Influence Anyone

Your audience forgets 90% of what you say within 48 hours. Neuroscientist Dr. Carmen Simon says that's not the problem. The problem is that most people have no control over which 10% survives.

Howie Chan sits down with Carmen to break down the neuroscience of memory. Carmen reveals how memory actually forms in the brain, why the brain is not getting lazier, and how the most persuasive communicators build messages that survive long after the conversation ends.

You'll learn how to clarify and repeat your 10% message, how to prime your audience before your key idea lands, how to trigger memory retrieval through environmental cues, and why complexity, not simplicity, keeps audiences engaged longer.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Why 90% of Your Message Disappears After 48 Hours

00:07:36 How Memory Forms, Consolidates, and Gets Retrieved

00:09:49 The Priming Effect: Getting Brains Ready to Remember

00:20:36 Cognitive Ease: Understanding Supporting Points

00:23:08 Encoding, Consolidation, and Retrieval of Memories

00:29:11 How to Capture Attention

00:37:09 Faces in Ads Don't Always Help You

00:46:08 Carmen's Journey to a Double PhD

00:48:59 Having Chemistry with Your Message

00:56:59 How Memory Influences Decisions

01:00:46 Pivoting Your Brand Without Losing Your Audience

01:05:50 Complexity Keeps Audiences Engaged

From Dr. Carmen Simon:

Website

LinkedIn

Books

Mentioned in this episode:

Apple Intelligence Advert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6RX9kJ01Kw

Story Selling versus Data Selling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udgvfulyjb4

Nail Your Niche Masterclass

→ https://www.howiechan.com/niche

Nail Your Niche Without Overthinking and Become the ONLY Choice

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Produced by Ideablossoms

Most people think being poor is just a money problem. It’s not. Being poor can mean less impact, less freedom, less fulfillment, and ideas that never reach the world. In this solo episode, Howie Chan breaks down the seven science-backed reasons people stay stuck, and adds a critical bonus eighth that most people never see coming.
Drawing from neuroscience, behavioral economics, and psychology, Howie explains why logic loses to emotion, why stories outperform facts, and why being talented but invisible is one of the most economically dangerous positions you can be in.
You'll learn how emotion drives every decision, why the availability heuristic determines who gets opportunities, how present bias quietly compounds into mediocrity, and what it actually takes to break through the invisible ceiling your own identity creates.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Logic Versus Emotion
00:02:36 Facts Versus Stories
00:03:50 Choosing Short-Term Comfort Over Long-Term Gains
00:05:26 The Fear of Judgement
00:07:21 People Can’t Choose What They Can’t Remember
00:08:38 Your Current Reality Is Not a Fixed Truth
00:10:00 More Information Does Not Mean More Value
00:11:18 Bonus: The Value of Understanding Human Behavior
Check out Howie’s episode about LinkedIn: 99% of people are using LinkedIn WRONG (5 things I’d do if I had to start today) (Episode 76)
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.

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/)
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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/)
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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