them right. What could be very difficult for a manager is quickly discovered by Worxogo. [15:12] Who we perceive ourselves to be is not always what we exhibit as a behavior. [17:38] The engine assumes that nobody is motivated by the same thing every day. [20:13] The system allows each person to be themselves and figure out the right way to help you get, reach, achieve, and exceed your goals even if you work differently from others on your team. [22:17] As a manager, it gives you the situational advantage for every individual on your team. [25:53] If managers look at the lead indicators and the activities that their team is doing and you build the habit to talk to your team about those, it builds you as a manager as well. [27:40] Often organizations have a system, but it just isn't being used and the nudge coach is very helpful to make sure the tools start getting used. [29:38] By nature, if you ask more you will get more. [30:53] Any team where you have a set process, you have some basic CRM in place, and you are looking to increase productivity a nudge coach will deliver the outcome for you. [31:34] Case studies and their newsletter can be found on their website. [32:09] Behavioral science can make an impact and this is the future of work. The ways of working are completely changing and the current tools are not enough. [34:23] Melina shares her closing thoughts. Do you want to hire Melina to do work with your company? Email [email protected] [34:40] A study Melina found in her research said that over 80 percent of people currently in management roles don't have the talent to be a great manager. It also said that 1 in 10 is a natural-born manager, two more can be taught, and the other seven out of 10 are not suited for the job, and using past methods can never be. [37:27] Everyone deserves a great manager. Worxogo can help make that a reality. [39:09] 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: [email protected] 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: 🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Greta Harper, a Maker's Mark diplomat. Everyone that has already heard last week's episode with Sarah Wilson, knows that this week's episode is resharing a podcast that was recorded while I was a speaker on the live podcast stage at Greenbook's IIEX North America conference in Austin a couple of weeks ago. It was such a great event! While at IIEX North America I had the honor of interviewing Greta about the amazing shifts that Maker's Mark made during the pandemic to support restaurants and their workers when they were under no obligation to do so. Their focus on support and advocacy turned into some amazing programs that made a really big impact (including some work with myself and the Texas A&M Human Behavior Lab). What can your business learn from their approach? Listen in to find out… Show Notes: [00:42] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Greta Harper, a Maker's Mark diplomat. [01:52] While at IIEX North America I had the honor of interviewing Greta Harper at Maker's Mark about the amazing shifts that their company made during the pandemic to support restaurants and their workers when they were under no obligation to do so. [04:50] Greta shares about herself, her background, and what she does at Maker's Mark. [06:07] In 2014, she went to Kentucky for the first time, she got to meet distillers, and absolutely fell in love with the business. [07:19] Learning wasn't always easy in the supplier world and she vowed that if she ever got to a place of "power" she would make learning easier for everyone that came behind her. [08:06] Bars and restaurants are that traditional third space in society. This space isn't work or home. It is that other space where you get away from those things to connect with something different than yourself. [10:36] The first time she went to Texas A&M was in January of 2020 and she was very excited to start doing lots of research. [11:54] Humans make on average 35,000 decisions every day and most of those are done on a subconscious level. [13:20] Greta works in the advocacy sector of Beam Suntory, which is the parent company of Maker's Mark. [15:50] When our habits are shifted we only have so much cognitive bandwidth that we are able to give up every single day. [17:49] Greta and her team were able to focus on other people because they didn't have to focus on survival. One way their company showed support was to buy food from a struggling restaurant and feed their employees. [20:22] Consumers were changing their buying habits because they couldn't go to bars and restaurants. The Maker's Mark team started partnering with bars and restaurants by doing virtual cocktail classes. [22:13] They knew that on-premise was always a focus and they wanted to be there for them when they needed support (not just when it was convenient for their company). [23:37] Maker's Mark was leaning in at a time when they were truly not getting anything out of it. [26:07] Helping, advocating for the trade, and educating the trade have always been at the heart of everything that Greta wants to do. This is one reason why it was so exciting to bring in Melina and Jeff from the Human Behavior Lab to do a series of trainings for the restaurant teams – and it has been amazing to see their results in the months that followed. [29:01] The pandemic opened up so many different avenues for them to think differently. They learned so many things. [31:15] As humans we feel compelled to give back when people give to us. [33:30] Greta shares what is on the horizon. They are all about sustainability at Maker's Mark. [35:51] There is a huge difference between age and maturation. It all affects the end product. Taste and flavor are at the heart of everything they do. [37:13] Thinking about how you can be doing the right thing in a way that leverages reciprocity. [38:09] Melina shares her closing thoughts. Do you want to hire Melina to do work with your company? Email [email protected] [40:01] 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: [email protected] 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 ec

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Sarah Wilson, Director of Human Experience Research at Walmart. This is a fun episode because we are sharing a live podcast that was recorded while I was a speaker on the live podcast stage at Greenbook's IIEX North America Conference in Austin, TX a couple of weeks ago. At IIEX North America I had the honor of interviewing Walmart's Sarah Wilson about some of the work they are doing in behavioral science including a project we have been working on together around sustainability. Listen in to learn about Walmart's important sustainability goals, how asking the wrong question can make things worse, and how they are nudging for good. Show Notes: [00:44] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Sarah Wilson, Director of Human Experience Research at Walmart. [02:02] At IIEX North America I had the honor of interviewing Sarah Wilson from Walmart about some of the work they are doing in behavioral science. [04:46] Sarah shares about herself and the work that she does at Walmart. [05:44] Walmart has made a commitment to becoming a regenerative company. They believe in making a healthy planet that has prosperity for everyone. [06:21] Small changes can make a really big impact when you have a large footprint like Walmart. [07:10] It takes a thousand years for a plastic bag to degrade. 14 plastic shopping bags is equivalent to a gallon of gas. [08:35] Research has shown that 95% of the decisions that people make are done on a subconscious level and that includes buying decisions. [10:05] Being able to send the right message at the right time to get someone to change their behavior can actually be a difficult thing if you are working on the wrong problem. [12:42] Sometimes the easy answer is not always the right answer. [15:21] They started with the problem of reducing plastic but also didn't want to impact the customer experience. [17:34] We like to think that we are logical and rational people making logical choices in everything we do, but humans aren't really that way. [18:18] Often we know that we should do something but we don't always change the habit. [20:09] With bag usage we have to find those nugdable spots to help shift the behavior. [21:27] They started by making sure everyone was on the same page with the problem to solve. [23:30] It is really easy to find the right answer to the wrong question. [25:40] Walmart brought in Melina for a workshop to help with their plastic reduction project. They started with the idea of just letting people explore. They focused on the experience journey of the customer and associate separately because their experience journeys with the bags are very different. [28:29] Sarah shares her favorite insights that came up from the workshop. [31:18] Really small problems can add up, so they looked at how they could solve the small problems to turn those into big gains. [32:58] It is really hard to test and experiment in certain environments. [35:46] When you are trying to do too much, it ends up being too much and you don't get good results. [36:41] Look at doing small ongoing experiments instead of too much at one time. [38:20] Having thoughtfulness about the problem upfront is important. One benefit is being able to be shape the project around what you can test. [40:37] Customer experience matters. We can add in small nudges that still maintain a good customer experience. [42:40] Melina shares her closing thoughts. Do you want to hire Melina to do work with your company like at Walmart? Email [email protected] [43:35] Finding new opportunities to incorporate behavioral science nudges into the habits of the associates and customers while maintaining great customer service in the process of reducing plastic is a long-term endeavor. [44:52] 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: [email protected] 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: 🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Deposit

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

Today I am so excited to introduce you to Sam Tatam to talk about his fantastic new book Evolutionary Ideas. I got my first peek at this book so many months ago and I have been eagerly awaiting the moment when I can finally share it with everyone. I'm delighted that that day is finally here! Sam Tatam is the Global Head of Behavioural Science at Ogilvy. He has a passion for understanding human behavior, and his experience comes from a mix of organizational/industrial psychology and advertising strategy. Sam has led behavior change projects across virtually every category and continent. Today, he leads a global team of talented psychologists and behavioral economists to develop interventions and shape the communications of some of the world's most influential brands and organizations. You're in for a treat! I truly loved Evolutionary Ideas and think you will too! Show Notes: [00:42] Today I am so excited to introduce you to Sam Tatam to talk about his fantastic new book Evolutionary Ideas. [03:27] Sam shares his background and how he got into behavioral science. He is an organizational psychologist by training. [05:47] Virtual doesn't have to be worse. Nudgestock looked at what they had available and reframed the idea of what this event could be (without being anchored to what they had done before). [06:38] He shares their internal conversations about how they approached Nudgestock differently to make that transition (and have amazing results!) in 2020. [07:45] They decided if they were going to do it digitally they wanted to do it big (transitioning from the "Woodstock" of behavioral science to the "Live Aid"). [09:27] They "followed the sun" and presented through LinkedIn live (with over 128,000 attendees!). [11:32] Look at challenges that come your way like opportunities. [12:21] Sam's new book is called Evolutionary Ideas. [13:21] The beginnings of his book actually started in 2014 when he did a keynote in Sidney. [15:03] Six years later a video about biomimicry continued to spark his interest. [17:13] We are not distinct. [19:10] It helps us to be more open and see psychological solutions in a slightly different way. [20:49] Language is so immensely powerful. It helps us to see things in the world and categorically differentiates between concepts. [21:53] Once you have a language for something, you see it more frequently and easily, and you can apply it more systematically. [23:27] Context and individual differences still play a role. [26:10] We don't always need to be revolutionary. It is not true that big problems need big solutions. (Innovation Myth #1 in the book!) [26:58] Small ideas can have big impacts. We have a series of shared problems that we face. We have also adapted to have shared solutions. [29:31] Innovation is the revolution of the contradiction. [31:05] If you understand what connects us (across species and other developments) then you can borrow from each other and learn together. [33:36] There is a rich and vast resource of inspiration in the world around us. [35:12] The brain makes decisions the same way regardless. [36:58] If you can reframe in more human terms, solutions are all around us to help us solve our problems. You are probably not as unique in facing your challenges as you think you are. [38:38] Questions can be really helpful for us to have a bit more of a checklist approach to creativity. [41:50] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [42:37] Take comfort in knowing that any problem you have has already been solved before. [45:09] 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: [email protected] 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: 🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉 Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Evolutionary Ideas, by Sam Tatam Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland Speed of Trust, by Stephen M.R. Covey A More Beautiful Question, by Warren Berger Ripple, by Jez Groom & April Vellacot

While I was recently in College Station visiting the Human Behavior Lab, I had the joy of meeting Dr. Maddock when he came by to chat with us for a bit. I hadn't met him before, but in learning about his work and research it was clear that we had to do an interview. Thankfully, I had my equipment with me and he had some spare time to talk about some of the incredibly cool stuff he and his team are doing. Dr. Maddock is a professor in the department of environmental and occupational health at the school of public health at Texas A&M University and is also the co-director of the Center for Health and Nature. He serves on the Brazos County Board of Health. Not to mention he is editor in chief of the Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living. He has authored more than 130 scientific articles which have been cited more than 5000 times, plus his research has been featured on/in The Today Show, BBC, CNN, Eating Well, Prevention and Good Housekeeping and he has given lectures around the world. This isn't even all of his bio, but I wanted to let you know a little bit about this awesomeness before you hear about the cool stuff he is doing. Listen in to hear all about the connection between nature and our health. It is really amazing! Show Notes: [01:16] Dr. Maddock is a professor in the department of environmental and occupational health at the School of Public Health at Texas A&M University and is also the co-director of the Center for Health and Nature. [03:47] Jay shares about his background and what he does. [05:16] They are really looking at how natural environments change health. Spending time in nature really changes your health. [05:59] They are now trying to understand what is the perfect dose of nature and how they can use some of the models to get more people into nature. [07:46] Virtual reality lets us break the senses up. They can do a study experimenting with only one sense. [08:40] They are trying to figure out the essential pieces of nature that we need for healthy benefits. [09:47] People like different types of nature. [10:49] The more that we feel we are in the environment, the more effect it has on our physiology. [11:29] There are so many questions we can answer in virtual reality that would be difficult to do in person. [12:48] Making environments immersive and interesting is important for people. Being in real nature is always best for us, but since that isn't always possible, it will be great to have other options. [14:49] How we can integrate nature into our surrounding and environment is important. [15:55] They have been looking at the effect of travel and nature. So many times when we go on vacation we want to go to some beautiful natural spot, but we also have an effect on the environment. [17:34] The ability to virtually tour places that are untouched would be really cool. [18:11] The biggest thing with health and nature is it doesn't work without conservation. [18:45] One of the other things they have been working on is looking at some of the behavioral theories that we use and how we adopt these to increase people's time in nature. [21:27] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [23:53] 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: [email protected] 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: 🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉 Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: The Behaviour Business, by Richard Chataway Never Go With Your Gut, by Gleb Tsipursky What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer Evolutionary Ideas, by Sam Tatam How to Change, by Katy Milkman Connect with Jay: Texas A&M University School of Public Health Jay on Twitter Jay on LinkedIn Top Recommended Next Episode: Checking in with Dr. Marco Palma (episode 202) Already Heard That One? Try These: Inside the Texas A&M Human Behavior Lab (episode 33) Announcing! Certificate in Applied Behavioral Economics from the Texas A&M H

