The Ghost in the Feed: Psychology, AI, and the Fight to Stay Human
In a world where AI can generate endless content in seconds, the hardest thing to preserve in marketing is not originality or scale. It is humanity.
In this episode of The Lizard Eating Its Tail, Brandon Keenen explores the growing tension between AI-generated content and emotional connection. As content becomes frictionless, sameness spreads. The tone, rhythm, and structure of everything starts to feel identical, and our brains tune it out. Even when content is clean and correct, it often lacks the one element that actually makes people care: the signal of a real human voice.
Drawing from both psychology and practical experience, Brandon explains why we are wired to notice difference, irregularity, and emotional specificity. These are the subtle signals that indicate presence, consciousness, and truth. When content is too perfect, too polished, or too similar to everything else in the feed, it fails to register as meaningful. In marketing, forgettable is worse than flawed.
You will learn:
Why emotional variance and voice are essential for trust and recognition
How psychology explains our resistance to sameness, and our craving for subtle contradiction
The danger of letting AI generate content that lacks point of view or soul
Practical ways to stay emotionally authentic in your marketing, even when using AI tools
How to build content that creates a sense of identity, not just information
Brandon also shares his own experience: how this podcast uses AI for structure but not for voice, and how writing it each week is an exercise in staying human while using tools that increasingly remove the human from the process.
This episode is not anti-AI. It is a call to use AI consciously. Use it to support your work, not replace your perspective. The marketers and creators who will win in the next year are not the ones producing the most content. They are the ones who bring a real voice to what they make.
If you are writing, scaling, or leading teams in an environment where content is becoming a commodity, this episode will help you reset. It will remind you that while the machines may get smarter, they will never feel. They will never contradict themselves, pause awkwardly, or say something a little off but deeply true. That is your job. That is your edge.
Ask yourself:
Would this message land the same if I were saying it face-to-face?
Does it reflect something only I could have said?
Will someone feel a human behind the words?
If not, go back. Add friction. Add soul. Break the rhythm.
Because sameness is the system.
But soul is the signal.
And in the age of automation, that signal is more valuable than ever.
Marketing has evolved in form, not in function. We may be running TikTok ads, Reddit AMAs, and influencer campaigns in 2025, but the psychology behind all of it has barely changed since the early days of 20th-century print.
In this episode of The Lizard Eating Its Tail, Brandon Keenen explores the historical roots of modern marketing — and how core psychological principles like social proof, scarcity, FOMO, and price anchoring were already being used in the 1920s. Using real examples from print ads and catalogs of the era, Brandon shows that the smartest strategies today are often just refined versions of what worked a century ago.
You will learn:
How 1920s soap brands like Lux used testimonials from Hollywood stars to apply social proof — the same way influencers are used today
How limited-time offers and scarcity language in print ads mirrored today’s FOMO-driven drops, waitlists, and urgency tactics
Why early Sears catalogs used price anchoring by placing high-priced products next to budget options to drive perception — exactly like modern SaaS pricing models
How the psychological framework from Claude Hopkins’ 1923 book Scientific Advertising still drives everything from A/B testing to direct-response creative
Why the human brain — not the platform — should still be the focus of every marketing strategy
This episode breaks through the noise to reveal a simple truth: marketing has always been about persuasion, and persuasion has always been about emotion. While the tools and channels have changed, the audience — the human brain — remains largely the same.
Brandon also reflects on what this means for marketers today. We spend so much time chasing tactics, tools, and trends that we often forget the deeper work is timeless: understanding fear, trust, belonging, desire, and status.
You will hear Brandon challenge marketers to ask sharper questions:
Are we designing for algorithms or for people?
Are we building emotional trust or chasing platform metrics?
Are we using psychology with intention or just mimicking whatever is trending?
Whether you’re running a high-performance media campaign, crafting a brand story, or simply trying to connect with your customer in a real way, this episode is a reminder that success doesn’t come from reinventing human behavior — it comes from respecting it.
If you’re tired of marketing advice that feels disconnected from reality, and want a smarter, deeper approach rooted in behavioral history and modern clarity — this one is for you.
Because marketing is not new.
And understanding that gives you an edge.
What happens when you step out from behind the kit and grab the mic?
In this episode of The Lizard Eating Its Tail, Brandon Keenen shares the personal story of how he went from drummer to lead singer in his band, SuperZero—despite never singing lead before. It was uncomfortable, unfamiliar, and completely outside his comfort zone. But it also became one of the most important lessons in growth, identity, and staying sharp as we age.
This episode is about more than music. It is about how the brain changes when we do something that scares us. The brain's capacity to rewire and adapt, known as neuroplasticity, persists beyond your 20s. And how the deliberate choice to challenge yourself can be life-extending, creatively energizing, and deeply transformative.
You will learn:
Why fear and discomfort are necessary conditions for adult brain growth
How stepping into unfamiliar roles builds mental flexibility and emotional confidence
The science behind neuroplasticity and how learning new skills strengthens cognition and focus
Why Brandon pursued a master's in psychology later in his career to keep learning, evolving, and expanding his range
How staying in motion — intellectually and creatively — supports long-term health, clarity, and energy
The episode also introduces the Japanese concept of ikigai —your reason for getting up in the morning. Ikigai is a framework that is rooted in forward movement, identity, and the balance of purpose and action. Studies show that people who live with a sense of ikigai not only experience more fulfilment but also live longer and remain mentally sharp well into old age.
If you are feeling stagnant, unsure of what your next challenge is, or wondering how to keep growing in a world that moves fast and rewards sameness—this episode is your reset.
You will also hear Brandon reflect on his mindset: why he wants to live to 120, why he continues to try new things, and how his relationship with learning has changed how he thinks, works, and connects with others.
This episode is not about being fearless. Understanding that fear is often a sign that you are exactly where you should be is the key. Mastering what you already know does not lead to growth. It comes by letting yourself be a beginner again.
If you want to be a better marketer, leader, or creator—this episode reminds you that your best work will not come from repeating what is safe. It will come from moving forward with curiosity, commitment, and the willingness to feel uncomfortable for the sake of becoming more.
If you don't grow, you gradually lose connection with the important things in life. And growth — even in small, awkward, personal ways — is how you stay fully alive.
This podcast is part of that journey. It helps Brandon stretch, reflect, and stay accountable to the process. And hopefully, it is doing the same for you.
If you are building something that matters, do not just work harder. Grow deeper. Learn louder. And try doing the thing that scares you just enough to bring about a change in yourself.
Sharpen the Saw: How Learning Builds Confidence, Clarity, and Staying Power
Most people want to be sharper, more effective, and more confident in their work. But few actually stop to sharpen the saw.
In this episode of The Lizard Eating Its Tail, Brandon Keenen explores the psychology of learning as a long-term competitive advantage. It is not just about reading more or keeping up with trends. It is about building a personal system that keeps your mind sharp, your thinking flexible, and your confidence rooted in real knowledge.
Brandon shares a personal story from early in his career, when he worked at AOL. At the time, he felt a gap between the work he was doing and the knowledge he needed to lead with confidence. So he set a goal: read one book a week for a year. Marketing, psychology, leadership, systems thinking. After 12 months of focused learning, he could walk into any room and speak with authority. Not because he memorized tactics, but because he had built mental range. That commitment changed the way he showed up—and how others responded to him.
This episode breaks down the science of why learning matters. Research in cognitive psychology shows that regular, active learning builds neural flexibility, reduces decision fatigue, strengthens pattern recognition, and helps leaders regulate their responses in high-pressure environments.
You will learn:
Why most people stop learning after a certain point in their career, and how to break that pattern
How to build a weekly ritual around learning that actually sticks
Why depth is more valuable than volume
How different learning modalities can work together (books, podcasts, research, conversations)
The mindset shift that turns learning into momentum, not pressure
You will also hear a clear, four-part framework for building a personal learning habit that compounds over time:
Set aside a recurring time each week to learn with focus
Choose topics that deepen your core skill set or broaden your context
Mix how you learn: audio, long-form reading, case studies, and reflection
Ask how each insight applies to your current work, mindset, or leadership
This episode is not about hustle. It is about clarity. It is about recognizing that when you commit to learning, you give yourself more options, stronger language, and deeper emotional control.
It is also a reminder that learning is not just a tactic. It is a posture. It is a quiet, long-term way to stay sharp while others burn out or stagnate.
This episode is your reset if you've been stuck in execution mode, unsure how to evolve or gain confidence.
Your mind is the most significant investment you will ever make in your career, not a tool, platform, or tactic. It is your mind. And sharpening it is a habit worth building.
Please let me know if you want a companion blog or newsletter intro or want to line up the Sunday episode next.
In marketing, there is a myth that one big idea will change everything. That if you land the perfect tagline, the right campaign, or a single moment of creative brilliance, it will cut through the noise, go viral, and build lasting traction for your brand.
But that is not how people work. And it is not how brands are built.
In this episode of The Lizard Eating Its Tail, Brandon Keenen challenges the myth of the one big idea and breaks down why consistency, repetition, and emotional pattern-building are what actually create connection. Using behavioral psychology, identity theory, and brand case studies, this episode explores how real brand equity is earned through showing up with the same energy, values, and voice again and again until it becomes familiar.
Brandon explains the concept of the mere exposure effect, a psychological principle that shows people are more likely to trust and prefer what they see repeatedly. Big ideas might create attention, but consistency creates belief. And belief is what turns marketing into meaning.
You will hear examples of brands that have built this kind of long-term resonance, including:
Glossier, which has maintained its intimate, real-skin brand tone across product, community, and content
Alo, which reinforces grounded, aspirational wellness through every channel it operates in
Monzo, the digital bank that delivers emotional clarity and control in every user experience
Midjourney, which has become creatively iconic through consistency in style and behavior, not advertising
These companies do not chase a single hit. They invest in recognizable identity. They tell the same story in new ways until it becomes embedded in how their audiences think and feel.
This episode also examines why marketers and creative teams are drawn to the idea of the breakthrough. It is emotionally appealing. It offers a sense of control, genius, and recognition. But the truth is, most successful brands are not built on moments of brilliance. They are built in the quiet repetition of clear, thoughtful communication over time.
You will learn:
Why simplicity and consistency create psychological safety
How to identify when your brand is chasing attention instead of building equity
How to reframe creativity from being about single moments to long-term direction
What to do after you have a strong idea, and how to scale it into repeatable identity
This episode is for anyone responsible for building brand value. Founders who want to stand out. CMOs who are under pressure to deliver quick wins. Creatives and strategists who want to build something that lasts. It is a reminder that the signal you build over time is stronger than any one piece of content, campaign, or idea.
Your audience will not remember everything you said once. But they will remember what you said clearly, consistently, and confidently.
Big ideas can start the story. But it is how you repeat them that makes them matter.
If you are building something that people are meant to believe in, this episode will help you focus not on what gets attention today but on what creates recognition and trust tomorrow. Ultimately, your brand is defined by what you are prepared to express, reiterate, and maintain—even after the initial campaign concludes.
Marketing is one of the most visible, emotional, and misunderstood functions inside a business. And if you lead marketing in any organization—whether you're a CMO, brand director, head of growth, or senior strategist—you already know the challenge.
In this episode of The Lizard Eating Its Tail, Brandon Keenen unpacks the unique psychological weight of leading marketing from the inside. Because while the job looks creative and exciting from the outside, the reality is that you're often stuck navigating unclear expectations, underpowered budgets, and constant feedback from people who do not understand your craft.
Marketing leaders face a unique set of challenges: you're expected to be bold, but safe. Creative, but data-driven. Simple, but strategic. You carry pressure from above to deliver quick wins, while trying to build something meaningful that takes time. And all the while, you work in the one department where everyone—from the boardroom to the intern pool—feels qualified to weigh in.
This episode dives deep into the psychological toll of being the person responsible for the most public, most scrutinized, and often least understood part of a company. It covers:
Why marketing is one of the top three most important and expensive functions in a business, but often gets the least room to lead
How to deal with the "everyone thinks they're a marketer" problem
The importance of emotional intelligence and internal storytelling in the role
What it really means to prove value when results are public and the pressure is constant
How to present ideas in a risk-averse culture while still pushing for bold creative
Why marketing leadership requires psychological resilience, not just marketing knowledge
You will also hear strategies for maintaining clarity, trust, and authority in the role, especially when resources are tight or internal politics get in the way of execution. Brandon breaks down how to frame your work in terms the business can understand, how to fight the right battles, and how to be the calm center in the chaos that often surrounds growth.
This episode is a reminder that the best marketing leaders do more than manage campaigns. They manage attention. They manage energy. They manage culture. And they do it while carrying the weight of high visibility and limited support.
If you are in the middle of that experience, this episode will resonate. And if you are building toward leadership in marketing, it will prepare you for what is ahead.
You do not need everyone in the company to understand marketing. You need the right people to trust in your marketing expertise.
