Behavioral scientist, fundraising strategist, and author of Neurogiving, Cherian Koshy, joins Howie Chan in this episode where they dive deep into how to influence people to give—and what behavioral science teaches us about generosity, identity, and contribution.

Drawing from behavioral science, neuroscience, and decades of fundraising experience, Cherian reveals that generosity is hardwired into human behavior and may be the fastest path to trust, loyalty, and lasting behavior change.

Together, they explore why people give, how identity shapes decision-making, and why organizations often fail when they try to convince people to give. You'll learn how nonprofits, businesses, leaders, and entrepreneurs can stop pushing and start creating environments where people naturally want to contribute.

Whether you're building a brand, leading a team, raising funds, or simply trying to influence more effectively, this conversation offers a powerful reframe: influence begins when people feel seen in their highest and best form.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00:00 From State Debate Champion to Influence Expert

00:08:24 Humans Are Hardwired for Generosity

00:14:50 The Biggest Fundraising Mistake Organizations Make

00:23:11 How Generosity Builds Better Businesses and Teams

00:29:38 Decision Architecture and the Emotions Surrounding Decision Making

00:34:18 Consumer Giving vs. Corporate Giving

00:42:18 The Neuroscience Behind the Joy of Giving

00:44:45 Donor Retention and Why Most Organizations Get It Wrong

00:55:00 Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Language and Ethical Influence

01:00:46 Be Generous First

Experts Shouldn’t Have to Be Invisible

If you’re an accomplished professional, executive, or expert who knows you have more to say, more to contribute, and wants to become known for your ideas in the AI era…

I’m putting together a small executive intensive around influence, positioning, visibility, and authority.

You can join the waitlist at: howiechan.com/waitlist

What’s Your Influence Style? What do you do when you need someone to do something?

This quiz will help you discover what is your most natural influence style, so you can use that strength more effectively (and know your blind spots).

→ https://www.influencestylequiz.com/

Join 700+ leaders who've already uncovered what their style is.

Episode Resources:

Check out the conversations mentioned in this episode at https://www.howiechan.com/podcast:

• TEDx Former Executive Producer Reveals: Most Ideas Fall Flat, Make Yours Irresistible with The Red Thread Framework with Tamsen Webster (episode 67) (https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/tamsenwebster)

• 400+ Behavioral Science Theories Decoded: an ABC Guide to Supercharge Your Marketing with Tom Bowden-Green and Luan Wise (episode 66) (https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/tomandluan)

• Godfather of Influence: The Persuasion Principle that Resulted in a $700,000 Gift & The "Bible of Online Marketing" with Robert Cialdini (episode 50) (https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/robertcialdini)

From Our Guest:

Website (https://www.cheriankoshy.com/)

LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheriankoshy/)

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/cheriangkoshy/)

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/cheriankoshy)

Neurogiving by Cherian Koshy (https://neurogivingbook.com/)

—

Produced by Ideablossoms (https://ideablossoms.com/)

Howie Chan interviews buyer psychology expert and “customer whisperer” Katelyn Bourgoin to unpack the hidden forces behind attention, influence, and why some people become impossible to ignore while others stay invisible.

In this episode, Katelyn shares the painful story of shutting down her venture-backed startup, the lessons she learned from studying behavioral economics, and how understanding buyer psychology completely changed the trajectory of her career. They dive deep into the psychology of attention, why “jobs to be done” changed modern marketing, how envy secretly drives human behavior, and the difference between getting attention and earning true influence.

You’ll also learn practical strategies for becoming “unignorable” in today’s AI-driven world, including how to build authority, borrow trust, create memorable positioning, and use storytelling ethically to influence people.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, creator, marketer, or leader trying to stand out in a noisy world, this conversation will change how you think about persuasion, branding, and human behavior.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00:00 Why Katelyn Bourgoin Shut Down Her Startup

00:05:19 Rebuilding from Zero

00:12:09 The Customer Insight Mistake Founders Keep Making

00:16:38 How a Newsletter Accidentally Became a Business

00:21:45 “Jobs To Be Done” Explained Simply

00:27:11 The “Pratfall Effect” & Why Flaws Build Trust

00:29:19 How to Become Unignorable in the Age of AI

00:36:25 How to Borrow Trust and Authority Strategically

00:39:25 Sharing Your Wins Builds Influence

00:41:22 Envy, Mimetic Desire & Hidden Motivations

00:47:15 The Science of Attention and Persuasion

00:52:11 Fascination, Contrarian Ideas & Standing Out

01:02:33 Wallet Opening Words

01:06:31 Delivering on Your Promises to Build Influence

Want to make influencing human behavior your company's superpower? Connect with me at howiechan.com/speaking and let's talk!

