Brainfluence

Paul Zak is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University, as well as founder and Chief Immersion Officer of Immersion Neuroscience. Paul's two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rainforest of Papua New Guinea, all in a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork. Listen in as we dive into how to create trust using science-backed insights, how immersive experiences factor into trust, and what companies can do to cultivate immersion and use it to their advantage. Paul also shares the precursors to creating a great experience and explains why Maslow's hierarchy of needs always wins—and what that means for creating stellar experiences. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3hZVfGa

Ximena Vengoechea is a user researcher, writer, and illustrator whose work on personal and professional development has been published in Inc., The Washington Post, Newsweek, and Huffington Post. She is a contributor at Fast Company and The Muse, and is best known for her project The Life Audit. An experienced manager, mentor, and researcher in the tech industry, she previously worked at Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Ximena joins us today to discuss the long lost art of listening as a means of connecting with others, including how to differentiate between what people say and what they actually do, how to get away from surface listening, and how to know when to follow-up or let the conversation flow. Ximena also shares how silence is often used as a tool in user research, and how we can all use silence to our advantage when it comes to connection. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2S279Vo

Howard Tiersky is a successful entrepreneur who has been named by IDG as one of the 10 Digital Transformation Influencers to Follow Today and by Enterprise Management 360° as "One of the Top 10 Digital Transformation Influencers That Will Change Your World." He is the author of the WSJ best-selling book Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance and is the founder of two companies that enable large brands to win in the digital world, FROM: The Digital Transformation Agency, and Innovation Loft. Listen in as Howard shares his take on how to thrive in the digital age and remain relevant to your customers by providing a seamless online experience, what one of the best predictors of successful financial performance of a company is, and what the number one indicator of a successful business is. If you're yearning to maximize your presence and drive transformation in today's digital world, this is an episode you can't afford to miss. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3o127V0

Dr. Robert Cialdini is known as the foundational expert in the science of influence. His Principles of Persuasion have become a cornerstone for any organization serious about effectively increasing their influence. He is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, with over five million copies sold in 44 different languages. He is also the president and CEO of INFLUENCE AT WORK and a popular keynote speaker. Many listeners are familiar with Robert and his Principles of Persuasion, but the launch of his new and expanded book is worth revisiting his theories on the psychology behind persuasion. Listen in as we discuss how to use shortcuts for persuasion, why words can be a powerful force, and how to use one particular social technology to up your persuasion game. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3aSo5UO

Matt Tullman is co-founder and CEO of Merchant Mechanics, and a founding partner at Bellwether Citizen Response. With over 25 years of experience in the consumer insights industry, Matt continues to pioneer the development and application of behavioral, implicit, and neuroscience research techniques that help brands better understand the subconscious emotional drivers of motivation and decision-making. His research has been published in prominent business publications and academic journals, including the Journal of Advertising Research, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. In this episode, Matt discusses his latest article titled "How NOT To Fight Vaccine Hesitancy: Lessons from Brain Science (and Nancy Reagan)" and shares why the key to combating vaccine hesitancy is to appeal to the emotional side of vaccine objections. He also discusses why all the science in the world will not be enough to combat vaccine hesitancy, and what the focus should be on instead. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3vBGxcn

Colin Bryar joined Amazon in 1998—four years after its founding—and spent the next 12 years as part of the senior leadership team as the company grew from a domestic (US-only) seller of books to a global, multi-dimensional powerhouse and innovator. He served as Vice President at Amazon, and spent two of his years as Chief of Staff to Jeff Bezos, a.k.a. "Jeff's shadow." During this time, he spent each day attending meetings, traveling, and discussing business and life with Jeff. In this episode, Colin describes what it was really like working alongside Jeff Bezos, as well as what Jeff's superpowers are when it comes to business. Listen in to learn how Amazon developed single-thread leadership within the organization, why the company moved away from using PowerPoint as a means of persuasion and analysis (and what they use instead), and what Jeff Bezos considers one of the best things that Amazon has ever done. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3sFpeVI

Judy Samuelson is Founder and Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program and a Vice President at the Aspen Institute. Signature programs under Judy's leadership include a ten-year campaign to disrupt Milton Friedman's narrative about corporate purpose, a multi-year dialogue to produce the Aspen Principles of Long-Term Value Creation, and a partnership with Korn Ferry to rethink executive pay. She also writes regularly for Quartz at Work, is a Bellagio Fellow, and serves as a Director of Financial Health Network. This episode is a little different than usual, but I know that the message will resonate with any business person who is trying to achieve long-term success. Listen in as Judy shares the new rules for long-term business success, including the shift to view employees as your best asset instead of a cost of operations, the questions to ask when looking at automation in the value-creation process, and how to find the balance between value creation and ongoing organizational sustainability. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3t9cbgk

Mark Schaefer is a globally-recognized keynote speaker, educator, and business consultant. The bestselling author of nine path-finding books, including the first book ever written on influence marketing, Mark has worked in global sales, PR, and marketing positions for 30 years and provides consulting services as Executive Director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions. His books are used as textbooks at more than 50 universities, have been translated into 12 languages, and can be found in more than 750 libraries worldwide. In this episode, Mark explains how to create momentum when you don't have millions of dollars to spend, why some people get to the next level and some people don't, and the research behind how people create momentum in all areas of life. Listen in to learn why there has never been a more fascinating time to be in marketing, as well as how we can be heard amongst all the noise. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3wmjYcJ

Danny Iny is the founder and CEO of Mirasee, a leading voice in the world of online courses, and a bestselling author. He has been featured in the Harvard Business Review and Entrepreneur, and contributes regularly to publications including Inc., Forbes, and Business Insider. He has also spoken at institutions like Yale University and organizations like Google, and his work on strategy training won special recognition from Fast Company as a "World Changing Idea." In this episode, Danny takes us through how the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of online courses by the public, as well as where the opportunities lie now that it seems everyone has an online course to sell. He'll also share the key ingredients for a really effective course, how you can create a more immersive course experience for your students, and how to optimize your marketing tactics for your potential customers. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2PdlUmZ

Jason Falls leads digital strategy and hosts two marketing podcasts (Digging Deeper and Winfluence) at Cornett, a full-service advertising agency based in Lexington, KY. His work has touched major brands and has been recognized with national and regional awards, including a 2020 Shorty Award for his influencer marketing work. He has worked with iconic brands like Buffalo Trace, Weller, Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbons, GE Appliances, AT&T, General Motors, and more. In this episode, Jason shares key insights from his new book, Winfluence: Reframing Influencer Marketing to Ignite Your Brand. Listen in as he explains why we need to get out of the silo of thinking about influencers as frivolous and instead look at them for what they really are: brilliant content creators who have created genuine connections with—and influence over—their audiences. You'll learn where the real power of influence marketing is, what you need to have in place before diving into this type of marketing, and how you can optimize your outreach efforts to influencers. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3tNOLgq