Change Wired

What if the best shape of your life has little to do with the willpower problem?  And more with a system design problem.  We break down a practical, science-backed framework that turns cravings from a daily fight into a reliable signal you can trust, that works FOR your health and fitness, not against it.  Drawing on my 10+ years of weight loss and health, coaching and evidence-based nutrition, plus a guided AI co-host experiment, we map out 6 simple, actionable pillars that align biology, behavior, and environment so the right choices feel easy.   We close with a challenge: pick one pillar this week and create a small win that cascades across the rest.  Subscribe, share with a friend who’s tired of white-knuckling cravings, and tell us which pillar you’re choosing so we can celebrate your momentum and keep your accountable!👊  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if the real barrier to change isn’t willpower but the context you live in? And what if you could design it but you rarely do?  Today we unpack 4 invisible forces—systems, social norms, flexible framing, and co‑design—that quietly steer your decisions, emotions, and actions. Drawing on a fresh conversation with behavioral scientist Michael Hallsworth of the Behavioral Insights Team, we translate big‑picture insights into daily moves that make change feel natural instead of forced.  We start by challenging the myth of pure personal agency. Systems determine what is easy, what is hard, and what happens by default. When you redesign cues, constraints, and sequences, you lower friction and stop wasting energy on self-control.  Then we zoom into the social layer. Your choices mirror the norms of your circle, from how you work to what you eat. Rather than fight your social brain, enlist it: align your peers, set shared rituals, and curate the voices you let in.  Next, we practice flexible framing. Stuck problems often need a new lens, not more effort. Reframing “my discipline” as “our design” opens options that were invisible from a narrow view.  Finally, we get practical with co‑design. Telling people what to do sparks resistance; building the plan together creates ownership. Whether you’re leading a team, parenting, or coaching yourself, collaborative design turns compliance into commitment and helps change stick.  You’ll walk away with a simple playbook for an aligned not forced change: audit your system for the results it’s producing, realign your social environment, reframe until better options appear, and co‑design the next step with the people involved—including yourself.  Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs a nudge toward easier change, and leave a review to help us reach more curious minds. What’s the first context tweak you’ll make today?    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

If there was a pill that consistently and instantly boosts your cognitive and physical performance - it would contain sleep!  If peak performance starts to slip, don’t blame your willpower - look at your sleep.  We dive straight into the 3 levers that consistently turn “I’m fine” into focused, calm, and energetic: the stories you tell yourself, the routine you follow, and the environment you live in. From caffeine myths to all-nighter bragging rights, we call out the habits that quietly wreck deep sleep and show a clear path to better nights that fuel better days.  First, we challenge the big beliefs. Then we move into daily routines that make sleep reliable. Finally, we tackle context - the social and physical cues that shape your sleep quality.   The throughline is simple: sleep is a skill you design, not a mystery you endure.  Share the episode with someone who wants to sleep better with you, subscribe for more practical performance tools, and leave a quick review to support the show.  Your best work starts the night before, ready to claim it?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

We explore how the questions we repeat shape our focus, emotions, and results, and how a small shift in wording can turn stuck energy into practical motivation.  Drawing on coaching sessions and real-life experiments in fitness, business, and habit building, we show why your brain reliably hunts for whatever you ask it to find, even while you sleep, and how to use that fact to your advantage.  We walk through a simple 3-question sequence that helps you get back on track with your goals. Along the way, we unpack common traps like asking blame-heavy questions that generate worse stories, and we offer easy reframes that shift you toward agency, clarity, and consistent progress.  You’ll hear practical ways to install “question habits,” plus a lightweight system for tracking proof that your new questions are working.  Whether you’re aiming for better health, stronger leadership, or a calmer mind, the process is the same: ask better, act sooner, and let repetition compound.  If this resonates, follow the show, share it with one person who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review so more people can turn curiosity into change.  What’s the one question you’ll start asking today?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