Today's episode is an update on all the exciting stuff going on at the Human Behavior Laboratory at Texas A&M University. Last week I was able to spend two full days in the Human Behavior Lab (one of my favorite places in the world if I'm honest) and today's episode is featuring the director of the lab, Dr. Marco Palma. This is actually his third time being on The Brainy Business podcast. (He might be the first one to do that…?) Since the first time he was on the show (way back in episode 33 when I visited the lab for the first time) we have done so much together, including creating the certificate in Applied Behavioral Economics. I am honored to teach so many amazing courses for that program which has led to relationships and conversations with wonderful people around the world. (Sneak peek! Some of those projects are going to be featured in the coming weeks, and I am very excited to showcase more of my own work in the podcast.) The lab has done tons of experiments since I was there in January 2019 for that first interview, and about 40 of them have been published in the last few years. Don't worry, we won't try to cover all of them today. Instead, Dr. Palma and I selected a choice few that really resonate and can be applicable for listeners like you. Show Notes: [00:52] I spent two full days last week in the Human Behavior Lab at Texas A&M University. [01:33] Dr. Palma has been on the show before (this is actually his third time – I think he might be the first to do that). [05:29] There have been many changes since the last time I featured the lab on the show: in terms of the infrastructure, they are hiring new people, and students have graduated and started their own labs. [06:43] ] One of the fascinating parts about studying human behavior is that we are all, to a certain degree, experts. [08:26] Marco's tips for choosing between a PhD, masters or a certificate program like the one we have at Texas A&M. [10:04] It is an exciting time to be at Texas A&M because of all of the different dimensions of human behavior that are being studied from different angles. [12:05] The lab has done tons of experiments since I (Melina) was there in January of 2019 and about 40 of them have been published. [13:05] Dr. Palma shares about their charitable donations experiment. [14:20] In the paper they concentrate on matching 1-to-1 versus giving seed money with charitable donations. The matching scheme is supposed to motivate people to give because then their money can go further. [17:04] The general idea is that matching funds are always a good idea because they encourage others to donate, but as Dr. Palma shows, there could be a negative behavioral message being shared underneath the surface that actually decreases donations in this type of approach. [19:10] Being able to communicate that a percentage of your money goes directly to the charity goes a long way and is a way to differentiate yourself. You want to be able to stand out and be a high-quality charity. [20:10] Next Dr. Palma shares about their calorie labeling experiment. In this paper, they are looking at the policies requiring large restaurant chains to display the calorie content of food on food menus. The intention of the policy was for people to realize the number of calories in food and act accordingly in trying to reduce calorie consumption. [22:57] Some studies have shown this works, some show that people don't change their consumption, and others show that they eat more calories when the numbers are shown on the menu. How can all three things be true at one time? Dr. Palma shares about their research and why relativity matters. [24:32] You're not going to change how you eat in response to the calories if you expect something to have a lot of calories because you didn't really learn anything new. [25:43] It's dependent on the menu you see, your expectations, and realization of reality. In this context you can have scenarios where you increase calorie consumption, you make no changes in calorie consumption, and in which you actually have a reduction which is the intention of the law. [28:32] In another paper they were looking at decision-making under time pressure. [29:49] Once you have a set (number of choices) we are very good at optimizing the thing that we like the most. [31:04] However, generating a choice set is very difficult for us to do (businesses should focus on this!). If someone else constructs the choice set for us and gives us a choice among 3-5 options, we are actually pretty good at choosing something that we would probably like. We tend to choose things we value a lot. [32:15] The less cost we have to invest in making a decision will lead to an increase in satisfaction. Not only is the business going to gain, but the customer is also going to be happier. [33:00] Making decisions when you are hungry or emotional tends to change the way that we act. [34:58] In another paper looks at how hunger might change our cognitive capacity. [36:22] T

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Katelyn Bourgoin. As you will hear during our conversation, I met Katelyn via Twitter where she has been kind enough to tag me many times when people ask for recommendations for people who are using psychology in marketing or for business as well as for podcast recommendations, books, or just for someone to follow. Katelyn also has a phenomenal newsletter that is so engaging — I just love how well she understands her audience. We will be talking about that a lot more during the conversation today. Katelyn uses reciprocity so well by shining the light on others and it comes back in a really great way. Before any non-marketers tune out and say this episode is not for you, know that creating engaging content that people want to respond to matters for everyone whatever your industry, whoever you are communicating with, and whatever you want to achieve. People like to work with those they like. Framing your messages with the recipient in mind is never a bad idea. Katelyn is a marketer and market researcher so that is the lens of her statements throughout the episode, but I challenge you to consider all the ways this can be useful to you in your life and business. For anyone with a newsletter or striving to have one, and who has ever been mystified by Twitter and especially Twitter threads, get ready for some awesome tips and free resources. Show Notes: [00:41] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Katelyn Bourgoin. [02:13] Katelyn is a marketer and market researcher so that is the lens of her statements throughout the episode, but the tips are for everyone! [04:24] Katelyn shares about herself and how she found herself in the behavioral sciences. [05:50] She ended up working with a bunch of companies and seeing the same problem over and over: they just didn't know who their best customers were or why they bought. That led her to launch the company she has today called Customer Camp. [08:18] When she decided that she wanted to help people overcome that problem she discovered an innovation framework known as Jobs to Be Done. [09:56] Jobs to Be Done is really important for understanding the context of the customer situation and what would cause them to seek out and choose a new solution. [11:44] Their company exists to help people build a better understanding of their buyers through educating them on why people buy, training, and products. [12:39] It was thinking beyond the research and what they do to what would be engaging for potential customers. [14:54] Having a functionally better product is important but there are all these other factors that you also need to consider when you think about the job holistically. [16:00] You have to not just look at the functionality of a product but you have to consider the social and emotional aspects too. [18:45] In having these conversations about the buyers' journey, pulling out the details, and mapping them, that is what leads to being able to design better marketing. [20:14] Talk to buyers who have bought to try and understand their buying journey — that's a step a lot of marketers are missing. [23:00] The trigger technique is a good solution for pulling out the bits that you can make most actionable and share with your team to back up your strategy. (Freebie in the links below!) [25:47] When they designed the newsletter, they thought about what was the job of the newsletter. They wanted to create a newsletter to make people feel like it was food for their brains. [26:58] It has to be something really quick to consume and it has to be something where you walk away feeling like you have ideas for applying them to your own work. [29:55] People need to feel like they are getting something back to open and read a newsletter. It can be inspiration, validation, or something to forward. [32:02] They realized it was better to have consistency with their newsletter even in the subject line. [34:44] Testing and seeing what works is very helpful. [37:54] Choose the social media platform where you think you can be consistent. [39:21] Make a big effort to follow the right people. She follows people who inspire her and she can learn from. [40:57] Leverage the opportunity to highlight work that other people are doing. [42:54] Melina shares about one of Katelyn's Twitter threads. [44:32] When it comes to writing a thread, the first tweet is the most important one. [47:34] Understanding your customers when it comes to figuring out demand is everything. Clarity of what works doesn't come from sitting around in a boardroom and thinking about it. It comes from actually engaging with customers. [49:05] If you want to market better, really be obsessed about understanding customers. [50:28] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [52:31] 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 o

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Warren Berger. If you know me at all, you probably know what a big deal this is for me. Warren wrote my very favorite book, A More Beautiful Question. I reference it all the time on the show when I am being interviewed, when I am teaching… I even referenced it in my own book. I love questions and a huge part of that infatuation came from Warren's book. When the milestone of the 200th episode of The Brainy Business was on the horizon I decided to go out on a limb and asked Warren if he would be my guest for this special episode. He kindly agreed and here we are! Warren has a history as a journalist for the New York Times before writing or co-authoring ten books including A More Beautiful Question, The Book of Beautiful Questions, Beautiful Questions in the Classroom, and more. Today we are talking about questions (of course!) as well as design thinking and so much other goodness. You definitely don't want to miss this one! Thank you so much for 200 amazing episodes together! What do you want to hear more of in the next 200? Show Notes: [00:45] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Warren Berger. [01:44] Warren has a history as a journalist for The New York Times before writing or co-authoring ten books including A More Beautiful Question, The Book of Beautiful Questions, Beautiful Questions in the Classroom, and more. [03:35] Warren shares who he is and his background. He is a long-time journalist. [05:54] This idea of asking questions, trying to get to the right questions, and figuring out how to ask a good question is a really important concept that has been underappreciated and not talked about enough. [07:20] Questioning is basic and comes naturally to us…but at the same time, it is very complex. There are so many ways you can get better at questioning and understand it better. [09:16] Warren looks for whatever has been published and he also talks to people and interviews them about how they use questions. He has interviewed a hostage negotiator, FB agent, therapists, coaches, and more. [11:31] It is very common to see books have a chapter on questioning, but it doesn't go that deep into it. There needs to be more. Warren advocates for Questionology departments in schools (sounds good to Melina!) [12:46] The more you learn about something, the more you realize there is to learn and that is certainly true with questioning. (Intrigued by this idea? Listen to episode 198 on the Dunning-Kruger effect to learn more about this!) [14:28] Warren has three books on questioning, A More Beautiful Question, The Book of Beautiful Questions, and Beautiful Questions in the Classroom. [15:27] There is this underappreciated tool called questioning. You know how to do it in a way, but there is so much more to it that you can learn. Questioning leads to innovations, changes, and breakthroughs. [16:25] Everybody comes at questioning from a different angle. [19:02] His third book on questioning was adapted for education and teachers. [20:58] You have to model the behavior of being a curious questioner that doesn't have all the answers. Be a person that is wondering, growing, and learning. [23:27] You have to have a balance of confidence and humility to be a questioner. [24:39] The model for great leaders is to have that ability to learn consistently and be learning in front of the people you are leading. [25:36] The smartest people are aware of how much they don't know. Being aware of your ignorance is an indication of how smart you are. (Dunning-Kruger effect again!) [27:28] We have to realize there is a lot we don't know and keep learning with our teams. [29:48] Questioning involves getting comfortable with uncertainty. [31:17] If you use why, what if, and how questions together they tend to go in a cycle that pushes you forward. [33:27] Questioning has to be actionable and it has to be moving forward. [35:07] The problem is that people want to rush to practical "How" questions. It is in our nature, but it is not enough. [36:53] You could give yourself a deadline when working through the questions or just trust your gut that you will know when you have spent enough time on that stage of questioning. Melina's tip – ask way more questions than you think you need to. [37:39] Sometimes the purpose of a question is to help you get to the next question. [38:48] The questioning muscle is a different muscle than your idea-generating muscle. When you use the questioning muscle you start to see things differently. [41:11] Warren says design thinking is how a designer would go about approaching a problem, what can we learn from the way designers approach problems, and how we can apply that. [43:27] We can all use this mindset and process that designers use as we try to take on problems. [44:18] If you want to create your own beautiful question and take ownership of it, consider framing it as: "How might I…?" Warren shares his beautiful question(!) [46:21] Forget the mission statement.

Today I am so happy to have my friend (and a great friend of The Brainy Business) Brian Ahearn back on the show. Brian is a wealth of information and is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence People. It has been almost 100 weeks since Brian was on the show – which is kind of crazy to think about. He was here in episode 104 talking about how to ethically influence people and his first book, Influence PEOPLE. Now he is here talking about his third book, called The Influencer, which came out a couple of months ago. Today, Brian gives tips about Cialdini's 7 Principles of Persuasion, including some things to do as well as common pitfalls to avoid. He also talks about how he approached writing a business parable for this third book, and how that was different from a traditional business book. Lots of great insights await in this brainy episode! Show Notes: [00:41] Today I am so happy to have my friend Brian Ahearn back on the show. [01:36] He is a Ted X presenter who has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. [03:39] Brian shares his background and what he does in this world of behavioral sciences. [05:33] Changing how people think or feel about something isn't usually enough–you need to get them to change their behavior. [06:46] It is not about what we think and how we feel. It is about how they think and feel. [09:16] Don't tell, ask. Also, say "Because…" and give a valid reason. That simple restructure is going to get you what you need far more often. [11:46] The Principle of Liking was something he learned the importance of through Cialdini. [12:37] It is not about us getting someone to like us, it is about us utilizing those same approaches to come to know and like them. [14:13] A lot of times, we don't know how thirsty we are until we take that first sip. (Giving compliments to people who don't get them often is like giving a thirsty person water, it makes a huge impact.) [16:32] Life is a lot happier when we are looking for the good in people and they are responding positively to us. [17:41] Brian shares about his three books and how they differ from each other. [19:09] His most recent book is called The Influencer: Secrets to Success and Happiness. [21:11] He shares that his approach for his most recent book is much like his approach to parenting. [23:14] He shares how his first two books were different from his most recent book. [25:49] Authority is really important for speaking and training and a book helps create that authority. [27:53] Brian summarizes Cialdini's 7 Principles of Persuasion: liking, reciprocity, unity, authority, social proof, consistency, and scarcity. [30:14] Liking Tip: Don't go into a situation trying to get people to like you. Have the mindset that you want to come to like the people you are with. [32:32] Scarcity Tip: Instead of talking about all the positive reasons for doing business with you, talk about what people give up for not doing business with you. [35:17] The value of ending with a question can have a huge impact. (reframing!) [37:06] All of life and sales is a long game. It is good to put the goodness out into the world and in some way it will come back to you. [39:23] Brian shares the things he is excited about and what he is working on. [42:17] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [43:45] Melina's top takeaways: Don't ask how you can get people to like you, instead find ways that you can like other people. When you genuinely like people and find things in common with them everything gets better. [44:46] 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: [email protected] 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: 🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉 Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Influence PEOPLE, by Brian Ahearn Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents, by Brian Ahearn The Influencer, by Brian Ahearn Influence, by Robert Cialdini Presu

In today's episode, we are talking about one of my all-time favorite concepts, the Dunning-Kruger effect. In its simplest form, the Dunning-Kruger effect essentially says that people who are unskilled will tend to overestimate their abilities and those who are very skilled experts will underestimate theirs. Someone who undersells their skills could be more qualified than that person who seems very confident. In this episode I explain what the Dunning-Kruger effect is, how understanding it can help you be more effective, how to leverage it in business, and some top tips for navigating this natural tendency of the brain. Show Notes: [00:41] In today's episode, we are talking about one of my all-time favorite concepts: the Dunning-Kruger effect. [03:48] To put the Dunning-Kruger effect into its simplest form, it would say essentially that people who are unskilled will tend to overestimate their abilities and those who are very skilled experts will underestimate theirs. [04:34] Think about a kid who graduates from high school and believes they know everything. [05:23] 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." [07:21] 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. [08:14] 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. [09:43] 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. [11:29] How the effort heuristic relates. [12:43] 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. [13:56] Have some awareness and don't assume you know better than everyone else. [14:54] 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. [16:11] 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. [17:11] 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. [18:37] 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. [20:10] 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. [21:23] 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. [22:02] 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. [22:46] 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. [23:33] 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. [26:07] 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 Brai

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Vanessa Bohns, author of You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion and Why It Matters. She got her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Columbia University and her AB in Psychology from Brown University. Her research looks at social influence and the psychology of compliance and consent. She has been published in Psychological Science, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Organization Science, the Yale Law Journal, and more. She and her work have also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Economist, Harvard Business Review, and NPR. She is an associate editor at the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, was previously editor of the social influence section of Social and Personality Psychology Compass, and sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and Social Cognition. In this episode, we talk about influence, building relationships, Vanessa's book, and so much more. If you have been loving all the conversations about influence this episode is a must-listen. Show Notes: [00:43] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Vanessa Bohns, author of You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters. [03:32] Vanessa shares about herself and her background. She is an experimental social psychologist. [05:04] She started on this journey of exploring influence in a different way than many other people have. They look at what their intuitions are to influence and how they match or don't match reality. [06:39] In general, we get focused on one negative thing and we are so focused on that one thing that we don't pay attention to all of the other things that other people are paying attention to. [07:07] Vanessa shares about the "weird shirt" study. [09:51] Good news! People are not paying attention to the things you hope they are not paying attention to and the things that you are really insecure about. [10:17] The invisibility cloak illusion is the idea that we often feel like we walk through the world wrapped up in an invisibility cloak; you feel invisible to the world, but are not. People are noticing you and more than you tend to think. [11:44] People are actually paying attention to us as a whole, but they are not noticing the tiny embarrassing flaws that are the things we worry that people are noticing. In the end, we are having more influence than we think in a more positive way often than we think. [13:54] Influence works both ways. It is not just the person standing in front of the room, it is also the people they are speaking to that can have influence. [15:26] The audience sitting there without saying a word can really shape the beliefs of that person at the front of the room. [17:15] One thing that was difficult for a lot of people is doing presentations over a virtual format where you lose audience feedback. [20:09] There is so much feedback you get from nonverbals that you take for granted. Vanessa wove in polls and chat questions to maintain engagement virtually. [21:51] She found that going around the room in Zoom and having everyone share what they think about a particular topic has really helped in her virtual presentations. [23:18] Breakout rooms in online platforms are a great way to re-energize participants. [26:16] We have lost so much of the interpersonal aspects of influence by moving to a virtual environment. [28:39] People really just get the gist of what we say. [30:07] In general, people only speak up about things that they really care about. [31:57] The online chat feature is an outlet for people who feel less comfortable actually speaking aloud. [33:28] So often when we do something we are so focused on how people are going to judge us for that thing instead of thinking about how that thing we said or did impact other people. [35:05] Any time we are holding back and not asking for something, we may be missing opportunities. [37:16] You want to be aware that every conversation and interaction is leaving an aftertaste, aftermath, or afterglow. [38:58] We are too hard on ourselves when it comes to people judging us. [39:43] It is so important for us to be mindful of the impacts our words and actions are having on other people. [42:02] Shouting is born of underconfidence. We shout when we think nobody is listening. [44:08] We don't see the ways we are impacting people all the time. [45:58] If you can find ways to get out of your own head and reflect on the things that you're doing, you can be more accurate and aware of your influence. [47:02] People like you more than you think they do. [49:43] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [53:03] 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 App

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Priscilla McKinney, CEO of Little Bird Marketing and host of the Ponderings from the Perch podcast. As you will hear in our conversation today, I love how thoughtful Priscilla and her team are about those brain associations and little play on word moments, like calling the podcast "Ponderings From the Perch" when the company is "Little Bird" Marketing, which is, of course, an extension of the benefits of word of mouth and the saying that "a little birdie" told you something. (Did you see how I extended that in the art for this episode…?) This builds upon Dan Gingiss' insights on creating remarkable experiences that people can't wait to share and his WISER framework. It is witty and engaging to have little easter eggs like this. It helps people feel like they know you and want to connect more. Priscilla and I talk about this, her background in anthropology, how that helps her bring the "human factor" back into brands, and so much more during our conversation today. You don't want to miss it! Show Notes: [00:41] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Priscilla McKinney, CEO of Little Bird Marketing and host of Ponderings from the Perch podcast. [03:35] Priscilla shares about herself and her background. She studied cultural anthropology and is now a CEO of a digital marketing agency. [04:27] Every company should have a clear and effective marketing plan. Forget what everyone else is doing and think about what you need to do to drive revenue. [06:51] Priscilla found herself in marketing after naturally doing it on the side. [09:50] Quit marketing to everybody and think of who the most ideal person is. [10:51] Observe people in their natural habitat and understand what is convenient, natural, and helpful for them. What delights and engages them? Once you understand this, start building a plan to attract those people. [13:43] When your best and brightest clients start talking, listen and figure out what is frustrating to them. [15:58] Too many people are not social on social media. [18:46] That amplification of your thought leadership is where you can't help but see things a little differently. [19:40] 92% of people who are engaged online want to deal with the person who is acknowledged or perceived as the thought leader in their industry. [22:58] You have to be willing to be a little bit different than everybody else. [25:43] Priscilla shares the background behind her business name and brand: Little Bird Marketing. [26:52] Fidelity to your brand is something that really takes effort. [28:27] Melina shares her favorite ad campaign of all time. [30:25] Priscilla shares her favorite ad campaign of all time. [31:55] Fun is such an important part of engaging with other people. [32:47] Priscilla shares examples of how she used personas in the past. [35:26] Speaking to the real heart of the problem is the one thing in persona work that can overcome any other obstacle. (And what most brands get wrong.) [37:51] Pricing is not about the price. Oftentimes we haven't done a good enough job making them feel like they need this and you. [39:40] Creating personas isn't enough–you need to use them. Keep them central to everything you do. [41:52] People are going to get to your 404 page but you don't want it to be a bad experience. (Check ours out for inspiration.) [43:45] Priscilla is going to be MCing Greenbook's IIEX North America in Austin this year. [45:28] Melina is going to be speaking at IIEX North America in Austin and IIEX Europe in Amsterdam. Come join us! [48:31] Priscilla has lots of great resources to polish your marketing. [49:45] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [52:00] 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. Let's connect: [email protected] 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: 🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉 Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: The Experience Maker, by Da

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Karina Montes and Mario Drago to discuss their work with BE OEFA in Peru. These are the first guests on the show from South America, and I am so excited to start having a more international presence in the guests coming up this year. Thank you to Carlos Hoyos, a listener of the show and LinkedIn connection for the suggestion and introduction. If you or someone you know is doing some cool work in behavioral economics in a country that isn't yet well represented in the space, reach out to me on LinkedIn or through email. I would love to see if it is a fit to feature on the show just like Karina and Mario's work with BE OEFA. OEFA is the environmental regulatory agency in Peru, sort of like the EPA here in the United States, and BE OEFA is a (now award-winning!) team Karina started a few years ago to help incorporate behavioral economics into their work with some amazing results, as you will hear about in today's show. Show Notes: [00:42] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Karina Montes and Mario Drago working with BE OEFA in Peru. These are the first guests on the show from South America. [01:42] OEFA is the environmental regulatory agency in Peru. BE OEFA is a team Karina started a few years ago to help include behavioral economics into their work with some amazing results. [04:23] Karina shares about herself and her background. She is an economist at OEFA. [04:51] Mario shares about himself and his background. He is an external consultant and lawyer. [06:03] Karina shares the story of reforms that started in 2016. [08:26] When people weren't doing what they "should" even though it was the law, they realized they needed to know more about the irrational part of the brain. [10:16] Mario's relationship with behavioral economics was kind of an accident. [11:21] Mario's team was trying to investigate why the public policies were not working. They discovered all the rational measures and economic incentives were not working. [14:08] Mario was the coach for Karina's team. Each group worked with one problem, analyzed the behavior of interest groups, set objectives, and assigned the nudges. [16:27] Sometimes you have to think in another way to promote compliance. [17:42] They identified five projects they thought could be solved with behavioral science. [20:18] The five projects seemed very irrational because they thought that the way to solve the problem was easy. [21:02] BE OEFA was created to be an experimental nudge unit. [23:42] They formed a group with people that were very motivated and already knew about the topic. Hundreds of people completed the test and 30 people were selected for the first group. [25:01] Mario shares the process he went through to design the projects. [26:09] The first step was to determine who they wanted to nudge. Then, after identifying the true problems they began the experiments, which lasted 3-12 months. [29:05] They found something similar in every case. It is always best to understand the problem before investigating the best nudges to use. [30:54] The best nudges are incredibly simple (in hindsight) and obviously work, but they often take a long time to figure out in practice. [32:17] So much time has to be spent on developing and thinking about who you are talking to, what they are doing, and what mindset they are in. [34:09] In the experiment about liability acknowledgment, the problem was that there was a very low rate of companies that acknowledged liability responsibility after the analysis process began. [36:55] In the academic research you can find, a 3-4% increase is often a beautiful outcome. Their applied research had a much more significant impact – from 1.4% compliance to over 30%! [37:49] You don't only have to provide the information. You have to make sure they understand it, internalize it and get part of their mental process in the right moment with the right incentive. [39:28] Karina's tip: having lots of good data is key. [42:12] It is important to be sure of the problem that needs to be solved. [43:54] If you are interested in behavioral sciences, there is a lot of space to work in the public sector. If you want to have a career in behavioral economics you can also have public agencies as a client. [45:28] You have to have information and data. [44:48] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [46:30] There is a whole community of people who love behavioral economics from around the world waiting to network and connect with you. It is great to have like-minded people to connect with. [47:41] 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 indep

