Brilliant Podcast

A Brilliant Tribe
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Education
  • Updated Biweekly

From 2021 to 2023, Tristan Ahumada captured the podcasting world’s attention with the Brilliant Thoughts podcast through SUCCESS Magazine, amassing a dedicated following. With over 100 episodes and glowing five-star reviews, it averaged more than 100,000 downloads per episode, becoming an essential listen for those eager to grow their life and business. Now, we’re narrowing the focus even further — Introducing Brilliant, a podcast dedicated to the books you should be reading, but aren’t. Join Tristan as he interviews some of the smartest minds on the planet—authors who have poured their genius into carefully crafted books that you should be reading. These thought leaders are shaping the future, and they’re sharing ideas that will help you think more critically, enhance your knowledge, and elevate your life and business. Each episode will take you through the key lessons from their work, offering insights that can inspire breakthroughs and drive real change. These aren’t just books—they’re transformative ideas that propel humanity forward, and Tristan will guide you through them. Subscribe now and discover the books and ideas that will change the way you think, transforming both your life and business. Brilliant is your new go-to for the stories and insights you didn’t know you needed.

  1. 1d ago

    Retirement Is Dead, Here's What Replaced It | Michael Clinton

    Marketing to older adults usually means treating anyone over 50 like they only purchase orthopedic shoes, exactly when their credit cards are getting the biggest workout. Brands obsessively chase 22-year-olds sharing streaming passwords, completely ignoring the 50+ consumer market. Retirement planning strategies and a healthy aging lifestyle dominate boardroom discussions today. After speaking with Michael A. Clinton on The Brilliant Podcast, the reasons are painfully obvious. The longevity economy is fundamentally altering business strategy for older adults, consumer spending habits of older adults, and marketing to baby boomers. To decode this senior demographic purchasing power, you need someone who knows the media scene and consumer habits inside and out. Enter Michael. Before he became the CEO and Founder of ROARforward, a B2B business intelligence platform focused entirely on longevity business opportunities and silver economy growth, he was a media titan. He spent his career analyzing consumer behavior trends, serving as the publisher of GQ magazine between 1988 and 1994, and acting as executive vice president at Condé Nast until 1997. Later, he took the reins as president and publishing director of Hearst Magazines, serving on their board of directors, and now acts as senior media advisor to the Hearst CEO. He doesn't just preach active aging; he lives it at full speed. Armed with degrees earned at the University of Pittsburgh and Pace University, he casually returned to school to complete an MS at Columbia University in 2021. He began his media journey as a reporter at DNR, later composing eight photography books and two essay collections. His 2021 bestseller, ROAR: Into the Second Half of Your Life, launched the ROARforward platform. His newest release, Longevity Nation: The People, Ideas, and Trends Changing the Second Half of Lives, arrived in May 2026. When he isn't busy writing or flying planes using his private pilot license, he runs marathons on all seven continents. Talk about taking a healthy aging lifestyle seriously. During our chat, we cover exactly why older buyers are launching startups, utilizing wearable health technology for seniors, and driving senior travel trends instead of simply knitting on the porch. We discuss: The Business of Aging: Understanding the ways multigenerational family living, active adult communities, and senior housing trends impact modern home buying, luxury real estate investing, and wealth management for seniors. Consumer Behavior & Marketing: Rethinking brand loyalty among older consumers to attract the buyers who actually control the economy, rather than chasing likes on social media platforms. Health & Wellness: The intersection of preventative healthcare solutions, AI in healthcare for seniors, aging in place innovations, and fitness programs for over 50. We focus on healthspan extension through movement and purpose. Leadership & Reinvention: Hearing wildly inspiring stories about people pursuing entrepreneurship after retirement, launching a second career after 50, or becoming fitness coaches in their 80s. These examples prove that a healthy longevity mindset fuels personal growth in retirement better than any trendy green juice. Curiosity and purpose heavily shape a longer, healthier life. This discussion will completely update the way you look at investing in the aging population, your approach to financial planning for late retirement, and your own plans for the years ahead. Listen today to rethink your approach to 50+ consumer market trends, because turning 50 shouldn't make you invisible to advertisers. ──────────────────────────────────   Michael Clinton is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, publisher, photographer, and one of the leading voices on the longevity economy. He is the Founder and CEO of ROARforward, a business intelligence platform focused on helping companies understand the opportunities created by longer lives and an aging population. Before launching ROARforward, Michael spent decades shaping the magazine industry, serving as President, Marketing and Publishing Director of Hearst Magazines and as a member of The Hearst Corporation's Board of Directors. He is also the author of the bestselling book ROAR: Into the Second Half of Your Life (Before It's Too Late) and his latest release, Longevity Nation: The People, Ideas, and Trends Changing the Second Half of Our Lives, explores how longer lifespans are transforming business, real estate, healthcare, consumer behavior, and the future of work. Throughout his career, Michael has combined journalism, business, and storytelling to help people and organizations rethink what life after 50 can look like.   Get his book: https://www.amazon.com/Roar-into-second-half-before/dp/1582708134    Website: https://roarforward.com/about/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-anthony-clinton/ X: https://x.com/maclinton About his book: https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a37444777/michael-clinton-book-roar/   watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/V08W6E5W2UM?si=cLTxR8zbjR2iRyuV  #LongevityEconomy #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #HealthyAging #RealEstate #MarketingStrategy #PersonalDevelopment #FutureOfBusiness #BrilliantPodcast

