The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics

284. What is Habit Weekly? Featuring Creator Samuel Salzer (Refreshed Episode)


Listen Later

In this episode of The Brainy Business podcast, host Melina Palmer interviews Samuel Salzer, founder of Habit Weekly, a newsletter that curates the latest in behavioral science research and news. Salzer discusses the importance of creating content that people actually want (imagine that!) and the value of putting good things out into the world. He also shares insights on building habits and behavior change, and how businesses can apply these principles to their marketing and customer engagement strategies. Overall, the episode highlights the power of behavioral science in shaping our daily lives and the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest research and trends.

Show Notes:
  • [00:40] Today’s episode is a refresh of my conversation with Samuel Salzer, founder of Habit Weekly.
  • [02:06] It is so fun to see how much things have grown at Habit Weekly in these three years. They have a full team of people now, and they’ve been doing their awards for a few years as well. I was honored to have been a winner in the inaugural edition, and a finalist in multiple categories every year.
  • [03:29] Samuel shares about himself, his background, and how he started working in behavioral science. He has always been an entrepreneur and started his first business at 16. 
  • [05:02] He found human decision-making fascinating. 
  • [06:44] He wanted to learn more about what we can do to support people in making behavioral changes in their lives. 
  • [08:42] For his work he focuses on how to scale behavioral change. 
  • [09:56] You are succeeding if you help create value for your users and customers, understand them better, and help find a good solution for their problems. 
  • [10:38] Whether we like it or not, behavior is quite complex. We are complex beings living in complex environments. 
  • [13:06] Most businesses look at reducing friction in their customer journeys. Sometimes increasing friction is a good idea too. 
  • [16:06] We are really good at creating stories and narratives in our minds to support whatever thing we really want to do. 
  • [18:28] Just the simple shift of taking the word from reward to consequence makes it feel heavier in a way that can change behavior.  
  • [19:39] Each individual choice matters.
  • [20:50] We are often trying to do things that remove a negative effect.
  • [23:17] The concept of “eating the frog” is doing the hard thing first. 
  • [25:45] Samuel felt like it was hard to stay up on the content and research in the field so he started sharing links on LinkedIn. 
  • [26:53] This eventually evolved into Habit Weekly. It’s now a mailing list that sends content related to behavioral design on a weekly basis.
  • [28:27] You know you found something people really want if they are reaching out to you asking you to create a mailing list. It doesn’t have to be difficult to start an email list if you understand what drives people. 
  • [30:27] His goal is to make sure that anyone interested in applying behavior change has the best and latest insights every week.
  • [35:21] This field of behavioral science is still in the adolescent phase. In the near future, it is going to move into this more mature phase that is more about the process and learning more about applying these concepts in the best way. 
  • [37:21] Samuel is really excited about the better understanding in the next few years of how any organization can easily start applying these concepts. 
  • [40:17] His superpower or wish would be to see the world through other people’s eyes. (Melina would like to be able to speak and read every language fluently.)
  • [40:58] He also loves books and movies. A really good book or movie can help show the world from someone else’s perspective. 
  • [44:44] Many businesses create content people don’t want. If you start from a place of sharing, reciprocity will kick in eventually and people will appreciate what you are doing and what to give back to you one way or another. 
  • [46:18] Melina’s closing thoughts

Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show. 

I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation.

Let’s connect:

  • [email protected]
  • The Brainy Business® on Facebook
  • The Brainy Business on Twitter
  • The Brainy Business on Instagram
  • The Brainy Business on LinkedIn
  • Melina on LinkedIn
  • The Brainy Business on Youtube
  • Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going!

More from The Brainy Business:

Get your copies of Melina’s award-winning books

Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

  • Friction, by Roger Dooley
  • What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer
  • Sludge, by Cass Sunstein
  • Nudge, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein
  • You Have More Influence Than You Think, by Vanessa Bohns

Connect with Samuel: 

  • Samuel’s Website
  • Samuel on LinkedIn
  • Samuel on Twitter

Top Recommended Next Episode: Framing (ep 16)

Already Heard That One? Try These: 

  • How to Finally Change Your Behavior (So it Sticks) (ep 81)
  • Loss Aversion (ep 9)
  • Friction – What It Is And How To Reduce It, with Roger Dooley (ep 274)
  • Time Discounting (ep 51)
  • Partitioning (ep 58)
  • The Overwhelmed Brain and Its Impact on Decision Making (ep 32)
  • Optimism Bias (ep 34)
  • What is BrainyTab? An Interview with the Founders Radu and Raluca Judele (ep 85)
  • Reciprocity (ep 238)
  • Booms and Busts (ep 30)
  • How to Make Content People Can’t Help But Engage With, featuring Katelyn Bourgoin (ep 201)
  • You Have More Influence Than You Think, with Vanessa Bohns (ep 197)
  • Sludge (ep 179)

Other Important Links: 

  • Brainy Bites - Melina’s LinkedIn Newsletter 
  • The Brain Science Behind Your Shopping Decisions (watch Melina’s TV interview!)
  • Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
  • Habit Weekly
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral EconomicsBy Melina Palmer

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

172 ratings


More shows like The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics

View all
HBR IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review

HBR IdeaCast

242 Listeners

The Digital Marketing Podcast by Ciaran Rogers, Daniel Rowles and Louise Crossley

The Digital Marketing Podcast

102 Listeners

The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast by Pat Flynn

The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast

3,450 Listeners

Social Media Marketing Podcast by Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner

Social Media Marketing Podcast

1,449 Listeners

The Amy Porterfield Show by Amy Porterfield

The Amy Porterfield Show

4,580 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,319 Listeners

Negotiate Anything by Kwame Christian Esq., M.A.

Negotiate Anything

649 Listeners

Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips by Eric Siu and Neil Patel

Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips

1,253 Listeners

The Russell Brunson Show by Russell Brunson | YAP Media

The Russell Brunson Show

895 Listeners

Akimbo: A Podcast from Seth Godin by Seth Godin

Akimbo: A Podcast from Seth Godin

1,752 Listeners

Worklife with Adam Grant by TED

Worklife with Adam Grant

9,273 Listeners

Nudge by Phill Agnew

Nudge

171 Listeners

Founder's Journal by Morning Brew

Founder's Journal

1,103 Listeners

Marketing Made Simple by Powered by StoryBrand

Marketing Made Simple

284 Listeners

Marketing Against The Grain by Hubspot Media

Marketing Against The Grain

352 Listeners