Brain Driven Brands
Host Sarah Levinger breaks down the advanced neuromarketing secrets of 9-figure brands (like True Classic, Spotify, and Plants vs. Zombies) to show you psychology tactics any e-commerce brand can use today to cut costs, boost sales, and captivate the masses.
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Stop Chasing the “Why”: Here’s How Real People Actually Buy
12/18/2025
Stop Chasing the “Why”: Here’s How Real People Actually Buy
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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This 2013 Discovery Explains Why Your Ads Won’t Convert
12/16/2025
This 2013 Discovery Explains Why Your Ads Won’t Convert
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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The TikTok FYP Rewired the Brain…Now Your Ads Have to Adapt
12/11/2025
The TikTok FYP Rewired the Brain…Now Your Ads Have to Adapt
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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The Weird Psychology Tactic That’s Boosting Conversions by 149%
12/09/2025
The Weird Psychology Tactic That’s Boosting Conversions by 149%
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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The 3 Forces Behind Every High-Performing Campaign in 2026
12/02/2025
The 3 Forces Behind Every High-Performing Campaign in 2026
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: Get People to Pay 35% More Episode: Marketers...Think About WHEN Episode: 👉 Join my community: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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The Invisible Enemy Strategy: Why Systems Marketing Will Dominate 2026
11/27/2025
The Invisible Enemy Strategy: Why Systems Marketing Will Dominate 2026
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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BFCM Week Survival Episode: Anxiety, Pressure, and the Real Talk Operators Need
11/26/2025
BFCM Week Survival Episode: Anxiety, Pressure, and the Real Talk Operators Need
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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Consumers Got Weird This Year: 5 Truths Marketers Aren’t Ready For
11/20/2025
Consumers Got Weird This Year: 5 Truths Marketers Aren’t Ready For
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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The Worst Ad Takes We’ve Ever Heard (And Why They Refuse to Die)
11/18/2025
The Worst Ad Takes We’ve Ever Heard (And Why They Refuse to Die)
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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You’re Not the Hero: Big Brand Truths Small Brands Hate Hearing (Feat. Will Leach)
11/13/2025
You’re Not the Hero: Big Brand Truths Small Brands Hate Hearing (Feat. Will Leach)
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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99% of Marketers Are Using AI Wrong (Including YOU)
11/06/2025
99% of Marketers Are Using AI Wrong (Including YOU)
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: 👉 Join my community: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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Boost Your Brand’s “Cool” Factor by 20% Using [SECRET PRODUCT]
11/04/2025
Boost Your Brand’s “Cool” Factor by 20% Using [SECRET PRODUCT]
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: 👉 Join my community: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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The 8 Marketing Mistakes We Made in 2025 (and How to Fix Them in 2026)
10/30/2025
The 8 Marketing Mistakes We Made in 2025 (and How to Fix Them in 2026)
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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Two Truths and A Lie: Why the Weirdest Ads Work (and Yours Don’t)
10/28/2025
Two Truths and A Lie: Why the Weirdest Ads Work (and Yours Don’t)
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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Stop Staring at Me: The Weird Psychology of Eye Contact in Ads 👀
10/23/2025
Stop Staring at Me: The Weird Psychology of Eye Contact in Ads 👀
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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Sarah’s $2,000 Haircut: Why “When” Beats “Why” in Marketing Every Time
10/21/2025
Sarah’s $2,000 Haircut: Why “When” Beats “Why” in Marketing Every Time
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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How to Turn Hate Comments Into Your Best Marketing Strategy
10/17/2025
How to Turn Hate Comments Into Your Best Marketing Strategy
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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🎃 Scary Good Advertising: The Tango Slap, Diamond Shreddies, and the Pepsi Riot
10/14/2025
🎃 Scary Good Advertising: The Tango Slap, Diamond Shreddies, and the Pepsi Riot