In today's episode, we are digging in on the concept of functional fixedness, or the "when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail" problem. I rather enjoyed taking this analogy a bit to the extreme while sharing how this works; I hope you like it too. When there is an issue with functional fixedness, both sides are holding tightly to their own respective hammers. Like all the biases, heuristics, and concepts I share here on The Brainy Business, it is often easier to see these things in others than in ourselves, but I challenge you to look for your own hammer in each encounter. As you will learn in this episode, getting out of your own functionally fixed way – even about something simple – can have such a huge impact on your company overall. Listen in to find out how you can make small changes for a big impact. Show Notes: [00:41] In today's episode, we are digging in on the concept of functional fixedness, or the "when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail" problem. [02:27] When you first show up to tackle a new skill or concept, you are so excited for this new opportunity, you likely bring every mental tool you might need to help you learn. You're a sponge, ready for whatever life throws at you. [03:17] As you develop expertise, you start to declutter that mental toolbox. [04:30] When someone cuts you off on the freeway, they're instantly labeled a "jerk." What about when you cut someone off? It feels completely different because of fundamental attribution error (and we do this all the time in business). [06:09] It is important to know that you see "others" as different from you and will tend to judge them and their ideas more harshly, not giving them the benefit of the doubt that you might give to yourself and members of your team. [07:49] Isn't it possible that the one thing someone else is arguing is one of those 275,000 things your brain filtered out? Or that you are looking at just one of many possible correct alternatives that could work? [08:15] Functional fixedness or being set in your ways is another version of confirmation bias and the focusing illusion. [09:06] Everyone else doesn't have to be wrong in order for you to be right. [09:58] One of my favorite stories that I think is such a great example of overcoming functional fixedness, comes from Apollo 13. [12:31] Even when the stakes are high little things like this can be missed when you're too focused on your little area that you are working on. That can cause a big problem. [14:23] It is easy to find the right answer to the wrong question. [15:18] Reframing the conversation so the team can look at things from different angles is so important [16:51] When you are too deep into a problem or have become an expert, you have this curse of knowledge that can keep you from seeing all the other opportunities that are just outside the norm. [17:26] Having a background knowledge of associations and how things work is important, but it is also important to understand that functional fixedness is a problem and it can keep you stuck sometimes in a way that will keep you from innovations or from solving the right problems. [19:35] When you are fixated on the myopic perspective of what you do or how you do things, everything looks like a nail when all you have is that hammer. You can be missing the bigger picture, which isn't necessarily a problem until sometimes, it is too late. [19:51] As you think about starting to apply this to your work, I don't recommend starting with something big like your company's mission. Have some warm-ups on less consequential projects first. [21:11] Properly wording the question is so critical for where you end up. [23:47] In general, when there is an issue with functional fixedness, both sides are holding onto their own respective hammers. Like all the biases, heuristics, and concepts I share here on The Brainy Business, it is easier to see these things in others than in ourselves, but I challenge you to look for your own hammer in each encounter. What are you fixated on that is keeping you closed off to the other person's perspective? [24:51] "I don't care what it was designed to do, I want to know what it can do" - Gene Kranz, flight director for Apollo 13 [24:58] 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@TheBrain

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Chris Rawlinson, founder of 42 Courses, a company he started because he believes learning should be a fun interactive journey of discovery. It's not about being right or wrong because, in fact, sometimes the best way to learn is to be wrong. Learning is about interest and engagement and enjoyment. And much like a great holiday, it's often more about the journey itself. Chris took insights from a varied background to create online courses that people actually enjoy and complete. In an industry with standard completion rates of less than 10 percent, how does 42 Courses hover around 80 percent? They have incorporated behavioral science and psychology to help ensure a great experience that keeps people learning and coming back again and again? Listen in for tips to incorporate into your own courses. Show Notes: [00:42] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Chris Rawlinson, founder of 42 Courses, a company he started because he believes, "learning should be a fun interactive journey of discovery." (Agreed!) [03:31] Chris shares about himself, his background, and how he found himself in this space. [05:00] Why 42? [07:01] Many of the courses are behavioral science-specific or have behavioral science in them. People need to upscale their creativity, problem-solving, and wellness. [09:21] Having a limited number of courses at any time makes it so it is easier for people to make a choice and learn something. [11:03] Chris shares about the framing experiment they did with their pricing. [13:04] Disney Plus had a price increase and said that it is $1.99 per day instead of the overall price. Chris and Melina discuss the ups and downs of this approach. [15:43] With education you will value the course more if you pay more money. [18:35] For a lot of companies, the best thing they can do is increase their pricing. [20:20] He started 42 Courses to make great learning that is really enjoyable for people. [22:47] They have a team on the back end that is moderating all the responses instead of making that automated. (Wow!) [25:08] Their courses offer real-world feedback from real people. They tried to integrate as many things as they could that they learned from behavioral science into all of their courses. [26:18] They have a much higher completion rate than most of their competitors. The average completion rate for an e-learning course for around 7-9%. [27:07] Right now their completion rate is 82%, but it fluctuates between 70-100%. [29:19] They are rolling out an update so when you join it will show you where you are in your country. It is much more motivating than showing all the users. [31:10] Everyone learns differently. [33:32] Whatever you are doing online, in particular, if you are doing continuous education, it needs to be short, stackable, and bit-sized. [34:35] The only way we remember things is through stories. [37:29] Splitting things up into little lessons which have a mixture of easy and hard stuff really works. [40:32] Should you get progressively harder only or mix in some easy stuff? [41:52] In most education settings online you are missing the interactions with peers after the lecture, so they created and added opinion-based questions. [44:18] We do need community, but the community side of things needs to be at a certain breakpoint. [46:56] There are ways to have those "water cooler" moments that can help get the value of what was happening and bring it into a virtual space. [49:21] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [52:31] 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: [email protected] 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: 🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉 Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland The Behavior Business, by Richard Chataway The Voltage Effect, by John List The Choice Factory, by Richard Shotton Nudge, by Richard Thaler

As a lover of questions, I get asked a lot of things on all sorts of topics. One that comes up often is this idea about machine learning, AI, big data, data analytics, and how it combines with the behavioral sciences. Is there an overlap or are they competing? How can they work together? Around the same time as I was prepping to be part of a debate at the Insights Association's CONVERGE conference on a similar topic, I had my conversation and interview with Manuj Aggarwal. He went from making $2/day to the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies as a business mentor. He now has four patents, two published books, and more than 180K students across the globe. He has worked with multiple businesses including Microsoft, Pearson, IBM, and many others. He even developed an AI-based system to help students avoid dropping out of degree programs that were praised and mentioned by Barack Obama and Bill Gates. He is the host of the Bootstrapping Your Dreams podcast, where I was honored to be a guest recently and I am delighted to have him with me here on the show to talk about the value of AI and how it can overlap with behavioral science. Listen in as we discuss all about combining AI with behavioral science. You don't want to miss the many great insights! Show Notes: [00:08] I'm delighted to introduce you to Manuj Aggarwal to discuss the opportunity of combining AI with behavioral science. [01:07] In December 2021 I (Melina) had the honor of being part of a debate put on at the Insights Association's CONVERGE conference where my team was arguing that "When it comes to capturing consumer insights, AI is never going to work." [03:59] Manuj shares about himself and the work that he does. [06:42] We are all experts in something and we are always trying to improve ourselves. [07:17] Technology moves at a very rapid pace. [10:18] Blockchain can decentralize and negotiate that trust between us as a technology; we don't need the bank or any third party. Instead, we can put our promise on a blockchain, and when that promise is fulfilled the technology is going to complete that transaction. [11:35] Manuj shares two of his favorite projects. The first project was a mining project they did with UPS. [13:27] In the second project they applied behavioral science and AI with universities to keep students from dropping out of their degree programs after the first year. The system they created was talked about and supported by Barack Obama and Bill Gates. (Awesome!) [15:47] It is about understanding what people are thinking and what the reference point is that they have in their mind to get that concept. [16:20] We need to find out the objective and work backward. [18:38] Monitoring the data and enhancing the models in real-time lets things get even more accurate. [20:10] Instead of focusing on the problem you think exists, they start by asking, "What are the results you are looking for?' [21:15] Figure out what the result is that you are looking for and then work backward on the root cause. [23:50] There are so many common problems that people are having. Scaling happens gradually. [25:46] There has never been a greater time than this to create a globally scalable company or solution. [26:34] At the fundamental level when we break open AI it is actually a network of networks. [28:33] You have to clean the data and you have to continuously do many experiments to fine-tune your data. [30:09] You don't have to become an AI expert to apply it. [32:12] As a business owner or individual, you need to look for repeated patterns in real life and that is where AI can be really helpful to optimize a business. [33:03] Not sure where to start? Look at some repeated patterns where something happens consecutively three times. [35:41] 95% of our decisions are made by our subconscious mind. [36:44] Mediation allows you to connect with other human beings at a much more meaningful level. [38:08] Mediation is really about unplugging and doing something that you would do any day of the week for the sake of having fun. [41:34] The script needs to be flipped around. First, we need to feel fulfilled and happy and clear off all these negative emotions which then leads to amazing opportunities. (Melina calls this "calming the elephant" often) [43:46] It is all about having conversations, building connections, and relationships. [45:08] Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. [46:17] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [49:05] 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

Were you a fan of The DaVinci Code? I loved that book, and quickly read everything by Dan Brown, which led to a fascination with the world of signs and symbols. I never really thought about how that aligns with my love of brain associations and behavioral economics, but they are very much rooted in the same fascinating topic. When I was introduced to Rachel Lawes, by recent guest Elina Halonen, and I got to check out her first book Using Semiotics in Marketing and then an early read of this new book Using Semiotics in Retail, I was hooked and knew I had to share it with you all here on the show. Rachel is here to talk about the ins and outs of semiotics, and some fun stories about how they impact us all the time even when we might not realize it. I really love everything to do with semiotics and I think you will too. One of my favorite insights from our conversation is, "Where there is choice, there is meaning." Take a moment to ruminate on that, and let's start the show. Show Notes: [00:47] Sometimes things come up that get me beyond fascinated and this is one of those episodes. It is because of the entire field of semiotics. Signs, symbols, and brain associations and how they impact businesses and buying decisions, it is truly fascinating. [03:15] Rachel shares about herself and her background, and how she got into the field of semiotics. As a social psychologist, she is all about relationships and how people communicate with each other. [04:24] Semiotics starts out from the view that people in conversation with each other actively and cooperatively build and construct versions of reality. [06:24] Semiotics is the study of how people interpret and make sense of signs. [08:15] Rachel shares about the Game Stop stock market saga. [10:47] Millions of people bought shares in Game Stop with the result that by January of 2021 it was one of the most high-ranking businesses in the world in terms of its shares. [13:07] Game Stop is a great story about business and how people create meaning amongst themselves. [16:01] People were very quick to use the tools of language to create a sense of group identity. [19:01] It simply changed the rules of the game because the stock market was not designed that way. [21:05] Rachel shares the story from her book about a jam business gone terribly wrong. [23:41] She went to the jam business and took photos to find out what was keeping people away. [24:03] An essential question in semiotics is "Where have I seen this before?" [25:13] She shares her findings when she visited the jam business. (Listen for a laugh!) [28:07] When you hear it all explained, it sounds classy, but when you get the comparison you can see the flaws. [28:57] Trust your instincts. If there is something making you uncomfortable, you need to take that seriously until you find out what that is. [30:12] "Where have I seen this before?" is one of Rachel's favorite questions because it is one that her clients can start to use right away. It is also user-friendly for people just beginning semiotics. [30:45] Where there is choice, there is meaning. [31:19] She shares an example of Donald Trump's hair. [33:50] Rachel shares the hilarious videos of Jeff Bezos and Leonardo DiCaprio. [36:56] No matter how much money you have, money will never trump good looks. [40:32] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [41:42] 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: [email protected] 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: 🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉 Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Using Semiotics in Retail, by Rachel Lawes Using Semiotics in Marketing, by Rachel Lawes The Power of Us, by Dominic Packer & Jay Van Bavel Elements of Choice, by Eric Johnson The Experience Maker, by Dan Gingiss Connect with Rachel: Lawes Consulting Rachel on Twitter Rachel on LinkedIn Top Recommended Next Episode: The Power of Metaphors for Brand

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. John List, former chief economist at Uber, current chief economist at Lyft, professor at the University of Chicago, co-author of the wildly popular book, The Why Axis: Hidden Motives and the Undiscovered Economics of Everyday Life, who is here talking about his newest book, which just came out a couple of days ago, titled The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale. In this episode, we talk about ideas that can scale, possible hurdles you may face when scaling, and how to overcome those obstacles. John shares about his brand new book and the five vital signs to vett your own ideas as you are growing to determine if they will scale, and what to do for those that might not be ready to scale yet. Listen in to learn all about making those good ideas great and your great ideas scale! Show Notes: [00:42] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. John List. Former Chief Economist at Uber, current Chief Economist at Lyft, and professor at the University of Chicago. [02:38] John shares about himself and his background in behavioral economics. [03:18] He quit on his dream to be a professional golfer to pursue his new dream in economics. [05:29] After learning he would take the lessons in many cases from the classroom and use them in the real world. [07:19] He hasn't been to all the baseball stadiums yet, but nearly all of them. [08:42] John shares the moment he started becoming more interested in scaling when he started a preschool and created his own curriculum. [10:59] Turning a mountain into a molehill. [12:23] We very rarely say, "Are we doing something that is scalable?" and "What do we need to do differently in our original research if we find the program works to make it scale?" [14:12] A constant thread in all of his walks of life is that you can only make big changes at scale. [16:58] There are five important vital signs that any idea has to have a chance to scale. [17:49] Just because your idea doesn't check all five boxes doesn't mean you shouldn't still go for it. [20:01] Vital Sign 1: Make sure your idea actually has voltage before you try to scale it. [21:14] Vital Sign 2: know your audience. [24:41] His group developed a new product called Uber Apologies. Apologies really only work for new users. [27:09] Vital Sign 3: Understand your situation. [29:05] Look at all of the constraints and flaws at scale and bring that back to the original research. With those constraints in place, do we have an idea that can still work? [30:18] Vital Sign 4: the spillover effect. [32:06] His team rolled out tipping at Uber in the summer of 2017. [34:35] Vital Sign 5: understand whether your idea has economies of scale or diseconomies of scale. Anything that has made it big has great economies of scale. [37:28] The context or the properties of the situation are super important. [38:02] Poke and prod and figure out where the weaknesses are. What are the nonnegotiables and if those aren't available at scale then you have to change your idea and refine. [40:53] We have a finite number of days we get to live on this earth and we only have so many ways to change it and make it better. Why not give yourself your best shot? [42:38] The second half of the book is using storytelling and standard ways to think economically to make better decisions in your life. [45:09] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [47:16] 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: [email protected] 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: 🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉 Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: The Voltage Effect, by John List The Why Axis, by John List & Uri Gneezy The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M. R. Covey Start at the End, by Matt Wallaert Subtract, by Leidy Klotz Connect with John: John on Twitter John's University of Chicago Faculty Page John on LinkedIn Top Recomm