If you’ve ever wondered why people do the strange things we do, this episode is your new favourite rabbit hole!Today we have Phill Agnew on the show, the mind behind Nudge — the UK’s #1 marketing podcast, downloaded hundreds of thousands of times.But today?You get Phill unplugged — telling stories, breaking down psychology, and showing you how a few behavioral science principles can transform your business, your life, your TikTok following and even your marathon time.🎧 What you’ll hear inside (and why you will NOT want to stop listening):How a chocolate bar hijacked Phill’s childhood brain into love for marketingA caramel wafer + a tiny line on the wrapper (“7 million sold this week”) = the moment Phill discovered the power of social proof… years before he knew what social proof was.The loyalty card trick that increased customer return rates by 82% and why you are so loyal to your favorite coffee shopA barista stamping his card twice for free wasn’t kindness — it was the endowment effect and reciprocity in action.Why Uber wins (and traditional taxis fail)It’s not price.It’s not convenience.It’s the illusion of control, and once you see it, you’ll start spotting this everywhere.The Peak-End Rule, and how Phill used it to finish 2nd in an ultramarathonA Nobel Prize–winning principle that helps restaurants delight customers… and helps Phill outrun people and stick with hard training.The curiosity hack that got Phill 10,000 TikTok followers in one weekShakespeare used it.Dickens used it.Clickbait uses it.You should too.Why handwritten notes outperform almost every digital strategyOne South Korean study.$50+ increase per customer.And the wild story of a family who bought their dream home on a street where no houses were for sale — just by using this principle.The biggest mistake companies make when raising pricesAnd the simple, psychology-backed tweak that reduces cancellations and makes customers say yes almost every time.How to use behavioral science TODAYPhill shares easy, immediately applicable ideas you can use at work, at home, in relationships, in your next email or conversation.If you listen to ONE episode this month - make it this one.It’s packed with stories, experiments, practical tools, and “holy sh*t, why didn’t I know this sooner?” insights you’ll use for the rest of your life.About Phill AgnewPhill Agnew is the host of Nudge, the UK's #1 marketing podcast — a critically acclaimed show that brings behavioral science to life through real experiments, research, and practical applications. His work has featured world-renowned thinkers like Rory Sutherland, Richard Shotton, Tali Sharot, Jonah Berger, Dan Pink, and Chris Voss.His podcast reaches hundreds of thousands globally and has become a go-to resource for marketers, leaders, and anyone who wants to understand human behaviour.🔗 LinksListen to the Nudge Podcast: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/Phill’s Recommended Reading List: https://nudge.kit.com/reading-listText Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if the fastest way to beat cravings, cool heated words, and stop impulse buys is as simple as changing what you pay attention to?  In today's episode we explore a practical, science-informed method for redirecting focus and shifting body state so urges lose their grip and better choices get easier.  Along the way, we share real examples from coaching and daily life that show how quickly a craving fades when you anchor your mind elsewhere.  The same playbook helps in relationships and money choices. Train these skills like reps in the gym and you’ll see spillover benefits across food, leadership, relationships, money-saving and decisions for better life.  If you’re ready to turn urges into opportunities for deliberate action, press play and pick one tool to test today.  If the method helps, share this episode with a friend, subscribe for more practical mindset tools, and leave a quick review so others can find the show. Your attention is your leverage - let’s use it for good.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

If your calendar predicted your future, would you like what it shows?  In today's episode we'll walk through a clear, 5-step work-life integration system designed to turn values and your future self visions into the life you live daily. Instead of chasing someone else’s idea of balance, we strip away borrowed goals and define a good life in your words, for this season, starting now.  It's a realignment process.  We create a match between what you want in life and what you do every day.  If this resonated, subscribe, share with one person who’ll keep you accountable, and leave a quick review to help more people build a life they love.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if consistency isn’t about willpower but about design?  In this special crossover episode, Angela flips seats and becomes the guest. Interviewed by Kevin Joseph from the Lekker Network, I unpack how small, deliberate system changes can unlock unstoppable performance in individuals, teams, and entire organizations.  Angela shares her journey from health and neuroscience to behavioral science and leadership transformation, and the practical insights that help people stay on track long after motivation fades.  💡 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:  The hidden code of consistency — why success depends more on systems than self-discipline.Why motivation is unreliable (and what to build instead).The Consistency Code™ — a three-pillar framework: 1️⃣ Awareness – clarity on what, why, and how. 2️⃣ Enablement – design environments that make desired actions easy. 3️⃣ Reinforcement – sustain motivation through visible progress and recognition.How to make “soft stuff” measurable — translating values like innovation, inclusivity, and trust into trackable behaviors.The real reason pilots matter — testing one variable at a time to find what truly works before scaling.How accountability and identity shape performance — and why being seen doing the right thing often matters more than being told to.The human side of data — why what works in Silicon Valley won’t necessarily work in South Africa or the Global South, and how context drives behavior.How to turn overwhelm into focus — by doing fewer things, better.Why Listen:  If you’ve ever wondered why change initiatives fade, habits don’t stick, or culture programs stall — this episode gives you the behavioral blueprint to fix it.  It’s a candid, practical, and inspiring conversation about designing consistency into your life, your team, and your business — one small system at a time.  🎧 Tune in to the full episode and discover how to build a culture where consistency becomes effortless and success, inevitable.  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Feeling stuck while juggling big, messy goals? We’ve all been there.  Today we talk about a simple, coaching-proof, reliable way to turn overwhelm into motion: after years of coaching complex client cases, one thing never fails - oversimplification outperforms overcomplication when you need momentum and progress.  You’ll hear practical examples across domains: a single rule that quietly drives weight loss, a daily recognition habit that nudges culture toward engagement, and a no‑frills sales sprint that outperforms complex business strategies. Each tactic is intentionally small, easy to track, and resilient on your busiest days.  We also dig into the softer but crucial arenas: repairing strained relationships with one genuine appreciation every day, and rebuilding self‑esteem by recording a single hard thing you did or value you upheld. These practices shrink the gap between intention and action and create proof you can feel. No sprawling frameworks, no massive life overhaul just one behavior you can start your day on.  If this resonates, tap follow, share it with someone who feels stuck, and leave a quick review.  What’s your one action you’ll start today?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Most teams, people and companies don’t have a motivation problem - they have a design problem.In this episode I sit down with Ricardo Lopes Costa, founder and CTO of Funifier from Brazil and the author of "The Fantastic Engagement Factory: how to motivate people on a large scale with gamification". We uncover how gamification, psychology, and smart feedback loops can turn apathetic workflows into performance engines people actually want to use. Ricardo’s company, Funifier, has worked with global brands like Coca-Cola, HP, Banco do Brasil, and Caixa Econômica Federal, helping them turn dry KPIs into dynamic challenges that spark human motivation — often with billion-dollar impact. Ricardo shares how:A small experiment with locked online lessons accidentally sparked his obsession with engagement.A single leaderboard turned learning into a movement across Brazil.Caixa’s “Tamo Junto 9Bi+” initiative became the world’s largest gamification case — driving over $1 billion USD in additional profit in just months.Recognition and belonging often outperform money when it comes to performance.Even small businesses — from cupcake stands to ice-cream shops — can gamify experiences to make people participate more.Why the future of leadership lies in designing human experiences, not just managing numbers.“Engagement is not a bonus — it’s an asset, just like money or technology.” — Ricardo Lopes CostaIf you’re a leader, HR professional, or entrepreneur who wants to build teams that care, perform, and grow — this episode will show you how to make motivation measurable.Key TakeawaysMotivation is designable — when you treat engagement like a system, not a feeling.Recognition > rewards: appreciation drives sustained effort more than money.Start small: pick one unmotivated area, personalize it, make it visible, make it fun.Emotional design is the missing layer in most transformation and culture projects.Everyone — even small businesses — can use gamification principles to spark engagement.🔗 Learn More📘 The Fantastic Engagement Factory: How to Motivate People on a Large Scale with Gamification🌐 funifier.com: Ricardo’s company and gamification platform 📸 Instagram: @ricardolopescosta_👤 About Ricardo Lopes CostaRicardo Lopes Costa is an entrepreneur, author, and international speaker specializing in gamification and behavioral design for business. He is the founder and CTO of Funifier, creator of the Funifier Gamification Platform, used in over 25 countries to help organizations motivate people at scale.His work with banks like Caixa Econômica Federal and Banco do Brasil has been recognized as some of the most impactful gamification projects in the world. Ricardo is also the author of The Fantastic Engagement Factory, where he shares the psychology, design, and strategy behind motivating thousands of people, one gText Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant