Behind the Mic — 5 Years of the Behavioral Economics in Marketing Podcast – Transcript

Season 10, Episode 1: Behind the Mic — 5 Years of the Behavioral Economics in Marketing Podcast

Intro the Season
Welcome to Season 10 of the Behavioral Economics in Marketing podcast! This season, I’m doing something a little different: instead of starting with our usual dive into the difference between economics and behavioral economics, I want to take you behind the scenes of the past five years. Don’t worry — I’ll be back with the classic intro format in future seasons. But today, let’s celebrate the journey we’ve been on together.

Before we jump into the stories, challenges, and triumphs of these past five years, I want to take a moment to reflect on what this podcast has meant to me — and, I hope, to you. Creating the Behavioral Economics in Marketing podcast wasn’t just a professional project; it became a personal journey of learning, resilience, and connection. From moments of uncertainty to incredible milestones, it’s been a path full of growth.

Today, I want to share some of those key moments with you — the sparks that inspired this show, the setbacks that nearly stopped it, the wins that kept it going, and what I’ve learned along the way. Let’s start at the very beginning: why I decided to launch this podcast in the first place.

1. Why I Got Started
   People often asked me how I apply my master’s degree in economics to marketing, and those questions planted the seed for this podcast. At the time, I’d never listened to a podcast — I had no idea how to write, record, or produce one. One of my first big wins was creating my own intro music: I’m especially proud of this because I built it note by note into the composition you hear today. The compliments I get on it remind me how far this project has come. Right from the start, every step was a learning experience.
2. The Biggest Setback — and a Turning Point
   One of the biggest setbacks for the podcast came when the Marshall Fire in Boulder, Colorado, claimed my home and everything I owned. It was a devastating personal loss. At that moment, juggling a full-time job, raising four kids, volunteering, and rebuilding our lives felt overwhelming — and I nearly gave up on the podcast. But the idea for Season 5, “Lessons from the Fire,” took hold. Processing that experience through the lens of behavioral economics became a labor of love and healing. Writing and recording that season renewed my passion for this work and gave me a powerful reason to keep going.
3. Major Milestones and Wins
   A few moments stand out as game-changers. Being invited to speak at conferences around the world — both virtually and in person — expanded the reach of the podcast. But one of the biggest boons was when multiple learning management systems requested to include my episodes in their curricula. Through these LMS platforms, the podcast has reached listeners in 73 countries and been translated into 15 languages, opening new target segments and creating a valuable revenue stream that helped sustain the show.
4. Challenges — and Innovations to Meet Them
   One of the biggest ongoing challenges has been meeting the needs of a diverse audience: from CEOs and CMOs to college students and behavioral econ enthusiasts. It’s tricky to keep everyone engaged without losing anyone along the way. That’s why I introduced the “Definition Minute” episodes — short, digestible intros to key topics you can listen to before diving into deeper discussions. Another solution was creating mini-series of 3–4 episodes that build on each other. For example, in Season 8, I tackled the 4 Ps of marketing by introducing each P in a standalone episode, then exploring it in greater depth over the next few episodes.
5. The Most Rewarding Part
   What’s kept me going through the highs and lows is the feedback from you — my listeners. I love when someone reaches out to share what they learned or how an episode helped them. One of my favorite notes came from a listener who used my negotiation tips to secure a higher salary. Moments like that remind me of the impact we can have when we apply behavioral economics to real life.

6 How This Season Will Work — Highlights
This milestone season is designed to take you on a journey through the best of what we’ve explored together over the past five years — and then push those ideas even further. For each past season I highlight, I’ll kick things off with an introduction that sets the stage and revisits what made that season special or impactful. Then, I’ll share a replay of one of the standout episodes — one that either sparked the most listener conversations or remains one of my personal favorites.

But I don’t want to just look back — I want to build forward. So after each replay, I’ll release a brand-new companion episode that expands on those concepts with fresh insights, advanced strategies, or real-world examples for today’s marketing landscape. My goal is for you to see how timeless behavioral economics principles evolve and deepen over time — and how you can keep applying them creatively.

Here are a few highlights I’m especially excited for you to experience this season:
🎯 Framing Effect in Targeted Messaging
Discover how subtle shifts in the way you present choices can dramatically change how customers respond. This episode explores real-world examples of framing and practical ways you can ethically use it to increase conversions and guide decision-making.

🧠 Intention-Action Gap on Habit Change
Why do we often fail to follow through on our best intentions? This episode unpacks the psychological barriers between intention and behavior — and offers actionable strategies for marketers and leaders to help people bridge that gap.

🏪 The Paradox of Choice in E-Commerce
Too many options can paralyze customers instead of empowering them. In this episode, we dig into strategies to simplify online experiences so customers feel confident in their choices — and your conversion rates climb.

👥 Communication Theory and Remote Work Dynamics
One of my favorite episodes from Season 9, this one looks at how core communication principles apply to distributed teams, helping leaders and marketers alike build stronger, clearer connections in remote settings.

🪜 Building Loyalty Programs with Gamification
In this companion episode, we explore how to move beyond points systems and tap into behavioral motivators like progress, competition, and rewards to keep customers engaged and loyal over time.

💡 Overcoming Noise in Marketing Channels
A brand new episode this season, it’s all about breaking through today’s cluttered media landscape so your message doesn’t just reach your audience — it resonates.

7. Personal Note
   As I kick off this milestone season, I want to say thank you. Whether you’ve been with me since the early episodes or you’re just discovering the podcast, your support, curiosity, and engagement have been the fuel behind every script, every late-night recording session, and every idea I’ve brought to life here.

These past five years have taught me that marketing isn’t just about strategy — it’s about understanding people, ourselves included. The moments you’ve shared with me — stories of negotiating a raise, insights you’ve taken back to your teams, or even just a quick note to say you enjoyed an episode — remind me why this work matters.

I’m so grateful you’re part of this journey. Here’s to another season of exploring the fascinating ways behavioral economics can transform how we market, lead, and connect.