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Zoe Chance. She got her Ph.D. in marketing at Harvard and has taught at Yale's School of Management for over 10 years. She has done a TEDx on how to make behavior addictive, and has been featured on NBC News, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Forbes, Washington Post, Fast Company and so many more amazing places. She is here today to discuss her fantastically awesome new book, Influence Is Your Superpower, which officially comes out on February 1, 2022. I had the honor of reading this book early and let me tell you, you want this book. Hit pause, go place your order and come on back to listen to the conversation. Listen in as we talk about how you can actually have fun in your work and break the rules a little. We also talk about Zoe's "No" challenge and her magic question. So much goodness… you don't want to miss it! Show Notes: [00:43] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Zoe Chance. She got her Ph.D. in marketing at Harvard and has taught at Yale's School of Management for over 10 years. [03:02] Zoe shares about herself and how she got into the world of behavioral science. She teaches at Yale's School of Management and the book that she wrote is based on the course she teaches (the most popular in the business school!). [05:57] Rejection doesn't kill you. If you are not getting rejected it means you are playing small. [07:27] "No" is so hard for people to say and it is so hard for people to hear. [08:24] When we are comfortable saying no we are helping other people be more comfortable saying no. [09:36] "'No.' is a complete sentence. 'No, thank you.' is a polite complete sentence." [11:32] Why it is empowering to just say, "No, thank you." [12:10] She has her students do a 24-hour "No" challenge where for 24 hours they say no to everything and everyone. The results are always surprising. [14:18] Nobody is going to dislike you for asking for something or rejecting a request if you do it in a warm way. [16:49] If you have shorter chapters between your longer ones rather than a smaller number of long chapters, the book feels easier to read so you get more momentum going through. [17:37] We're setting people's expectations and influencing their experiences by the names and frames that we give. [19:55] In her book, Zoe wanted her readers to know that they don't have to do things the way everyone else is doing them and you can question all the norms and rules and do the thing that feels good and is fun to you. [20:26] Zoe shares about her visit to the Harry Potter Studios outside of London and the impact it had on her. Melina chimes in with her experience as well! [23:06] If you ever have a chance to do the London Harry Potter Studio tour Zoe and Melina both highly recommend it. [24:17] Zoe shares about the psychological illusionist Derren Brown. [26:28] In The Invisible Gorilla, you are focusing on one thing which is asking your brain to ignore everything else. [27:27] Magicians are masters at directing attention and framing what we pay attention to. [29:54] The Apocalypse, is Derren (and Zoe's) favorite show of his. He persuades the friends and family of a selfish loser to have him believe the end of the world is happening and there is a zombie apocalypse. He steps up as a hero. [31:31] People want to say yes to you. [33:45] The magic question is "What would it take?" [34:36] When the other person tells you what it would take, they're implicitly committing to supporting that outcome if you follow the road map. [36:32] Zoe's book, Influence Is Your Superpower is a personal journey of transformation to becoming someone that people want to say yes to. [38:22] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [39:03] When you are having fun people can sense it and it makes them more likely to be attracted to what you're doing. [40:04] I challenge you to take Zoe's "No" Challenge – say no to everything for the next 24 hours (after you buy her book of course-ha!). [42:06] 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: [email protected] 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 communi

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Elina Halonen, a behavioral insights strategist who has worked in the space for 15 years and co-founded a London-based insights consultancy working with global brands on branding, communications, and product/service development projects. She has expertise in behavioural analysis & design, consumer insights & market research, Cultural understanding, desk research & trends, branding & marketing strategy, and more. Today on the show we talk a little about the COM-B and MOVE models, as well as Elina pre-committing to us all that she is going to write a book, called the Behavioural Blueprint! COM-B is for: Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior. MOVE is for: Meanings, Observations, Viewpoints, and Experiences. We dive into what these models mean, a couple of examples, and so many other great topics. Show Notes: [00:40] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Elina Halonen, a behavioral insights strategist who has worked in the space for 15 years and co-founded a London-based insights consultancy working with global companies on branding, communications, and product/service development projects. [03:13] Elina and Melina have been connected on LinkedIn for years and officially meeting for the first time for this interview! [03:53] Elina shares about herself and her background. [05:15] For the last couple of years she has worked as an independent consultant and has worked with various research agencies. [08:02] Tips for starting a business in an emerging market? Find a niche where you can raise awareness for what you do. Some areas are easier than others. Find a way to educate the market. [09:52] You will need a lot of creativity to promote yourself and what you do. [12:07] If you pick what you are going to do, you have to be all-in on that thing for at least a year to give it a chance to be successful. [14:55] Elina's first degrees were in marketing and it was always about consumer behavior. [16:42] All of business is a long game. [17:22] Give information generously. Make sure you add value to people. [20:31] She works with market research agencies and brings her behavioral science expertise. [22:19] There are different ways of talking about behavioral science depending on what it is you are doing. It is not one size fits all. [23:01] When they do a project, they think about the target behavior, what is the business objective, and what behaviors do they want to influence or change. [25:04] Elina shares her commitment to writing her book, Behavioral Blueprint. Hold her accountable on Twitter. (handles below) [27:51] Melina shares her tips for writing a book, including to break it down and just get started. [28:39] Break it down into chapters and look at what content you already have that fits that information and start segmenting it in. [31:34] Bringing cultural psychology into behavioral change is becoming increasingly important. [33:45] She has an intuitive process of looking at things in a certain way that is her Behavioral Blueprint. [35:02] Start by looking at the situation and accessing what you are up against. [35:44] She is a big fan of the COM-B model: Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior. [36:46] There is a huge amount of context that applied behavioral science often ignores. [39:11] When she is analyzing or trying to organize things she likes to make it logical. [41:54] Solving the wrong problem is very common and very human. Not spending enough time identifying the problem is the biggest mistake Melina sees companies make. [43:37] Elina shares her blog post that she wrote about Netflix solving the wrong problem. [45:10] Everything you do has an opportunity cost. We need to be sure we are solving the right problem first. It is the foundation of everything we do. [48:03] We need to understand someone's logic empathically, putting ourselves in their shoes before we try to change their behavior. [50:53] There are just some ways of spending money that is socially acceptable and some that aren't. [51:15] Never assume you understand why someone does something because you don't. [53:45] It's not about you, it's about the audience. Could it help someone else? [54:35] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [56:19] 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@TheBrainyBusi

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Kurt Nelson, one of the cohosts of Behavioral Grooves as well as the president and founder of The Lantern Group. In our conversation today we dig into motivation and incentivizing people at work and how to align that with your company strategy. We discuss how simple, seemingly "obvious" things can cause miscommunications so easily, like the word "grooves" in Behavioral Grooves. Tim and Kurt had many conversations about the name and agreed to it and were doing their first interview when they realized they had totally different ideas of that context - ha! Listen in to hear the full story. Kurt also shares his top podcasting tips and advice for anyone thinking about starting their own show. He shares so many great insights in our conversation, you definitely want to make sure to listen in. Show Notes: [00:41] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Kurt Nelson, one of the cohosts of Behavioral Grooves as well as the president and founder of The Lantern Group. [02:17] Recently, Tim and Kurt did a session in the BE Thoughtful Revolution - watch the replay. [03:26] Kurt shares about himself and his background. He is a behavioral scientist and he has been working in the field for 20+ years. [05:04] Discussion on the music piece of Behavioral Grooves (and an interesting miscommunication that can teach you about business). [07:43] There are over 260 episodes of the Behavioral Grooves podcast. [09:34] Melina believes that Abbey Road by The Beatles is the greatest album ever. [12:25] Sometimes we get constrained by our own knowledge. The idea of not knowing allows you to be more expansive in your thoughts about what could be. [13:40] People get limited not only by their expertise, but also by their history. [15:33] The interesting piece about business and the world is that it is constantly evolving, shifting, and changing. What worked last year might not work this year. The context changes by company and year. [17:31] Co-hosts work on a podcast if you have a clear understanding and respect for each other. You also need to have an understanding of who is doing different roles. [18:59] Consistency is key! [20:18] As a host you have to bring a unique perspective to the story they are telling and ask them the right questions. [22:04] A lot of the work Kurt does focuses on applying a behavioral science lens inside of organizations and trying to help the company understand the drivers of an employee's behavior and the motivation behind that behavior. They usually start with a behavioral audit. [24:06] A big gap is almost always communication. You can have the best incentive plan, total rewards, and structure in place, but if people don't understand it or buy into it, you are missing a big opportunity. [26:27] Kurt shares two of his corporate projects. They looked at the current programs they had in place and what behaviors they were driving. [28:26] Companies want the behaviors the incentive plans and rewards programs are driving to align with the company strategy. [29:03] The pandemic has been a real game-changer for many organizations. [30:14] You need to treat your employees as humans. Understand what you can do as a manager to allow that human-centeredness of your employees to really be there and that you are bringing in the elements of listening, care, empathy, and concern. [32:19] Understanding incentives becomes even more important when people are working remotely. [32:39] The incentives need to match the audience you are currently trying to appeal to. [34:43] That alignment with your incentives and your audience might mean you might have to exclude a certain group of people. [35:47] Get the philosophy aligned with where you want to go before you even start to think about the specifics of how your rewards, incentives, and communication all go into play. [36:50] In business we often think we are on the same page, but there are so many different perspectives that didn't even come into your brain. [39:03] There is a real value of bringing someone in that isn't a part of the organization to do some of this work. [41:47] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [42:22] Join my free community, the BE Thoughtful Revolution. 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: [email protected] 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 Youtub

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Ayelet Fishbach. She is the Jeffrey Breakenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the past president of the Society for the Study of Motivation and the International Social Cognition Network (ISCON). She is an expert on motivation and decision making and the author of the brand new book, which just released this week called Get it Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation. Of course, Ayelet's insights are valuable all year round, but it is very much intentional to have this as the first episode of the year. This really is the time of year where people are thinking about goals and motivation. Your New Year's resolutions are still hopefully intact, and you can increase your chances of meeting and exceeding them with these insights from Ayelet. Regardless of when you listen, it's always a good opportunity to set and achieve a new goal. After all, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life. 😉 She shares so many top tips for getting it done this year…you don't want to miss it! Show Notes: [00:42] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Ayelet Fishbach, the Jeffrey Breakenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the past president of the Society for the Study of Motivation and the International Social Cognition Network (ISCON). [01:17] Ayelet's groundbreaking research on human motivation has won her several international awards, including the Society of Experimental Social Psychology's Best Dissertation Award and Career Trajectory Award, and the Fulbright Educational Foundation Award. [04:18] Ayelet shares her background and how she got into the space of motivation science. [07:02] Our circumstances often influence what we achieve in life and sometimes we are lucky to have situations where our personal interests fit what people are starting to be interested in around you. [07:57] She started her research with an interest in self-control and the question on her mind was how people respond when they learn that there is an upcoming problem. For example, will you eat more or less when you know in advance that the food at the party will be delicious and tempting? 🤔 [09:22] Her Ph.D. dissertation research was testing if the anticipation of knowing temptation was coming made people better able to combat these temptations. [11:05] Thinking through problems and knowing what obstacles are going to happen to allow you to create a plan to keep yourself motivated and on track. [13:52] Ayelet's new book is called Get It Done. She shares how the book cover came about. [17:33] Ayelet's book takes a very different approach by starting with a cautionary tale about Everest. [19:19] Choosing the right goal is critical. Have a healthy relationship with your goals. [21:56] We need to move from setting unhealthy extreme goals for our lives. [22:37] Setting goals can also have downsides. [24:58] More than half of the New Year's resolutions that people set are working out and eating healthy. [26:04] The predictor of success for our New Year's resolution is how much pleasure we find in the path of pursuing the goal. So plan accordingly. [26:40] It has to be somewhat rewarding as you do it and you have to find a path that is fun and rewarding along the way. [28:47] We don't have a lot of empathy for our future selves. We think that our future self will do what is important to her. [29:42] The number one mistake in setting resolutions is setting it to some ideal version of yourself that is not who you are. [31:45] Do the mental simulation of how it will feel to do your resolution all year. Then think about how you can make it more fun. [34:05] Ayelet shares why something like Pokémon GO! can be valuable for goal achievement of being healthier or walking more. It allows you to get the steps, connect with other people, and connect to your childhood. [35:16] Make your activities rewarding in the moment so you are excited to do them. [36:41] The problem with avoidance goals is that they are not exciting and they bring to mind the thing you are trying to avoid. [37:28] You need to consider, "What should I do so I don't do the thing I don't want to do? What should I think about that is helpful to me?" Framing things as what you should do is almost always better. [40:04] When people think about healthy food in a tasty way, they are better able to actually eat the healthy food. [41:25] She shares a wine example that comes from thinking about how people resolve tradeoffs. [43:42] Ayelet shares the four buckets all goals need to have so you have a better chance of achieving them. [45:01] The last element is social support. Who in your life is going to help you with your goal? It is so critical that people around us are supportive. [47:34] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [49:53] Check out and subscribe to Brainy Bit