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: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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The OK Soda Story: How One Brand Died Before It Began
10/09/2025
The OK Soda Story: How One Brand Died Before It Began
Coca-Cola once tried to sell apathy in a can. They called it OK Soda — a grungy, “anti-brand” aimed at cynical Gen Xers. The ads were clever, the design was bizarre…and the product died within a year. In Episode 107, we dig into why “anti-branding” almost always backfires, why Liquid Death succeeded where Coke failed, and the psychology of why brands can’t thrive on indifference. Inside the conversation: ✅ The real reason OK Soda flopped despite massive hype ✅ Why apathy is the weakest emotion you can build a brand on ✅ The key difference between active vs. passive emotions in marketing ✅ How today’s “anti-agency agencies” and “non-beauty beauty brands” are repeating Coke’s mistake ✅ Why rebellion only works if you give customers an identity to step into, not out of If you’ve ever wondered: Why some “anti” campaigns take off while others flatline How to pick the right emotion to anchor your brand around What Liquid Death nailed that Coke couldn’t figure out And why fighting your own category is the fastest way to lose… …this one’s for you. 👉 Learn how to become a psychology-based creative strategist: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: LinkedIn: Instagram:
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The Weird Ad Length That Drove 40% More Traffic
10/07/2025
The Weird Ad Length That Drove 40% More Traffic
What if everything you’ve been told about the “right” ad length is wrong? In this episode of Brain Driven Brands, Sarah and Nate dive into a surprising new study showing that one oddly specific video length outperformed the standard 15–30 second format — driving 40% more traffic and 3X engagement. They break down: Why shorter ads spark curiosity (and clicks) while longer ones stall The real “job” of an ad vs. your landing page Why benefit-first storytelling beats pain-point rambling Live ad-read experiments (yes, in under 10 seconds) Source: https://app.sciencesays.com/p/keep-video-ads-under-10-seconds 👉 Learn more how to apply psychology to your ads: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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When to Use % Off vs. $ Off Discounts
10/02/2025
When to Use % Off vs. $ Off Discounts
We dropped a stat this week that stopped Nate in his tracks: brands can see up to 42% more sales just by framing discounts the right way. No new ads, no extra products...just choosing percent off vs. dollar off at the right moment. In Episode 105, we dig into the psychology behind that lift and why most brands blow Q4 by overcomplicating offers, stacking promos, and teaching customers not to trust them. Inside the conversation: ✅ The science behind when to use % off vs. $ off (and why it changes sitewide vs. single product) ✅ The 5 offer types we see every year — and which ones are worth your testing budget ✅ Why “combo deals” and “sale extended” emails wreck trust long-term ✅ Sequencing tactics (like Nate’s “Better Than Black Friday” play) that build urgency without burning credibility ✅ Why sometimes the boldest Q4 strategy is raising prices, not cutting them If you’ve ever wondered: 1. How to simplify offers so customers don’t need a calculator 2. Why half-off deals aren’t always the flex you think they are 3. How to build trust during the most profitable month of the year 4. And why less discounting can actually mean more margin …this one’s for you. Season 3 keeps pushing, and the data’s spicy. 🧠 Source: https://app.sciencesays.com/p/coupons-when-to-give-10-off-vs-10 👉 Learn more about applying psychology to your ads: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram:
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Surviving Q4 Burnout: The Real Black Friday Ad Strategy No One Talks About
09/30/2025
Surviving Q4 Burnout: The Real Black Friday Ad Strategy No One Talks About
This episode of Brain Driven Brands is a survival guide for founders, media buyers, and creative teams heading into the chaos of Q4. Sarah sits down with Joanna Wallace (VP of Paid Creative @ Bird Dog, formerly HexClad) to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to prep for Black Friday without burning your team out—or losing your sanity. We dig into: ✅ Why burnout hits creative teams hardest in September (and how to stop the slide) ✅ The hidden costs of “just make more ads” during Q4 ✅ How to prep your staff, editors, and assets so you’re not scrambling in November ✅ Why organization (not genius ideas) is the real secret weapon for BFCM ✅ The playbook Joanna used at HexClad to survive—and even thrive—during Black Friday If you’ve ever felt like Q4 is a treadmill you can’t get off, this episode gives you the strategy shift (and the permission) to slow down, get organized, and protect your team while still hitting your numbers. 🎧 Listen in—and if you’re a founder or creative staring down Q4 panic, this one’s for you. 👉 Learn more about applying psychology to your ads: Guest: Joanna Sloane Wallace, VP of Paid Creative @ Bird Dog LinkedIn: CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Website: Twitter: LinkedIn: Instagram: YouTube:
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Retention Marketing Isn’t Marketing...It’s Habit-Building (with Alyssa Wallace)
09/26/2025
Retention Marketing Isn’t Marketing...It’s Habit-Building (with Alyssa Wallace)
This week, Sarah and Nate are joined by Alyssa Wallace, retention & lifecycle marketing pro, for a conversation that flips the usual DTC playbook on its head. Here’s the hard truth: blasting 100+ AI ads and endless “buy now” emails isn’t retention. It’s noise. Consumers aren’t dumb—they’re tired, frustrated, and tuning out. Together, we dig into: Why retention is really about habit-building, not just marketing BDB - Episode 103 The difference between lifecycle vs. loyalty vs. acquisition (and why most brands get it wrong) Why your email list isn’t full of “customers”—it’s mostly prospects How to align ads, offers, timing, and messaging to create actual lifetime value Why silly things (like mocktail recipes or “sandwich emails”) often outperform discount blasts And why the future belongs to brands that connect emotionally, not just transactionally If you’ve ever wondered why your retention campaigns feel flat, how to build real loyalty, or what it actually takes to keep customers around, this episode will give you the straight answers. Season 3 is here, and we’re starting loud. 🧠⚡️ 👉 Learn more about applying psychology to your ads: Guest: Alyssa Wallace Twitter: https://x.com/xalyssajeanx LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xalyssajeanx/ CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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From 1,000 Ads to 12: How Smart Brands Are Winning Differently
09/23/2025
From 1,000 Ads to 12: How Smart Brands Are Winning Differently
This episode of Brain Driven Brands is a wake-up call for every founder, media buyer, and creative who’s been told the secret is more ads, more volume, more work. Sarah, Nate, and guest Kevin (Head of eCom at High Camp Flasks) pull back the curtain on the creative hamster wheel and share why “a thousand ads a month” isn’t just unrealistic—it’s wrecking teams, draining budgets, and distracting from what actually drives growth. We dig into: Why Meta’s “creative volume” advice is being misapplied How focusing on holistic campaigns (not individual ads) changes everything The hidden burnout, team, time, and efficiency costs of chasing volume What great brands are doing instead: quality storytelling, high-impact campaigns, and customer research If you’re tired of the spray-and-pray approach and want to fall back in love with marketing again, this episode will give you the strategy shift you need. 🎧 Listen in, and if you’re a brand stuck on the volume hamster wheel, this one’s for you. 👉 Learn more how to apply psychology to your ads: Guest: Kevin (Never “Kev”) Luby, Director of Ecommerce @ High Camp Flasks Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-luby-70b62445/ CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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7 Good Cookies: The Marketing Lie That’s Costing You Growth
09/18/2025
7 Good Cookies: The Marketing Lie That’s Costing You Growth
We kicked off Season 3 with some heat. 🔥 In this episode, Nate and Sarah talk about why the volume game in ads is broken — and how brands are shooting themselves in the foot by flooding their accounts with 100+ AI-generated ads a week. Spoiler: consumers aren’t dumb. They’re tired, frustrated, and tuning out repetitive, irrelevant creative. We share some new stats on consumer behavior (61% are less likely to buy after seeing the same ad too many times, 49% flat out refuse). We dig into why volume ≠ diversity, why overloading creative teams is unsustainable, and why the future looks more like “7 great cookies” than “50 mediocre ones.” Nate and Sarah also shift into brand strategy — how to prime buyers long before the sale, the reality of emotional lag in purchasing decisions, and why building memorable brand campaigns is the antidote to cookie-cutter volume. We even talk about why silly things (like my little red dinosaur) actually work for brand recall. If you’ve ever wondered: Why dumping ads into Meta isn’t working anymore How to think about emotional timing in customer behavior How to balance brand vs. performance spend without losing your shirt And why “be more interesting” might be the most practical advice you’ll hear this year …this episode is for you. Season 3 is here, and we’re starting loud. 🧠⚡️ 🔑 Episodes Referenced: Marketers...Don't Think About WHO Think About WHEN: 👉 Learn more how to apply psychology to your ads: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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🎉 Episode 100: The Top 7 Episodes You Need to Send to a Friend
09/16/2025
🎉 Episode 100: The Top 7 Episodes You Need to Send to a Friend
In this episode of Brain-Driven Brands, Nate and Sarah kick off Season 3 by reflecting on some of our favorite episodes from past seasons, share the lessons that stuck with us, and give you a preview of what’s coming next. If you haven’t listened to Brain Driven Brands for long, or if you jut wanna send your friend some good content this week, SEND THEM THIS. 🔑 Key Takeaways Why “just spending more on ads” is the wrong lever—and the surprising shift that actually drives scale. The one theme that secretly connected our favorite past episodes (storytelling, bias, and identity)… and why we didn’t see it until now. A behind-the-scenes look at what we’re building for Season 3—something we’ve never shared publicly before. 🔑 Episodes Referenced: The “When” Episode – about when people are primed to buy: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-driven-brands/id1752169629?i=1000675762314 $100M Marketing Challenge – a live experiment episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-driven-brands/id1752169629?i=1000693460164 The Orange Episode / Apples vs. Oranges – about the seriously shady business of orange juice vs apple juice (juice/consumables): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-driven-brands/id1752169629?i=1000702690496 Ford to Range Rover Episode – identity-based buying contrast episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-driven-brands/id1752169629?i=1000702997660 Sarah Makes Snake Cry – a memorable/funny one that might change copywriting forever: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-driven-brands/id1752169629?i=1000710416478 Gut Driven Brands – spinoff episode when Sarah was out, so Scotty & Nate ran it: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-driven-brands/id1752169629?i=1000679071306 The “Because” Episode – got notable (kinda negative) listener reactions: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-driven-brands/id1752169629?i=1000687116891 BONUS: BPE Episode – people couldn't get enough of this one: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-driven-brands/id1752169629?i=1000700103181 BONUS: Valence of Testing – one of the best episodes we've done by far! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-driven-brands/id1752169629?i=1000710416478 👉 Learn more how to apply psychology to your ads: skool.com/tether-lab CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: CoHost: Sarah Levinger Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube:
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Steal Your Customers from Your Competitors (the Easy Way)
08/28/2025
Steal Your Customers from Your Competitors (the Easy Way)
In this episode, Nate and Sarah walk through one of the easiest ways to steal customers from your competitors using psychology and behavior science…by using Consumer Casey as a case study! JOIN The TETHER Community- CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube: Thanks to Cytrus for the theme song, “Sky High” You can follow and find them on Spotify:
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Boost Your Sales by 42%...With ONE Great [Secret]
08/26/2025
Boost Your Sales by 42%...With ONE Great [Secret]
On this episode of Brain Driven Brands, Sarah quizzes Nate on a super secret study that could boost his sales by 42%...if he’s only willing to do what Sarah says he should. 😅 Source: https://app.sciencesays.com/p/your-product-benefits-must-seem-related JOIN The TETHER Community- CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube: Thanks to Cytrus for the theme song, “Sky High” You can follow and find them on Spotify:
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Static Creative Ads, hate it or love it? (Feat. Joanna Wallace)
08/21/2025
Static Creative Ads, hate it or love it? (Feat. Joanna Wallace)
In this episode of Brain Driven Brands, special guest Joanna Wallace joins Nate and Sarah to look at some of Nate’s favorite ads and Joanna chimes in on what she likes and might not like. JOIN The TETHER Community- CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube: Thanks to Cytrus for the theme song, “Sky High” You can follow and find them on Spotify:
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5 Things Marketers Need to Stop Believing (Feat. Joanna Wallace)
08/14/2025
5 Things Marketers Need to Stop Believing (Feat. Joanna Wallace)
In this episode of Brain Driven Brands, special guest Joanna Wallace joins Nate and Sarah to discuss some of the marketing strategies, tactics, methodologies and theory we’re just not gonna believe anymore…mostly because we were wrong about them. JOIN The TETHER Community- CoHost: Nate Lagos Twitter: LinkedIn: Tactical and Practical Podcast: Learn more at: https://www.tetherinsights.io/ Twitter: Linkedin: Instagram: Watch me on YouTube: Thanks to Cytrus for the theme song, “Sky High” You can follow and find them on Spotify:
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