[0:21] Ethical considerations around using psychological tools

[1:25] How understanding ego can transform client engagement

[6:51] Giving without expectations builds trust

[9:33] Use the peak-end rule to create unforgettable client experiences

[14:46] The power of sharing authentic success stories

[18:00] Cognitive dissonance and how alignment drives behavior change

Dan Uyemura: [00:00:00] Understanding these five psychology basics will make you a better coach. Welcome to the PushPress Podcast, where gym owners learn to dodge bad advice, crush their competition, and actually make money doing what they love. Let's get after it. On this, uh, episode of the PushPress Podcast, we're gonna talk about something that's super near and dear to my heart in a psycho way, I guess.

Um, and this comes with a super big warning up front. Flash some warning signs, please. Morning sign. Um. It would be very unethical to use these in bad ways. Hmm. Right. Like you have to use these as a professional and, uh, but what, what they're, we'll dig into in a second, but basically like how to leverage human psychology to help you position your business, positioning with your clients, make sure people get alignment and, um, you know, work with you on what you're trying to do.

And that's kind of why the big asterisk is upfront, because unethical people can use this stuff and they can weaponize it basically, which is not cool. [00:01:00] Cool. 

Nick Reyes: Cool. Let's dig, 

Dan Uyemura: let's dive into it. So, so the bottom line is, um, humans are humans and we've been pretty deeply wired to be who we are. And unless you're in the CIA or you've been somehow trained to understand like how deeply we think and how like neuro wired some of this stuff is, you're, you're not even gonna be cognizant of it happening.

And here's like, an example of that for me is ego. And I'll, I'll use kind of a negative refrain on this first, but it's like a lot of times I find myself in an argument with somebody. It's when my ego actually, it's a combination of two things. Usually it's the last thing which we're gonna talk about later, uh, which flares up and pricks my ego.

And then I have this concept of like, you don't understand me. If you're not listening to what I'm saying, my words matter too. Right. And when I start feeling that way is when I know I'm in a dangerous conversation because, um, I'm [00:02:00] letting myself talk from a position of just primality. Mm-hmm. So all my worst arguments, all my worst fights, all of that is like, when I'm feeling with every sentence ends with me.

Yeah. 

Nick Reyes: You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah. It just, it's just like, it's, it, it mentally becomes all about you instead of. An outcome that was mutually beneficial or whatever it is. Is that kinda what you're saying? 

Dan Uyemura: Yeah. Yep. And because of that, you're s you're super defensive. You usually shut off a lot of the listening because once you start, like once you sort of feel like they don't understand you or they're not listening to you, you go into overdrive trying to explain yourself and, and what you're thinking.

And No, no, no. You're not listening to what I'm saying, like I'm trying to say this, but you keep hearing something else. And the reality is, is the other person's probably in the same egos downward spiral as well. 

Nick Reyes: Yeah. It's just like butting heads and no one's making progress. Yeah. 

Dan Uyemura: So in, in reality, if we're talking about like how to leverage this in your business in ethical ways, there's another side to ego, which is not a bad thing, which is just like people like to, people are the center of their own world, [00:03:00] right?

And so, you know, this is like not radical stuff, but saying hi to them by name. Ask 'em how their day was and not just making it a surface question like, Hey, how was your day? And then turn around and talk to someone else. It's just like, tell me more. Let's dig into that. Like you're paying attention to them as human beings makes them feel like they're the center of your world and that's what they wanna feel like.

Right? Yeah. And I do think, like, it's not a bad thing to do. Like honestly, the most delightful businesses that I, I patron around my house, I've noticed they have a standard operating practice of calling me and everybody by name, everybody. So I sit there and wait for my coffee or whatever, and I just notice every single damn person that walks in the door, it's like, Hey, John normal.

You want the normal today? Hey Mary, are you picking up for your, for John John two, or are you just getting yourself today? Like they take the time to learn the person enough to make them feel like this is your experience you're walking into. 

