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216. Unity: Cialdini's 7th Principle of Persuasion Aug 05, 2022

Show notes

A little over a year ago, in episode 157 of The Brainy Business, I was honored to have Dr. Robert Cialdini join me on the show to talk about the new and expanded version of his book Influence, which has sold many, many millions of copies around the world, and it is so impactful even nearly 40 years after its original publishing date. The new version added 220 (pure gold!) pages and a whole new seventh principle of persuasion – unity – which is of course the focus of today's episode.

The six original principles of persuasion include reciprocity, liking, authority, scarcity, social proof, and commitment/consistency. Most of those already have their own episodes of the podcast, which are linked for you in the show notes along with my interview with Bob when he was on the show. So, why unity? As I said, while I've dedicated episodes to several of the initial six principles, including scarcity, social proof, reciprocity, and precommitment…I haven't done them all yet…so why jump to the end with Unity before "completing the set" so to speak? Listen in to find out why and learn more about the amazing principle of unity.

Show Notes:

[00:07] Today's behavioral economics foundations episode is all about Cialdini's new 7th principle of persuasion: unity.
[00:48] In episode 157 of The Brainy Business, I was honored to have Dr. Robert Cialdini join me on the show to talk about the new and expanded version of his book Influence, which has sold multi multi multi million copies and it is so impactful even nearly 40 years after its original publishing date.
[03:36] Unity is an underlying principle that runs through all the others. If you have unity, everything else can come easier, so understanding this technique can be impactful in most any approach. (A great reason to jump here first! It also has less info on it when you search since it is new, so I wanted to contribute there, and it has a big feature in my new book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You).
[04:54] Melina shares an overview of the first six principles. Reciprocity: when given a gift, even something incredibly small, people feel compelled to give back to the gifter.
[05:51] People are more likely to do business with people they like. We are also influenced by people in authority even when they don't have any expertise in the area we may be asking about.
[06:28] Because we are a herding species, we are very influenced by social proof. We also are very influenced by items that are scarce. We find them more valuable, our FOMO and loss aversion are triggered.
[07:04] People like to be consistent and do what they have said they will do. They also like to do business with people who do what they say they will do. Showing that you have done this is powerful.
[08:02] If people aren't buying what you have to sell, whether it is an idea or a physical product or service or anything else, it doesn't necessarily mean the idea is wrong or bad. You can often change the way you are presenting the information and enjoy a different result.
[08:35] Unity goes beyond liking or social proof and is in the space of how we are the same. It's not just that I like you, but we are (as they say) cut from the same cloth. When you are part of my tribe, when we are a WE, I become more compelled toward whatever it is you are asking for or offering up.
[09:36] We all have a lot of identities that we flow between throughout the day; they don't have to be weighty to create that connection.
[10:54] It is pretty easy for people to come up with 20 self-defining things pretty quickly off the top of their head.
[12:32] The way we identify with a group can shape the way we see the world around us and the decisions we make.
[14:31] A key to unity is finding what is central, core, or defining to both people.
[16:25] When you find something that you like about someone else, it creates a connection that makes them, in turn, like you more.
[18:03] Ask good questions and know there will be some commonality that will help you to find them more interesting and engaging, and give you something to talk about, and that it is possible they will think of you more fondly as well.
[18:22] Know that when you need to ask people for things, your own affinity groups or people who you would say are part of your "I am" group are a great place to start because they are the most likely to say yes to you.
[21:11] Bringing one particular aspect of your shared identity to the front of their mind at the right time – making that particular identity you share salient at the right moment – is key for using unity in your life and work communication.
[22:17] People are busy and their brains are even busier. Reminding someone of that important detail at the right moment can have a massive impact.
[23:32] We form an idea of who we are, what we are about, and the brain is really good at explaining why every action supports the way we see ourselves.
[26:30] The main point I want to make is that our busy brains have a lot going on and when you are asking or offering something to someone, the way you present that information matters because the brain will assume that whatever you bring up is being brought up for some reason and it has a lot of weight on the decision the person makes in that moment.
[28:46] Unity is an amazing concept that can help you relate better to those around you and have a higher likelihood that things will just flow better and be easier for you.
[29:05] Take Melina's Unity Challenge. Do the 20 statement challenge Dominic talked about in the snip from his episode on The Power of Us. Next, pick three people whom you can practice on finding a new opportunity for unity with. Use your freebie worksheet in these notes to help!
[31:23] The second challenge you could take on would be to look at the short term, and if there is someone you need to ask for a favor from or to pitch something to.
[32:31] Try out one or both of these challenges and share it with Melina on social media.

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.

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Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going!

More from The Brainy Business:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

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

Influence (New and Expanded), by Robert Cialdini
The Power of Us, by Jay Van Bavel & Dominic Packer
The Power of Regret, by Dan Pink
The Influencer, by Brian Ahearn
What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Other Important Links:

Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter
How To Ethically Influence People: Interview with Author Brian Ahearn (episode 104)
Texas A&M Certificate Program

Check out What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

215. Questionstorming at KIND / Mars with Beatrix Daros Jul 29, 2022

Show notes

In today's conversation, I am joined by Beatrix Daros, Global Consumer Intelligence Director for Mars, and today we are talking mostly about a project we worked on together for KIND snack bars around healthy snacking and checkout/impulse buying in grocery stores. Beatrix also shares about some technology they used during the pandemic and her advice for others looking to incorporate similar work at their companies. This conversation is a revisit of the session we did together at IIEX Europe in Amsterdam a few weeks back, which was an awesome event -- thank you to Greenbook for having us out for that!