The Behavioring Blueprint:

A FREE, 7-day email course breaking down all the levers to influence human behavior to get people from a current behavior to a desired behavior.

→ http://howiechan.com/behavioring

From Our Guest:

Website (https://learnwhywebuy.com/)

LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/katebour/)

Newsletter (https://learnwhywebuy.com/)

Read Katelyn’s blog about killing her startup (https://medium.com/@katelynbourgoin/i-killed-my-startup-and-then-some-crazy-shit-happened-6dfefa184652)

Participate in Katelyn's Pre-selling with Pre-suasion email challenge (https://customercamp.co/pwp/)

Get the book, Wallet-Opening Words (https://www.walletopeningwords.com/)

—

Produced by Ideablossoms (https://ideablossoms.com/)

In this solo episode, Howie Chan breaks down one of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to influence others: leading with data instead of emotion. He reveals why facts alone rarely change minds and how stories psychologically prime people to care, remember, and take action.

Drawing from neuroscience, behavioral psychology, and persuasion research, Howie explains how emotion drives decision-making before logic ever enters the picture. He unpacks the hidden roles stories and data play in the brain and introduces a simple four-part framework to ethically influence decisions more effectively.

You’ll learn why storytelling in marketing and communication works so powerfully, how dopamine and emotional memory shape attention, and why data is most persuasive only after emotional engagement has been established.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Why Stories Outperform Statistics

00:02:14 What Storytelling Does to the Brain

00:04:39 The 4-Part Framework for Influence

00:06:41 The Psychology Behind Emotional Anchoring

Check out my conversation with Matt Sucha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evkin9z6Z4w

Turn Your Expertise Into Income (Without Becoming a Creator)

Influence System Mastery is a 6-week cohort program with a private community designed to help you attract the right clients and opportunities 24/7—using brand and influence science.

→ https://www.influencesystemmastery.com

Next Summer cohort runs June 5 - July 10, 2026

Brand strategist and author of Brand Desire, Kevin Perlmutter, joins Howie Chan to reveal why the strongest brands don’t just communicate value. They create emotional connection.

Drawing from behavioral science, customer psychology, and years of brand strategy experience, Kevin explains how brands can move beyond corporate jargon and surface-level messaging to uncover the emotional motivations that truly drive human behavior. From “limbic sparks” and subconscious associations to brand messaging and customer experience design, this conversation breaks down how great brands become unforgettable.

You’ll learn why emotional insight matters more than demographics, how subconscious associations influence decision-making, and why most B2B brands fail to connect with the people they’re trying to reach. Kevin also shares practical frameworks any business can use to create stronger customer relationships, more resonant messaging, and brand experiences people actually want to return to.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00:00 The 3 Pillars of Brand Desire

00:09:21 “Limbic Sparks” in Brand Strategy

00:14:33 The Behavioral Science Discovery That Changed Kevin’s Career

00:16:44 The 86% Correlation Most Brands Ignore

00:24:36 AI & the Missing Emotional Connection

00:28:26 The Biggest Mistake B2B Brands Make

00:34:35 Fear-Based Marketing vs. Positive Emotional Connection

00:40:49 Brand Expression (Sonic Branding, Visual Identity & Brand Messaging)

00:44:27 Identifying Shared Emotional Motivation Between Stakeholders

00:46:13 Aligning Customer Experience With Brand Promise

00:51:54 The 3 Question Framework Every Business Should Ask

Want to make influencing human behavior your company's superpower? Connect with me at howiechan.com/speaking and let's talk!

What’s Your Influence Style? What do you do when you need someone to do something?

This quiz will help you discover what is your most natural influence style, so you can use that strength more effectively (and know your blind spots).

→ https://www.influencestylequiz.com/

Join 700+ leaders who've already uncovered what their style is.

Episode Resources:

Check out my episode with  David Aaker here — or just go to episode 79.

From Our Guest:

Website

LinkedIn

YouTube

Instagram

Brand Desire by Kevin Perlmutter

—

Produced by Ideablossoms

Howie Chan interviews marketing icon David Aaker, widely regarded as the father of modern branding, to unpack the true drivers of brand equity — what a brand’s worth.

In this episode, brand storytelling takes center stage as Aaker breaks down the myths around branding and reveals what actually influences customer decisions in modern days.

