The 4-Step Code to Influence with Chase Hughes

The Braintrust "Driving Change" Podcast

"The Hidden Scripts Controlling Your Life – And How to Take Them Back"

What if the way you parent, sell, lead, or even love… isn’t really you? In this episode, Jeff Bloomfield is joined by Chase Hughes—former military interrogation trainer turned behavioral profiling expert—who reveals how your subconscious has been running scripts written when you were 8 years old. These hidden programs, designed for survival, are still dictating your daily decisions—unless you learn to rewrite them.

Chase has trained Navy SEALs, Fortune 500 executives, and intelligence agencies on how to read, decode, and influence behavior ethically. From cult recruiters to AI that detects caregiver intent, Chase has seen—and built—it all.

This conversation isn’t just mind-opening. It’s mind-reclaiming.

If you’ve ever:

• walked away from a conversation, wondering why you said yes

• felt manipulated by media, leadership, or even your own emotions

• wanted to become more influential without being manipulative

...then this episode is your playbook. Chase reveals the tools used by cult recruiters, elite interrogators, and behavioral AI—and flips them for ethical everyday use. From leadership to parenting to sales, this episode is a masterclass in reclaiming your mental autonomy and becoming unhackable.

1. Scripts Run You—Until You Rewrite Them Most adults live on autopilot, following behavioral programs formed between ages 2–12.

2. Focus → Authority → Tribe → Emotion (F.A.T.E.) This 4-step behavioral model explains why people obey, comply, or conform—even against their own interests.

3. Authority Is Internal, Not Hierarchical Real influence doesn’t come from titles. It comes from confidence, discipline, leadership, gratitude, and joy.

4. Tribalism Is Natural—and Dangerous Belonging keeps us alive. But when weaponized, it becomes a tool of division and manipulation.

5. Micro-Tribes Shape Macro Decisions Social media is training us to mistake attention for connection and pleasure for happiness.

6. You’re More Suggestible Than You Think From cult recruiters to Kirby vacuum sales reps, Chase reveals how identity agreements are subtly formed—and exploited.

7. Negative Dissociation = Identity Hack Labeling others (“those sheep”) makes you unconsciously adopt the opposite identity. It’s how cults recruit—and how sales are made.

8. AI Can Detect Intent in Caregivers Chase’s latest work uses behavioral coding and neuroscience to teach AI how to detect malintent in caregivers with 98.4% accuracy.

9. Novelty Creates Focus. Authority Seals Influence. The brain responds to the perception of authority—lab coats, titles, or confidence can all hijack trust.

10. Ethical Persuasion Starts With Intent If someone could peek inside your mind and see your true motives—would they still say yes?

• 00:00 – Military roots, neuroscience passion, and Jeff’s “Junk in the Brain Trunk”

• 06:00 – From high school failure to Navy to bestselling author

• 14:00 – Why childhood scripts control your adult life

• 22:00 – Tribalism and the dangers of digital identity traps

• 30:00 – Obedience: The terrifying truth behind the Milgram experiment

• 36:00 – The F.A.T.E. model and how behavior is truly shaped

• 44:00 – Cult recruiters and identity agreements explained

• 49:00 – Training AI for suicide hotlines and caregiver risk

• 53:00 – YouTube’s Behavior Panel & Dr. Phil’s surprising email

• 57:00 – The PsyOp Pandemic & why Chase’s work exploded

• 59:00 – Real connection in an AI-generated world

• 1:00:00 – Final thoughts & where to find Chase's tools

• 🌐 Website: https://nci.university
  

• 📘 Books: The Ellipsis Manual, Behavior Ops Manual, EXIT

• 📺 YouTube Series: The Behavior Panel
  

• 🔬 Training Programs: Neurocognitive Intelligence University (NCI)

Why You Should ListenTop 10 TakeawaysChapter Markings🔗 Links Mentioned by Guest