The Social-Engineer Podcast

- innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/

03:08 - Tabletop...Child's Play

04:36 - Phase One: Assigning Roles

07:11 - Going Rogue

08:05 - Measuring Tone

09:22 - A Few More Twists

09:57 - Some Heads Are Gonna Roll

10:41 - Communication Breakdown

12:17 - Post Mortem

13:44 - Alignment at Scale

14:57 - Divide and Conquer... Together

17:31 - Proactive Instead of Reactive

20:21 - The Communication Gap

21:22 - Trust Factor

22:15 - Wrap Up & Outro

- Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/

Ep. 316 - Human Element Series - Do It Scared, But Do It Anyway with Shang Saavedra

Today we are joined by Shang Saavedra, the Founder and CEO of Save My Cents, an influential personal-finance website and social-media platform. Saavedra teaches readers the key habits and behaviors needed to become less fearful of money and live life with joy. Saavedra was named one of the "25 Most Influential New Voices of Money" by TIME/NextAdvisor in 2022 and is an Expert Reviewer and Contributor at CNET Money. She received her bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard and her MBA from the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business. Saavedra and her husband finished saving for their retirement by the age of 31 and now live a work-optional life in Southern California with their two boys and two cats. [Aug 11, 2025]

00:00 - Intro

00:37 - Intro Links

- Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/

- Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/

- Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/

- Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb

- innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/

01:27 - Shang Saavedra Intro

02:23 - Motivation for Success

04:03 - Save My Cents

07:29 - The Feelings Mutual

10:07 - It's Emotional

12:01 - Root Causes of Bad Money Habits

13:02 - Feast or Famine

13:45 - Adverse Events

15:26 - Scarce Immigrant

17:08 - Mind Over (Money) Matters

21:05 - Your Worth, More

24:07 - Book Recommendations

- The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg

25:06 - Mentors

- Therapist

25:59 - Shang Saavedra Online

- Website: https://savemycents.com/

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savemycents/

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@savemycents

- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216282934-wealth-is-a-mindset

- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Mindset-Change-Your-Money/dp/B0D94QCZL6/

- Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/wealth-is-a-mindset/21633491

26:42 - Parting Advice

27:04 - Guest Wrap Up & Outro

- Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/

Ep. 315 - The Doctor Is In Series - Love at First Sight, Is it Possible?

Welcome to the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Doctor Is In Series – where we will discuss understandings and developments in the field of psychology.

In today’s episode, Chris and Abbie explore the complexities of attraction and the concept of love at first sight. They discuss the biochemical responses associated with attraction, the importance of understanding cognitive biases, and the role of familiarity in relationships. [Aug 4, 2025]

00:00 - Intro

00:35 - Dr. Abbie Maroño Intro

01:15 - Intro Links

- Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/

- Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/

- Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/

- Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb

- innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/

03:14 - The Topic of the Day: Love at First Sight

03:22 - Pulling Apart the Fairy Tale

04:26 - Knowledge is Power

05:49 - Why Can't This Be Love?

07:12 - More Than a Feeling

09:28 - May Impair Your Ability

10:59 - The Rickety Bridge Study

13:20 - Head or Heart?

15:04 - Cognitive Biases

16:16 - The Halo Effect

17:19 - Prototypical Matching

18:51 - I Want You to Want Me

21:54 - Retrospective Bias

23:34 - Feels Like Home

28:44 - Keep One Eye Open

30:32 - A Responsibility to Self-Awareness

32:53 - Wrap Up

33:11 - Next Month: Intuition

33:31 - Outro

Find us online:

- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-abbie-maroño-phd

- Instagram: @DoctorAbbieofficial

- https://soto.house.gov/

References:

Dutton, D. G., & Aron, A. P. (1974). Some evidence for heightened sexual attraction under conditions of high anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30(4), 510–517.

Fisher, H. E., Aron, A., & Brown, L. L. (2006). Romantic love: A mammalian brain system for mate choice. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 361(1476), 2173–2186.

Fletcher, G. J. O., Simpson, J. A., & Thomas, G. (2000). The measurement of perceived relationship quality components: A confirmatory factor analytic approach. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26(3), 340–354.

Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(3), 511–524.

Marazziti, D., & Canale, D. (2004). Hormonal changes when falling in love. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 29(7), 931–936.

Nisbett, R. E., & Wilson, T. D. (1977). The halo effect: Evidence for unconscious alteration of judgments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35(4), 250–256.

Sprecher, S., & Metts, S. (1989). Development of the "Romantic Beliefs Scale" and examination of the effects of gender and gender-role orientation. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 6(4), 387–411.

Sternberg, R. J. (1986). A triangular theory of love. Psychological Review, 93(2), 119–135.

Zeki, S. (2007). The neurobiology of love. FEBS Letters, 581(14), 2575–2579.

Zsok, F., Haucke, M., De Wit, C., & Barelds, D. P. (2017). What kind of love is love at first sight? An empirical investigation. Personal Relationships, 24(4), 869–885.