Today I am beyond delighted to introduce you to my friend Dan Gingiss to talk about how to create remarkable experiences that your customers can't wait to share. Dan is an international keynote speaker and coach who believes that a remarkable customer experience is your best sales and marketing strategy. His 20-year professional career included leadership positions at McDonald's, Discover, and Humana. He is the author of two books, including The Experience Maker which we will discuss today, and is the host of two shows, the Experience This! podcast and The Experience Maker LinkedIn live show. While Dan's insights are valuable at any time, it is very much intentional to have this as the last episode of the year. This is a time many reflect on the year that has just ended and think about what they will be doing next. If your plan doesn't already include an improved customer experience and having a business that people can't wait to share about, it should. Listen to today's episode as you consider your customer experience and look to improve it in the new year. Show Notes: [00:39] Today I am beyond delighted to introduce you to my friend Dan Gingiss to talk about how to create remarkable experiences that your customers can't wait to share. [03:36] Dan shares his experience speaking at Social Media Marketing World for the first time. [04:30] Dan shares his background of 20 plus years in corporate America. [05:04] We all know that word of mouth is the holy grail of marketing. It is much better when someone is saying nice things about us than if we are saying nice things about ourselves. [05:29] A remarkable customer experience is your best marketing strategy. [08:34] We have so much data on our customers that we don't use and we forget to come back to. [11:03] Experience can happen anywhere. It is about knowing when to provide the right experience when your customers need it most or don't expect it. [13:47] There are so many little things that we can do. Some people may advocate to only focus on one side, but Dan (and Melina!) suggest you both get rid of pain points and create positive moments. [14:26] If we keep focusing on the little things, they absolutely add up to something amazing. [15:48] We have got to empower all of our employees to truly believe they are in the customer experience business. [16:56] Become a customer of your own business. [18:49] Remove pain points and create peaks in your customer journey. [20:08] If your customer is frustrated with your company, they are going to be more open to a TV commercial or social media ad for your competitor. [22:16] The WISER Methodology teaches you how to create the kinds of experiences that people want to talk about. You have to be intentional about the experience to make it so someone wants to share it. [22:55] W stands for witty, I is immersive, S is sharable, E is extraordinary and R is responsive. [25:18] Millennials and Gen Z in particular want a relationship with the brands they spend their hard-earned money with. In order to have a relationship, you have to have human interaction. [26:48] We don't have to delight in the same way every time. [28:57] There is a part of every business where either you do it the same way as everybody else or the same way it has always been done and you can turn it into something that can be an experience when people least expect it. [30:43] Whenever you can play to peoples' kids or pets, you are going to hit them in the heart. [32:36] There are lots of opportunities, but we just have to seize them and look for chances when people don't expect it. [35:07] With gift-giving, make sure you are giving a gift you would like to receive (i.e. don't slap a giant logo on your "gift"). [37:00] Shareable is the end goal and it has to be strategic and intentional. [39:27] There are so many opportunities where we can kick it up a little notch and do something unique—it is a great way to stand out. You don't have to spend more, just spend differently. [40:39] Look for ways to make work more fun and enjoyable. [42:37] Every communication is an opportunity. [45:36] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [48:28] 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: [email protected] The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Inst

So much happened in 2021 at The Brainy Business and in the Palmer household, it has been fun to reflect on it for this episode. Here are a few highlights: In January, I started teaching a new class at Texas A&M University through the certificate in Applied Behavioral Economics via the Human Behavior Lab. In March, we rolled out the new website and on May 1st, I launched my free global community of behavioral economics enthusiasts with (currently) over 500 members. My first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You come out on May 11, 2021, and I got to be part of some amazing events this past year sharing about it and other parts of my work. And, while I didn't talk about it much publicly, I had a baby in 2021! The Brainy Baby, Mr. Hudson Grey Palmer, was born on August 9th and is a fantastic addition to our family. Join me as we take a look back at all the excitement and top content of 2021. I hope you will enjoy this walkthrough of last year as much as I did. Show Notes: [00:06] Today's episode is showcasing the best content from The Brainy Business in 2021. [02:12] My very first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You came out on May 11, 2021! [03:49] Melina had a baby in 2021! The Brainy Baby, Mr. Hudson Grey Palmer was born on August 9th. Look how cute he is. :) [07:51] Top Countries Downloading The Brainy Business: The US is first, followed by UK, Canada, Australia, India, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, the Netherlands and Spain. [09:02] Top Ten States: Coming in at number 10 Pennsylvania then New Jersey at number 9, Virginia at number 8, Illinois at number 7, Ohio at 6, Florida as number 5, New York at number 4, Washington at 3, Texas at 2, and California still with the top most downloads of 2021. [10:32] Of the 470,000 total downloads of the show so far, 250,001 have come from the US. That means nearly half of our downloads are international, which is so cool. [12:53] Of those more than 175,000 downloads of the show in 2021, and now with 184 episodes of content to choose from, we get our top 10 episodes of the year, starting with episode 136 on Temptation Bundling. [14:20] Next we have episode 165, when Matej Sucha of Mindworx and insideBE came onto the show discussing research they have done and the case studies of insideBE, which launched in 2021 as well. [15:32] At the number 8 spot we have episode 158 with Matthew Confer letting you know the three things everyone needs to do before you decide. [16:12] Next, at number 7 we have episode 160, an interview with Matt Johnson, coauthor of Blindsight. [17:20] At number 6, we have the only foundations episode to make the top 10 this year, and it was a relatively new one which is pretty cool. This is episode 171 on The Paradox of Choice. [18:33] Our top 5 kicks off with episode 164, an interview with Amy Bucher about her fantastic book Engaged, and so much more about her work in applying behavioral economics. [19:32] At number 4, is episode 140, an interview with Benny Cheung where we talked about some research he did at Dectech that was also featured in chapter 28 of my book, which showcases the importance of testing. [20:55] At number 3 we have episode 159, a behavioral economics analysis of Amazon and coming in at number 2 is episode 144, a behavioral economics analysis of Disney. [22:22] Our top most downloaded episode of 2021, which was episode 157, my interview with Robert Cialdini on his new and expanded edition of Influence, which includes a whole new 7th principle of persuasion. [23:27] One of my main tips is to play the long game and form great relationships so pitching is easier. [26:33] There has never been a month of the podcast where every episode didn't get at least 1 download. [27:24] Let's dig into that top 10 of all time list starting with number 10, which was episode 111, Avoiding everyday work disasters, with Gleb Tsipursky. [28:24] Next is episode 62 on Game Theory and the 8th most downloaded episode of all time, is number 102 on Confirmation Bias. [31:00] The 7th most downloaded is episode 83, How to organize your brain with behavioral economics followed by episode 61 on Color Theory. [33:37] The episodes with the fifth and third most downloads are both analyses of companies again, like I already talked about for the top downloads of 2021. However, these are different profiles, including number 86 with a behavioral economics analysis of Peloton, and episode 73 with a behavioral economics analysis of Starbucks. [34:57] In that number 4 spot we have episode 5, The Truth About Pricing. [35:37] Number two is episode 2, The Top 5 Wording Mistakes Businesses Make. [36:37] The most downloaded episode of all time is the very first one, Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain. [39:55] The final top 10 list are the most read articles from my Inc Magazine column in 2021. For the full list, check out the blog post linked here with the summary of all three top content areas! [42:50] The 7th most read article is called, "Dread going to wor

Today rounds out this miniseries of companies providing testing opportunities for businesses with a conversation about fast-choice and implicit testing with CloudArmy's Dr. Keith Ewart. During our conversation today, Keith starts by telling us all about testing and project work he did during his 24 years at Proctor and Gamble – the positives and the pitfalls – and the work he now does as VP of Insights at CloudArmy. He will share about some of the issues in testing at large organizations, including being stuck executing projects that you know won't work well because the testing took too long to come back and being too far down the track to implement something new. (So frustrating!) That's why the super quick and incredibly effective fast-choice and implicit testing that CloudArmy does is such a great solution, which he will also give insight on. Listen now to learn all about it (and best next steps for starting your own project). Show Notes: [00:42] I am so excited to introduce you to Dr. Keith Ewart, partner and VP of insights at CloudArmy. [03:35] Keith shares about where he lives and his background. [05:04] He actually started off in microbiology. After working in microbiology for about a year and a half he saw the wonderful world of insights and requested a move. [06:38] A key part of his life at Proctor and Gamble was in packaging and developing better packaging solutions. [07:47] The importance of understanding the packaging impact in the zero moment of truth all the way to the purchase in store. [09:18] They were encouraged to think about multi-sensory signals. [10:36] The third moment of truth is asking if that whole experience was so good that you want to tell your friends about it. It is important to have testimonials and brand advocates. [12:46] The third moment of truth is not talked about in many companies. [13:57] We want to drive the habits and at the same time we uncover what those barriers are. If we can uncover those barriers, we can put solutions in place. [14:51] One of the biggest barriers to innovation is speed. [16:05] Keith is a massive fan of fast cycle learning, rapid prototyping, bringing ideas to life very early on, and getting the voice of the consumer in the room as quickly as possible. [18:15] What you really want is an individual's true response and ideally more than one or two focus groups. [20:01] You can start to think about concepts, positioning, and using imagery to convey those brand positioning or benefits you want to get across. [22:40] CloudArmy is a software company and programmers who have a background in the whole field. [24:19] The beauty of a true implicit methodology is that consumers don't even realize that they are being evaluated. It is based solely on reaction times. [26:28] They are using implicit tests for packaging, messaging, advertising, and across the board. They are getting a true unconscious response to a set of stimulus. [28:31] If you want to design your own test, it is not a problem. The key thing is what is the objective of the client and what is the best tool to understand and utilize. [31:03] Context is key. Defining what you are really trying to get at and what success looks like. Make sure your problem statement is defined and can be measured. Take the data and translate it to actionable insights. [33:15] Keep things simple. People's brains are tired and they can't cope with so much information. [34:00] How many people can truly say they know what their brand stands for? What does the consumer really think is the most important component of their brand? [36:27] Everyone should spend more time understanding the problem. [38:20] The more constraints you put in place the longer time it will take. It is often beneficial to keep the sample broad. [41:14] When you get everyone in the room together all trying to create and you get the toolkits around to help evaluate these things, you can make decisions quickly [44:21] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [47:24] Shop at The Brainy Business shop for that perfect brainy gear. 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: [email protected] 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: 🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning b

