Getting to Aha! with Darshan Mehta

Understanding customer behavior takes more than data. It requires recognizing the unconscious decisions, cognitive biases, and hidden assumptions that shape how people think and act. In this episode of Getting to Aha!, Darshan Mehta sits down with Roger Dooley, Lecturer at Texas McCombs School of Business, prominent keynote speaker, and bestselling author of Brainfluence, Friction, and The Persuasion Engine, and the host of The Brainfluence Podcast, to explore how behavioral science and neuromarketing can transform customer understanding. Roger explains why most decisions happen unconsciously, how sensory marketing influences purchasing behavior, and why reducing friction can significantly improve customer experience.

In this Greatest Hits episode of Getting to Aha!, host Darshan Mehta talks with Heather Eason, Founder and CEO of Select Power Systems, about turning life’s toughest challenges into catalysts for growth. From teen motherhood to leading a multi-million-dollar engineering firm, Heather shares how rejection became her rocket fuel, the power of emotional resilience, and why defining success on your own terms is key. It’s an inspiring conversation on perseverance, intuition, and building both a business and a life with purpose.

Scaling a startup into a successful, enduring business takes more than the right strategy. It requires building an organization that gets stronger as it grows, without losing the people and principles that made it successful in the first place. In this episode of Getting to Aha!, Darshan Mehta sits down with Maranda Dziekonski, an experienced operator with five successful exits and the Chief Customer Officer at Fexa, to explore the leadership principles behind sustainable growth. Maranda explains why leaders must learn to empower problem-solvers rather than solve everything themselves, how to identify curiosity and critical thinking when hiring, and why urgency needs clear priorities to drive results.

In this Greatest Hits episode of Getting to Aha!, host Darshan Mehta sits down with Tru Pettigrew, award-winning marketing executive and Founder of Tru Access, to explore how authentic communication and human connection drive lasting success. Tru shares how insights, both quantitative and qualitative, fuel personal growth, leadership, and trust-building. Together, they uncover why true impact in business comes not from chasing profits but from solving problems, creating meaningful relationships, and leading with empathy, purpose, and understanding.

In this episode of Getting to Aha!, Darshan Mehta sits down with Declan Ivory, VP of Customer Support at Fin, to explore how AI agents are reshaping customer support and why empathy, ownership, and human judgment remain essential. Declan explains why support should be viewed as an investment and a source of customer insight rather than a cost center, and how the “acknowledgement, ownership, resolution” framework builds trust at every touchpoint. They also discuss measuring customer experience beyond traditional satisfaction scores, testing support journeys from the customer's perspective, and removing friction early to accelerate time to value, reduce churn, and drive expansion.

In this Greatest Hits episode of Getting to Aha!, host Darshan Mehta welcomes Arielle Lechner, Executive Coach and founder of NewPO, to explore the deep personal transformations that define great leadership. Arielle shares how leaders can evolve from hands-on founders to strategic visionaries, why embracing discomfort drives growth, and how reframing failure accelerates learning. She also explains the power of intuition in decision-making and the importance of confronting imposter syndrome. This conversation offers practical wisdom for anyone seeking to unlock authentic, resilient, and purpose-driven leadership.

In this episode of Getting to Aha!, Darshan Mehta sits down with Susan Rose, VP of Strategic Marketing & Advisory Services at GovExec, to explore why understanding customers at a deeper human level matters more than simply refining products or messaging. Susan shares how empathy, active listening, and validation can reveal the motivations behind buyer decisions and help businesses move from “me-focused” messaging to outcome-driven storytelling.

In this Greatest Hits episode of Getting to Aha!, host Darshan Mehta speaks with Fabiana Lacerca-Allen, a veteran corporate compliance expert with over 30 years of experience advising Fortune 100 companies. Drawing from her extraordinary personal journey, including surviving kidnapping attempts in Argentina, Fabiana shares powerful lessons on crisis management, situational awareness, and intuitive leadership. She reveals how to train your sixth sense, remain calm under pressure, and turn uncertainty into opportunity. The conversation offers practical strategies for building resilience and leading authentically in challenging times.

In this episode of Getting to Aha!, host Darshan Mehta sits down with Adam Bai, Chief Strategy and Chief Client Officer at Panoplai, to explore why anthropology and cultural insight are becoming essential to successful AI adoption. Adam explains why organizational knowledge often lives in tacit behaviors rather than documented processes, and why making that knowledge visible is critical before implementing AI.

In this Greatest Hits episode of Getting to Aha!, host Darshan Mehta welcomes Michael Price, VP of Business Development at Orion Groups, to share his powerful story of resilience and leadership. From overcoming depression and health struggles to building a thriving career in healthcare, Michael discusses the importance of self-care, vulnerability, and intentional living. He reveals how prioritising well-being allows leaders to serve others more effectively and why accountability, discomfort, and resilience are essential for sustainable success.