Ep. 314 - The 4th Monday Series - What Can You Do If Your Accounts Are Hacked? with Congressman Darren Soto

Welcome to the Social-Engineer Podcast: The 4th Monday Series with Chris Hadnagy and Mike Holfeld. Chris and Mike will be covering cutting edge global news to help people remain safe, secure and knowledgeable in a world where it is hard to know what is real and what is fake news.

Today Chris and Mike are joined by Congressman Darren Soto. Darren Soto is the representative for Florida’s Ninth Congressional District, covering Osceola and parts of Orange and Polk Counties. He currently serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Natural Resources. Additionally, Darren is the Deputy Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a proud member of the New Democrat Coalition, Future Forum Caucus, Problem Solvers Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus, LGBTQ Equality Caucus, and others. [July 28, 2025]

00:00 - Intro

00:34 - Mike Holfeld Intro

01:32 - Today's Guest: Rep. Darren Soto

02:55 - The Shield Act

06:24 - The Take It Down Act

08:34 - A Duty of Care

12:03 - A Cat and Mouse Chase

13:12 - Violating Terms of Service

14:55 - Bad Nation States

16:02 - The Pendulum Swings

17:34 - Adjusting to the Evolution

19:08 - The SunPass Scam

20:07 - Protecting Our Seniors

22:53 - Millions a Second

24:41 - It's About Disclosure

26:40 - A Vulnerable Future

28:15 - Find Rep. Darren Soto Online

29:53 - Wrap Up

30:27 - Next Month: Bobby Knost

31:08 - Outro

Find us online:

- Chris Hadnagy

- Twitter: @humanhacker

- Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/

Ep. 313 - Security Awareness Series - The Importance of Securing Virtual Events With Trent Waterhouse

Today on the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Security Awareness Series, Chris is joined by Trent Waterhouse. Trent is the CMO of GlobalMeet, a leading virtual event technology company with a scalable, flexible, and secure hybrid event streaming platform built and supported by experienced event experts. Trent has a proven track record of driving growth and innovation with 35 years of expertise leveraging a field sales marketing model that aligns sales, marketing, and R&D to think like a customer, act like a partner, and measure success through customer satisfaction and net promoters. Built for growth, Trent’s unique blend of technology understanding and B2B marketing skills have been proven to help companies grow revenue profitably, improve customer experiences, build new partnerships, and expand opportunity pipelines. [July 21, 2025]

00:00 - Intro

00:50 - Intro Links:

- Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/

- Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/

- Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/

- Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb

- innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/

02:30 - Trent Waterhouse Intro

03:11 - Starting Out Pre-Video

04:53 - A Brave New World

08:07 - Going Public

10:21 - Rise of the DeepFakes

13:03 - Video Watermarking

15:23 - A Simple Warning Will Do

19:11 - Staying Up to Date

21:22 - Insider Threat

23:42 - Find Trent Waterhouse Online

- Website: https://www.globalmeet.com/

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globalmeet/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trentonwaterhouse/

24:44 - Book Recommendations

- Pattern Breakers - Mike Maples, Jr, Peter Ziebelman

27:16 - Wrap Up & Outro

- Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/

Ep. 312 - Human Element Series - Having a Hunger to Serve with Doug Thorpe

Today we are joined by Doug Thorpe. Doug is an experienced leadership coach, business advisor, and speaker who focuses on helping small to mid-size business owners and executives develop their leadership capabilities. With decades of experience in banking, finance, and business management, Thorpe transitioned to coaching and advisory services to help others navigate their professional growth journeys. [July 14, 2025]

00:00 - Intro

00:16 - Intro Links

- Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/

- Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/

- Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/

- Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb

- innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/

01:35 - Doug Thorpe Intro

02:20 - Consulting to Coaching

04:18 - Student of Leadership

07:40 - A Hunger to Serve

09:12 - Respond Rather Than React

12:11 - Controlling an Emotional Response

17:06 - Choosing the Right Club

22:43 - Thinking About Legacy

25:57 - Find Doug Thorpe Online

- Website: https://dougthorpe.com/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougthorpe/

- Instagram: https://instagram.com/dougthorpe_com

- Business Website: https://headwayexec.com

- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@dougthorpe

26:54 - Mentors

30:17 - Book Recommendations

- Lincoln on Leadership - Donald T. Phillips

32:06 - Guest Wrap Up & Outro

Ep. 311 - The Doctor Is In Series - The Scientific Keys To Happiness with Dr. Paul Zak

Welcome to the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Doctor Is In Series – where we will discuss understandings and developments in the field of psychology.

In today’s episode, Chris and Abbie are joined by Dr. Paul J Zak. Dr. Zak is in the top 0.3% of most cited scientists. For over two decades Paul’s research has extended the boundaries of behavioral neuroscience and that has taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 500 boardrooms to the rainforests of Papua New Guinea. Besides his academic appointment, he is a 4-time tech entrepreneur.

In 2017 he founded Immersion Neuroscience, a software platform that allows anyone to measure what the brain loves in real-time, that is used to improve outcomes in entertainment, education, advertising, and emotional health. He is a regular TED speaker and has appeared on many news programs and TV Shows. His newest book is The Little Book of Happiness and he’s here today to discuss more about that. [July 7, 2025]

00:00 - Intro

00:23 - Dr. Abbie Maroño Intro

01:11 - Dr. Paul Zak Intro

02:06 - The Little Book of Happiness

- pauljzak.com/books

04:52 - High-Value Experience

06:35 - Neuroscience x Stoicism

08:50 - We Are Interdependent

14:10 - We Can Adapt

16:41 - Single Rider Experience

21:29 - Out of the Comfort Zone

23:30 - It's the People

26:46 - The Hotel Hack

32:00 - Bring the Fun!

34:11 - Absorbing the Vibe

35:18 - We Don't Have to Suffer Alone

37:22 - Find Dr. Zak Online

- Website: getimmersion.com

- App: your6.com

- Email: paul@pauljzak.com

37:47 - Wrap Up

38:35 - Next Month: Love at First Sight

39:10 - Outro

Find us online:

- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-abbie-maroño-phd

- Instagram: @DoctorAbbieofficial

- Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/

Ep. 250 - Human Element Series - Rationalize Minimalize and Project with Agent Brad Beeler REPLAY

REPLAY (Original Air Date March 11, 2024)

Today we are joined by Agent Brad Beeler. Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge Brad Beeler has been with the United States Secret Service for the past 25 years. He currently serves as instructor and Secret Service liaison at the National Center for Credibility Assessment (NCCA) at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Over the past 8 years in this role, he has trained agents throughout the federal law enforcement and intelligence community in credibility assessment and elicitation techniques.

Prior to arriving at NCCA, he was a polygraph examiner in the Chicago and St. Louis Field Offices and served on the permanent protection detail of former President George HW Bush and numerous foreign heads of state. Over the past 17 years as a federal polygraph examiner Special Agent Beeler has secured hundreds of confessions on high-profile investigations, often leading to the identification of previously unknown victims of serial offenders of both child exploitation and homicide investigations. Agent Beeler holds a master’s degree in criminology and was previously selected as the U.S. Secret Service - Special Agent of the Year for his involvement in combating crimes against children.

Widely considered a communications expert in the U.S. federal law enforcement community, Agent Beeler has provided countless domestic and international presentations to law enforcement and intelligence agencies seeking to enhance their interviewing programs. [March 11, 2024]

00:00 - Intro

00:21 - Intro Links

- Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/

- Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/

- Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/

- Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb

- innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/

03:05 - Agent Brad Beeler Intro

05:05 - Part of a Team

07:58 - One of Lincoln's Final Acts

08:52 - Dual Mission

11:45 - The Broadband Effect

14:38 - Team Effort

17:35 - Worst of the Worst

21:13 - Common Ground

23:36 - Letting Them Be Heard

25:51 - Lyrics, Songs and Dance

28:49 - Mental Health Mandates

35:11 - Mentors

- Mrs. Bertran - Teacher

- Brian Leary - DHS Program Manager

37:21 - Book Recommendations

- The Interrogator - Hanns Scharff

- Spy the Lie - Philip Houston

- Captivate & Cues - Vanessa Van Edwards

39:24 - Find Agent Brad Beeler online

- Website: www.usajobs.gov

- Website: www.secretservice.gov

- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bradbeeler1865/

40:47 - Guest Wrap Up & Outro

- lisamillerassociates.com

Ep. 310 - The 4th Monday Series - Are You Ready for the Storm? with Lisa Miller

Today Chris and Mike are joined by Lisa Miller, a former Deputy Insurance Commissioner for Florida who is a disaster insurance and recovery expert. She consults with insurance companies that represent about a quarter of Florida’s six million personal and commercial residential policies.

Her Tallahassee, Florida-based firm, Lisa Miller & Associates, produces a twice-monthly newsletter on all these subjects. Lisa also hosts the Florida Insurance Roundup podcast. She also helped launch the Hurricane Claims Mediation Program, an initiative that has helped consumers expedite the settlement of residential and commercial insurance claims [June 23, 2025]

00:00 - Intro

00:43 - Mike Holfeld Intro

01:07 - Today's Guest: Lisa Miller

01:57 - It's Hurricane Season!

04:32 - Assurance of Insurance

07:23 - The Reasons for Rising Rates

10:52 - Know Your Agent

12:30 - In Come the Floods

14:45 - Openings & Roofs

18:24 - Hurricane Supply Tax Break

18:49 - Know Your Home

21:59 - Hanging Your Shingle

25:13 - Strapping the Roof

26:56 - Florida Office of Insurance Regulation

- www.floir.com

28:04 - Don't Answer the Door

29:18 - Find Lisa Miller Online

30:12 - Next Month: Congressman Darron Soto

30:28 - Outro

Find us online:

- Chris Hadnagy

- Twitter: @humanhacker