From brand relevance to the power of loyalty, Aaker explains why branding goes far beyond awareness and image. He introduces his “Five B’s” framework and shows how brands shape both buying decisions and user experiences.

You’ll learn why storytelling in marketing is one of the most effective tools in today’s cluttered and skeptical landscape, how to craft signature stories that captivate audiences, and why most companies are underutilizing their greatest competitive advantage: their “secret sauce.”

Chapters:

00:00:00 Brand vs Brand Equity

00:04:01 The Five B’s of Modern Branding

00:09:01 Managing Negative Brand Perception

00:16:40 How to Create Powerful Signature Stories

00:25:47 Branding Beyond Ads (Events, Sponsorship & Communities)

00:30:30 The #1 Mistake Businesses Make with Branding

00:33:04 Uniqlo’s Example of Branding Differentiation and Innovation

00:52:26 High-Profile Branding Failures

00:57:09 Final Advice: “Brand Your Secret Sauce”

From David Aaker:

Website

LinkedIn

Take a look at David’s books mentioned in this episode:

• Aaker on Branding: Second Edition

• Creating Signature Stories

• Owning Game-Changing Subcategories

• Brand Portfolio Strategy

 Check out my conversation with Matt Sucha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evkin9z6Z4w

What’s Your Influence Style? What do you do when you need someone to do something?

This quiz will help you discover what is your most natural influence style, so you can use that strength more effectively (and know your blind spots.)

→ https://www.influencestylequiz.com/

Join 700+ leaders who've already uncovered what their style is.

—

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this solo episode, Howie Chan breaks down the true meaning of influence and why most people misunderstand it. Rather than focusing on persuasion, communication, or attention, Howie reveals that real influence comes down to one thing: changing human behavior.

Through a simple but powerful framework, Howie explains why people don’t take action — and how leaders, founders, and professionals can finally unlock consistent results. You’ll learn the critical difference between motivation and friction, and why adding more effort often backfires when trying to influence outcomes.

This episode dives into practical applications for both personal development and influencing others, from building better habits to closing clients more effectively.

Chapters:

00:01:12 What Influence Really Is (and Why Most Get It Wrong)

00:03:36 The Core Formula: Less Friction + More Motivation

00:05:20 The “SUPER” Friction Framework

00:08:12 Applying the Formula to Any Situation

Check out my conversation with Dr. Robert Cialdini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8joK8ViLneY&t=48s

Check out my conversation with Matt Sucha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evkin9z6Z4w

The Behavioring Blueprint:

A FREE, 7-day email course breaking down all the levers to influence human behavior to get people from a current behavior to a desired behavior.

→ http://howiechan.com/behavioring

What’s Your Influence Style? What do you do when you need someone to do something?

This quiz will help you discover what is your most natural influence style, so you can use that strength more effectively (and know your blind spots.)

→ https://www.influencestylequiz.com/

Join 700+ leaders who've already uncovered what their style is.

Tech Humanist Kate O’Neill joins host Howie Chan to unpack the real truth behind AI strategy and why most organizations get it wrong from the start. Kate has spent her career helping leaders navigate AI ethics, responsible tech, and human-centric digital transformation.

In this episode, Kate breaks down why starting with tools instead of purpose leads to failure, and how “prompt skills” are becoming the most important capability in today’s workforce. She reframes AI not as a replacement for thinking, but as a mirror that exposes how clearly you think, communicate, and lead.

You’ll learn how to use AI to sharpen your thinking, improve emotional intelligence, and enhance human connection rather than dilute it.

Episode Resources:

Download the four master storytelling prompts here.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00:00 The Intersection of Technology and Humanity

00:08:30 The Real Fear Employees Have About AI (and What’s True)

00:11:02 Prompt Skilling vs. Prompt Engineering

00:16:27 How Technology Shapes Culture and Behavior

00:19:58 Human + AI Collaboration Done Right

00:24:27 Why Most AI Strategies Fail

00:33:34 AI Replacing Jobs: The Real Story

00:43:45 Using AI to Improve Emotional Intelligence

00:47:17 The Danger of Over-Relying on AI Outputs

00:55:28 AI and Creativity

00:59:20 Incorporating AI Into Your Small Business

Want to make influencing human behavior your company's superpower? Connect with me at howiechan.com/speaking and let's talk!

From Our Guest:

Website

LinkedIn

Youtube

Facebook

Instagram

TEDx Talk

Check out my episode with Michael Margolis here.

See Kate’s audition form here.

Learn more about Office Space here.

