Behavioral scientist and bestselling author Jon Levy is back to unpack how we can leverage our own psychology to build wealth. He explains why publicly announcing your financial goals can actually sabotage them, how “if-then” plans outperform willpower, and why adopting the identity of “I’m an investor” can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Then Nicole asks Jon what the science says about whether jerks make better CEOs, and he shares research-backed strategies for becoming a stronger leader.

He also gets personal: how growing up as the child of immigrants affected his money mindset, the road to becoming debt-free in eight years, and the amount of money he needs in his bank account to feel safe. Nicole and Jon also discuss how financial frameworks like the sunk cost fallacy apply to relationships and whether your partner might be the best investment you’ll ever make.

Check out Nicole’s financial literacy course The Money School 

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole’s company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab’s Instagram and Nicole Lapin’s Instagram

Get Jon’s latest book Team Intelligence 

Here’s what Nicole covers with Jon:

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

01:47 Jon’s Famous Dinners Explained 

04:17 Why Money is a Mental Puzzle, Not a Math Problem 

06:16 Why Sharing Goals Fails 

07:56 From Housing Markets to Dating Markets

09:42 Is Your Partner the Most Important Financial Decision You’ll Make? 

15:09 Jon’s Leap From Debt to Social Currency 

33:37 Money Values in Marriage 

38:01 Should You Quit the Zombie Job?

39:27 The Chicken/Egg Problem with Success 

45:25 Do CEOs Need to Be Jerks to be Successful? 

49:53 What Makes a Leader 

58:12 How Self Deprecation Erodes Trust 

01:06:57 Jon Levy’s Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank