1098: How to Achieve Your Biggest Goals through Self-Persuasion with Jay Heinrichs

How to Be Awesome at Your Job

How to be Awesome at Your Job

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4.5 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jay Heinrich reveals how to unlock your best self using the ancient techniques of rhetoric.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) Aristotle’s lure and ramp method for making progress

2) Why to make your affirmations as silly as possible

3) Powerful reframes for failure and impostor syndrome

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— ABOUT JAY —

Jay Heinrichs is the New York Times bestselling author of Thank You for Arguing. He spent twenty-six years as a writer, editor, and magazine publishing executive before becoming a full-time advocate for the lost art of rhetoric. He now lectures widely on the subject, to audiences ranging from Ivy League students and NASA scientists to Southwest Airlines executives, and runs the language blog figarospeech. He lives with his wife in New Hampshire.

• Book: Aristotle's Guide to Self-Persuasion: How Ancient Rhetoric, Taylor Swift, and Your Own Soul Can Help You Change Your Life

• Substack: Aristotle's Guide to Soul Bending

• Website: JayHeinrichs.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Book: On The Soul by Aristotle

• Book: Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport

• Book: Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasion (Wooden Books, 7) by Andrew Aberdein and Adina Arvatu

• Book: The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

• Past episode: 873: Dr. Steven Hayes on Building a More Resilient and Flexible Mind

• Past episode: 2024 GREATS: 950: Cal Newport: Slowing Down to Boost Productivity and Ease Stress

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• Quince. Get free shipping and 365-day returns on your order with Quince.com/Awesome

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Transcript

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0:00.0	There's this concept that Aristotle wrote about called receptivity and modern behaviors call it cognitive ease.
0:16.0	And if you're smiling, you're more persuadable.
0:19.0	So saying something stupid can make you smile, even if it's an embarrassed smile, and that
0:24.4	actually kind of changes the brain and makes you more receptive to new information or new
0:29.1	ideas. That's Jay Heinrichs.
0:43.0	He spent 26 years as a writer, editor, and publishing executive before dedicating himself
0:47.7	to the lost art of rhetoric.
0:49.9	Now he lectures and writes widely on the subject.
0:52.6	His most recent book is Aristotle's Guide to Self-Perswation,
0:56.2	how ancient rhetoric, Taylor Swift, and your own soul can help you change your life.
1:00.8	So you'll learn, one, Aristotle's lure and ramp method for making progress.
1:04.9	Two, why to make your affirmations as silly as possible.
1:09.3	And three, powerful refraims for failure and imposter syndrome.
1:13.3	And if you want a quick summary recap of the actionable wisdom that Jay shared, please sign up for
1:18.8	the free Gold Nugget email newsletter found at Awesome at Your Job.com.
1:22.5	I'm Pete McItis.
1:23.7	This is How to Be Awesome at your job.
1:25.3	And now here's Jay.
1:30.7	Jay, welcome.
1:32.1	Thanks, Pete.
1:33.1	Or I should say welcome back.
1:34.0	It's been nine years and I'm still podcasting.
	...

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