How often does your business run tests? Testing is so important. You don't need to do fancy stuff every time and there are so many types of testing. If you don't take the time to test, you can't know what is working and there is a good chance you are wasting time on stuff that isn't going to help you reach your goals. Today, I am so excited to introduce you to Dr. Jessica Wilson, technical director at iMotions who got her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Northwestern University. As you will hear in the episode, she and I have been working together on a project for quite some time now and I am very excited to have results to share with you now. This episode will talk about that study we did together for The Brainy Business as well as some of the other awesome work iMotions is doing. Show Notes: [00:40] Today, I am so excited to introduce you to Dr. Jessica Wilson, technical director at iMotions who got her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Northwestern University. [03:31] Jessica shares more about who she is and what she does. Her background is in research and neuroscience. [03:58] iMotions is a software company that provides a platform that can integrate and synchronize different neuroscience tools. [05:28] There are so many different applications; iMotions does product testing, ads testing, sensory work, and more. [08:23] The most basic setup includes eye-tracking, facial expression analysis, and skin conductance. Those three work really well together and they are also very easy to get started with. [10:23] These tools are really helpful in certain ways, but at the end of the day the research question is king and it will help dictate what tools you use. [12:10] Jessica shares details about video testing and applying test results. [14:54] The data to help you make the best design decisions at the time when it counts. [15:16] Jessica shares a study using video testing from the University of South Florida. [16:52] The common theme in all these methods is that the most effective projects have a distinct research question and distinct variables. [19:01] For the first phase of The Brainy Business website project, we looked at where people naturally gravitated to on the website. For the second phase of the study we adopted more of a task-based approach. [20:47] Melina was doing a redesign of the website so she did a study with iMotions that she talked about in her book. They did two tests. [23:21] The first thing they had people do was just a free one-minute navigation. They wanted to see if there were things they attended to more than others, if things got ignored, or if they were scattered all over the place with their attention. Just looking at the one-minute navigation both sites did pretty well. [24:23] The differences started to happen when the task components were introduced. [26:23] There were two tasks for the study, each with its own scenario. [28:39] One of the best things about running a test like this is that you are really forced to narrow it down to one thing. [31:03] The best research looks at one or two things. [33:21] With the old website there was a 12% success rate of actually clicking on the pricing course and the success rate went up to 70% with the new website design. [35:38] For the corporate page, it was found that it was giving too much information, reducing the effectiveness. [36:48] Melina was able to use insights from the two tests to help with the full redesign and integrate it into other areas of the site as well. [38:51] You don't have to use the whole testimonial. It can be much more impactful if you call out the little highlights that can get buried in a paragraph. [39:48] In the second test, the difference between the two prototypes was how they framed the testimonials. [41:30] People will start at the very top of web pages and you will see a lot of aggregation from the left to the right on the top and on the left side going down and slowly fading over time as people start skipping past things. [43:23] Across most of the different measures of eye-tracking it looked like less was more in this case. Just taking the highlights from the testimonials goes a long way in being able to direct attention to the area and people will spend more time looking there. [45:40] Melina will be including pictures and other information about the test on the Apply It page. [46:38] Once the pandemic hit, people weren't collecting data anymore because you can't bring people into a physical lab space. They started looking at online data collection and remote options. [48:03] You get research unrestricted by the bounds of geography. There are now more possibilities than ever for how we can collect this data. [50:07] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [52:37] Shop at The Brainy Business shop for that perfect brainy gear. 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 ever

You are familiar with metaphors...you likely learned about them in elementary school. But do you know how important they are in your business? Well, it turns out that metaphors are way more important in understanding the mind of your consumer than you could have possibly imagined. There are two associates from the firm Olson Zaltman here today to share the power of metaphors and how they use them in their Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) process. The ZMET was created by Dr. Gerald Zaltman at the Harvard Business School in the 1990s and is still incredibly relevant for brands today. During the conversation, Malcolm and Hannibal Brooks will share how they have used the ZMET for brands like Harvard, Tropicana, a funeral company, and more. Plus, insights into the 16 deep metaphors they work with at Olson Zaltman and why they matter for all companies who want to appeal to their customers (i.e. everyone!). Show Notes: [00:06] In today's episode we are digging deep into the power of metaphors with two associates of Olson Zaltman. [02:53] Malcolm and Hannibal share about themselves, their background, and how as twins they ended up in the same field and working together. [03:44] They both graduated with degrees in food science and went to a master's program focused on marketing, management, and consumer psychology. [05:57] At Olson Zaltman, they do research that is focused on understanding the unconscious through metaphor. Their process is focused on using imagery and verbal metaphors to understand emotions. [06:40] We think in images, not in words; metaphors are our way of describing the world. [09:28] Metaphors really affect the way we perceive the world around us. [11:04] Part of what makes these metaphors universal is that a lot of them originate in the experiences we have in life that exist before we can even verbalize. [12:25] There are 16 deep metaphors that define our experience. [14:48] Different groups of consumers might have different metaphors or understandings of a product or service. [15:24] For women, clothing is a form of self-expression and freedom. For men, clothing is often about a form of control. [18:12] They share examples of the types of business problems they are solving. [19:42] With ZMET they want to understand with your particular consumers, are they getting something out of your product and your brand? [22:44] Prior to the ZMET process the business only needs to know the problem that they are having. [25:08] The ZMET process can help answer a lot of questions for businesses. [25:57] They share their findings from a case study with Harvard. [28:17] Helping to trigger the unity piece can be very valuable (as was the case for Harvard). They have found that there are core principles that they stumble upon time and time again. [31:12] Deep 1-on-1 guided conversations help them unpack what is the best way for the business to move forward. [33:20] You want to understand your brand's core assets and what fits with the mindset people have around it. [36:19] One of their most fun cases to talk about is the research they did for the Funeral Service Foundation. They found that people would look at their funeral almost as a performance. People don't want to be remembered in a way that is sad. They want to be remembered for who they were, with a celebration. [38:57] Their recommendations included creating this online experience that is more fun, including the most fun things about the person and how they want to be remembered. It gets people thinking and talking about their death while they are still alive by making it less scary. [41:33] Their real work is understanding stories and connecting with people. [42:23] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [44:28] Shop at The Brainy Business shop for that perfect brainy gift. 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: [email protected] 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: 🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉 Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: How Customers Think: Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market, b

If you're a human person with any access to the internet, you are likely familiar with unboxing videos. Maybe you like and watch them yourself, maybe your kids love to watch other people open up boxes of toys, or maybe you avoid them at all costs. Whatever camp you are in, at one point or another, you probably thought something like, "Why do so many people watch these?" or "Why do these work?" Today's episode is dedicated to talking through the brain science of what is going on behind the scenes of an unboxing video. In this episode I talk about why they work, what to keep in mind if you ever decide to make your own, and some insights on the various types of "unboxings" out there (anything with a reveal pretty much counts). We will dig in on mirror neurons, anticipation/dopamine, priming, the senses, and more! Listen now to get the scoop on unboxing videos. Show Notes: [00:06] Ever wondered why unboxing videos are a thing? That's what we're focusing on in today's episode. [03:19] There are countless ways to do these unboxing or reveal videos. [04:01] In this episode, I am going to talk about four main things that are happening with unboxing videos, or that you should keep in mind when you create these yourself. We are going to talk about mirror neurons, dopamine created by anticipation, priming, the senses, and more. [04:35] Mirror neurons are the key to empathy and our ability to learn from observing others instead of only by doing things ourselves. [06:20] Mirror neurons greatly impact our lives every day. They have done some amazing things for all of humanity, the first of which is our ability to learn by observation and the second is our ability to empathize. [07:31] In an unboxing video, when someone else is opening the box, it is like we are doing it ourselves. We are able to live vicariously through that experience. Because of the dopamine release, it is very exciting for our brains even if we can't have and will never have the item that is being opened or revealed. [08:50] Dopamine is tied to anticipation, and so when there is a moment where you aren't sure what is going to happen -- where you are waiting for that reveal and don't know what is coming out of the box -- you are getting a kick of dopamine. [10:24] Once you know what is in the box (or how the movie ends), the joy for your brain is over. It is about savoring the anticipation that the brain loves. [10:50] Our brains love that uncertainty and expectation. [11:38] If you want someone to be excited about the unboxing process, you should prime them for that excitement. [13:07] Your excitement breeds more excitement in the viewer. [13:43] If you have too much of a lull, people might get bored and leave. You can play the B-side for a while, but you need to mix in some hits here and there to keep it interesting. [14:15] When you create an unboxing video, it is important to try and incorporate all five of the senses whenever you can to help get those mirror neurons firing. [16:31] Descriptive priming words that evoke the senses are critical when doing any video, and in an unboxing, they can get people excited. [17:54] The internet is full of unboxing videos for a reason, find some and take notes. Be sure to watch good ones, sure, but also find and watch some bad ones. What did they do wrong? When did your attention wane? How can you apply that to your future videos? [18:43] If you have never done an unboxing or reveal video before, what could you do one of? Plan in advance how you might incorporate all our main aspects from this episode: mirror neurons, anticipation, priming, and all five senses...and hit record! [20:33] As it is the holidays, it is a perfect time to pick up some Brainy Gear for you or a friend at The Brainy Business shop. 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: [email protected] 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! Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer The Experience Maker, by Dan Gingiss The Hype Handbook, by Michael Schein The Life-Saving Skill of Story, by Michelle Auerbach Marketing Mess to Brand Success, by Scott Miller Top recommended next episode: Mirror Neurons (episode 31) A

The internationally acclaimed book, Nudge, has shaped a lot of the field of behavioral economics. It has also spurred a whole other area which one of its co-authors, Cass Sunstein, has written a new book about, called Sludge: What Stops Us From Getting Things Done and What To Do About It, which released in fall 2021. Sludge is everywhere in our lives. So what is it and how do we reduce it? This episode of The Brainy Business podcast is dedicated to all things sludge to help you identify and reduce it in your business. In this episode you will learn about: what sludge is and isn't; a customer facing example of sludge; a back-office example of sludge; how to quantify sludge; and how to get others on your team on board with finding and removing sludge. No matter your size or industry, I guarantee sludge is a problem in your business. Find it, remove it, and enjoy the benefits. Listen to learn more about sludge... Show Notes: [00:06] Today's behavioral economics foundations episode is all about sludge. [02:23] Context and the way choices are presented make a huge difference in what we find to be most appealing. When the choices are presented in a different order we might choose something else entirely. [03:32] When you use a tactic to influence choice, we call that a nudge. [05:45] "Sludge is built into the human condition, and we need to start to remove it, piece by piece." [07:02] "Sludge hurts all of us, but if you are sick, old, disabled, or poor, or if you don't have a lot of education, sludge is a curse." [08:07] Sludge is everywhere in our lives. Melina shares examples of sludge. [10:34] "If sludge is understood to consist of frictions that separate people from what they want to get, the concept is not entirely mysterious." [11:16] Much sludge involves confusing administrative burdens requiring people to obtain information, to figure out whom to call, to find out exactly what they're supposed to do. [13:01] Sometimes it is good for people to be confronted with a little sludge to prove they qualify for a benefit or that they care enough to earn whatever is presented, or that they are a good fit for a position. [13:30] In this episode I'm going to give you a back-office example, a customer-facing example, and some ways to think about quantifying the problem of sludge so you can know its real impact [13:50] When it comes to customer-facing examples, I like to start with the "buy now" button from Amazon. [15:12] In the buying process, questions like "Are you sure?" or extra fields or steps can act as partitions. Each new partition is a point where someone will evaluate if this is worth it or if they should bail completely or plan to "come back later." Unfortunately, later often never comes. [17:09] Removing the sludge so you only ask what is absolutely necessary can help a lot more people get over that first hurdle. Focus on each micro moment as it exists and what is absolutely necessary. [18:23] You can turn the sludge up or down as needed, but again I want to stress that most companies have way too much sludge in the way of people doing business with you. [19:41] My main piece of advice: find the least amount of items you need to get someone to move forward in this singular situation. [20:21] Melina shares back office examples including expense reports, checking tools in and out, and signing off on a change. [21:55] Melina shares her experience when she first started at the credit union and changes required a physical form to be completed by hand. (So sludgy!) [24:15] In the back office, when you trust your employees, you can reduce the sludge and things get done faster, for a lot less money than if you don't have trust. Work on trust and get rid of that sludge. [24:47] Because people get stuck in the status quo, they often don't feel like they can give up sludge. [25:11] Sunstein gives an example of quantifying sludge with TSA Precheck and shares how quickly the value can add up. [26:40] When you take a minute to quantify the lost sales or the minutes wasted by key staff members, the initiatives that couldn't be completed because of wasted time, or anything else. It can add up incredibly quickly. [27:21] Sludge is a huge problem in your business, I promise, no matter your size or industry. Find it, remove it, and enjoy the benefits. 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: [email protected] The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram T