This is a message for the ones holding it all together, building in the grey space, and translating brand value into business value in real time. You are not just doing marketing. You are doing psychology, communication, strategy, and survival—all at once.
This episode is for you.
Running a small business is hard. It takes more than good coffee, the right product, or a great location. What truly sets a business apart often comes down to something less visible: the mindset of the person running it.
In this episode of The Lizard Eating Its Tail, Brandon Keenen speaks directly to small business owners. Whether you own a dress shop near the coast, a coffee shop surrounded by competition, or a new restaurant trying to get noticed on the high street, this conversation is about you.
This episode explores how psychology gives small businesses a real edge. Brandon focuses not just on how to market to customers, but on how to strengthen your own thinking, habits, and confidence so that your brand communicates clearly, consistently, and with presence.
You will learn:
Why your mindset is often more important than your marketing strategy
How belief, clarity, and consistency translate into trust
How platforms like Google Maps, Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit work best when you show up like a person, not a pitch
How your voice, energy, and tone shape first impressions
Why referrals, reviews, and real conversations outperform ads when grounded in intention
Brandon also shares how internal doubt can quietly shape how your business shows up. If your brand energy is scattered, anxious, or apologetic, customers feel that. But if you show up grounded, clear, and proud—even in small ways—people respond.
This is not a tactics-heavy playbook. It is a mindset shift. It is a reminder that your business identity starts with your personal identity. If you believe in what you are building, and if you give people a reason to believe in it too, the marketing becomes easier and more honest.
Whether you are just opening your doors or trying to rebuild after a tough year, this episode will help you reconnect with your vision and reset how you show up.
Because in small business, your presence is your brand. And when that presence is grounded in confidence, intention, and real human psychology, people take notice.
Your customer isn’t logical; they’re emotional.
In this episode, Brandon Keenen breaks down the myth of the rational buyer and explains why facts and features don’t sell — feelings do. Drawing on behavioral psychology and real brand examples like Notion, Salesforce, and Airbnb, this episode reframes how mid-market marketers should approach messaging.
You’ll learn:
Why emotion beats explanation in decision-making
How to shift from “feature-first” to “feeling-first” copy
A simple framework to balance emotion and logic in your marketing
Because when you speak to the gut, you don’t have to fight for the brain.
We follow people who make us feel like we’re becoming someone better.
That’s the core of aspiration.
And yet, in modern marketing, aspirational branding is often misunderstood. It's either reduced to a highlight reel of perfection or inflated into a fantasy so distant it becomes meaningless.
In this episode of The Lizard Eating Its Tail, host Brandon Keenen explores the psychological power of aspiration , and what it really means to build a brand, message, or presence that pulls people forward without pushing them away.
Because there’s a line.
If your message feels too elite, too perfect, or too far removed from where your audience is right now, you don’t inspire them; you isolate them.
On the other hand, if your message feels too close to where they already are, it doesn't spark ambition ...it feels flat.
The brands that win in 2025 are the ones that mirror identity in motion: they show you where you could go and make you feel like you’re already on the way there.
Brandon breaks down the psychology behind this with:
Self-Discrepancy Theory (actual self vs. ideal self)
The emotional positioning of modern brands like Alo Moves, Notion, Two Chicks Egg Whites, Glossier, and others
A practical look at what separates “motivating” from “alienating” in aspirational messaging
He also unpacks:
How personal brands and leaders can be aspirational without posturing
Why progress, not perfection, is what people are really drawn to
The secret to creating a brand that makes people say, “I see myself in that — and I want more.”
This episode also includes a tactical framework for creating aspirational messaging that lands:
Start with recognizable starting points show the “before” state, not just the after
Offer micro-wins that create a sense of momentum, not pressure
Use a tone of guidance, not comparison
Anchor aspiration in real, emotional human needs, like clarity, energy, identity, and control
In a world where marketing often tries to manipulate, escalate, or dominate the narrative, this episode offers a reset, a reframe of aspiration as something intimate, grounded, and profoundly human.
Because the truth is:
People don’t follow perfection.
They follow possibility. As long as it still feels like theirs.
If you’re a brand builder, strategist, creator, or founder trying to inspire without disconnecting — this episode is for you.
It’s a reminder that aspiration isn’t about who shouts the loudest or looks the best.
It’s about who can say:
“I see who you’re trying to become.
And I built this for that version of you.”
