In this episode, Henry sits down with Hugh Massie, a serial entrepreneur and the founder of DNA Behavior, a behavioral data analytics company pioneering the intersection of psychology, decision-making, and financial behavior. Hugh has spent more than two decades building systems that decode how people think, communicate, and make choices—especially around money.

Resources Mentioned

DNA Behavior — https://dnabehavior.com

Behavioral Economics Today Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@BehavioralEconomicsToday

Connect with Hugh on LinkedIn.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hughmassie/

Episode: https://henryharrison.com/hugh-massie-dna-behavior/

From his beginnings in wealth management to leading a global behavioral-data company with operations across multiple countries, Hugh shares a remarkably candid look at entrepreneurship, leadership, people dynamics, and the future of AI-powered behavior insights.

If you’ve ever wondered how to truly understand people at scale—or even understand yourself better—this conversation will hit you right between the eyes.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• The Origin Story of DNA Behavior

How a wealth management firm led Hugh to realize that understanding a client’s behavior is just as important as understanding their finances—and how that became the foundation for a global psychometric and behavioral analytics platform.

• The Big Leap: From 2.5 Million to 275 Million Behavioral Profiles

Hugh explains the breakthrough moment when his team reverse-engineered their system using AI to digitally “scan” individuals’ behavioral patterns—no questionnaire required.

• Profiling People… Without the Profile

How DNA Behavior can now derive behavioral insights from public data using AI, why accuracy differs between traditional profiling and digital scanning, and where each method makes sense.

• Why Money Is the Ultimate Behavioral Trigger

Hugh shares fascinating examples of how people “flip” into instinctive behavior under pressure—especially when money and relationships are involved.

• A Story Every Entrepreneur Will Recognize

Hugh recalls two founders at war over a personal guarantee for a bank loan—and how behavioral insights helped them rescue their partnership, keep their company intact, and rebuild trust.

• Behavioral Economics in the Real World

From decoy pricing to communication misfires, Hugh breaks down why people make irrational decisions—and how truly personalized behavioral data can transform sales, leadership, and client experience.

• Building Behavioral Intelligence into Organizations

Learn how leadership teams, advisors, and even Fortune 100 companies use heat maps, dashboards, and matching tools to communicate more effectively, build trust, and improve performance across entire ecosystems.

• Leadership, Culture, and “Knowing Me, Knowing You”

Hugh talks about the DNA Behavior culture framework—Know, Engage & Grow—and why leaders must share their own profiles first if they want psychological safety, trust, or authentic communication inside the organization.

• How Hugh Built a Global Team Across Four Countries

A look inside DNA Behavior’s distributed team across Atlanta, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Australia—and how Hugh keeps culture aligned across continents.

• Personal Growth, Empathy & the Journey from Numbers Guy to People Person