Brain Driven Brands

What's going to happen to DTC in 2026 once the AI noise dies down, tariffs stabilize, and brands stop pretending vibes are a strategy? In this holiday episode of Brain Driven Brands, Sarah and Nate don their ugly sweaters, roast underperforming AI tools, and make real predictions they'd actually put money on. They break down why 2026: Could be a breakout year for disciplined brands Why community is shifting off rented platforms and onto brand-owned ecosystems And why the biggest risk next year isn't effort…it's distraction. You'll hear takes on: • Why brands who "hang out" with customers will win • The rise of on-site social and owned community ecosystems • How AI should actually be used (hint: not for final copy) • Why messaging and copywriting are about to matter more than ever • Dynamic pricing, premium buyers, and letting your best customers spend more • Micro-movies, PDP under-optimization, and where content is heading • Why UGC is evolving into character-driven storytelling • And a hopeful prediction about marketers finally sharing real signal instead of shilling If 2025 felt like learning to ride with training wheels again, this is the conversation about what happens when brands finally stop wobbling, and start moving with intent. 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg  

In this episode of Brain Driven Brands, Sarah and Nate pull back the curtain on the exact AI prompts they actually use to generate high-performing ad ideas—the ones that don't sound robotic, generic, or like every other brand on the internet. After revisiting one of the show's most-downloaded episodes, Sarah shares why most AI-written copy fails, how she rebuilt her prompts from first principles, and what happens when you tell AI which psychological mechanisms to use before it writes anything at all. Together, they live-test these internal prompts on a real brand ad (cowboy boots), exploring how different psychological levers change the creative direction entirely—including: First-principles thinking paired with loss aversion Quiet status signaling and open loops Curiosity-driven hooks and reverse psychology Instead of asking AI to write headlines or scripts, Sarah shows how to use it to generate raw ad concepts—and why the last 10% (the human part) is where all the money is made. This episode is part live teardown, part psychology lesson, and part behind-the-scenes look at how six-figure ads are actually born—not from clever wording, but from properly framed ideas. If you care about better creative, higher prices, and ads that don't feel like ads…this one's for you. Sarah Makes Nate Cry With a Prompt Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2cVZ3nIE8YUMAlO6Qm0NFN?si=UWSUywsJTmqoz5bkRVgADw 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg  

For years, marketers have been told to "find the why"...which drives Sarah absolutely nuts. 😅 In this episode of Brain Driven Brands, Sarah argues with Nate that this idea of the "one true why" is what broke modern marketing. People don't buy for one reason. They buy for many reasons—depending on mood, timing, environment, identity, stress level, and context. The real driver isn't why someone buys. It's when. Using real-world examples (from whiskey splurges to Starbucks rituals to Rolex buyers at different life stages) this conversation breaks down why over-optimizing for a single "why" leads to brittle brands, shallow segmentation, and wasted creative effort. Instead, Sarah and Nate explore how brands should think in terms of emotional "whens," behavioral states, and consistency over persuasion. If you've ever felt stuck hunting for the perfect insight, this episode reframes the problem entirely…and gives you a more realistic way to build brands, messaging, and creative that actually scale 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg

We unpack a wild 2013 study by economist M. Keith Chen: proof that the language you speak completely rewires how you save, spend, exercise, plan, and even respond to marketing. Germans retire with more wealth, smoke less, and make healthier choices… not because they're more disciplined, but because their grammar collapses the future into the present. English pushes actions into "later." German makes the future feel like right now. On this episode of Brain Driven Brands, we break down how your phrasing might be creating psychological distance without you realizing it ("you will feel better tomorrow") and how a simple tense shift ("your future self thanks you") can snap people into action instantly. We riff on examples, rewrite real campaigns in real time, and even end with a mini-rant about why AI struggles with time itself. If you sell anything to English speakers, this is a masterclass in linguistic persuasion. Tune in. Your future self… thanks you. 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg

This episode was supposed to be about something else entirely…but TikTok's algorithm had other plans. Sarah and Nate fall headfirst into a conversation about why our For You Pages are changing how people perceive content, other people, products, and the world…and what that means for the ads we create in 2026. From cave-death phobias to zoo-bear attack headlines, we unpack why humans are magnetized to bizarre, emotionally charged micro-stories, and why traditional "polished" ads have no chance against that dopamine roulette. They break down: → How the TikTok algorithm broke the entire marketing industry → What it really takes to stop a scrolling brain trained on chaos → Why identity-based ads are exploding (and why the platforms are rewarding them) → The truth about personas: how more of them, narrower, and built for one emotional moment at a time is the only way to win → The surprising shift from "better" ads to accurate ads…ads that lock onto a universal story the brain can't ignore The episode ends with a simple question that might reshape your 2026 creative strategy: What's the repeatable story your customers will always stop for, no matter the platform? This one is a wonderfully unplanned, unnervingly honest look at where attention is going and how brands can evolve with it. 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg  

Today's episode cracks open one of the most unintuitive persuasion effects hiding in plain sight: customers are 149% more likely to say yes to an offer… when it's presented as something that wasn't meant for them. Sarah and Nate break down the original Journal of Marketing Research study (2013), walk through real examples from DTC, SaaS, and Nate's own infamous bar-tab email campaign, and show how brands accidentally stumble into this effect all the time. We explore: • why "this isn't usually for you, but…" is irresistible to new customers • how pro-level products trigger aspiration psychology • the difference between unintentional offers vs. unlock offers • how TetherOS and Adapt could test this framing immediately • why this fits under the broader umbrella of "pre-purchase surprise & delight" If you've ever run a "we weren't supposed to do this but…" promo (or fallen for one) this episode makes the science obvious…and profitable. 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg  

Marketers love to argue about tactics: structures, caps, creatives, bids, funnels. But the data from this year paints a different picture: every winning campaign in 2026 will be powered by the same three forces… and almost nobody is preparing for them. In this episode, we pull together the most revealing moments from the show; the ones where emotions spike, buying behavior becomes predictable, and the old rules of persuasion fall apart. You'll hear how valence and intensity shape conversions, why WHEN someone sees an ad matters more than WHO they are, and how abstract language can increase willingness-to-pay by 35% without changing the product. If you want your 2026 campaigns to scale instead of stall, these are the forces you need to master emotion, timing, and framing. Everything else is noise. Sarah Makes Nate Cry Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2cVZ3nIE8YUMAlO6Qm0NFN?si=8_gGsWQbR4i7cDvMBfID6A Get People to Pay 35% More Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5iBY6204hJvT69ejFS3MeI?si=HHKyRErhTkuvPU11fCuQhQ Marketers...Think About WHEN Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5yTuYTNUDsGS3obpsiCOr2?si=EY9qh43JRNa3q6BjQ6Kx7g 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg  

In this episode, we dig up the wild (but true) story of Borax — yes, Borax — and how a forgotten cleaning brand quietly rewired consumer psychology long before Meta ads, hooks, or CTR dashboards existed. What they did was shockingly simple: they stopped selling "soap vs. better soap," and started selling a system their product could sell itself in… while naming an enemy you couldn't see but desperately wanted to defeat. This one hits everything marketers secretly crave: • How to pick a real psychological villain (not your competitor) • Why "incomplete solutions" convert better than "new solutions" • The hidden power of systems-based marketing • How this translates directly to watches, wellness, supplements, luxury, and your brand right now By the end, you'll rethink your product, your positioning, and maybe your entire funnel. The Orange is a Lie Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-driven-brands/id1752169629?i=1000702690496 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg

On this episode of Brain Driven Brands, Sarah and Nate dig into what actually helps most during BFCM week: simplifying your work, limiting decisions, touching grass (literally), planning something fun, rewarding yourself for non-revenue wins, and keeping alcohol out of the mix until the storm passes. It's the conversation everyone in DTC needs during the wildest season of the year and the reminder that none of us are doing this alone. 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg

This week on Brain Driven Brands, Sarah and Nate crack open 25 Core Identity Maps (CIMs) collected across nearly every category — supplements, apparel, home goods, tech, sleep, skincare — and uncover the five global consumer behaviors defining 2026. These aren't the usual "people want convenience and trust" surface takes. They're weird, psychologically sideways, deeply human patterns emerging across thousands of responses… the kind of stuff your attribution dashboard will never show you. Inside the episode, they break down: Why customers want the feeling of improvement, not the reality of change Why up to 70% of buyers choose identity alignment over product performance Why emotional safety now beats price, logic, or urgency How shoppers are making decisions through emotional math, not rational math And the wildest finding: customers are humanizing objects that reduce stress—naming them, personifying them, treating them like sidekicks Along the way, Nate confesses the uncomfortable self-truth the research exposed in his buying habits, Sarah explains why most marketing overestimates aspiration and underestimates avoidance, and both of them dig into why belonging is quietly becoming the dominant motivator in nearly every market. If you want to understand how real people actually think before they buy — not how marketers wish they thought — this episode is a masterclass in modern consumer psychology wrapped in friendly self-roasting. Perfect for founders, operators, and anyone who suspects their customers are running way deeper scripts under the surface than their spreadsheet can explain. Plus: A live breakdown of how brands should adapt their messaging sequencing to match these psychological shifts — and why one wrong emotional signal can kick you out of a buyer's world instantly. 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg  

Some myths haunt the ad industry like immortal raccoons rifling through the garbage. In this episode, Sarah and Nate crack open a tweet that asked a simple question: "What's the dumbest take you've heard about running ads?" Turns out…people had thoughts. They wade through the greatest hits — "never turn off an ad," "you gotta season the pixel," "ads hurt organic," "just follow Andromeda best practices," "DR can't build brand," "scale winners 15% a day," — and then get into the deeper psychology behind why these ideas still survive in 2026. Along the way, they break down: Why founders often accidentally sabotage good ads Why Meta's "best practices" contradict themselves weekly The dark truth about greedy scaling Why employee-led ads outperform founder-led mythmaking The sneaky identity traps that make bad takes so seductive It's equal parts catharsis, strategy, and industry group therapy. By the end, you'll understand not just what the worst takes are… but why people cling to them — and what smart operators are doing instead. Perfect for anyone who loves ads, hates nonsense, and wants their marketing to be grounded in actual sanity. 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg  

  When a PepsiCo-trained behavioral scientist crashes the studio, things get weird…and wildly useful. In this episode, Will Leach walks us through the emotional math behind why customers buy, why brands plateau, and why most marketers have their goals entirely backward.  We dig into why value ≠ "saving money," how DiGiorno tricked America by anchoring against delivery pizza, why buyers change personalities between Monday and Friday, and the surprising reason your brand matters way less than you think. Come for the spicy takes on Coke vs Pepsi, stay for the "Batman vs Utility Belt" analogy that will permanently change how you write ads. If you've ever wondered why your logical pitches flop, why people buy cowboy hats during burnout, or how to outmaneuver giants without outspending them — this episode is a masterclass in real human behavior, not the stuff your personas pretend. 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg

Most marketers are using AI to replace their thinking instead of sharpen it—and it's showing. In this episode, Sarah and Chase break down why lazy prompting is the reason your creative feels stale, your tests flop, and your "winners" die in two weeks. They'll walk you through 50 wild "what if" experiments that flip marketing psychology upside down and show you how to use AI as a thinking partner, not a content mill. Here's a taste: 🤯 What if checkout pages showed how long you've wanted that product—and how long you'll regret not buying it? 💡 What if loyalty programs rewarded you for not buying something outside your goals? 🧠 What if your product photos had to include one realistic flaw—on purpose? 🧍‍♀️ What if brands made you "prove" you're worthy of a discount? It's a crash course in using AI to break your own biases, surface hidden insights, and create ideas that actually stick. Listen if: you're tired of cookie-cutter AI advice and want to see how behavior science meets chaos in the best possible way. (By the end, you'll never ask ChatGPT to "write me 10 headlines" again.) What If List: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Do2K506-V6TrXBK43gLrLGGunjeYL3uicNZXJ0Jh7Wg/edit?usp=sharing 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg  

Sarah and Nate dive into one of marketing's strangest scientific findings: launching [secret product] can make your brand 20% cooler. So which product is it? No hints on this one…you'll just have to listen and find out! Source: https://app.sciencesays.com/p/crazy-mini-products-make-your-brand-cool 👉 Join my community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg  

2025 was a weird year for marketers..an avalanche of AI hype, output obsession, and soulless creative cycles. In this episode, Sarah and Nate dissect the biggest missteps brands made this year and what needs to change before 2026 hits.  From mistaking outputs for outcomes to realizing AI isn't ready to think for us, they break down why "volume" culture is killing creativity and how to rebuild your strategy around clarity, authenticity, and actual human intelligence. Expect hard truths, some laughter about naming cows "Ribeye," and a challenge to run your own "What Could Go Wrong?" meeting before the new year. It's a roadmap for smarter, saner marketing in 2026…no AI attitude required. 👉 Join the community: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg  

Ever seen an ad so bizarre you couldn't look away? A woman eating a boiled egg for 90 seconds. A cigarette brand that never showed the cigarette. A $40M Burger King campaign about a guy named Herb who'd never eaten there. In this episode, Nate and Sarah play Two Truths and a Lie: 1980s Ad Edition and then break down why the strangest, most nonsensical ads of the decade actually worked. We'll talk about: 🧠 Semantic Closure — why your brain can't stand an open loop. 🧩 Processing Fluency — how confusion turns into curiosity. 💀 Fear vs. Wonder — and why one still sells better than the other. 🎭 The Burger King campaign that cost $40M (and flopped for all the right reasons). It's a crash course in how to make people think about you later — even if your ad makes zero logical sense in the moment. If you've ever wondered why your "clever" creative underperforms, 👉 Learn more how to become a psychology-based performance marketer: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg  

In this Brain Driven Brands episode, Nate and I unpack a wild little study that found ads can be 30% more effective depending on where your model's eyes are looking. Turns out, the difference between "I trust this brand with my organs" and "why is she looking at me like that?" comes down to whether your product is utilitarian or hedonic (fancy words for "practical" vs "fun"). We break down why eye contact builds trust for supplements and skincare—but looking away sells fashion and for-funsies products. TL;DR: Your model's gaze might be the cheapest conversion hack you've never tested. 👉 Learn more how to become a psychology-based performance marketer: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg

On this episode of Brain Driven Brands, Sarah's bad haircut spirals into a four-week behavioral case study—and an accidental masterclass in consumer psychology. From identity triggers ("am I that kind of person?") to timing misfires and disqualifying sales moments, this story exposes how every brand loses money by misunderstanding when a buyer is ready—not why. In this episode of Brain Driven Brands, Sarah and Nate dissect: → Why "when" your customer feels safe matters more than "why" they buy. → How bias, timing, and trust signals silently make or break conversions. → The $2,000 mistake one salon made that every brand repeats online. If you've ever wondered why great products don't convert—or how to fix the sequence that kills your sales—this is your wake-up call. 🧠 Listen in and rethink every "why aren't they buying?" meeting you've ever had. 👉 Learn more how to become a psychology-based performance marketer: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg

What if your next viral ad came from your meanest review?  In this episode of Brain Driven Brands, Sarah and Nate dive headfirst into the world of negative feedback, brand psychology, and emotional resilience—starting with a spicy listener review about Sarah's voice. 😅 From Liquid Death's savage comment campaigns to Domino's "We're Sorry for Sucking" rebrand, they unpack how smart brands turn criticism into currency (and why most founders take it way too personally). You'll learn: → Why consumers trust brands that own their flaws → The psychology behind "reversal bias" and "competence signaling" → How to decide if a bad comment is valid feedback—or just someone having a bad day A mix of humor, honesty, and a little therapy banter (don't worry, Nate's still anti-therapy 😆), this episode will make you rethink how you handle haters—and maybe even thank them for your next creative breakthrough. 🎧 Listen if: You've ever been roasted online, doubted your product, or wanted to clap back at a troll but turn it into a high-performing ad instead. 👉 Learn more how to apply psychology to your ads: skool.com/tether-lab\ CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg  

In this Halloween-themed episode, Sarah and Nate dive into the wildest (and weirdest) campaigns in advertising history (the ones that shouldn't have worked… but somehow did.) From the Tango Orange Man who literally slapped sales up 33%, to the Diamond Shreddies intern who made millions by tilting a cereal 45 degrees, to Pepsi's 1992 Number Fever fiasco that sparked riots in the Philippines, this episode is a masterclass in how psychology, timing, and cultural context can make or break a campaign. Expect laughter, disbelief, and plenty of "wait, that actually worked?" moments...plus two challenges for listeners at the end. Because sometimes, genius isn't about doing more — it's about seeing differently. 👉 Learn more how to apply psychology to your ads: skool.com/tether-lab\ CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: https://x.com/natelagosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos/ Tactical and Practical Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tactical-practical/id1752915534 CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: https://x.com/SarahLevingerLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.levinger/ Watch me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwfjt_7PU5N_2fTfHemXXg