Nick Reyes: You know what, uh, it's funny, I golfed with, uh, Jason Aucoin, uh, from HSN yesterday and, uh, we're walking around the [00:04:00] clubhouse.

He knew the bartender's name already. He knew the guy who checked us in at the pro shop's name. 

Dan Uyemura: Wait, 

Nick Reyes: he didn't, he learned your name. He didn't live here. He didn't live here. He got here like 15 minutes before we did, got to the club bef like 15 minutes before we did. He had already set up a tab and knew her name, knew the, uh, the guy who pulled our carts.

And, and you 

Dan Uyemura: knew that because he referred to her by name? 

Nick Reyes: Yes. And it was, it was the first time I'm like, oh. He like, he got the car, he got the bad guy's name, right? And I'm like, and then it's like we got to the bar and he is like, you know, hey, so and so, like, you know, put, put them on my tab. I'm like, he knew her name.

And then it was like all of them, all of them, the starter, he knew their name and I was like, this, I didn't even tell him this. I might go tell him. Like, it is really freaking impressive. 

Dan Uyemura: Yeah. And it, what's interesting to me, and so this is like again, the human psychology of this is like, he wasn't even saying your name, but you noticed Yes.

That he was making other people center. Mm-hmm. Right. So ego's. Ego's an easy one, especially in gyms [00:05:00] because it's like we know everyone in class. We keep our communities small enough where you should know everyone's name. We write names on whiteboards. We have names and apps like their names on screens, like there's names everywhere.

So that, and, and then honestly, that's why we built it into PushPress. So coaches would have a easier way every, because one thing I hated when I was coaching was like, damn it, I asked that person's name twice and it's just slipped my mind right now. And now I'm calling them Charlie when their name is whatever.

Yep. That's actually the worst thing you can do, right? Is call someone wrong, man, 

Nick Reyes: ego. Oh God, it's such a doozy. It can get you in trouble in so many ways. It does get us in trouble in so many ways. Um, and it just, like, no matter, like I feel, it feels like I'm, it's always like a, it's, it's always a trap. Like I'm always about to fall into it and God, I feel like I don't even know where I'm going with this.

It's just, it, it, it creeps up and. Every aspect of your life as something that can thwart your mental, like where you're at the high that you're on, the good that you're [00:06:00] doing, and all of a sudden it's like, well, why couldn't you just drive faster so that I could get to where I'm going? Yeah. You know, 

Dan Uyemura: I mean, it's egos at the center of road rage everywhere that, yeah.

And, um, I don't know when I, especially like when I try to have, when I have a argument with my wife, there will be moments where I'm like, I'm sorry dude. I'm just being egotistical. Hmm. Like, let's just walk that back. I'm being. My ego has gotten me right now. Mm-hmm. So, yeah. And, and on the flip side of it, like I try not to let shit like road rage and like sometimes people are like, you know, I used to be like, oh, he is tailgating me, I'm gonna follow him now, all that shit.

And I'm just like, well, maybe they're just having a bad day. Yep. Like, I'm not gonna let that bother me no more. So. Yep. Egos, ego's number one. So that, that's a super easy one because names are just the easiest way to play. Placate someone's ego, call 'em by name, take a genuine interest in them. We do that in gyms anyways.

Piece of cake number two. Reciprocity. So this one's again, an easy concept to understand, but it isn't used [00:07:00] enough, I feel. And the the concept of reciprocity is as human beings, we are wired to give back to those who give to us, right? And in your business, your job should be to give to somebody first, early, often, always, 

Nick Reyes: right, without the expectation of anything in return, 

Dan Uyemura: without the expectation of anything in return.

But if you understand the law of reciprocity, if somebody achieves something on a given night or for whatever reason, you've unlocked the understanding to know that they have gotten something big, right? Maybe they had an engagement in your gym. Maybe they just got their first muscle up, or they just leveled up to a belt that they've been shooting for for a while.

That is your window of opportunity to ask for something that you need, if you need it. Now you don't wanna be asking for it every single time. Right. But that's why you, you have to have the windows and you're paying attention to the windows of like, when is the time to ask. Mm-hmm. Right. So in the lens of like reviews, since I'm, I've dived so much into reviews [00:08:00] and I think reviews are good.

So like, this is an interesting chain of events. Like a lot of people leave reviews and in their reviews you can see the reciprocity in it. Jason just took so much time working with me through this rehab that I have and he made sure that, you know, my knee was stable and he scaled this box, jump for me. I just wanna say like, Jason's the best coach ever, right?

And you could double down on that reciprocity moment to say like, Hey, thank you so much for review means so much to me. Is there anyone else we can help? Like you can actually double dip on that moment and ask for referral right then, 

Nick Reyes: right? 

Dan Uyemura: Because reading that, reading that note, you know how deep that moment was for them.

Nick Reyes: Yeah, you're right. And you mentioned, you, you mentioned, I was gonna try to pull one up real quick and I couldn't find it, but like. Now that you say that almost every review that I read, like there's so many reviews that talk about what that person did for them. Yeah. It's like the majority of them, 

Dan Uyemura: this is, this is what Jim Happy was founded on because I knew reciprocity played a role and businesses are not giving to people.

The people in the businesses are giving to people. Even at like my [00:09:00] coffee shop, even at Starbucks, which is the most corporate thing ever, right? Like I don't care about Starbucks, but you know what? This one, barista Bibe, who always says, you know, like greets me. Like, she makes me feel like I'm her friend.

And then I watch her and she does it to everyone. I'm like, she deserves a monster tip. Mm-hmm. From everybody, like, she's so nice. Um, but I don't feel that way as Starbucks. Right. So it's like even in the company, it's the people that make the people feel good. That's why we don't tip, um, a steakhouse. We tip the waiter.

Nick Reyes: Tip the waiter. Yep. 

Dan Uyemura: It's a person giving to you. 

Nick Reyes: Oh, great point. Great point. 

Dan Uyemura: Cool. Number three, peak end rule. Another good one. So this is basically the concept that human beings are wired, uh, to remember two things in any experience, the most intense, uh, part of it, and the end so I can replay my mind back to any kind of thing that I've done.

I'll just pick one at random. I did a a 50 mile trail run, which in, you know, is a, we did a backpacking trip. It was speed packing, so we ran 25 miles in, [00:10:00] camped at a lake, ran 25 miles back. Okay. It was, it was a, it was a journey. The first day was great scenic views. I was fresh. The most intense part for me though was the LA The last, no, not the la, it was probably the halfway through the second day.

It was actually all downhill. 'cause we ran uphill the first day. So it was theoretically easier. But I was tired as fuck. I was sore. I felt malnourished. I was grouchy. I didn't sleep enough and I almost got bit by a snake. To me, it's like the whole trip was kind of a blur, but me being super bitchy and almost getting bit by a snake.

'cause like I come around a corner and there was like a Rattler around the corner. 

Nick Reyes: Oh God. 

Dan Uyemura: Yeah. Like was the most intense moment of that trip. Even though most of it was amazing. You know, 

Nick Reyes: it's the, it's the most intense point. Either good or bad. 

Dan Uyemura: Or good or bad. 

Nick Reyes: Okay. Yeah, 

Dan Uyemura: it could be, it could be the most intense good too.

So you, I mean, you can replay this. Just think of an event you've done and it's like, what do you remember? Yep. And, and the last part's the end. Like I, [00:11:00] I fucking remember that last mile, like as tired as I was, I didn't mind running and going to the cooler that we had a bunch of beers in and having a beer, like I remember that crystal clear.

Nick Reyes: Yeah. 

Dan Uyemura: But all of the pieces in between, I don't really remember. 

