Entries by Brian Ahearn, CMCT®

The Most Influential Holiday Gifts You Can Give 😊

If you’re a go-getter, you may already preparing to celebrate a holiday – Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or Festivus 😊 – so it’s a good bet you’ll be exchanging gifts with friends and family. I’m sure you want those important people in your life to enjoy more success and happiness, so I hope you’ll consider giving […]

Influence Begins Long Before We Speak

When most people think of influence, they think of words — what we say, how we say it, and how persuasive our arguments might be. But influence isn’t just about language. It’s a relational skill. And, as I’ve learned from Dr. Karen Molano, a child psychologist and early development specialist, influence starts long before we […]

Happy 250th Birthday, Marine!

Today, November 10, 2025, marks the 150th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. For every Marine—past, present, and future—this day is more than a milestone. It’s a reminder of what it means to serve, to sacrifice, and to live by a code that doesn’t fade when the uniform comes off. My late father, Captain […]

The Principle of Influence that Informs All Others

Is there one principle of influence that’s more important than the rest? I’ve come to believe there is—and that principle is liking. I often tell clients, “People won’t buy from you just because they like you, but they’ll almost never buy from you if they don’t.” Unless you offer something truly unique—something no one else can provide—you’d better […]

From Ethical to Eternal: How My View of Influence Evolved

On many podcasts, I’ve been asked, “What’s one of your biggest takeaways after writing Influenced from Above: Where Faith and Influence Meet?” After finishing the book, I realized something surprising. For years, PEOPLE stood for Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical. But now, I see it can also stand for Loving and Eternal to convey […]

Influenced from Above: Where Faith and Influence Meet (Now Available)

“With this book, Brian Ahearn provides a marriage of spiritual inspiration and psychological illumination that is matchless in my experience.” — Robert Cialdini, author of Influence and Pre-suasion Have you ever wondered how your faith and your work truly fit together—not just on Sundays or in vague mission statements, but in the decisions you make, the people you lead, […]

Faith and Influence: Break on Through to the Other Side

During part of my childhood, we lived in Southern California. My parents were still in their late 20s and early 30s, which meant weekends often involved the beach and, with it, the rising tide of hippie culture. The soundtrack of that era? The Doors. Their classic, Break on Through to the Other Side, seemed to play constantly. The […]