Key ideas in this episode:
The psychology of aspiration vs. alienation
Modern brand examples that inspire with relatability
Why people want brands that reflect their identity in progress
Tactical tips for writing copy and creating brand experiences that motivate without pressure
Whether you’re writing a campaign, shaping a voice, or building a company from scratch — this is a masterclass in emotional alignment, psychological resonance, and the art of becoming a brand people believe in.
This episode isn’t about strategy. It’s about honesty.
As the first week of The Lizard Eating Its Tail wraps, Brandon Keenen reflects on the deeper tension marketers face: the pressure to be creative and efficient, human and optimized, fast and thoughtful ...all at once.
You’ll hear:
Why the best marketing doesn’t come from dashboards
How psychology is more about self-awareness than control
A reminder that behind every campaign is a human, not a prompt
An invitation to slow down, reset, and come back clearer
No frameworks. No hacks. Just space to think.
Not every solution lives in your inbox.
In this personal episode, Brandon Keenen steps away from marketing tactics to share how a recent sound bath rewired his thinking and why slowing down might be the most powerful business tool you’re not using.
You’ll hear:
What a sound bath actually does to your brain
The neuroscience of nervous system reset
Why marketers are burning out in the era of AI
How clarity and creativity return when we turn off the noise
If you’re tired of the scroll, the prompts, and the pressure...this one’s for you.
If your audience is bouncing, it might not be your product; it might be their brain.
In this episode, Brandon Keenen breaks down the psychology of cognitive load and how complexity kills conversion. From cluttered messaging to overloaded UX, you’ll learn how simplifying your communication can instantly improve how your brand is received.
You’ll learn:
What cognitive load is (and why it matters for marketers)
Real examples from Stripe, Headspace, and Spotify
How to reduce mental strain across your funnel
Why clarity creates trust, and trust drives action
Because the brain rewards what’s easy to understand and punishes everything else.
More tests ≠ more insight.
In this episode, Brandon Keenen explores why mid-market brands often mistake data for strategy and why constant A/B testing can lead to confusion instead of clarity. If you’re optimizing endlessly but still not connecting, you might be testing the wrong thing.
You’ll learn:
Why testing without intention leads to “brand mush”
How to test for emotion, belief, and clarity , not just conversion
The difference between tactics, data, and real strategic insight
Because testing isn’t strategy , it’s only as good as the thinking behind it.
What elements contribute to a brand naturally feeling trustworthy?
In this episode, Brandon Keenen explores the psychology of familiarity, consistency, and emotional safety, revealing why we gravitate toward brands that feel like home. From Glossier’s soft, recognizable identity to Patagonia’s unshakable purpose, Brandon breaks down the subtle signals that build real trust — especially in a world full of automation and noise.
You’ll learn:
Why the brain trusts what it’s seen before (Mere Exposure Effect)
How emotional consistency builds brand loyalty
Why creativity alone doesn’t cut it anymore
How AI risks breaking the “trust signal” if misused
In the era of limitless AI content, people rent attention, but they earn trust.
Why do we keep scrolling? Clicking? Buying?
In this episode, Brandon Keenen unpacks the dopamine-driven design behind modern marketing, from social media’s slot machine logic to drop culture, flash sales, and behavioral triggers.
You’ll learn:
How dopamine loops shape consumer habits
Why variable rewards are so addictive (and risky)
How AI supercharges attention-grabbing tactics
What ethical, trust-based marketing looks like in a noisy, optimized world
This isn’t about manipulation — it’s about intention.
Because in today’s market, attention is power — and how you earn it matters.
Episode 1 – Identity, Archetypes & the Marketing Gap Brands Miss
Most marketers talk to demographics. But real connection happens when you understand identity — not just who someone is, but who they’re becoming.
In this debut episode, Brandon Keenen explores how psychological development, life stages, and Jungian archetypes shape consumer behavior in ways traditional marketing misses. With insights from Erikson, examples from Nike and BuzzFeed, and his personal experience inside the world of media, Brandon reveals why understanding the emotional journey of your audience is the key to lasting brand relevance.
You’ll learn:
Why demographics fall short and identity evolution matters more
What Jung’s archetypes can teach us about branding
How brands like Nike connect through story, while others lose relevance
A simple framework for mapping your audience’s psychological stage
Whether you’re a founder, marketer, strategist, or just a curious observer of human behavior — this episode will reframe how you think about influence in a noisy, AI-saturated world.