You're Not Broke, You're Behaving Broke: 7 Science-Proven Reasons People Stay Poor (+ Bonus #8 That Changes Everything)
Influence AnyoneShow Notes
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.
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After 100 episodes, Howie Chan finally says the thing most podcasters won't say out loud. In this season one finale, he gets honest about the money, the growth, and the grind behind Influence Anyone. He pulls back the curtain on a question every creator eventually faces, then he turns to the 12 guests who most influenced him and how he thinks about influence, from Robert Cialdini and a $700,000 thank-you note to Navy SEAL Rich Diviney and a lesson on fear learned during Hell Week. Chapters 00:00:00 The Honest Truth About Influence Anyone 00:10:39 Robert Cialdini: The $700K Note 00:13:00 Scott Walker: Why Am I Talking? 00:14:34 Henna Pryor: The Fast Comeback Rate 00:16:07 Nir Eyal: Beliefs Are Tools 00:18:30 Melina Palmer: Do It Now, Not Monday 00:20:00 Phill Agnew: The Effort Effect 00:22:16 Nancy Harhut: People Don't Think the Way You Think 00:24:57 Brian Ahearn: Set Up the Ask Before the Ask 00:27:44 Owen Fitzpatrick: We Sell Ourselves Stories 00:30:09 Kwame Christian: Acknowledge Before You Ask 00:31:26 Rich Diviney: Moving Horizons 00:33:27 Sam Horn: The Hook and the Hinge 00:35:19 What Every Guest Had in Common 00:37:06 What's Next in Season Two The Behavioring Lab Howie is launching a membership at howiechan.com/lab to help experienced professionals close the gap between what they know and how people perceive them, using behavioral science and influence psychology. → howiechan.com/lab Guest Episodes Mentioned: Robert Cialdini: https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/robertcialdini Scott Walker: https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/scottwalker Henna Pryor: https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/hennapryor Nir Eyal: https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/nireyalbelief Melina Palmer: https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/melinapalmer Phill Agnew: https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/phillagnew Nancy Harhut: https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/nancyharhut Brian Ahearn: https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/brianahearn Owen Fitzpatrick: https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/owenfitzpatrick Kwame Christian: https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/kwamechristian Rich Diviney: https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/richdiviney Sam Horn: https://www.howiechan.com/podcast/samhorn — Produced by Ideablossoms (https://ideablossoms.com/)
Hundreds of Ku Klux Klan members have handed their robes to Daryl Davis, a Black jazz musician who won them over by listening instead of arguing. His opening question: How can you hate me if you don't even know me?
Every leader, parent, and consultant runs into the same wall: resistance. Someone pushes back on an idea or a change, and the instinct is to push harder. Travis Hahler, who has led transformation work inside Google and Salesforce and worked with over 100 organizations, says that instinct is exactly backwards. In this conversation, Howie Chan sits down with Travis to unpack why the human brain treats change as a threat before it treats it as an opportunity. Travis breaks down the six neurological barriers behind every no, from routine and ambiguity to loss and exclusion, and explains why treating resistance as a personal attack only makes it worse. You'll learn why leaders who spin their message trigger more resistance, how to influence people who outrank you using data, why "no" can actually be a doorway instead of a dead end, and how to apply this same framework to your own resistance to change. Chapters: 00:00:00 Why We Resist Change 00:04:33 The Spin Trap Leaders Fall Into 00:06:59 Cultural Differences to Change 00:09:54 The 6 Neurological Barriers to Change 00:15:14 Why Resistance Isn't Personal 00:18:15 Change in Action: Getting People to Attend Events 00:22:10 How Coaches Can Help Participants Be Successful 00:28:05 Influencing Up Without Authority 00:33:59 Using "No" as a Way In 00:39:01 How to Change Your Own Behaviors 00:45:39 Peaks & Pitfalls from 100+ Organizations 00:50:47 Say This, Not That (Quick Fire) 00:52:51 Final Advice: Get Curious, Not Combative From Travis Hahler: Website (https://travishahler.com/) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisdhahler/) Book (https://travishahler.com/book/) Mentioned in this episode: Owen Fitzpatrick’s episode: How To Create Any Reality (The Belief Blueprint) (https://www.howiechan.com/podcast) (Aug 4) Your Expertise Deserves to Be Known The Behavioring Lab is a new community for experienced professionals who want to build a professional brand that gets them known, trusted, and chosen by the right people. → http://behavioringlab.com/ Join the founding member waitlist. — Produced by Ideablossoms (https://ideablossoms.com/)
Confidence, according to one of the world’s leading voice coaches, Caroline Goyder, comes from shutting your mouth. It's a strange claim from someone who has spent her career teaching leaders how to command a room, but she has the science, the client stories, and the physiology to back it up.
Despite what many people think, going viral is NOT luck. According to Michael Schein, author of The Hype Handbook, it's a formula, and it starts with picking a fight, not with a person, but with an idea everyone else has agreed to accept without question. In this conversation, Howie Chan sits down with Michael to unpack how he turned himself from a broke, forgettable marketing copywriter into an in-demand ghostwriter and hype strategist, using the same psychological principles that built cult followings, packed stadiums, and turned unknown authors into household names. He explains why the advice to niche down is usually wrong, why almost every credible expert eventually needs a Bible, a foundational book that gives followers something to rally around, and why the fastest way to build an audience is to strategically borrow someone else's. You'll learn why picking the right fight matters more than being liked, how to find a hyper-specific niche instead of a generic one, what separates a ‘Bible’ from an ordinary business book, and how to build a secret society of powerful connections. Chapters: 00:00:00 Why Opposition Builds a Tribe Faster Than Merit 00:08:36 The Alice Cooper Billboard That Broke London 00:11:43 Picking a Fight with an Idea, Not a Person 00:15:28 How to Dig Past the Generic Answer 00:17:19 The Niche Myth 00:22:53 Life After Writing the ‘Bible’ 00:26:45 A Regular Business Book Versus a ‘Bible’ 00:30:19 When Hype Goes Too Far 00:32:09 Build a Secret Society 00:41:19 Should You Write a Book? 00:43:42 Self-Publishing Versus Traditional Publishing 00:51:42 Final Advice: Own What You're Against From Michael Schein: Website (https://michaelfschein.com/) LinkedIn (http://linkedin.com/in/michaelfrancisschein) Book (https://michaelfschein.com/the-hype-handbook/) Mentioned in this episode: How to Ask for What You Want: The Skill Mark V Hansen Used to Sell 500M Books (after 144 rejections) (https://www.howiechan.com/podcast) (August 18) Your Expertise Deserves to Be Known The Behavioring Lab is a new community for experienced professionals who want to build a professional brand that gets them known, trusted, and chosen by the right people. → http://behavioringlab.com/ Join the founding member waitlist. — Produced by Ideablossoms (https://ideablossoms.com/)