Buyer Psychology Expert Explains How To Become Unignorable in Today’s AI-Driven World
Howie Chan interviews buyer psychology expert and “customer whisperer” Katelyn Bourgoin to unpack the hidden forces behind attention, influence, and why some people become impossible to ignore while others stay invisible.
In this episode, Katelyn shares the painful story of shutting down her venture-backed startup, the lessons she learned from studying behavioral economics, and how understanding buyer psychology completely changed the trajectory of her career. They dive deep into the psychology of attention, why “jobs to be done” changed modern marketing, how envy secretly drives human behavior, and the difference between getting attention and earning true influence.
You’ll also learn practical strategies for becoming “unignorable” in today’s AI-driven world, including how to build authority, borrow trust, create memorable positioning, and use storytelling ethically to influence people.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, creator, marketer, or leader trying to stand out in a noisy world, this conversation will change how you think about persuasion, branding, and human behavior.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00:00 Why Katelyn Bourgoin Shut Down Her Startup
00:05:19 Rebuilding from Zero
00:12:09 The Customer Insight Mistake Founders Keep Making
00:16:38 How a Newsletter Accidentally Became a Business
00:21:45 “Jobs To Be Done” Explained Simply
00:27:11 The “Pratfall Effect” & Why Flaws Build Trust
00:29:19 How to Become Unignorable in the Age of AI
00:36:25 How to Borrow Trust and Authority Strategically
00:39:25 Sharing Your Wins Builds Influence
00:41:22 Envy, Mimetic Desire & Hidden Motivations
00:47:15 The Science of Attention and Persuasion
00:52:11 Fascination, Contrarian Ideas & Standing Out
01:02:33 Wallet Opening Words
01:06:31 Delivering on Your Promises to Build Influence
Want to make influencing human behavior your company's superpower? Connect with me at howiechan.com/speaking and let's talk!
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From Our Guest:
Read Katelyn’s blog about killing her startup
Participate in Katelyn's Pre-selling with Pre-suasion email challenge
Get the book, Wallet-Opening Words
The Influence Anyone Podcast
The #1 podcast on applied influence psychology. Each episode, Howie Chan, a veteran brand and behavior strategist sits down with world experts and practitioners to uncover the hidden psychology that helps you influence yourself (mastering your mindset, habits, and decisions) and get buy-in from others (your team, clients, and audiences.) Together, we turn science into playbooks you can apply to lead, persuade, and create extraordinary success.
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