  2. Jul 14

    How to Take a Sabbatical Without Ruining Your Career ft. DJ DiDonna

    How to fix burnout is something we find ourselves looking up all the time, mostly because we get completely buried in our daily routine and forget to breathe. On this episode of The Brilliant Podcast, I sat down with DJ DiDonna to figure out why a normal three-day weekend never feels like enough anymore, and we ended up hitting on a much better approach to work life balance. We got into the exact signs of burnout that I usually overlook in my own life, like how we treat ourselves like appliances that just need to plug into a wall for an hour instead of human beings who need real time to just mess around and play. DJ spent five years tracking people taking a sabbatical, and he walked me through how stepping away from your business can be a peak life experience instead of something that hurts your career. I used to be the ultimate functional workaholic who only took a break when my body completely quit on me and forced me into a sick day, so this conversation really changed how I view my schedule. We talked about handling career uncertainty when everything feels unpredictable, finding a way to get things done through mindful productivity, and how I am personally planning time off so I can stay sane. If you are trying to build a business or just trying to find some stress management techniques that make sense, this chat is going to help you figure out who you are when you aren't working. Drop a comment and let me know what you'd do if you had three months completely to yourself, and make sure to subscribe so you catch all our weekly chats.   ────────────────────────────────── Dennis “DJ” DiDonna teaches entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School and spends his career building organizations that help people. He started The Sabbatical Project to study the benefits of taking extended breaks from work, and his research has been featured in major places like The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal. Before this, he cofounded a financial tech company that helped businesses in over 20 countries get $2B in funding before it was bought out. DJ holds an MBA from Harvard, loves the outdoors, and once walked a 900-mile journey in Japan.   Get his book Big Time Off: https://amzn.to/44xy1OI   Website: https://djdidonna.com/bioii/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djdidonna/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djdidonna/  https://youtu.be/CDlEWG34brw?si=0G7tq1o4NNI-kCPh

  3. May 19

    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 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-eastwick-76a2471/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pauleastwick/?hl=en   Get his book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723049/bonded-by-evolution-by-paul-eastwick/ 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   #RelationshipScience #EvolutionaryPsychology #PaulEastwick #TheBrilliantPodcast #DatingAdvice #RelationshipGoals #ModernDating #BusinessPsychology #LongTermGrowth #PartnershipMindset

  4. Apr 21

    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 = Barnes and Noble: Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done   Website: https://www.rebeccahinds.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/ X: https://x.com/RebHinds Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brilliant-podcast/id1816980260   #Productivity #LeadershipDevelopment #TimeManagement #OrganizationalPsychology #MeetingCulture #SystemsThinking #WorkplaceEfficiency #RebeccaHinds #BrilliantPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching

  5. Mar 17

    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/ Website: https://tobystuart.com/   Get his book: 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   #StatusDynamics #SocialStatus #Anointment #SocialProof #BrilliantPodcast #TristanAhumada #TobyStuart

  6. Feb 20

    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

  7. Jan 20

    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... Instagram:   / technicallyentertaining   LinkedIn:   / bastian-bergmann-93a9a325a   #GamingMarketing #BrandStrategy #Gamification #FutureOfMarketing #CommunityBuilding

  8. 12/16/2025

    The Introvert Olympics: Goldie Chan Outs L.A.’s “Fake Extroverts”

    So I sat down with Goldie Chan, yes, the green-haired legend of LinkedIn, to talk about introverts, fake extroverts, and why L.A. somehow demands you be “on” all the time, even when you’re just trying to buy a latte. If you’ve ever had a conversation with someone in L.A. who sounds like they’re auditioning… this episode is for you. Goldie showed up with her brand-new book, Personal Branding for Introverts, and within five minutes I learned three things: Goldie is painfully honest in the best way. She will quietly judge your journaling habits. She once lectured an A-list actor about car maintenance without knowing he was famous. Beautiful. We talk about what drains us, what fills us, and why introverts pretend to be “fine” in social settings while mentally locating the nearest exit. We cover cities, too, L.A.’s sparkle, New York’s chaos, Texas’ friendliness, Japan’s calm etiquette, basically a travel guide for people who love people but also love hiding. You’ll hear us get into journaling, notebooks we absolutely didn’t need to buy, how to present yourself online without feeling like a circus act, and Goldie’s three-keyword method that makes personal branding way less painful. If you’ve ever thought, “Why am I tired after talking to three people?” or “Why did that party have eight ring lights?” …you’re not alone. Same. This episode is basically a support group with microphones. Hit play. Introverts, unite (quietly, in your own corners).   --------------------------------------------------------------------------   Goldie Chan is a world-renowned personal branding expert and the founder of Warm Robots, a social media strategy agency that bridges the gap between digital humans and technology. Dubbed the "Oprah of LinkedIn" by HuffPost, she is a top-tier influencer and the longest-running video creator on the platform, where her "daily video" series garnered millions of views and established her as a global authority on brand storytelling. A regular contributor to Forbes and a member of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business instructor pool, Goldie has worked with iconic brands like Adobe, Pearson, and LinkedIn itself to define the future of digital community. She is also the author of the upcoming book Personal Branding for Business (2025), focusing on her "Green Channel" strategy for building authentic, long-term influence in a crowded digital marketplace.   Grab her book: https://amzn.to/4hj8GxI Facebook:  / goldiecylon   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldiecylon/ LinkedIn:   / goldie     #tristanahumada #goldiechan #brilliantpodcast #personalbranding #introverts

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

From 2021 to 2023, Tristan Ahumada captured the podcasting world’s attention with the Brilliant Thoughts podcast through SUCCESS Magazine, amassing a dedicated following. With over 100 episodes and glowing five-star reviews, it averaged more than 100,000 downloads per episode, becoming an essential listen for those eager to grow their life and business. Now, we’re narrowing the focus even further — Introducing Brilliant, a podcast dedicated to the books you should be reading, but aren’t. Join Tristan as he interviews some of the smartest minds on the planet—authors who have poured their genius into carefully crafted books that you should be reading. These thought leaders are shaping the future, and they’re sharing ideas that will help you think more critically, enhance your knowledge, and elevate your life and business. Each episode will take you through the key lessons from their work, offering insights that can inspire breakthroughs and drive real change. These aren’t just books—they’re transformative ideas that propel humanity forward, and Tristan will guide you through them. Subscribe now and discover the books and ideas that will change the way you think, transforming both your life and business. Brilliant is your new go-to for the stories and insights you didn’t know you needed.

Information

  • Creator
    A Brilliant Tribe
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Brilliant Podcast

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