Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Barbera.
Hi Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
So, no sh*t, there I was…
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 Cave was 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 seven years later… Clicksuasion Labs continues to be my happy place.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I attempt to find personalities that are opposite of my own when seeking amazing people to join Clicksuasion Labs. The human brain is biased and prefers us to choose people who are similar to our own behaviors.
Overcoming these biases and working beside people who are my opposite is often a personal and growth challenge; however, there are many long-term advantages, which include diversifying the organization and making a positive and measurable impact for our clients.
We’ve been impressed with Clicksuasion Labs, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Clicksuasion Labs is a full-service marketing agency with a niche in consumer psychology. The purpose of Clicksuasion Labs is to close the loop between academic research and innovative brands to influence one billion decisions.
There are three teams at the Lab, which are comprised of 17-employees. The three teams are operations, research, and marketing. The research team is comprised of psychologists who research how people make decisions then share the results of the studies with the marketing team. The marketing team applies behavioral science research to marketing strategies and campaigns. Together, these teams are the foundation of the only marketing agency with research published in peer-reviewed journals.
There are five areas of focus where Clicksuasion Labs makes a positive and measurable impact for their clients, which include, yet are not limited to marketing, research, strategic planning, training, and advising.
The team at Clicksuasion Labs is proud of their consumer behavior research and strategic marketing plans that have been applied by the Carolina Hurricanes, Lendlease, National Louis University, Purdue University, Microsoft, Honda, John Deere, Harley-Davidson, and the University of North Carolina.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
“Share what you do, not what you could do for others.” I live by these words when meeting new people or those whom I know well. Sharing what you do is conversational. Sharing what you can do for others is transactional. Avoid being transactional by being a friend.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.clicksuasion.com
- Instagram: @mbarberusa
