Imagine standing on a first-grade playground, observing as kids tease one another.

You’re just six years old, and your mind can’t seem to grasp why people treat each other this way.

Fast forward a few decades, and that childlike curiosity transforms into a lifelong quest to decode human behavior…

That’s the start of Michael Liebowitz’s story, and I’m BEYOND excited for you to learn from him today!

Michael is a messaging badass leveraging behavioral neurology, linguistics, a lot of strategy, and a sense of humor.

In other words:

He finds the words that make YOUR offers understandable and attractive without losing its spark of genius.

Today we dive into how YOU can…

• Avoid ‘killing’ your customer by connecting with their core ‘critter brain’ needs (you might be doing this unintentionally and accidentally repelling clients!)
• Identify and communicate belonging traits that attract your ideal clients like magic
• Integrate the time and motion language in messaging

Show Notes Generated With The Help of AI!

Introduction to Beyond Curious and today's guest, Michael Liebowitz

Brandon Fong welcomes listeners to this insightful episode of Beyond Curious, introducing Michael Liebowitz, a master in behavioral neurology and messaging. With expertise in linguistics, strategy, and humor, Michael helps business leaders articulate messages that resonate deeply, fostering connection and clarity. This episode dives into Michael's journey, the science of human behavior, and how beliefs drive effective communication.

Timestamps & Highlights:

00:00 - Setting the Stage

Brandon opens with a shoutout to Bob Regnerus for connecting him with Michael. He shares Michael’s impressive background, emphasizing his mastery in behavioral neurology and linguistics to help businesses refine their messaging.

02:06 - Three Key Insights to Watch For

Brandon outlines the episode’s themes:

1. How a first-grade playground incident inspired Michael’s lifelong curiosity.
2. Understanding the "critter brain" and crafting survival-based messages.
3. The transformative power of articulating your core beliefs.

Michael recounts a pivotal childhood memory of witnessing teasing in first grade. This moment sparked a lifelong quest to understand why people treat each other the way they do and how they communicate.

09:49 - The Lightbulb Moment: Discovering NLP

Michael shares his first encounter with neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) in his early 40s. Enthralled by its magic, he pursued formal training, which became a major turning point in his career.

15:55 - “Don’t Kill Your Customer”

Michael introduces his key principle: how traditional messaging often misfires by ignoring the brain's survival-based decision-making. He explains the importance of addressing the "critter brain" to establish trust before presenting logic-based justifications.

20:32 - Identity and Decision-Making

Exploring the role of identity in human behavior, Michael emphasizes that people align with brands that reflect their own self-perception. He reframes the classic adage, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy you,” to stress that buyers seek reflections of themselves in your messaging.

26:24 - The Power of Beliefs in Business

Michael explains why starting with core beliefs resonates deeply with audiences. He shares examples, including a kitchen gadget company whose belief, “It’s fun to show off,” revolutionized its messaging and sales strategy.

35:37 - Uncovering Your Core Beliefs

Through practical tips, Michael advises on how to identify your business's core beliefs using the question: "What’s important to you about [your work]?" He warns against the pitfalls of the “Start with why” approach, suggesting a more nuanced method for finding authentic answers.

47:09 - Time and Motion in Messaging

Michael delves into advanced language strategies, such as framing your message in present vs. future tense and static vs. active motion, to better align with audience expectations and needs.

56:03 - Your Message Determines Your Audience

Challenging the traditional marketing wisdom of audience-first messaging, Michael asserts that the strongest belief systems shape the most loyal audiences.

01:00:15 - Belonging Traits: Connecting with Your Ideal Client

Michael introduces the concept of “belonging traits” — the shared characteristics between you and your audience that foster alignment and trust. He explains how these traits create an effortless connection with ideal clients while filtering out poor matches.

Links & Resources:

• Michael’s Website : Mind Magnetizer
• Michael’s LinkedIn Page