Nick Reyes: Yeah. So interesting. So it's like, how can you make sure that you're manufacturing good intense points? Not the negative, intense points of. You know, things that would make someone go like, damn that I'm never going back to that place. The coach made me feel stupid.

Or whatever it is. 

Dan Uyemura: Yeah, I mean, there's actually ways, and if you really dive in just to think about it, like intense is intense. How it's, how it's received by the person is completely up to their perception. Like, I might be remembering that is like, oh damn, remember when I almost got bit by a snake and I like jumped outta the way and I, I felt like I didn't have any lactic muscle left in me and somehow I jumped outta the way and then like.

Like that could have been a really good moment, or it could have been a really shitty moment. It doesn't matter because like if someone's having a really bad time, and they might remember the fact that you picked them up and just said like, Hey dude, it'll be okay. Like let's [00:12:00] just take a seat and think about this for a minute.

Mm-hmm. Like I've had moments like that where I'm having meltdowns and someone just show me compassion and I'm like, dude, okay. 

Nick Reyes: Like, yeah. So it's also how do the people around you. It's the perception of the person. Yeah. Yeah. It's like they'll remember it. 

Dan Uyemura: They'll remember it. Right. That's the key. And so like, they could be having the worst day of their life at the most intense part of that worst day of their life.

And if you just came up and just gave 'em a hug or something, it's like they're gonna remember the hug. Mm-hmm. Right? Because that's, that's what they got at the moment of the thing. Right. So it's like the peak end rule is pretty big. And then the, the, the way this works in gyms is like every class ends.

And so it is so easy. To just say like, you fucking smashed it today, bro. Or, Hey, you did a really good job getting past that thing. That intense moment that you had was scary, but we did it right. Everyone can have an end moment that is like, they feel good about it. 

Nick Reyes: You know? What's, what's interesting about that now that you surface this?

I don't, I don't think the fist bump goes far enough because really what you're talking about is. From one [00:13:00] human to another human. I saw you battle an intense moment and come outta the other side. And the honesty, like, it's like that's not enough almost. Right? 

Dan Uyemura: It's something, 

Nick Reyes: it's something, 

Dan Uyemura: but it's not personal.

So then if you wanna blend these two together, like it won't stroke my ego. Hmm? If, if everyone gets a fist bump and I get a fist bump, hey, that's better than nothing. And that's cool. Like that's what we do. But you know, when, if everyone got a fist bump and a, I saw you get through those double unders, that was magic.

Mm-hmm. Like, that makes it a thousand times better. 

Nick Reyes: I, I see you. Yeah. 

Dan Uyemura: I saw that. 

Nick Reyes: Mm-hmm. That's that. We are in a, 

Dan Uyemura: I don't think you should or can do that every workout. 

Nick Reyes: Yeah. Yep. 'cause then it comes, it's, it's disingenuous. 

Dan Uyemura: Yeah. But you know, if you give it to someone once a month or twice a month, that's pretty meaningful to people, you know, especially.

Oh, and real quick, and one thing you'll do is if you start doing this to people, you'll train people to do it to each other. Hmm. So they'll start getting from each other, which is even like the currency [00:14:00] becomes magnified when it's like, well, I got it from the coach today and I got it from. Some random person yesterday, and I got it from that one person I always worked with the other day.

And it's like, y it's going, it's gonna cycle. It's 

Nick Reyes: the whole like, you know, you can't pour into it can't pour from an empty cup. Yeah. And if you're the coach and you're always the one doing the pouring and no one's pouring back into your cup or they're not helping you out, then like, you just, and it just gets empty 

Dan Uyemura: to some degree.

Like, let's talk about that. Like Jim, happy resurfacing reviews for, for coaches, like this is the reciprocity, like all these linked together. How many times has like, or you come through to one of the coaches at Kac. You watch them go like, fuck man, that's awesome. You know what I mean? Like they need it back too.

Yep. Yeah. Yep. It strokes their ego, it makes, it fills their cup, it gives them their own moment. Right. So, 

Nick Reyes: oh, that's key. Yeah. That's key. 

Dan Uyemura: Okay. Um, fourth one, social proof. This one's very obvious, but again, I think the lot of these things are just, they're not groundbreaking, they're not revolutionary, but just understanding how to leverage them creates opportunity.

Right. And we actually just did a [00:15:00] whole podcast that talked pretty deeply into this on the sales one. But you have to manufacture the social proof within and it's, you're not manufacturing it to happen 'cause it is happening, but you need to dig it out, talk to people, get some, like do an interview, get some stories written down on paper, publish them up pretty nicely and put them around the gym so other people can see like, well this is working for all these other people.

Like it should work for me too. Because sometimes that's all people have to know. To actually get the results they want. 

Nick Reyes: Yep, yep. People have to, uh, if they don't know who you are, they have to see proof, which is what social proof is that you do what you say you do and you do it well. So that's to someone who doesn't know you, but also even if they've been a client or a customer.

And I think it's what you're pointing out in some ways, which is like, even if I know you, I think I've got good results. Maybe I've been here a year and I'm thinking about leaving 'cause my results have stopped. But if I can see that [00:16:00] you've been training Dan for five years and his journey continues and it's not always a straight line, but it, it's expected to do this.

It's like, okay, like I'm in, I'm in for the long haul. Yeah. He doesn't just train people for a year. He trains him for five. 

Dan Uyemura: And you know what, you bring up a really good point because the social proof isn't always positive. Yeah. This could be like, oh yeah man, I had a really rough year, two and three. Like all my gains stopped.

I just went back to eating trash again. 'cause I got so complacent about like how fit I was looking and you know, I came less da da da dah da. I put on 30 pounds and I had to get back on the hamster wheel again. And that story right there probably will resonate with every single member who comes through your gym at some point.

Yep. Right. So it doesn't have to be always like a positive. 

Nick Reyes: It, it's not like infinite rainbows and butterflies positivity. It's more like. I see you, I'm on the journey with you and, uh, I'm here to help you through your struggles that you will inevitably have. 

Dan Uyemura: It's interesting 'cause that that actually has kind of tweaked how I think about [00:17:00] stories.

Like the stories should never end. Like you should recircle back to your members and be like, we did a story at one year. What's it like at 18 months? What, what's new? It's gotten better, has it gotten worse? Like, tell me the story because if, even if it's gotten worse, let's talk about it. 

Nick Reyes: That's interesting.

Yeah. Because when really what it is is like just the, the, the spotting the story concept is not just the story of any character is not just their triumph, but it's also their fault. It's especially 

Dan Uyemura: their fault. 

Nick Reyes: It's especially their fault. 

Dan Uyemura: And, and honestly, if you know how to spot this as a coach, you're like, Hey dude, you are actually in the perfect spot.

You're in the story arc where like Luke Skywalker's stuck in the swamp. And like, would it have been all cool if he just went straight to finishing the story? Like, no. Like, we've gotta go through some stuff. You're going through some stuff. I'm here for you. Let's do it. 

Nick Reyes: You're baseball, Michael Jordan. Yeah, let's go.

Dan Uyemura: He never got good though, 

Nick Reyes: but, but he went back to basketball. That's true. 

Dan Uyemura: Okay. [00:18:00] Uh, last one's a very complicated concept, which hopefully I can do justice explaining. I, I know how it feels better than I know how to explain it. This is the one I talked about with the ego because usually what spins my ego outta control.

Is a, is the situation of cognitive dissonance. Okay? Now, for those of you who don't know what cognitive dissonance is, it's basically when something arises that conflicts with what, how you see the world, and especially how you see yourself, right? So if I presented a situation that said like, ‘Hey, Nick. Um, I really appreciate your work here at PushPress, but if you worked a little bit harder, we can probably do more things’ to which you're gonna be like, ‘what the fuck are you talking about?