It's November – a month where many begin to reflect on the year and (at least here in the states) consider the things we are thankful for. It kicks off the holiday season and we may begin to think about those around us whom we may see in person or virtually this holiday. Because of that, it seemed like the perfect time to discuss The Power of Us, a new book from coauthors Dr. Jay Van Bavel and Dr. Dominic Packer. Today, Dr. Dominic Packer is here to talk about this fantastic book and their years of research together. The insights in the book come together to help people harness their shared identities to improve performance, increase cooperation and promote social harmony. I'm guessing you can see why I chose to have this episode come out now, even though it is a couple of months after we recorded and when the book was officially released. It just seemed like the perfect time to share and help everyone to reflect upon the power of "us." Listen to the episode now to see how this can be leveraged in your life and business... Show Notes: [00:07] In today's episode I'm excited to introduce you to Dr. Dominic Packer, coauthor of The Power of Us. [03:10] Dominic shares about himself and his background. He is a social psychologist and professor. [06:01] The book is about group identities. The groups we belong to can become part of who we are. [06:56] When we take on a group identity, we are very likely to be influenced by the norms of that group. [07:59] There is a second kind of influence which is informational influence. We look to other people to see what is a sensible thing to do. The norms through those groups become a way we express those identities. [09:36] Dominic shares about the 20 statements task. [11:22] For many of us, some really key aspects of ourselves come from these groups. They drive a lot of the way we think of the world, the emotions we feel, and the decisions we end up making. [13:02] During the course of a single day different aspects of a single person's identity will come in and out of focus. Our behaviors are not exactly the same at different parts of the day when we operate through these different identities. [14:52] One of the fascinating things about identity is that it is flexible, malleable, and adaptive to current circumstances. [17:08] Group-based divisions might arise by politics, fights over resources, or major political differences. [18:26] Groups are a tremendously useful tool for human beings. They are fundamental to our survival. Humans have succeeded by getting together. [21:35] In many corporate situations you have different divisions and units and people confirm identities at that subgroup level. People can get a lot of sense of connection and be very motivated to do well on behalf of their subgroup. [22:25] Identities are often multi-leveled. If you shift their focus from their lower-level identity to their higher level and especially if you create conditions where they need to work together it can bring them together. [23:50] You need to create the conditions by which people can see themselves as part of something larger than their immediate sub-group. People need to see that there is an organizational identity. [25:11] We need to incentivize collective identity instead of individual identities. Setting universal goals can also help. [28:07] "Dissent is quite hard and people only do it because they care deeply about a group." [29:59] Both the people who are the most likely to conform to group norms most of the time are also the most likely to dissent when they see something as problematic or needing change in their group. This is because they care a lot. [30:50] To speak out is to take a risk and to take that risk is that you need to have some level of identification and care about the group. [32:24] You do want a culture where the people that are strongly identified with the group do feel like they can speak up when they see something as problematic or see something that has the possibility of change or improvement. [32:53] A psychologically safe environment is one where people feel comfortable speaking up and speaking out, being critical, and being divergent. They feel comfortable because they know it will be okay. [34:03] You want an organization where your people are identified and they really value the collective goals but they are engaging with them creatively. [35:24] If you are trying to cultivate a group where people can share their ideas and can have better ideas than you, it is really important that you don't squash them even when they are not good ideas. [36:49] As a boss, take time to reflect on what you are good at. Validating yourself and the contributions you make to free you up to be less threatened with other people bring good things to the table as well. [38:27] A fundamental task of a leader is to manage the social identities of the people they are leading. [39:37] As a boss you have to be careful to not engage in behaviors that differentiate you too

A company's success nowadays is so reliant upon pitching and getting media coverage. Having a credible source say positive things about you and your company can be pivotal when it comes to whether your brand is going to be seen or not. That is exactly why this episode of The Brainy Business is dedicated to giving you some concise tips on how to use behavioral economics to pitch your brand. I know pitching yourself can feel awkward, but when you understand the brain science it doesn't have to be, especially if you follow my tips! I discuss different brain biases such as social proof, authority bias, familiarity bias, and really focus on availability bias. Availability bias is critical to pitching success. You can take advantage of it by predicting and paying attention to trends and finding a way to offer people a fresh perspective on them. We close with three key points to keep in mind when pitching: (1) keep it short (2) be happy with your language and (3) follow directions. This and so much more in this episode, which will help you use behavioral economics to successfully pitch yourself and your business, so listen now... Show Notes: [00:06] In today's episode, I talk about using brain science to successfully pitch to media. [02:22] Pitching yourself can be awkward and uncomfortable, and there are brain biases that can explain why that is. Understanding them can help you turn them around and use them to your advantage. [05:05] There is good news – pitching doesn't have to be so hard if you use my tips! [07:20] I explain why media coverage and pitching are so important, beginning with social proof. [08:43] Authority bias leads us to believing that anything that the news or media reports is true or else it wouldn't be featured. [09:32] Familiarity bias makes us lean toward things that we already know or know of. [10:26] The final (and I would argue, most important) brain bias that is to your benefit when pitching is availability bias. [12:48] One of my favorite examples of availability bias is how travel to Norway drastically increased following the release of Disney's movie Frozen! [14:20] In order to take advantage of availability bias, you need to predict trends and offer something unique in relation to them. [16:30] Pitching to reporters can be stressful, but remember that reporters are people doing a job. You can be a resource to them they are thankful for if you connect with them properly. [19:06] A simple and easy habit you can create to make you a master at pitching by taking advantage of availability bias. [21:55] Recognize where you fit and where you can fill in gaps. [24:23] Remember to take advantage of familiarity bias! Get people to know who you are and like you before you ask for anything [25:41] I recommend signing up for HARO (Help a Reporter Out). [27:10] It's important to remember that not all of your pitches will land, but that only makes it that much more rewarding when they do. [27:43] I give you some key tips to keep in mind: (1) keep your pitch short and sweet, (2) be sure that you're satisfied with how your pitch is worded, and (3) follow directions that reporters put into their requests and do what they ask. [29:30] A quick and simple summary of all the tips in the episode. [31:03] Registration is now open for my Setting Brainy Goals course! 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: [email protected] 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! Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert B Cialdini PhD Presuasion, by Robert B. Cialdini, PhD You're Invited, by Jon Levy The Hype Handbook, by Michael F. Schein The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey Top recommended next episode: Availability Bias (episode 15) Already heard that one? Try these: Familiarity Bias (episode 149) Confirmation Bias (episode 102) Framing (episode 16) Priming (episode 18) Optimism Bias (episode 34) Social Proof (episode 87) Reciprocity (episode 23) Herding (episode 19) Focusing Illusion (episode 89) Prefactual Thinking (episode 71) Bikeshedding (episode 99) Survivorship Bias (episode 110) Dr. Robert Cialdini and the (Now!) 7 Principles of Persuasion (episode 157) Other Import

Have you ever had a disruption in your routine – moving to a new house, taking a new route to work – and found yourself exhausted every day? This is common when our habits are upended (the subconscious can't use its rules anymore so your conscious is having to do a lot more work!). And while it may feel annoying, this is also a great opportunity to innovate and change your life for the better. Today, I'm joined by Adam Hansen, VP of behavioral innovation at Ideas To Go and coauthor of Outsmart Your Instincts who happened to be in the midst of a move, so we talk about how to reframe an annoying disruption in habits to make it work for you. We also discuss the curse of knowledge and how it impacts businesses, risks of omission versus risks of commission, and other fun behavioral goodness sprinkled throughout (including my new favorite term of being an "omnivore of information"). Listen now... Show Notes: [00:07] In today's episode, I'm excited to introduce you to Adam Hansen, VP of behavioral innovation at Ideas To Go and coauthor of Outsmart Your Instincts. [03:18] Adam shares about himself and his background. He always knew that innovation would be part of his career. [05:18] When working on the book, they started looking at all the cognitive biases to figure out which ones were causing most of the mayhem in innovation. [06:16] If you adopt the behavioral innovation approach, you can see three to four times improvement in performance and quality of ideas very early on in innovation. You can get to better ideas faster. [09:01] All of the thousands of small decisions we make every day that have been automated are lost when you move. Each little thing is so minor that we don't realize what the cumulative effect of all those small decisions is. [10:02] It is important for us to automate everything we can. [12:19] It is impossible for us to place ourselves fully back in the shoes of our first-time clients. Our version of dumbing things down to meet them where they are is still going to be more advanced than where we need to get to. We can work on this by following up with first-time clients and asking what you could have done better. [13:46] There is so much more jargon in your business than you think there is. [16:10] Our need for tangibility is much greater than we assume. Most people need help to break down abstraction. The more tangible you can be the better. [18:13] The curse of knowledge is the idea that once you become knowledgeable in a given area, you can't unknow what you know and you can't fully place yourself back in the shoes of the subject. [23:27] Negativity Bias is the idea from our ancestors of thinking of all novelty as threat and not opportunity. [25:12] Especially in innovation, we need to be as opportunity minded as possible. We need to be aware of threats and take smart action to minimize and mitigate those threats. [27:43] When we are in moments of threat, to still be able to take swift decisive action is fantastic (and sometimes life-saving!) [28:29] The research shows that negativity can appear super profound. Too often we are shooting down ideas and not coming up with alternatives. That is not progress. [30:31] We are predisposed to go toward the negative any time a new idea comes up. [31:38] The more you can value ideas early on for their provocative value rather than for their immediate merits the better. Then you are in a better frame of mind to take on the negatives. [33:54] When you approach challenges to problems in this way, there is real value. The language is brilliant, priming to get people to deal with problems and concerns in a much better way. [35:10] If you are an optimistic person it doesn't mean that you don't have a negativity bias and pessimistic people still have optimism bias. [36:44] Go in understanding that there will be some differences and then the task becomes "How do we get the most out of the differences?" The more you can approach differences with curiosity than defensiveness...the better. [37:48] Curiosity is very smart and super adaptive. Be curious even when it is hard to be curious. [39:07] Curiosity kills the cat, satisfaction brought it back. (Did you know there was more to that saying?!) [41:49] It is hard to gather data on what you don't do. [43:42] Every year to 18 months every person should "fire themselves." If you fire yourself and come into your job as if you had new eyes...what would you do differently? When you start a new job you are looking for all these opportunities of growth and then you become stagnant. [45:07] We need to be more intentional and realize we can choose better because we have all these nonconscious instincts so we can choose otherwise. [46:49] Meaning is created dialogically not monologically. [47:35] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [47:42] One of Melina's favorite things is this idea of being an "omnivore of information." It's such a great way to think about learning and essentially devouring all kinds of topics from va

Back on episode 111, I was joined by Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts discussing his book "Never Go With Your Gut." When Gleb reached out to let me know that he has a new book on helping companies think through and prepare for returning to the office, including the cognitive biases that can impact this decision-making process for people in business, I knew I had to have him back for another conversation. This specific topic is incredibly relevant right now, but there is also an incredible amount of insight Gleb provides about leadership's collective cognitive biases that absolutely relate to other big strategic decisions as well. As you'll hear in the conversation today, beyond his background knowledge of behavioral science and those concepts, Gleb interviewed and has done work with more than a dozen companies and helped them with their plans to return to the office. His insights can help you to learn from their mistakes and best practices as you work on your own plan. Whether you are looking to keep a fully remote workforce, have everyone back in the office, a hybrid approach, or if you aren't sure yet, this episode is for you. Show Notes: [00:07] In today's episode I'm delighted to have Dr. Gleb Tsipursky back with us to share about how to avoid disasters when returning to the office. [01:45] His insights can help you to learn from their mistakes and best practices as you work on your own plan. [03:40] Gleb shares about himself and his background. His background is in decision-making and risk management. [06:02] Most recently he has been helping companies return to the office most effectively and prepare for the future of work. [08:37] People are your main source of competitive advantage. What do your current people want? What do your potential hires want? [10:34] If your people are your main source of competitive advantage, wouldn't you think you would want to know what kind of things they want to do in returning to the office? It is their future after all. [11:12] The surveys tell us that the future is very much hybrid: 85% of people in various surveys want a hybrid or full-time remote option. [14:13] People report higher productivity as well as much higher happiness and well-being when they are working from home. [16:08] There are a lot of advantages to having substantial remote work and disadvantages to forcing people back into the office. [17:28] Your primary consideration should be your people. Then you can look at how many usages you are having of your location. [20:14] Once you decide on occupancy, you can get rid of some of your unused space. [21:25] You need to transform much of your existing space into a collaborative space. [22:52] Status quo bias is one of the biggest problems here. The status quo bias refers to the fact that we prefer things to remain stable, as they were, and the right way. [24:20] Never go with your gut (learn more about this in Gleb's book of the same name, link below). [26:21] Another related bias to this problem is anchoring. We tend to be anchored to the initial information that we have. [28:08] Confirmation bias is one of the biggest problems that we have in terms of the information we gather. [30:50] You want to make sure to plan for the possibilities of other variants down the road. [32:26] You want to strategically adapt to the virtual format. [35:38] Two dynamics for creating serendipitous conversions in virtual settings are innovation and collaboration. [37:40] Companies need to have a channel for serendipitous idea generation for each team. Then other people see the comment and then they comment back and then that transforms into a really great conversation that you can take into brainstorming. [39:48] Traditional brainstorming has a number of advantages and some problems. [41:31] It helps to have virtual brainstorming instead. Virtual brainstorming involves people separately typing into a digital spreadsheet anonymously. [43:30] This has been shown to greatly improve the number and quality of ideas generated. [44:51] How can we make this something amazing versus something we are stuck with? [46:42] When you are able to look at the opportunity, you are able to beat out your competitors. [47:58] We can actually successfully work remotely. It is a fundamental transition in how we think and approach the world. [49:18] You need to adopt best practices for hybrid and remote settings. [50:52] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [53:50] The important thing to keep in mind, much like Gleb's advice for recreating serendipitous moments online or doing virtual brainstorming, is that you can't allow yourself to be stuck by the constraints of how the benefit was generated before. [55:41] Melina's award-winning first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You is available on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, plea