Brainfluence

Many of our guests on this show remind us just how powerful storytelling can be, in marketing and in life. Today's guest finds stories so important that he left his executive job at Procter & Gamble to pursue the study of them full-time.

Paul Smith is an author, speaker, and coach who specializes in helping businesses integrate better storytelling techniques into their practices. For his new book, Sell with a Story: How to Capture Attention, Build Trust, and Close the Sale, Paul interviewed salespeople and buyers (including procurement professionals) to find out how great stories impact their work.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2f71x6r 

Gregory Diehl joins us today to talk about how you can create a breakthrough brand. We discuss his travels and how he's built a sustainable business on the road. Gregory specifically focuses on branding, helping entrepreneurs and businesses build an identity that resonates with their target audiences.

Gregory and I talk about how he has been able to live and work in so many countries and continue to serve his clients. He also talks about why many entrepreneurs struggle to launch new products because of their own biases, and why it's important to have an outside pair of eyes examine your ideas.  Finally, Gregory shares a few of the travel hacks he's gleaned from the past decade.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2f1ELLM 

In this brief episode, I talk about the definition of unity and provide some examples of unity in action. I cover the intersection of unity and identity, as well as what unity isn't.

I also mention some individuals and companies that have effectively used the unity principle to appeal to their audiences, and how you can do the same.

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

Our guest today is Jim Crimmins, author of 7 Secrets of Persuasion: Leading-Edge Neuromarketing Techniques to Influence. Jim is a professional persuader and has an impressive background of academic and real-world credentials.

We discuss the principles of persuasion and how small businesses or entrepreneurs can leverage these principles to target behavior changes on par with professional marketing agencies. Persuasion is done best when people persuade themselves. Jim illustrates simple ways to target behavior rather than attitudes in order to establish long-lasting shifts in brand awareness.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2dk1l46

This week, Wired co-founder and prolific writer/author Kevin Kelly is here to talk about his new book, The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future. As technology only becomes more complex and ever-present, an understanding of future trends is essential.

Kevin discusses the early days of Wired, how humans and artificial intelligence will collaborate in the future, and why there is a shift from owning things to simply accessing them. 

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2d0G8vY 

The work of today's guest, Dr. Jennie Wong of Shopping Quizzes, sits right in the sweet-spot for listeners of this show. Her new book 7 Ways to Hack the Mind of the Online Shopper is a short-but-powerful read that combines psychology, marketing, and persuasion science to make your eCommerce presence as good as it can be.

Jennie shares some of her favorite question-asking techniques, how to make your pitch really resonate with your customer, and why instant gratification is crucial to making customers happy.

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

Pride is the most deadly sin... Pride goes before a fall... If you think pride is only for narcissistic jerks, you need to hear what Dr. Jessica Tracy of UBC's Emotion & Self Lab, has discovered in her years of research.

On this episode, Dr. Tracy makes the case that pride, the first "deadly sin" we've all been warned about, is what distinguishes those two types of leaders. As detailed in her new book, Take Pride: Why the Deadliest Sin Holds the Secret to Human Success, Jessica and her colleagues have meticulously argued that pride can enhance your performance, for yourself and your team alike, if manifested in the right way.

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

This week's guest, Dan Roam, has put a modern twist on hacking our image-partial brains. We're excited to speak with Dan Roam, an expert consultant and author of the breakout book The Back of the Napkin. In his new book, Draw to Win: A Crash Course on How to Lead, Sell, and Innovate With Your Visual Mind, Dan expands on his revolutionary persuasion tactic: harnessing the power of visual communication with simple, elegant drawings.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2coM5AS 

Our guest this week is Susan David, an expert on emotions and thinking. Susan not only has her PhD in psychology, she is an author and the CEO of her consulting firm Evidence-Based Psychology. Her new book, Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life, is packed with ways to make emotions into valuable workplace tools rather than distractions.

We begin by defining "emotional agility" and discussing Susan's primary goal: letting people bring their emotions to the workplace to become more effective, curious, and challenged employees. We talk about how organizations want to be adaptable more than ever before, which begins with adaptability on an individual level.

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2c3EwkG 

It may seem like a no-brainer that customers should be a company's priority -- after all, "the customer is always right." But, as this week's guest shows us, all too often companies are more focused on profits than on the value they add to customers' lives through products and services. 

Today we're joined by Gautam Mahajan, author and Value Creation expert, as he shares some of the key insights from his new book Value Creation: The Definitive Guide for Business Leaders. While he doesn't assert that the customer is indeed always correct, he does argue in favor of a customer-centric philosophy and the many benefits it entails.

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