Like, I work my ass off.’ Mm-hmm. Right? So anytime, and this is when the arguments pop off, usually the worst because that's when you're like, you're not listening to me. I am not that person. You're saying I am, I am. You know, that's when the ego kicks in because you're like, that's not me. And that's when you argue the hardest.

Right. And so. I actually learned of this notion from a, I listened to a podcast, the CIA spy, [00:19:00] and he told you how to like, break anybody. And he said, this is the most powerful tool that the spies use because basically, and I, and you have to do it really subtly, and I couldn't do do it justice, but I remember the example he gave was like, if you're trying to get Intel out of like a, a mark, you, you lean into them on cognitive dissonance like, um.

The, the literal example he gave is like, you, you do like honey honeypot shit. Like you're dating this girl that you want to like get into out of mm-hmm. And you're basically like, damn, like you got kids, like, how's mothering going, like on the date? So it's like she thinks you're interested in her and then you turn her around her like you're a bad mom.

And then now we'll get her talking like, oh no, the kids are like, if you like, for instance, like this is the gig. And the example is like, if you want to know. Something about the grandparents of the, of this girl that you're dating. Mm-hmm. You introduce that and she'll be like, oh no, no, no. They're at my mom's house.

Mm-hmm. Like, they're cool and be like, are you sure? Tell me about your mom. And then that's how you get them to open up. 'cause they're not thinking about grandma anymore. Ooh. They're thinking about defending their self. Yep. Like, oh no, she went to college. [00:20:00] She's got this really good job. She's just this. And then they're just like, got it.

Okay. She went here, she went there. I need to talk to this person at Amherst College. That's how you get all the intel. So when I heard that, I'm just like, oh, that's crazy. Powerful and pretty sick. But it is actually, and, and it, what causes me to be most pissed off is like, if people tell me like, oh, you know, you're a misogynist or something.

Like, oh fuck. Did I tell you about the time when like a bunch of kids called me? A woman? A misogynist. 

Nick Reyes: Oh wait, was 

Dan Uyemura: this, it was out for a 

Nick Reyes: concert 

Dan Uyemura: with 

Nick Reyes: the, with Maddie? Yeah. Yes. Oh God. 

Dan Uyemura: So anyways, the story is my wife was wearing heels. We had like a bottle of wine there. Her heel broke. She kind of fell down and was like, you know, it was like a steep hill, like in Hollywood.

Hill broke, walking down the hill, hill, she fell down a group of like 20 year olds thought I pushed her down and all circled around me and started calling me a woman beater and a misogynist. And like, so immediately my ego kicked in and cognitive dissonance kicked in. And I'm like, what the fuck are you talking about?

I'm not, I like, she just, she fell down. I'm trying to help her. It was you. Yeah, right. And they're like, yeah, spoken just like a woman beater. Of course. She just fell down, [00:21:00] like started doing shit like that to me, which sp spiraled me outta control because I'm like, dude, you better shut up. Like that's not, you know, like that.

And then I realized what was happening and I'm like. Look, I don't know what you guys saw. You can do whatever you wanna do here. I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna def I'm, I'm not, I didn't do that, but, you know, like I had to cool down real quick. But because I heard that Cognitive Dissonance podcast, I realized they had spun me outta control.

'cause they called me something that I dehe didn't see myself as. Got it. Yep. So how do you use in your gym? Yeah. How do you use this in your gym? This the big alarm bell. Like, yeah, you can't, you shouldn't, shouldn't be using this in bad ways, but I think, I think the opposite way of doing this. Is either if you know somebody's doing something that you can fix, right?

So this is where you can, you can spark dissonance. It's kinda like that dating thing. Like, like, Hey man, I see you showing up in the gym every day. I see you putting in all the work, but for some reason the results aren't happening. Are, is everything happening? Like you say that they are. 'cause then you're gonna make them confront the fact that they're, they know they're going home and eating like a pint of ice cream at night.

