Faith and Influence: Scientific Principles with Spiritual Roots
When you look at a tree, what do you notice first? Probably the trunk, branches, or leaves. But none of what you see could exist without the roots. Roots stabilize and nourish the tree, allowing it to grow tall and endure storms. Influence works much the same way. We can see persuasion in action, but […]
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 […]
Faith and Influence: God Spoke to My Heart about Her
Do you believe God still speaks to us today? I do. And one experience from early in my marriage made me a believer. Jane and I, like many young couples, hit a season of struggle. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t seem to break through. One morning, driving to work, I prayed: “God, all I […]
Faith and Influence: What I Told Cialdini That Brought Me to Tears
In 2003, I had no idea a simple email would change the course of my career—and my life. I first encountered Dr. Robert Cialdini through a video of him speaking at Stanford. His explanation of the psychology of persuasion—how to ethically influence others—resonated deeply. Soon after, I noticed a Stanford marketing catalog describing his work […]
Who We Mourn And Why
A few days ago, I posted something on Facebook that stirred a surprising amount of response: “Feeling empty at the breaking news—Charlie Kirk has died.” That one sentence sparked quite a conversation. My intent wasn’t political or provocative. I was simply expressing a raw emotion in real time, and it got me thinking: Why do we […]
