The Immigrant Advantage
8 principles for building a successful business
While you’ve been enjoying our weekly episodes and insights, we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes interviewing, editing, and preparing a very special mini-series on the life and work of Robert Cialdini, the scholar whose research helped open the floodgates to our modern understanding of persuasion and influence.
Over the course of several months, we spoke with Bob’s friends, colleagues, and collaborators to explore his life, his legacy, and the surprising impact of being cut from a minor league baseball team. Their stories reveal the experiences and ideas that shaped one of the most influential thinkers in behavioral science.
The series premieres this Thursday, arriving just in time for your Fourth of July road trip. If you enjoy what we’re building at Behavioral Grooves and would like to support the show and future mini-series projects, consider becoming a subscriber on Substack. Your support helps ensure we can keep producing and sharing unbiased behavioral science stories, conversations, and insights right in your podcast feed.
This Week’s Music for Grooving
Check out some of the recommendations from this week’s episode.
Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love
What if the greatest competitive advantage in business isn't access to more resources, but a different way of thinking?
As we honor Immigrant Heritage Month, we sit down with Dr. Neri Karra Sillaman to explore what immigrant entrepreneurs can teach us about resilience, innovation, and building businesses that stand the test of time.
Drawing on decades of research and the stories of founders behind companies like Chobani and Duolingo, Neri challenges conventional thinking about entrepreneurship. We discuss why luck is less about chance and more about recognizing opportunity, how reframing setbacks can unlock new possibilities, and why necessity is only one chapter in the immigrant entrepreneur story.
We also examine the kind of leadership that creates lasting organizations. While chasing short-term profits may deliver immediate results, Neri argues that long-term success is built through humility, future thinking, and a commitment to employees, customers, and community alike. Join us for a fascinating conversation celebrating the mindset, perseverance, and vision that continue to shape the American Dream.
Want to watch this episode? Check it out on our YouTube Channel
No Stress…Right!?
How you interpret a challenge can change how your brain and body respond to it. Research has found that people who reframe stress as a challenge rather than a threat tend to think more creatively, persist longer, and even experience healthier physiological responses. In other words, changing your perspective doesn’t change reality, but it can change how effectively you respond to it.
The Immigrant Learning Center
Since 1992, the Immigrant Learning Center (ILC) has been helping immigrants and refugees build successful lives in the United States through free English language education, while also educating the public about the positive impact of immigration. Through its Public Education Institute and research partnership with George Mason University, the ILC works to replace misconceptions with facts and give immigrants a stronger voice in their communities. We encourage you to check out their work and support them if you can.
Housekeeping
Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs by Neri Karra Sillaman
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