Beatrix is so awesome and I'm delighted that she is joining me on the podcast. The event space in Amsterdam didn't allow for the same easy replay on the podcast, so she was kind enough (pun intended) to do another recording with me here -- so even those who watched the session live in Amsterdam will get something a little different in the episode. We talk about the questionstorming session we did in 2019, the studies they implemented based on that work, her plans for future research, and so much more.

Show Notes:

[00:43] In today's conversation, I am joined by Beatrix Daros, Global Consumer Intelligence Director for Mars.
[01:45] Melina) will be speaking at another upcoming Greenbook event IIEX Behavior in Chicago September 13th-14th.
[03:35] The event space in Amsterdam didn't allow for the same easy replay on the podcast, so Beatrix was kind enough (pun intended) to do another recording with me here.
[06:02] Beatrix shares about herself and the work she does.
[07:07] KIND is a healthy snack bar with very low sugar levels, high content of nuts, and very little processing. It is called KIND because we need more kindness in the world.
[08:06] Beatrix shares her history and background.
[10:16] Research tip: the most important thing is really to connect with people from the segments you are working with. (In their case, it was countries.)
[12:02] In some countries snacking is very established; it is considered part of the normal routine and part of their culture.
[13:18] How people make decisions related to health is very different across countries. They researched what is affecting these decisions.
[15:11] They are doing research in the US, including looking at new products. In the rest of the world, they are looking to establish the brand like it is in the US.
[18:00] Impulse buys matter a lot for the Mars legacy brands. Bars, whether they are indulgent or healthy, are very often bought impulsively.
[20:43] Their expectation is that in the next five years other governments will likely follow what the UK is doing with their health regulations.
[23:18] They started by really trying to understand what goes on in the brain of the consumers and what influences their decisions. They also looked at behavioral science and how they could apply it.
[25:05] Melina worked with their team at a full-day workshop. They started off the day with Melina sharing about behavioral economics, how the brain works, and some specific concepts, and then they went to questionstorming.
[27:26] It is important for everyone to be part of the process even if their idea doesn't ultimately get selected (this helps with the IKEA effect).
[29:45] Questionstorming was much more inclusive and improved engagement because every question found a space even if it wasn't part of the first phase. It opened up and really brought people together.
[31:08] Technology was wonderful for their project (especially with the pandemic) because they could learn very fast and get super clear on the outcomes.
[33:19] They decided they would not go back to the way they did research before (in-person) because it was much more time-consuming. Technology can help you speed up and get results in 1-2 weeks. They may then test in stores for 4-6 weeks for validation, but it is still often faster than the old way of testing.
[34:29] Beatrix tip: rely on technology, it is very reliable and we should take advantage of it.
[36:25] The "deep human connection" goes back to the roots of the KIND brand. They were always in touch with the brand-consumer in a natural way.
[37:13] There are three layers where they try to create deep human connections with their consumers. The first layer is to be kind to the body. The second layer is to be kind to the community, and the third layer is to be kind to the planet.
[39:27] They launched a consumer closeness program. The first stream of the program was technology.
[41:19] The second stream of the consumer closeness program is a consumer and associate connect. Every team member is connecting directly with consumers and trying to understand what matters to them.
[44:26] Beatrix shares what she is excited about coming up in the future.
[45:52] There needs to be a healthy balance between using technology and keeping human connections.
[46:51] Since the pandemic, a lot of people became more conscious and we see the relationship between food and eating really changed in a positive way.
[48:09] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[49:58] Even when we have a small part in creating the project, and believe we were truly valued and part of the outcome, it can make a huge difference on whether or not people want to be part of and embrace that change initiative or recoil against it
[50:59] The way change is presented is within your control and can help keep this from ever being a problem. This is the focus of my new book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You which is on presale now and hits shelves on October 11, 2022.
[51:38] Could your team benefit from a questionstorming session? What projects do you have coming up in the next 6-12 months that are too important to fail? I would love to have a conversation with you and see if there is an opportunity for us to work together.

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.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
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:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

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

What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer
A More Beautiful Question, by Warren Berger
Start at the End, by Matt Wallaert
Blindsight, by Matt Johnson & Prince Ghuman
The Book of Beautiful Questions, by Warren Berger

Connect with Beatrix:

Top Recommended Next Episode: Nudging for Good at Walmart with Sarah Wilson (episode 206)

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Other Important Links:

Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need
Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself
Exploit & Explore: Two Ways of Categorizing Innovation Research

Check out What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

214. The Power of Regret with Daniel Pink Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

In today's conversation, I am joined by Daniel Pink; author of five New York Times bestsellers, including his latest, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward (which is the focus of our conversation today). His other books include When, A Whole New Mind, Drive, and To Sell is Human. Dan's books have won multiple awards, have been translated into 42 languages, and have sold millions of copies around the world.

