Brainfluence

My guest today works at the intersection of artificial intelligence, neurochemistry, and human behavior. Ramsay Brown is Co-Founder and COO of Boundless Mind (formerly Dopamine Labs), where he and his team work on persuasive AI and behavioral design. A NeuroTechnologist trained at USC's Brain Architecture Center, Ramsay worked on Brain Mapping and pioneered an app that was something like Google Maps for the Brain.

Ramsay is an emerging leader in Persuasive Technology & Neuroinformatics and has been featured on 60 Minutes, The Today Show, TechCrunch, Big Think, The Guardian, and GQ. In this episode, he shares how persuasive technology is shaping human behavior, what his company is doing to ensure they're promoting change for the better, and how society as a whole can become more neuro-literate.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2LDTvzQ 

Direct download: BRAINFLUENCE218.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

It may seem like the best way to grow a business is to acquire new customers, but today’s guest is here to explain the major flaws in that logic. Joey Coleman is the Chief Experience Composer at Design Symphony, a branding firm that specializes in creating unique, attention-grabbing customer experiences. His clients range from individual entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies, and from non-profits to government agencies.

In this episode, Joey shares his expert advice on improving customer retention, as well as insights from his new book, Never Lose a Customer Again: Turn Any Sale into Lifelong Loyalty in 100 Days. Listen in to learn why focusing on existing customers is so important and how to turn a one-time sale into a long-term relationship in just a few months.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2KGWAxP 

Direct download: BRAINFLUENCE217.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Today’s guest is a former hostage negotiator for the FBI. Now you may be wondering what hostage negotiations have to do with you, but the answer is: a lot. Chris Voss has demonstrated that his techniques—which are rooted in brain science—crush the traditional approach to business negotiation, and we can all use his advice for negotiating within our own lives.

Chris’ company, The Black Swan Group, specializes in solving business communication problems using hostage negotiation solutions, and he joins the podcast today to share his expertise, as well as insights from his new book, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It. Listen in to learn tricks for negotiating in highly emotional situations, advice for building trust, and more.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2IIG2rU 

Direct download: BRAINFLUENCE216.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

My guest this week is going to help us with a problem that makes many of us cringe—actually, she’s going to help with cringing itself. Melissa Dahl is an expert on awkwardness, and she's here today to share advice for dealing with this uncomfortable feeling. A senior editor covering health and psychology for New York's The Cut, Melissa cofounded New York’s popular social science site, Science of Us, in 2014. You may have also seen her work in Elle, Parents, or TODAY.com.

In this episode, you'll hear fascinating insights from Melissa's new book, Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness, on the science behind feeling awkward. She also gives tips for helping yourself to feel less awkward in social situations. Listen in to hear all that and more!

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2I8oz8U 

Direct download: BRAINFLUENCE215.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Jeffrey Shaw is many things: a photographer, an entrepreneur, the host of popular business podcast Creative Warriors, a featured storyteller on The Moth, a nationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and the author of LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer’s Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible. As one of the most sought-after portrait photographers in the U.S. for more than three decades, Jeffrey has photographed the families of such notables as Tom Seaver, Pat Riley, David Bloom, and Stephanie Seymour, and his portraits have appeared on the Oprah Show, in People and O magazines, and more.

But his keen eye isn’t just for photography. Jeffrey has also honed his ability to sense the needs of others, as well as trends in business. He uses this skill to teach entrepreneurs how to attract their ideal customers by speaking their secret language, and he joins this episode to share his expertise. Listen in to learn what it takes to build a brand people trust, how to avoid the common mistakes too many entrepreneurs make, and where to start learning and developing lingo that will resonate with customers.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2HEtiPz 

Direct download: BRAINFLUENCE214.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Steve Bistritz knows firsthand how to work with C-level executives. With over 40 years of high-tech sales, sales management, and training management experience—as well as over 27 years working with IBM in sales and training-related positions—Steve is the President and Founder of sales training and consulting company SellXL.com. He is also a popular keynote speaker and the co-author of the best-selling book Selling to the C-Suite: What Every Executive Wants You to Know About Successfully Selling to the Top.

In this episode, Steve shares key takeaways from the book, which provides expert advice rooted in 10 years of empirical research conducted through interviews with C-Suite executives in 500 diverse companies and government bodies. Listen in to learn how to gain access to the most relevant executives for any buying decision, common mistakes that too many salespeople make, and more.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2vBMPhR 

Direct download: BRAINFLUENCE213.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Any good marketer should try to keep up with Google’s ever-changing metrics, and today’s guest is one of the best resources for doing so. Rand Fishkin is the founder of SparkToro, and was previously cofounder of Moz and Inbound.org. He’s dedicated his professional life to helping people do better marketing through the Whiteboard Friday video series and his blog. He also shares business advice—as well as his personal story—in his new book, Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World.

In this episode, Rand shares the stories behind his entrepreneurial adventures and misadventures, as well as the major lessons he learned along the way. Listen in to hear what Rand says every entrepreneur must keep in mind when looking into funding, timely SEO advice for businesses, and more.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2Hz4pFy 

Direct download: BRAINFLUENCE212.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Today's guest is an international speaker and bestselling author on innovation and design. Most recently serving as the Global VP of Innovation and Officer at VF Corporation (a parent organization to over 30 global apparel companies, including The North Face, Vans, Timberland, and Nautica), Soon Yu regularly consults business leaders on developing meaningful Iconic Signature Elements, Signature Moments, and Signature Communication.

Soon has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, and New York Times, and he joins us today to share valuable advice on to how to build a brand's iconicity. Listen in to hear tips from his new book, Iconic Advantage®, and learn what it really takes for brands to become iconic.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2GSLu7G 

Direct download: BRAINFLUENCE211.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Heather Ann Havenwood is a serial entrepreneur whose early career accomplishments include starting an online publishing company and taking it from zero to a seven-figure revenue in less than a year. She is also a prolific author—with titles ranging from dating to podcasting to entrepreneurship—and has been named one of the Top 50 Must-Follow Women Entrepreneurs for 2017 by Huffington Post.

Heather joins the podcast today to share insights from her newest book, Sexy Boss: How Female Entrepreneurs are Beating the BIG Boys While Changing the Rule Book for Money, Success and Even Sex. Listen in to hear the important lessons she learned from the struggles along her entrepreneurial journey, as well as her advice for female entrepreneurs to help them become a powerful force in the world.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2GC5deX 

Direct download: BRAINFLUENCE210.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Have you ever met someone new, and then five minutes later realized you couldn’t remember that person’s name? Or have you ever tried to learn a language and been frustrated by your inability to recall many of the words that you just learned? Today’s guest can help you with those common memory struggles and more.

Dr. Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st Century approach to memorizing just about anything. What separates his approach from others is that he doesn’t focus on memorizing long strings of digits or training for memory championships. Instead, he focuses on things that are part of your daily life, such as names and faces, material for tests and exams, and foreign language vocabulary.

In this episode, Anthony shares the simple memory techniques that he describes as easy, elegant, effective and fun. Listen in to learn how to use them to improve your memory.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2DV1Fil 

Direct download: BRAINFLUENCE209.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT