Brilliant Podcast

Your Soulmate is a Myth (and Paul Eastwick Can Prove It) Relationship Science vs. Reality

I’ve been married for 29 years, and I honestly thought I had it all figured out. Then I sat down with relationship scientist Paul Eastwick, author of Bonded by Evolution, and realized everything I knew about "the spark" was wrong. In this episode of the Brilliant Podcast, we’re tearing apart the science of how we connect. It turns out, that "alchemy" you’re looking for isn't something you find, it’s something you build. We’re looking at why your business strategy and your dating life are actually the same game, and how evolutionary psychology explains why some teams thrive while others ghost each other. We’re getting real about: * The "Soulmate" Trap: Why waiting for the perfect match is a recipe for staying single. * Communal vs. Exchange Relationships: If you’re keeping a checklist of favors, you’re running a transaction, not a partnership. * The Power of Pre-gratitude: Why being "the expert" is actually hurting your attraction. * Why the "Tinder-ization" of the world is killing Long-term Growth.   About Paul: Paul Eastwick is a Professor of Psychology at UC Davis, where he serves as the head of the Social-Personality Psychology program and the director of the Attraction and Relationships Research Laboratory. Thousands of undergraduate students have taken his course on attraction and close relationships, and he has published over one hundred scientific articles and chapters and won numerous early career awards. His research and writing has been featured in outlets like The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, and Scientific American Mind. He hosts the popular podcast Love Factually with his long-time colleague, Eli Finkel, where they analyze rom-coms and romantic dramas from the perspective of relationship science. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Cornell University and his PhD at Northwestern University.   Connect with Paul: Website: https://pauleastwick.com/pauleastwick [https://pauleastwick.com/pauleastwick] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-eastwick-76a2471/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-eastwick-76a2471/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pauleastwick/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/pauleastwick/?hl=en]   Get his book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723049/bonded-by-evolution-by-paul-eastwick/ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723049/bonded-by-evolution-by-paul-eastwick/] https://www.amazon.com/Bonded-Evolution-Science-Love-Connection-ebook/dp/B0F88XDYB9 [https://www.amazon.com/Bonded-Evolution-Science-Love-Connection-ebook/dp/B0F88XDYB9]   Listen to our Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brilliant-podcast/id1816980260 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brilliant-podcast/id1816980260]   #RelationshipScience #EvolutionaryPsychology #PaulEastwick #TheBrilliantPodcast #DatingAdvice #RelationshipGoals #ModernDating #BusinessPsychology #LongTermGrowth #PartnershipMindset

Meetings Suck Because You Are Lazy: Rebecca Hinds on Fixing Your Broken Calendar

I used to think that meetings just naturally sucked. Then I read Your Best Meeting Ever by Rebecca Hinds and realized I was the one breaking them. In this episode of the Brilliant Podcast I sit down with Rebecca to figure out why we keep throwing junk on our calendars and calling it work. We are getting into the organizational psychology of why your quick syncs are actually killing your company growth. The memes about emails and getting into systems thinking are a thing of the past now. If your team has that meeting suck reflex or is drowning in asynchronous communication noise Rebecca breaks down the Seven Principles for designing interactions that actually drive productivity. We talk about why your meetings are often just symptoms of a leadership development crisis and how to fix the communication system once and for all. I am using her book every week now and my team is already noticing the difference. If you are tired of being double and triple booked for things that do not matter this conversation is for you. What we cover in this episode * The 4D CEO Test To decide if a meeting actually deserves to exist. * Meeting Doomsday Why you need to nuke your entire calendar once a year. * The IKEA Effect Why top-down mandates fail and employee ownership wins. * Verb Noun Agendas Because catching up is not a strategy. * Decision Making Why most of your meetings are just delayed information exchange. ----more----   ABOUT REBECCA: Rebecca Hinds is a leading expert on organizational behavior and the future of work.   Rebecca holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Stanford University, where her research focused on how emerging technologies—especially collaboration tools and AI—are reshaping the way we work.   From 2022 to 2025, Rebecca founded and led the Work Innovation Lab at Asana to explore bold, research-driven solutions to the biggest challenges in today’s workplace. In 2025, she launched the Work AI Institute at Glean where she partners with leading experts to help organizations transform their work with AI. Rebecca is a trusted advisor to leading companies—helping teams tackle everything from meeting overload and hybrid work to the growing pains of AI adoption and organizational change. Her work challenges outdated management playbooks and inspires leaders to rethink—and redesign—the way work gets done.   Grab her books: Amazon: Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/166806748X?tag=simonsayscom] = Barnes and Noble: Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/your-best-meeting-ever-rebecca-hinds/1147556569;jsessionid=FFF3B1B7AB419AEE70BD798E9994A8DB.prodny_store01-atgap11?ean=9781668067482]   Website: https://www.rebeccahinds.com/ [https://www.rebeccahinds.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/] X: https://x.com/RebHinds [https://x.com/RebHinds] Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brilliant-podcast/id1816980260 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brilliant-podcast/id1816980260]   #Productivity #LeadershipDevelopment #TimeManagement #OrganizationalPsychology #MeetingCulture #SystemsThinking #WorkplaceEfficiency #RebeccaHinds #BrilliantPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching

Who Decides Value And Why You Believe It | Guest: Toby Stuart

In this episode of The Brilliant Podcast, host Tristan Ahumada talks with Toby Stuart, professor at UC Berkeley and author, about status dynamics and why anointment quietly shapes nearly every decision we make. They examine how social status, endorsements, social proof, and algorithms influence markets, media, startups, venture capital, and even scientific recognition. Using examples that span wine critics, art dealers, Silicon Valley investors, AI platforms, and product reviews, this conversation explains why value often shifts overnight without the product changing at all. Topics include cultural markets, inequality, media trust, affiliate marketing, Amazon reviews, status games in startups, AI-driven recommendation systems, and why merit alone rarely succeeds without recognition. This episode is less about motivation and more about understanding the invisible forces already steering your choices. Listen carefully. You’re part of this system too.   ──────────────────────────────   Toby E. Stuart is the Leo Helzel Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley. He is Faculty Director of the Berkeley-Haas Entrepreneurship Program; Faculty Director of the Institute for Business Innovation; and Distinguished Teaching Fellow. Previously, Stuart was Charles Edward Wilson Professor at Harvard Business School; Art Samberg Professor and Faculty Director of the Lang Center for Entrepreneurship at Columbia University’s Business School; and Fred Steingraber-A.T. Kearney Professor of Leadership & Strategy at University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. He has also served on the faculty of the Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship group at MIT Sloan School of Management. He received his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. He holds an A.B., summa cum laude, in economics from Carleton College. At HBS and CBS, Stuart led the required courses in Entrepreneurship and in Corporate Strategy, respectively.   Connect with Toby: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toby-stuart-90a37432/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/toby-stuart-90a37432/] Website: https://tobystuart.com/ [https://tobystuart.com/]   Get his book: https://www.amazon.com/Anointed-Extraordinary-Effects-Social-Winner-Take-Most-ebook/dp/B0DV6QWCVQ [https://www.amazon.com/Anointed-Extraordinary-Effects-Social-Winner-Take-Most-ebook/dp/B0DV6QWCVQ] https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/anointed-toby-stuart/1146889900?ean=9781668001875 [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/anointed-toby-stuart/1146889900?ean=9781668001875]   #StatusDynamics #SocialStatus #Anointment #SocialProof #BrilliantPodcast #TristanAhumada #TobyStuart

Why Your "Big Commission" Check Is Currently a Lie | Guest Steph Wagner

If you think your high commission checks equal wealth, you’re adorable, and probably wrong. Most real estate agents are masters at making money and absolute disasters at keeping it. In this episode of the Brilliant Podcast, Tristan Ahumada sits down with Steph Wagner, author of Fly, to explain why your "leaning out" strategy is a financial train wreck waiting to happen. We are moving past the "pink tax" and the cringey budget spreadsheets that never work anyway. Steph shares her brutal "rock bottom" moment and explains why financial independence isn't a dollar amount, but a refusal to be a victim of your own bank account. We dive into the 45/20/35 model, the dangers of phantom money, and why your emergency fund is more important than your next car lease. Stop treating your income like a refillable cup and start building a net worth that actually lets you sleep at night. Stop being forgettable and broke. Hit subscribe and tell us your "aha" moment in the comments.     ABOUT STEPH WAGNER   Steph Wagner is a nationally recognized thought leader in women’s wealth and financial empowerment whose work blends personal experience with professional expertise. After a successful career in private equity, she faced financial hardship as a single mother, a journey that inspired her mission to help women take control of their financial futures. Today, Steph serves as National Director of Women & Wealth at Northern Trust, where she leads the firm’s advisory practice for women and oversees the Elevating Women platform, a nationwide program dedicated to building financial confidence and community. She is the author of Fly! A Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom and Building a Life You Love, a book that combines memoir and practical financial guidance to empower women at every stage of life. Steph’s insights on money, resilience, and wealth have been featured in major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg, MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance, and more. She lives near Austin, Texas, with her family and continues to champion financial literacy and independence.   Website: https://stephlwagner.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steph_l_wagner/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephlwagner/   Grab her book: Author of Fly! A Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom and Building the Life You Want Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Fly-Womans-Financial-Freedom-Building/dp/1637747659 #realestate #wealth #financialfreedom #realtorlife #investing #brilliantpodcast #moneygoals #financialliteracy #stephwagner #fly

Gaming Is Marketing Now (Catch Up) with Bastian Bergmann

Welcome back to the Brilliant Podcast, where we don’t just talk about the future—we accidentally bump into it while gaming. In this episode, Tristan Ahumada sits down with Bastian Bergman, Co-Founder & COO of Solsten and author of Press Play, to explain why gaming is no longer “interesting” or “experimental”, it’s unavoidable. If that makes you uncomfortable, good. Growth usually does. We talk about gaming marketing strategy, brand engagement through gaming, and why participation, not passive scrolling, is the real competitive advantage. Fortnite, Roblox, Duolingo, Peloton, Adidas, and the New York Times, this conversation explains how play, psychology, and game mechanics are quietly changing how brands earn attention, loyalty, and trust.   --------------------------------------------------------------------------   Bastian Bergmann is the Co-Founder and COO of Solsten, a company that uses AI and psychology to help businesses truly understand what makes their customers tick. Instead of just looking at basic numbers, Bastian’s work helps brands figure out the "why" behind human behavior. He is also the author of the book Press Play, where he shares how to build better companies by focusing on the human side of technology. With a background in starting and growing new ventures, Bastian has become a go-to expert for leaders who want to build products that people actually care about. He focuses on making the business world feel more human, even as it becomes more automated.   Grab his book: https://www.amazon.com/Press-Play-Com... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnY2OE11UlRIQV9Hd0pMY25nQWl6ZEpWbkNGZ3xBQ3Jtc0tseFFCVE1uNk1DbFZGT0JOd3M1WG9ma3NGc3Y5LVo2MWdsaFUxWGtCMHJqV1dqUTZJa2lPcVZoTzZJQ2ZIZFoxNDB1TWlMVzBIbUxxU1MyNHNKNGxaTzBjV0dQTXdIZ2tPb18tUnJVcWJUbmpaTlI4TQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FPress-Play-Company-Gaming-Strategy%2Fdp%2F1647826152&v=4REvOTm_yY8] Instagram:   / technicallyentertaining   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXFUVjdLeXdKem9sbTAwakk1S1k2T0xnRjZfd3xBQ3Jtc0tsdldzeFVaeG8yYlpRVVhHU1JjVHpvZTRBcUQ2akhWcjYzdkhhZFktMDlsYWk3ajNHaGhyU1lrdWRNbEZmU3ZWbHhjdkRDTHdLbVMzQndFa1l1SVVBb3FEbmduY0h2Vnc5MUhFLWZVemRzRUY2Uzdxaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Ftechnicallyentertaining%2F&v=4REvOTm_yY8] LinkedIn:   / bastian-bergmann-93a9a325a [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazdJYk1pYmtMN0E1TG5HTE9HSk9fUWVWa05aUXxBQ3Jtc0tuQUlmNU41MnVJRXFva2k1X2g5YlFra0lqUTctNUxkQ2dTcUdRVHRxRzFVaWdnRlBUUmRHWGY1OTJtOXl0aVd6bnlhTFZSdU90MTJuV0ZLbHhabWpPci1FMDlwN1IzOUJZV2lGb3pKcjU1anRpekR5OA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fbastian-bergmann-93a9a325a%2F&v=4REvOTm_yY8]   #GamingMarketing #BrandStrategy #Gamification #FutureOfMarketing #CommunityBuilding