I reached out to Dan while I was writing my new book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You (which is now on presale and coming out on October 11, 2022) because I reference his book Drive a few times and wanted him to have a chance to weigh in and make sure I attributed everything correctly (something I do for every mention in my books). I was so deep in writing mode that I didn't realize he had a new book coming out at that time, so I asked him to come join me on the podcast to talk about his newest book, The Power of Regret. You will hear all about it in our conversation of course, but let me tell you, this book did not disappoint. It is full of great examples and extensive research -- it will change the way you think about regret and what it means to be human. You don't want to miss this conversation where we talk all about it.

Show Notes:

[00:40] In today's conversation, I am joined by Dan Pink. He is the author of five New York Times bestsellers.
[01:51] In this episode we talk about his newest book, The Power of Regret.
[03:41] Dan shares about himself and his background.
[05:49] He realized in his early thirties what he was doing on the side (writing) should be what he was doing full-time.
[07:12] He shares about the manga comic book he wrote called The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need. It is a 180-page graphic novel written in the Japanese comic form of manga.
[09:41] The book received a number of awards, including one from the American Library Association.
[12:06] In the first week the book came out he got an offer for the movie rights, which he declined, and he never got another one. (Per the theme of today's episode…Does he regret it?)
[14:43] Dan's tips for writing books: When it comes to writing and content creation there is a lot to be said for getting the reps. Start small and work up to writing a book. Listen to the feedback you get.
[15:59] When writing a book you have to have a very high bar for whether something is worth writing a book about. Many ideas don't have shoulders broad enough to carry a full book and they would be better as an article or essay.
[17:20] Writing a book is hard so if you don't pick a topic that you are deeply interested in it is going to be a profoundly miserable experience.
[19:50] Does your book deserve 9 hours and 300 pages of someone else's time? And, do you want to live with this for the rest of your life?
[21:13] His early book Free Agent Nation was about the rise of people who were working for themselves.
[22:41] At any point in our lives we want to have some exploration but at a certain point, we have to execute.
[25:15] Dan loves sharing what he is working on along the way and getting feedback from others.
[27:14] Not only is regret normal and exceedingly common. Everybody has regrets.
[28:15] We want to use our regrets as information for understanding what our value is and learning to do better.
[29:21] He did two pieces of original research, one was The American Regret Project. It was a very large public opinion survey of the US population.
[30:59] He also did a piece of qualitative research called The World Regret Survey where he invited people around the world to submit their regrets (over 20,000 of them!).
[31:55] He found that people around the world had the same four core underlying regrets over and over again.
[33:42] One of the core regrets is foundation regrets. These are regrets people have about small bad decisions early in life that accumulate and have negative consequences later in life.
[34:23] Boldness regrets are if only I had taken the chance regrets. Moral regrets are if only I had done the right thing. Connection regrets are regrets about relationships.
[36:37] We need to process our regrets and use them as a force going forward. A starting point is looking at our regrets and deciding if they are regrets of action or regrets of inaction.
[38:15] Regret is one of the most common emotions that we have. Everybody has regrets.
[38:30] We have a massive amount of evidence that when we confront and think about our regrets we can use them to make better decisions, solve problems faster and better, avoid cognitive biases, become better negotiators and strategists, and find more meaning in life.
[39:59] Feelings are for thinking. They are signals, data, and information. When you have negative feelings even when it is unpleasant we need to figure out what it is teaching us to use them as a force of progress.
[41:35] You want to have way more positive emotions than negative emotions but a life well lived is not a life of only positive emotions. Negative emotions serve a role and are part of life.
[43:43] Discomfort is a sign of growth so you want a little discomfort because that is how we learn and grow.
[46:00] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[48:15] If you enjoy the experience I've provided here for you, will you share about it? That could mean leaving a rating/review or sharing the episode with a friend (or 10!)

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.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
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:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

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

The Power of Regret, by Daniel Pink
Drive, by Daniel Pink
When, by Daniel Pink
To Sell is Human, by Daniel Pink
A Whole New Mind, by Daniel Pink

Connect with Dan:

Top Recommended Next Episode: Counterfactual Thinking (episode 68)

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Other Important Links:

Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need
Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself
Exploit & Explore: Two Ways of Categorizing Innovation Research

Check out What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

213. Common Errors in Financial Decision Making with Dr. Chuck Howard Jul 15, 2022

Show notes

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Chuck Howard, an Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. In his research, Chuck asks questions like, "Why do consumers so often underpredict their future expenses?" and "Why do people who work in the gig economy over-predict their future income?" He then designs simple solutions for these problems that help people improve their financial well-being.

Chuck's research has earned awards from the Society for Consumer Psychology, the Society for Judgment and Decision Making, and the Behavioral Insights Group at Harvard University. Chuck earned his Ph.D. in Marketing and Behavioral Science from the University of British Columbia, and his BA in Economics and Finance from Ryerson University.

I met Chuck on a recent trip to College Station and we have had a few conversations since then. Upon hearing about some of his recent research I thought it would be something that you would find interesting (I sure did!) and while it is more on personal financial decision-making, we definitely talk about this from a business aspect, and the insights are relevant to everyone -- especially all the people in the financial industry who I know listen to the show.

