Entries by Brian Ahearn, CMCT®

PAVE the Way to Success in 2014

If you’re like many people then you’ll be making New Year’s resolutions and if you’re like most you’ll be breaking those same resolutions within a day or two. According to one study, more than half the people who make resolutions are confident of achieving them, yet barely more than one in ten do so. That’s […]

Mastering the Art of Human Relationships

“Before I learned the art, a punch was just a punch, and a kick, just a kick. After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick, no longer a kick. Now that I understand the art, a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick.” – […]

The Importance of “Thank You”

Several weeks ago I wrote a blog post on the correct ways to respond to “Thanks.” Much to my surprise and delight it struck a chord with readers. As I was watching television after a Sunday of football, a 60 Minutes piece caught my attention so I decided to write about the importance of saying, “Thank you.” […]

Persuasion Advice from the Wizard of Oz

Sometimes it feels good to revisit our childhood. I had that experience the day after Thanksgiving as I watched “The Wizard of Oz” again. I did so because I enjoy the movie and the memories it brings back. I also felt like I might learn something from the great and powerful Oz. I wasn’t disappointed! Dorothy […]

High or Low? Comparing Makes it So!

William Shakespeare penned this famous line in Hamlet, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Two people can experience the very same thing and one person views it as good while another person sees it as bad. This happens because when we make judgments about good and bad we’re making […]

Correct Ways to Respond to “Thanks!”

I thought it only fitting to share some ideas about the right ways to respond to “Thanks,” seeing as this week Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving. A theme I repeat during the Principles of Persuasion workshop is this – small changes can make big differences. How you respond to “thank you” seems like a small thing but it […]

The Overwhelmed Brain – An Interview

Earlier this month I was the podcast guest on The Overwhelmed Brain: The Journey to a Stress-Free Life. The site was recently started by Paul Colaianni. Paul and I have been connected through social media for several years. Paul’s fascination with psychology, self-help and his own personal journey led him to start The Overwhelmed Brain. […]

Hey, it’s The ASSMAN!

I love Seinfeld. It’s like Bugs Bunny, it doesn’t matter how many times I watch the show, it is always funny, and I catch little bits of humor I missed before. One of my favorite episodes is “The Fusilli Jerry.” In that episode a subplot takes place when Kramer accidentally gets the personalized license plates […]

A Good Way to Spend a day in November

  This month’s guest post comes from South Korea’s Hoh Kim. I met Hoh in early 2008 when we went through the Cialdini Method Certified Trainer® training week together. In addition to his CMCT® Hoh also has his masters in communication from Marquette University. Find out more about Hoh by visiting his website, TheLab h, and his blog, Cool […]

They’re Among Our First Words

  If you’ve raised kids then you’ll surely remember the first words spoken by your children. For many the first word was “mama” or “papa.” I’ll bet a couple of words that followed rather quickly were “no” and “mine.” The picture is clear – your cute, cuddly, loving child gives you a defiant stare one […]