Unseen Influences

Send us Fan Mail  Fear is typically unforeseen. Few of us go out looking for fear, but then it appears and we must deal with it. It can be something common, like when you nearly trip on the stairs, or it can be imposed upon you, like the stories you’re about to hear Prepare to be scared – and to recognize the impact fear has upon you. 

Send us Fan Mail Today we’re talking about restaurants and the things they do to guide your choice about what to eat, how to get you to order more items and tricks servers use to boost their tips. 

Send us Fan Mail If you've lived in a community for a few years, you get to know your way around pretty well. If one road is blocked, you know in your mind how to work around it. But if you're visiting a different community, especially one in another country, you need signs and other cues to find your destination. Even the shopping lot of a major mall or the halls of a large hospital can...

Send us Fan Mail The grocery shopper two carts behind you may be paying less for that can of tomatoes that you just put on the belt. Why? Because the store knows from your past shopping experiences what your price point is. With AI and even more powerful computers, sellers are about to get a lot more aggressive with their pricing and you may not know what the price is until you reach the register,...

Send us Fan Mail Many years ago, as I was coming off a concourse on my way to the airport baggage claim area, I was hit with an overpowering smell. It was warm and inviting. It made me feel at home. As I descended the escalator, it was the unmistakable scent of warm cinnamon rolls. And at that moment, I didn't care how far I had to walk or what I had to pay, but I was going to have one of tho...

Send us Fan Mail There used to be a snarky joke about the Bell Company, when it existed back in the 60s and 70s, that the employees had Bell-shaped heads. In other words, they all spouted the same company line. It makes sense when you think about it, everyone needs to be on the same page and chasing the same goals. Today it's called on-boarding. New employees get a manual or handbook talking...

Send us Fan Mail You may believe you're an independent thinker, but odds are you are influenced by others' actions or beliefs. In most cases, the influence is inconsequential, but it's important to know how their beliefs and actions impact you to fully understand why you do what you do. Plus, we'll talk about lying and why we all lie a lot. You'll also learn why lying is a...

Send us Fan Mail You know your car is loaded with computers, but it also has cameras and microphones. Depending on the make, model and year of your car, it could be giving up a lot of information about you and there isn't much you can do about it -- it has its own cell phone to share what it knows. All this can impact your insurance rates and many other indices that affect the goods and servi...

Send us Fan Mail We are surrounded by buttons and devices that are intended to make our lives better, but they do nothing.  Want your hotel room to be cooler? Chances are whatever setting you choose, you won't notice much of a difference. They are designed that way, but we will give you the codes to bypass many of those thermostats and get the relief you need, most of which are helpfully prov...

Send us Fan Mail Unseen Influences launches Feb. 12, 2026. There are hidden forces that shape your choices. Some work to your benefit -- like finding your way through hospital corridors. Others nudge you toward buying products or adopting ideas that may not have occurred to you before. Unseen Influences helps you identify those efforts and make choices that are right for you. You'll learn how...