Show Notes:

[00:41] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Chuck Howard, an Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University.
[03:36] Chuck and Melina didn't meet in the same way as most guests of the show.
[04:04] Chuck shares about himself, his background (including a "gap decade"), and how he found himself in this space.
[06:30] He was able to combine his passion and knowledge of psychology and economics to land on studying consumer financial decision-making.
[07:38] Making ridiculously optimistic budgets or underpredicting your future expenses can help a lot of people spend less money. They often spend more than they budget (but still spend less than they used to) as long as they track their spending.
[10:12] Melina and Chuck talk about some weird common sayings and how they don't always translate around the world.
[10:51] There are a number of situations in which you need to have an accurate view of how much you are going to spend in the future.
[13:14] He was motivated to understand why people underpredict expenses and how we can improve their predictions and accuracy. He wanted to help people make better financial decisions to improve their financial well-being.
[14:25] People's predictions of expenses are deeply grounded in their past experiences. The problem is they are only thinking of the very typical things they have endured.
[16:18] In their research, they never found that the tendency to underpredict expenses or over-predict income is tied to being an optimist. It is simply about what comes to mind most easily when you are making the prediction.
[18:23] Chuck shares about a study they did where they asked people over several weeks to tell how much they spent the week prior, how typical their spending was that week, and how much they think they will spend the following week.
[19:25] Atypical expenses are common in the sense that they happen a lot of the time, but then they are uncommon because it is not the same thing repeated over time so people don't think they will happen again.
[22:20] If the person you are thinking of is similar to you then it could be helpful to think of their spending. It could help you gain perspective on your spending.
[24:59] To make more accurate expense predictions they prompt people to consider a handful of reasons why their expenses will be different than usual. This helps them think of those atypical expenses and increases prediction accuracy.
[26:23] So far, they have people type out the reason that their budget could be atypical. Writing it down may help because it takes a load off your working memory.
[29:00] They were motivated to do budgeting research because there was a debate about whether or not budgets actually work.
[30:08] Even though peoples' budgets are wildly optimistic and they never end up spending as little as they have budgeted, they still end up spending substantially less than they used to.
[32:23] You have to be tracking your spending against your budget. Once a week is ideal.
[34:58] At the end of the day it is typically about understanding why.
[36:53] Be very conscious of what information you are giving to people and when.
[38:55] Even if you haven't hit your budget (because most people don't), you are still spending less than you used to.
[41:40] They found that budgets are an effective way to decrease spending across a number of different personality traits.
[42:11] Tracking and monitoring your behavior against a goal can be very powerful.
[45:21] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[47:40] If you enjoy the experience I've provided here for you, will you share about it? That could mean leaving a rating/review or sharing the episode with a friend (or 10!)

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.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
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:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

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

Nudge, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein
Marketing to Mindstates, by Will Leach
Sludge, by Cass Sunstein
Friction, by Roger Dooley
What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer

Connect with Chuck:

Top Recommended Next Episode: Checking in with Dr. Marco Palma (episode 202)

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Other Important Links:

Check out What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

212. That Time I Went Viral… with Dr. Daniel Crosby Jul 08, 2022

Show notes

Before I introduce you to this week's guest, I want to take a moment to celebrate a very special anniversary...two days before this episode airs, on July 6, 2022, we celebrated the four-year anniversary of The Brainy Business Podcast! Four years, 212 episodes (including this one, of course) and we are also dangerously close to 600,000 downloads of the podcast from over 170 countries, which is so awesome! (Pretty confident this episode will push us over that threshold…)

I am so excited to introduce you to Dr. Daniel Crosby. In this episode, we talk a little about his books and the work he does in behavioral science around investing, which is very cool and so relevant. Investing is a time when we tend to throw logic out the window and the subconscious runs a bit rampant. But the main reason he is here today is that he recently had a tweet go viral.

It had nothing to do with his work, and seemed like a fascinating opportunity to hear what it was like to create a tweet like that and live in the space of something everyone says they want -- to go viral -- and see what it has done for him personally, for his business, outlook...and any insights on what this says about human behavior that we can keep in mind for all the application in business. As I'm sure you can appreciate, this is so relevant to his work in investing and how people will randomly jump on one bandwagon over another and invest because the herd is doing so even when they haven't done their own research. Check out the episode to hear him tell you all about his viral tweet!

Show Notes:

[00:48] Two days before this episode airs, on July 6, 2022, we celebrated the four-year anniversary of The Brainy Business Podcast!
[02:35] In the episode today, we talk a little about Daniel's books and the work he does in behavioral science around investing, which is very cool and so relevant.
[05:40] Daniel shares about himself, his background, and the work he does.
[07:31] He loves studying human behavior and thinking deeply about why people do the things that they do but he didn't want to do it in a clinical context.
[08:57] He has two popular books: The Behavioral Investor and the Laws of Wealth.
[11:03] The Laws of Wealth is his "ten commandments of investor behavior" and it talks about the power of behavioral principles.
[12:50] The Behavioral Investor is a deeper dive into externalities that are incredibly important but often overlooked.
[14:40] Dr. Crosby's top investment tips: automate, have a financial process, and get a third-party opinion on decisions.
[16:02] One of the reasons folks have such a hard time investing is because it is so counterintuitive.
[17:40] Our herding instinct does not serve us well in investing.
[20:38] Daniel's went viral with a tweet.
[22:17] When he figured out what was causing his tooth pain he decided he needed to make better health decisions and gave up Diet Coke.
[23:44] He snarkily tweeted that he had given up Diet Coke over a month ago and he didn't have any of the joys people told him he would receive.
[24:39] Elon Musk responded to his tweet and it went crazy with over 32 million views and over half a million likes and retweets.
[26:34] Part of what made his tweet go so viral was that there were at least two camps chiming in the comments, especially Diet Coke addicts. It also went viral on TikTok and Instagram.
[28:12] It struck something powerful in two very different groups of people.
[28:39] The most fascinating piece to him was follower count because he initially lost thousands of followers and then he ended up about where he started.
[29:55] His analytics showed that he gained 87 followers from a tweet that 32 million people saw in one day. It shows that going viral in an off-brand way doesn't do much for you.
[32:28] We spend so much time thinking about going viral and then it often doesn't help much.
[33:42] It was uncomfortable for him to have the heat turned up that high and know that many people were looking at him.
[35:40] He decided not to use the viral tweet for self-promotion or business because the content was very different.
[36:32] Melina shares an article that she recently wrote for Inc. about Brand Lessons from the Michelob Ultra Guy.
[39:18] Daniel shares about the Ocean Spray guy and his interaction with an intern at Diet Coke. He got a 24-pack and 2 six-packs of free soda.
[42:08] Usually we expect viral posts to be over the top. His tweet was surprising, it was funny and still vanilla.
[44:53] There is nothing so low stakes on the internet that people can't make a big deal about it. It gave him the sense of the power of a crowd so it actually made him go into his shell a bit.
[47:24] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[47:52] Melina shares Daniel's full viral tweet.
[49:02] We as humans feel this need to strive for that silver bullet...the one thing that will change everything, but in reality, it is a lot of little things that add up to a life and business that makes a difference.
[50:45] Don't sit around hoping and lamenting over that one thing that could change everything. Instead, focus on one thing you can do each day to get a little bit closer to your goals and show up where it counts, so people can rely on you and your content.
[51:44] Whenever you are listening, will you pay it forward and share an episode with a friend? If you love the Brainy Business, let's share it with more people from around the world who would love to be a little more brainy. None of this would be possible without you, so thank you again for listening, subscribing, sharing, rating, and leaving reviews. I appreciate you!

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.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
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:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

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

The Behavioral Investor, by Daniel Crosby
Laws of Wealth, by Daniel Crosby
Using Semiotics in Retail, by Rachel Lawes
The Hype Handbook, by Michael F. Schein
What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer

Connect with Daniel:

Top Recommended Next Episode: Booms, Bubbles and Busts (episode 30)

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Other Important Links:

Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter
Daniel's Viral Tweet
3 Brand Lessons From The Michelob Ultra Guy
Standard Deviations Podcast

Check out What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

211. Corporate Social Responsibility Programs (That Work) with Wiam Hasanain Jul 01, 2022

Show notes

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Wiam Hasanain. Wiam is a seasoned social impact consultant, with 20 years of experience operating at the intersection of policy reform, societal development, behavior change, and civic engagement. She is a problem solver, utilizing data-driven insights to create practical approaches to resolving pressing social challenges on a range of projects and industries. She built her foundation at Unilever, and over the last decade, she has spearheaded nationwide programs in the areas of unemployment, health, financial literacy, sports, and career planning. She has established the structure and strategy for nudge units, set their national agendas, and designed behavioral interventions to serve public policy.

After consulting with Bain and Company Middle East she moved onto a senior role in her native Saudi Arabia; leading the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) function at a Mckinsey subsidiary and creating nationwide community programs. From there, she spent a decade as a partner at the foremost boutique consultancies in the GCC, leading social impact and behavior change efforts. Her passion is advising on behaviorally informed policies across sectors. Wiam believes strongly in spreading knowledge about the implementation of behavioral change across industries and has published a variety of articles on the practical application of behavioral science and has an MBA from UC Berkeley as well as a master's from the London School of Economics and Political Science. In continuing to have a more global view of the representation here on The Brainy Business, Wiam is our first guest from Saudi Arabia. I'm excited to share some of her work with you on a specific CSR project on the show today.

Show Notes:

[00:40] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Wiam Hasanain. Wiam is a seasoned social impact consultant, with 20 years of experience operating at the intersection of policy reform, societal development, behavior change, and civic engagement.
[01:58] Her passion is advising on behaviorally informed policies across sectors.
[04:27] Wiam shares about herself, her background, and how she found herself in this space.
[07:30] She is from Saudi Arabia and has spent the majority of her life there.
[08:16] She worked with a client on a corporate responsibility program that focused on helping the youth in Saudi Arabia find their career path.
[10:41] They agreed that they could help open the youths' eyes to other careers that were out there as opposed to the traditional STEM careers.
[12:04] Their project was such a success that it ran for three years in a row and kept growing each year.
[14:29] It is really nice for her to see how the social norm has changed and know that they were part of this change.
[16:31] The parents along with the career counselors had to work together to really help the students bridge the intention to action gap. It was also important for the parents to see that these other jobs were acceptable as well.
[18:20] The parents had a different hang-up than the youth. (Know all your audiences and plan accordingly!)
[19:55] Wiam shares how they reduced sludge and friction in their project and made things easier.
[21:41] They had over double-digit changes in their perceptions of certain careers. The short-term response was very promising.
[22:27] An RCT is a randomized control trial.
[24:03] You are always adding sludge and removing sludge in various ways.
[24:54] Wiam shares how they added some sludge to help with the problem they were trying to solve. They made it difficult for students to leave without going through all the exhibits (to help increase exposure to careers that wouldn't have been a focus previously).
[26:57] They utilized augmented reality in some of the exhibits so that would be where the majority of the students were drawn (and these were typically for the non-traditional careers to broaden horizons). The most desired careers were also at the end, so you had to have some exposure to the other careers no matter what.
[28:08] There are times when customer experience, behavioral science, and corporate responsibility all come together so be more concerned with your end objective.
[30:18] Whether you think about it or not you are influencing the decisions that people make with the way you put the booths in the space even – so you should definitely think about it!
[31:43] Don't think anything is too small to be considered a small step towards behavioral change. Be thoughtful and intentional.
[32:52] Melina's three tips for setting up your own experiment are to keep it small, be thoughtful, and test often.
[34:29] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[35:41] My upcoming book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, is now on presale and will be in a bookstore near you on October 11, 2022.
[36:21] If you enjoy the experience I've provided here for you, will you share about it? That could mean leaving a rating/review or sharing the episode with a friend (or 10!)

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.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
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:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

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

What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer
A More Beautiful Question, by Warren Berger
Sludge, by Cass Sunstein
Friction, by Roger Dooley
Nudge, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein

Connect with Wiam:

Wiam on LinkedIn

Top Recommended Next Episode: A More Beautiful Question with Warren Berger (episode 200)

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Other Important Links:

Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter

Check out What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

210. How Minds Change with David McRaney Jun 24, 2022

Show notes

Today I am very excited to introduce you to David McRaney, you may have heard of his first book You Are Not So Smart which is an international bestseller that is now available in 17 languages. He went on to create an awesome podcast of the same name and wrote a second book You Are Now Less Dumb. I highly recommend both of those and his podcast…and today we are talking about his new book, which just came out this week, called How Minds Change.

As you will hear us talk about in the interview, this book is a fascinating journey we take along with David as he seeks to answer the question, "How do minds change?" The book is filled with interesting stories, lots of science, and fun anecdotes. I really enjoyed it and learned so much along the way, some of which you can hear about in today's episode. Join us to hear all about it!

Show Notes:

[00:43] Today I am very excited to introduce you to David McRaney. You may have heard of his first book You Are Not So Smart which is an international bestseller that is now available in 17 languages. He has a phenomenal podcast of the same name.
[03:35] David shares about himself, his background, and how he found himself in this space.
[05:30] When his second book came out, he started a podcast. His podcast has been the centerpiece of his world for the last twelve years.
[07:55] David found something that he was interested in and wanted to find the answer to and he started to dig.
[09:01] Don't jump into anything because you are trying to get rich quickly or because it is the hot new thing.
[10:27] Don't follow the trends. Take the content you are skilled at and marry it to the thing you are obsessed with. Then plug away at it.
[13:39] Everything that you do builds a skill set that you can laterally apply to other stuff later.
[15:56] He writes his books by taking the reader along with him on the journey so they are able to learn with him.
[16:40] David shares about the cookie segment that he had on his podcast for 100 episodes. He and Melina bond over baking and business.
[19:41] He started the cookie segment because of several cookie studies he read and he knew there was a way to put it into his show.
[22:26] He has gotten access to many different people in interviews for the book, podcast, and other work – how can you do the same?
[24:27] You can email anyone and at least they will tell you no, but 75% of the time people say yes.
[25:34] He explains in his emails that he is reaching out because he needs them and it would be a better show/book/project if they are part of it.
[27:33] When people realize that you genuinely care and are interested they are more likely to say yes.
[28:13] One of the biggest parts of How Minds Change is the exploration of "The Dress" and the neuroscience behind it.
[30:37] Reaching out to his connections often led to other connections and allowed him to create even more connections.
[33:14] He shares about "The Dress." The dress is an image that appeared on the internet where people could not agree on what they saw.
[35:23] With the dress, truly you saw it either one color (black and blue) or the other (white and gold) and you couldn't see it any other way.
[37:32] When we see something that is overexposed we have no choice, the brain lowers the overexposure a bit to try to help us see what the image actually is.
[39:43] Everything you experience is only happening in your brain. Every color you see is an illusion. Colors are things the brain makes.
[42:23] There are two humongous populations of human beings that have had different life experiences, and because of those different life experiences they disambiguate an ambiguous image with a different kind of disambiguation than the other side and this leads to different conclusions.
[43:57] When we try to prove that we are right, we miss out on getting to the deeper truth of the matter.
[45:04] Pascal's team recreated the dress image using Crocs. They used Crocs and paired them with socks because it was an inanimate object with no default color.
[46:49] It seems like older people see white socks version because they have more experience in their lives with socks that weren't colored.
[48:28] David shares about his new book, How Minds Change.
[51:41] His book is an explanation of how people do and do not change their minds, understanding the nature of the resistance, and discovering what you have to do to overcome that resistance.
[54:54] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[55:55] One of my favorite things that David said in our conversation was that you need to "listen your way into changing somebody's mind" -- it isn't about force or proving someone that they are wrong, there is so much interesting work showcased in the book about how people can actually change their own minds when they are asked the right thoughtful questions and someone takes the time to listen.
[57:18] If you enjoy the experience I've provided here for you, will you share about it? That could mean leaving a rating/review or sharing the episode with a friend (or 10!)

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.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
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:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

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

How Minds Change, by David McRaney
You Are Not So Smart, by David McRaney
You Are Now Less Dumb, by David McRaney
Indistractable, by Nir Eyal
Power of Us, by Jay Van Bavel and Dominic Packer

Connect with David:

Top Recommended Next Episode: Confirmation Bias(episode 75)

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Other Important Links:

Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter
You Are Not So Smart Website
The Dress
Strawberry Illusion

Check out What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

209. Achieving Hyper-Performance with Dr. Agnis Stibe Jun 17, 2022

Show notes

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Agnis Stibe, a 4x TEDx speaker, MIT alum, YouTube creator, globally recognized corporate consultant, and scientific advisor. He is the Artificial Intelligence Program Director and Professor of Transformation at EM Normandie Business School, and the creator of the STIBE Method, which we will of course talk about in today's episode. He is also the Adjunct Professor of Human-City Interaction at the University of Oulu, Paris Lead of Silicon Valley founded Transformative Technology community.

While at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he established research on persuasive cities for sustainable wellbeing. We talk about his research, how social proof can change behavior when it is made more visible, the importance of testing, why you need to try different approaches for any concept, and so much more. Listen in!

Show Notes:

[00:43] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Agnis Stibe, a 4x TEDx speaker, MIT alum, YouTube creator, globally recognized corporate consultant, and scientific advisor.
[03:19] Agnis shares about himself, his background, and the really fascinating work he does. He is passionate about helping people, teams, organizations, and societies to get where they want to get.
[04:17] It is our counterproductive psychology that is oftentimes our roadblock to our own success and happiness.
[07:22] Awareness is number one. Once awareness is there, then there has to be a degree of willingness.
[09:33] Not everything is worth coming up the "Slope of Enlightenment."
[10:23] We have access to the same curiosity throughout our lives. The question is do we allow ourselves to be using it?
[12:31] He encourages people to take away unnecessary bias before they start a conversation about AI.
[14:13] Together we are on a journey and the only obstacles are our human biases.
[15:32] Agnis shares some success stories.
[17:15] After five meetings using their transparent system, everyone was on time.
[18:18] Melina's second book What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You comes out in October 2022.
[20:11] Many people don't want to see themselves in comparison with others on the same screen, but that is their resistance speaking.
[22:02] Technology takes away the bias. It is a more reliable perspective that it makes existing patterns more transparent and visible.
[23:51] Agnis shares about The Littery and his role with it.
[26:32] They amplified the effects of that solution by adding a social layer. Technology also played a role in making things more transparent.
[28:28] Humans over our evolution have gained a lot and we have lost some essential awareness of who we are.
[30:42] Thanks to technology we get a deeper and clearer perspective of who we are.
[33:19] Technology has huge impacts. There is bias towards technology.
[34:34] Agnis' hypothesis: technology is perceived by an average human being the same way an average human being perceives another human being.
[36:28] Everything we experience with technology is giving us an opportunity to look at ourselves - the more technology the closer and deeper we see ourselves.
[38:24] The STIBE Method has ten tools split among three major stages.
[39:55] Most of the time the problem with failed solutions is that there is not enough awareness of the problem.
[41:33] The final and crucial phase is to make assurance for long-term success.
[45:33] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[45:45] The impact of social proof can change when it is made more visible and there is a record.
[50:04] Thank you again to everyone who has subscribed, rated, and left those five-star reviews of the podcast. I appreciate you and please keep them coming.

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.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
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:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

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

A More Beautiful Question, by Warren Berger
How to Change, by Katy Milkman
What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer
The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M.R. Covey
Influence, by Robert Cialdini

Connect with Agnis:

Top Recommended Next Episode: The Littery - Interview with CEO Michael Manniche (episode 75)

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Other Important Links:

Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter
Agnis' Website
Agnis' Research

Check out What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

208. Worxogo: The AI-Powered Nudge Coach with Anant Sood Jun 10, 2022

Show notes

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Anant Sood, one of the co-founders of the nudge coach Worxogo. What the heck is a nudge coach you ask? It is, by my own definition, an awesome amalgamation of behavioral science and AI to help people be better managers, improve employee performance, and so much more.

Anant is going to share a lot more about it in the conversation, but just know that when I heard about this I absolutely had to profile it in my new book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, which is currently on presale to come out October 11, 2022, and to follow that up with this episode. You are going to love this, trust me!

Show Notes:

[00:41] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Anant Sood, one of the co-founders of the nudge coach Worxogo.
[03:54] Anant shares about himself and the really fascinating work he does. For the last 22 years he has largely worked in the area of transformation and organization.
[06:05] Before starting Worxogo, one common thing they heard from their customers was that the first 3-6 months after a change things were excellent, but after 6-9 months the change started to taper off. After a chance meeting with Baba Shiv they realized it was not a technology or process problem, but a behavioral problem.
[07:37] Customers wanted to change, but the change didn't stick and it would just go back to the way it was.
[08:28] Melina's new book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, is currently on presale to come out October 11, 2022. (Hooray!)
[10:37] Worxogo uses AI to customize to each individual in a unique way.
[11:35] There are reasons why we don't follow through on things even when we have the intent and ability to improve.
[14:04] Some people are motivated by competing against themselves and others are motivated by not letting the team down and others are more motivated by beating someone else on the team. Those are all proper ways to motivate people and if you don't know how someone is going to react you can try one but it might not hit them right. What could be very difficult for a manager is quickly discovered by Worxogo.
[15:12] Who we perceive ourselves to be is not always what we exhibit as a behavior.
[17:38] The engine assumes that nobody is motivated by the same thing every day.
[20:13] The system allows each person to be themselves and figure out the right way to help you get, reach, achieve, and exceed your goals even if you work differently from others on your team.
[22:17] As a manager, it gives you the situational advantage for every individual on your team.
[25:53] If managers look at the lead indicators and the activities that their team is doing and you build the habit to talk to your team about those, it builds you as a manager as well.
[27:40] Often organizations have a system, but it just isn't being used and the nudge coach is very helpful to make sure the tools start getting used.
[29:38] By nature, if you ask more you will get more.
[30:53] Any team where you have a set process, you have some basic CRM in place, and you are looking to increase productivity a nudge coach will deliver the outcome for you.
[31:34] Case studies and their newsletter can be found on their website.
[32:09] Behavioral science can make an impact and this is the future of work. The ways of working are completely changing and the current tools are not enough.
[34:23] Melina shares her closing thoughts. Do you want to hire Melina to do work with your company? Email melina@thebrainybusiness.com
[34:40] A study Melina found in her research said that over 80 percent of people currently in management roles don't have the talent to be a great manager. It also said that 1 in 10 is a natural-born manager, two more can be taught, and the other seven out of 10 are not suited for the job, and using past methods can never be.
[37:27] Everyone deserves a great manager. Worxogo can help make that a reality.
[39:09] Thank you again to everyone who has subscribed, rated, and left those five-star reviews of the podcast. I appreciate you and please keep them coming.

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.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
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:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

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

Nudge, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein
What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer
How to Change, by Katy Milkman
The Behavior Business, by Richard Chataway
You Have More Influence Than You Think, by Vanessa Bohns

Connect with Anant:

Top Recommended Next Episode: Introduction to Nudges and Choice Architecture (episode 35)

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Other Important Links:

Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter

Check out What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

207. Behavioral Bartending with Maker's Mark, featuring Greta Harper Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Greta Harper, a Maker's Mark diplomat. Everyone that has already heard last week's episode with Sarah Wilson, knows that this week's episode is resharing a podcast that was recorded while I was a speaker on the live podcast stage at Greenbook's IIEX North America conference in Austin a couple of weeks ago. It was such a great event!

While at IIEX North America I had the honor of interviewing Greta about the amazing shifts that Maker's Mark made during the pandemic to support restaurants and their workers when they were under no obligation to do so. Their focus on support and advocacy turned into some amazing programs that made a really big impact (including some work with myself and the Texas A&M Human Behavior Lab). What can your business learn from their approach? Listen in to find out…

Show Notes:

[00:42] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Greta Harper, a Maker's Mark diplomat.
[01:52] While at IIEX North America I had the honor of interviewing Greta Harper at Maker's Mark about the amazing shifts that their company made during the pandemic to support restaurants and their workers when they were under no obligation to do so.
[04:50] Greta shares about herself, her background, and what she does at Maker's Mark.
[06:07] In 2014, she went to Kentucky for the first time, she got to meet distillers, and absolutely fell in love with the business.
[07:19] Learning wasn't always easy in the supplier world and she vowed that if she ever got to a place of "power" she would make learning easier for everyone that came behind her.
[08:06] Bars and restaurants are that traditional third space in society. This space isn't work or home. It is that other space where you get away from those things to connect with something different than yourself.
[10:36] The first time she went to Texas A&M was in January of 2020 and she was very excited to start doing lots of research.
[11:54] Humans make on average 35,000 decisions every day and most of those are done on a subconscious level.
[13:20] Greta works in the advocacy sector of Beam Suntory, which is the parent company of Maker's Mark.
[15:50] When our habits are shifted we only have so much cognitive bandwidth that we are able to give up every single day.
[17:49] Greta and her team were able to focus on other people because they didn't have to focus on survival. One way their company showed support was to buy food from a struggling restaurant and feed their employees.
[20:22] Consumers were changing their buying habits because they couldn't go to bars and restaurants. The Maker's Mark team started partnering with bars and restaurants by doing virtual cocktail classes.
[22:13] They knew that on-premise was always a focus and they wanted to be there for them when they needed support (not just when it was convenient for their company).
[23:37] Maker's Mark was leaning in at a time when they were truly not getting anything out of it.
[26:07] Helping, advocating for the trade, and educating the trade have always been at the heart of everything that Greta wants to do. This is one reason why it was so exciting to bring in Melina and Jeff from the Human Behavior Lab to do a series of trainings for the restaurant teams – and it has been amazing to see their results in the months that followed.
[29:01] The pandemic opened up so many different avenues for them to think differently. They learned so many things.
[31:15] As humans we feel compelled to give back when people give to us.
[33:30] Greta shares what is on the horizon. They are all about sustainability at Maker's Mark.
[35:51] There is a huge difference between age and maturation. It all affects the end product. Taste and flavor are at the heart of everything they do.
[37:13] Thinking about how you can be doing the right thing in a way that leverages reciprocity.
[38:09] Melina shares her closing thoughts. Do you want to hire Melina to do work with your company? Email melina@thebrainybusiness.com
[40:01] If you enjoy the experience I've provided here for you, will you share about it? That could mean leaving a rating/review or sharing the episode with a friend (or 10!)

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.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
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:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

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