Yep. Right? So you can do that. And I like more like alignment, cognitive alignment. This is a little bit easier to [00:22:00] do. And it's basically like. Mission statements are a good one. Like, Hey, we here at Torrance Training Lab, we believe every member of our community should represent the fittest version of themselves to be there for their kids.

Because that's something, when people hear it, they're gonna be like, I align with that. That's what I want. That's what I want. So it's, instead of using dissonance to like break them, you're using alignment to, to create what you, what you, you're wanting. 

Nick Reyes: Right. To channel them in the direction that, uh.

Ideally they've already told you they want to go anyways. Yeah. 

Dan Uyemura: And so that, that is ethical and is not shady if you actually believe that. Correct. So if you're making shit up just to make them spend money with you, not cool. But if you really, really wanna help your community, just tell you, tell 'em that in a way that makes them make them, it would make them a jerk to be like, I don't buy into that.

Yeah. Like, there's no way. I don't wanna be healthier. Like nobody could say that. 

Nick Reyes: Ooh. Which, where my mind goes is like.

How do you, the things that you perpetuate in your business better freaking align [00:23:00] with that statement? Then they have to, so, well, here's the thing. Are we having a keg party? Does that align with that mission? Yeah, I Now are we off track all of a sudden? I 

Dan Uyemura: think there's something to it. I mean, the whole work hard, play hard.

That's a whole nother topic. Yeah. Yeah. That could be a whole nother podcast. Yes. It depends how hard you lean into that. Mm-hmm. Um, or not. Right? So. Oof. It's a good one. That's an interesting one that, that, because it becomes a slippery slope when you start doing it. You know, start talking this way. But I think really again, if you've, if you really, really believe what you're saying and you're not being disingenuous just to sell them, even if you did have a keg party, I think, I think most gym owners really, really want their, their community to be happy and healthy.

You know, show up for their kids and do all these cool, like all this stuff. Mm-hmm. So I don't think that's disingenuous. 

Nick Reyes: Uh, yeah. Maybe a little lost 

Dan Uyemura: if I was, uh. I don't know if I was, um, buying into one of these franchises and I was not an owner operator. And I was like, Hey, just tell them that you want them to be healthy and [00:24:00] you're hiring coaches who don't care.

'cause they're like, you know, they have another thing going on. Or, or, Hey, if you wanna sell more pt, just tell them this. That's, you can, you know, when you're inside when it's icky. 

Nick Reyes: Yep. Yep. So that's fair. 

Dan Uyemura: And then here's, here's to me the easiest cognitive alignment hack is basically like, Hey man, you've been doing a great job.

I'll see you tomorrow. 

Nick Reyes: Yep. 

Dan Uyemura: You just tell 'em like, you've been doing a great job here. I'll see you tomorrow. Like you're, you're lining up exactly what you want with what they want to. Mm-hmm. So, 

Nick Reyes: yeah. No, that's a, that's a good one that you can implement tomorrow or you can implement tomorrow. Look, I'm almost doing it.

Uh, but you can, you can literally take that and run with it effective immediately. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, what are some areas, obviously, you know, you dig into a lot of these different concepts. Uh, where do you tend to go to. To read about these, to dig into these. Do you have any favorite resources? Uh, I know you like to study psychology in general.

Uh, so yeah. Do you any place that our listeners can maybe start? [00:25:00] 

Dan Uyemura: Damn, that's a good question. I 

Nick Reyes: know it's a curve ball for you. 

Dan Uyemura: Honestly. I gotta figure out what I gotta reremember. I, I listened to that podcast semi randomly, like I was just on a random hunt for like, just knowledge. Mm-hmm. Outside of business.

I got, this was during Covid when I was running every day and I got tired of listening to like. The Usual Suspect Business podcast. So I started looking for like, just crazy stuff you should know. And there was this one podcast, I'll find it again, which was basically like, they just interview people with crazy knowledge, like about very finite things.

Mm-hmm. And the top of the list one was like, you know, learn how a CI agent gets information outta anybody. And I'm like, whoa, that sounds crazy. Yeah. I would say you start with something like that. Mm-hmm. Um, if you want to understand this stuff, and it would, like, once you start to understand the concepts of psychology, you can dig deeper into them and understand it, but.

Again, you know, I have to say this a hundred million times, like it is a very powerful tool. Um, and you have to be very, uh, cautious how you use it. 

Nick Reyes: I mean, I do think, you know, before we wrap, just like every day someone is coming into [00:26:00] one of our fitness businesses and they're trying to better themselves and it's not always about can you make me squat more weight?

Mm-hmm. It's, can you help me become a better. A version of me that I view as being better and leveling up. And there, I think every coach knows it. Like yeah, we've had members like cry out of frustration or out of celebration. Like there is a psych a a, um, a psychology under a basic psychology understanding needed for what we do in this industry.

Dan Uyemura: Yeah. That is, that is underserved. 

Nick Reyes: It is underserved. And it's something you don't hear many gym owners talking about, like. I'm studying this so I can get better at helping someone on their journey. 

Dan Uyemura: Yeah. Yeah. I think the bottom and, and so, I mean, the first time I've ever got exposed to these concepts was when I had to sell, because selling teaches you like, well, if you do this, they're gonna feel this way, and if you do that, they're gonna feel that way.

And it just made me realize that like, people make all their decisions based on feelings, including if they like you as a coach and if they're gonna show up tomorrow, if they're, [00:27:00] you know. 

Nick Reyes: Absolutely. 

Dan Uyemura: So I do think understanding some of these key things just un it, it cr it makes it so it is, you know what it is?

It's basically like mental juujitsu. Like, okay, like it's what happened when I got accused of being a misogynist or beating Maddy or whatever. It's like, I see where you guys are going and I understand what that's making me do. So let me just twist that back. You know, let me just not let that happen. You can ebb and flow with like how the psychologies are happening of playing out.

Mm-hmm. Like to me, after that moment, I realized the power of this, because I'm like, I would've definitely fought like fist fought them five years before. Mm-hmm. Like you call me out like that in front of my wife. In front of public, like in this moment we will fight. Yep. But I was just like, okay, I see what's happening and they're actually, I'm allowing them to turn me around and I'm not gonna let that happen.

Nick Reyes: And you were able to unwind it. Yep. 

Dan Uyemura: So, and the same thing can go on the gym floor. Like you can, you can see like, oh, this person's starting to clam up because they just had a really a moment that [00:28:00] they're embarrassed about or they feel a certain way about, and this is how I can unwind it. Yes. You know, so that, that's kind of the, the point of these psychological Yeah.

I guess discussions. 

Nick Reyes: So dig in there. Right. Dig in, you know, let's find some places and maybe we'll link some in the show notes too. Yeah. We'll spend some time. 

Dan Uyemura: Cool. Um, a question for the audience. 

Nick Reyes: Ooh. I guess my, my question would be, you know, which one of these is most puzzling to you? Uh, is there a certain area of psychology that you find more fascinating?

So, you know, maybe both sides. Which area do you find more fascinating? Which area are you're like, what in the hell are they talking about? I'd love to know. Um, and then, yeah. Email us podcast@pushpress.com. 

Dan Uyemura: Thanks for listening to another episode of the PushPress Podcast, where we help gym owners, entrepreneurs and fitness enthusiasts thrive with actionable insights, inspiring stories and strategies for growth.

Nick Reyes: Don't forget to follow the show to stay updated on new episodes. And if you're ready for more, join our free Facebook community for gym owners. [00:29:00] Check the show notes for the link and we'll see you next time. Keep raising the bar for your business and community.

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