—

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this solo episode, Howie Chan shares his proven LinkedIn framework — the "LinkedIn 5" — five essential moves to grow your brand or business on the platform, whether you're starting from zero or finally ready to get serious.

Most people fail on LinkedIn not because they lack ideas or experience, but because they don't know what game they're playing.

Howie breaks down the three LinkedIn games — creator, business owner, and executive — and explains why mixing them up is the #1 reason people feel stuck, burned out, and invisible.

You'll learn how to optimize your profile as a high-converting landing page, how to get in front of the right audience without a single follower, and the counterintuitive content strategy that lets you win fast by using what already works.

Chapters:

00:01:24 The 3 LinkedIn Games (and How to Pick Yours)

00:03:33 Your Profile as a Landing Page

00:09:56 How to Find Your Audience Before You Have Followers

00:12:27 The Pro Move Most People Ignore

00:13:31 Match Your Content to Your Game 00:17:46 Full Recap

What’s Your Influence Style? What do you do when you need someone to do something?

This quiz will help you discover what is your most natural influence style, so you can use that strength more effectively (and know your blind spots.)

→ https://www.influencestylequiz.com/

Join 700+ leaders who've already uncovered what their style is.

In this episode of the Influence Anyone Podcast, host Howie Chan interviews Fotini Iconomopoulos, expert negotiator, bestselling author of Say Less, Get More, and trusted advisor to global leaders. They explore the truth about negotiation skills and why most people get them completely wrong.

Fotini reframes negotiation as a daily human interaction, not just a boardroom tactic and introduces her powerful “Three C’s” framework to build instant trust and connection. You’ll learn why leading with price weakens your position, how power is built through information, not dominance, and why the popular “win-win” mindset can actually sabotage long-term success.

Want to make influencing human behavior your company's superpower? Connect with me at howiechan.com/speaking and let's talk!

Episode Breakdown:

00:00:00 The Power of Negotiation

00:04:51 Why “Win-Win” is Flawed Thinking

00:11:02 Understanding Bias  

00:18:49 Never Lead With Price

00:30:01 Negotiation Shapes Society and Relationships

00:38:46 Common Traps for Business Owners

00:42:40 Negotiating Attention as a Speaker

00:49:37 Negotiating with Ourselves

From Our Guest:

Website

LinkedIn

Youtube

Instagram

Read Say Less, Get More by Fotini Iconomopoulos.

Want prospects to become customers and passers-by to become fans? Sign up for the Behavioring Blueprint, my FREE 7-day email course.

Get people to buy into your ideas and offers!

Join the FREE Influence Anyone newsletter. Each week, I uncover a proven strategy from world experts and scientific research to influence human behavior – including your own.

📩 Go to: www.howiechan.com/sub 

Produced by Ideablossoms

Howie Chan interviews Matt Sucha, CEO of Mindworx, author of the bestselling book The Hidden Yes, and a leading expert in sales psychology and behavioral science.

They discuss why conversion optimization isn’t about making better offers. It’s about removing the hidden psychological barriers that stop people from saying yes.

Matt introduces the powerful concept of the “zone of acceptance” and explains how small, strategic actions can move prospects closer to a decision. You’ll discover how to uncover what’s really holding customers back, design smarter customer journeys, and ethically influence decisions using proven behavioral science principles.

Find the Zone of Acceptance Expansion Prompt here: https://www.howiechan.com/zone-prompt-pod

Chapters:

00:00:00 Selling Courses vs. Removing Barriers

00:07:52 The “Zone of Acceptance” Explained

00:15:55 Psychological Barriers in Sales

00:24:04 The #1 Conversion Killer: Uncertainty

00:34:28 The SURF Method Breakdown

00:51:49 Every Interaction Has a Hidden Yes

From Matt Sucha:

Website: https://mindworx.net/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-sucha/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MINDWORX_Consulting 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindworx_behavioral_consulting/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindworx2014

Find Matt’s bestselling book, The Hidden YES, here: https://thehiddenyes.com/influence

Listen to “The Godfather of Influence”, Dr. Robert Cialdini’s episode here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5dVmBJXmLEqUfArB53hwR8?si=Gk9HfuDCT4SDEufL3WzHZg

https://podcasts.apple.com/ar/podcast/influence-anyone/id1773148427?i=1000732793093

Get people to buy into your ideas and offers!

Join the FREE Influence Anyone newsletter. Each week, I uncover a proven strategy from world experts and scientific research to influence human behavior – including your own.

📩 Go to: www.howiechan.com/sub

_

This episode of Influence Anyone was produced by Ideablossoms.