Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Barbera. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Michael, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
A 13-year old drummer in a rock band in New York City. Each year, our guitarist held a Halloween party in his backyard. Having a backyard in New York is kinda a big deal, so we took advantage of this real estate. One year, the guitarist’s parents were selling their home, so we couldn’t use the backyard for a party. I believed there were other venues where we could host the party and our band could still play. I got on the phone (pre-internet days and I am aging myself) and called many venues throughout New York City, including the Roseland Ballroom, Limelight, local veteran’s facilities, and the Knights of Columbus. I found a nightclub on Staten Island: The Caves. The Caves were a former brewery that was built into a maze of underground tunnels. The venue had two stages and five bars, which was more than enough space for a Halloween party with several bands.
I went to The Caves to meet the owner of the club. Now, at 13 years of age, I looked like I was 22. As long as I didn’t drink alcohol or abuse my privilege to be at the club, I doubted anyone would pick up on my age (because teenagers know everything, right?). The owner of The Caves and I agreed that I would rent the venue for an all-day event.
The party was planned with 22 bands on two stages and five bars slinging drinks. Each of the bands marketed the event and on the day of the party, more than 300 people attended. The party was a success and for the first time in my life, I had money beyond the allowance from my parents. At that age, all I knew about business was revenue minus expenses equals profit…don’t spend more than you earn.
The owner of the club asked if I were willing to host another event. As an easily persuadable 13-year old…the answer was yes. We hosted another concert, and another…and another. During these events, I would watch customers make decisions that didn’t seem to be in their best interest. I reflected and pondered about these observations. At this point, what I had created was a business and a platform for curiosity. I continuously hosted concerts around the greater New York City area for years. When I was 17 years old, this company was acquired by Catalyst Promotions.
This was a significant success story of my young adult life and the catalyst (no pun intended) to many failures ahead in entrepreneurship. My failures in entrepreneurship outweigh the successes. I continuously learn from the failures, yet it was the awkward and quirky decisions that consumers made that piqued my interest.
As I ventured through my entrepreneurial journey, my curiosity continued to circle back to customer decision-making, and I wanted a formal education in business. I began my academic journey studying business strategy and eventually discovered behavioral economics, and human judgment and decision making.
This is where my passion for entrepreneurship met with my curiosity for human behavior. I wanted to combine the two and find ways to apply behavioral science to real-world challenges in marketing and communication. In 2014, I started a research firm, and nine years later…Clicksuasion Labs continues to be my happy place.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
As the CBO at Clicksuasion Labs, my roles and responsibilities include analyzing and interpreting data on employee and customer behavior to inform decision-making, designing and overseeing initiatives to improve employee engagement, motivation, and well-being, collaborating with teams to develop effective communication and leadership strategies, and ensuring ethical and compliant practices in behavioral research and experimentation.
Clicksuasion Labs is a behavioral science and marketing consulting firm that specializes in applying insights from behavioral economics and psychology to help businesses improve their marketing and consumer engagement strategies.
Here are some key points about Clicksuasion Labs:
Behavioral Science Expertise: Clicksuasion Labs focuses on leveraging principles of behavioral science to help organizations better understand consumer behavior and decision-making processes. They work with businesses to design strategies that influence consumer choices and drive desired outcomes.
Behavioral Economics: The company places a particular emphasis on behavioral economics, a field that examines how psychological factors and biases affect economic decisions. This approach allows them to design marketing campaigns that align with the way people think and make choices.
Services: Clicksuasion Labs offers a range of services, including behavioral audits, research and analysis, strategy development, and training programs. They aim to help their clients create more effective marketing campaigns and improve customer engagement.
Industry Focus: While they work with various industries, Clicksuasion Labs has a strong presence in the retail, healthcare, and financial sectors. Their expertise is valuable for businesses looking to optimize customer experiences and increase conversion rates.
Thought Leadership: The company is known for its thought leadership in the field of behavioral economics and marketing. They often share insights and research findings through publications, presentations, and conferences.
Behavioral Workshops: Clicksuasion Labs conducts workshops and training sessions to educate professionals about the principles of behavioral science and how to apply them in marketing and business contexts.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Researchers could advance the field, and practitioners could advance industry. Together, they could improve human decision-making. Making a positive and measurable impact requires a practitioner-academia partnership.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Clicksuasion Labs is actively seeking partnerships with academic faculty who seek employment and/or internships for their students.
Contact Info:
- Website: clicksuasion.com
- Instagram: @mbarberausa
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbarberausa
- Twitter: @mbarberausa
Image Credits
Clicksuasion Labs
