I met Kate Murphy when she interviewed me for The Wall Street Journal.

When she later called to invite me into the research for her new book, specifically to contribute applied experience insights, I didn’t hesitate for a second.

Experiences succeed or fail based on whether people fall into rhythm with them. Why We Sync, which launched yesterday, examines that science with clarity and precision.

Kate is not new to shaping how we think. Her first book is now required reading in many university courses, translated into 32 languages, and her work appears in The Economist, The New York Times, and beyond. This book builds on that authority and sharpens it.

This matters now more than ever, as leaders struggle to create trust, alignment, and engagement in environments that feel increasingly fragmented.

What makes Why We Sync stand out is that the science does not stay theoretical. I was able to contribute stories from our client engagements that show how synchrony is deliberately designed into experiences, how it materially changes behavior, and what happens when leaders choose not to listen. One example comes from an ultra-luxury automotive engagement where ignoring these signals had measurable consequences.

Those insights sit alongside perspectives from Danny Meyer on hospitality, architect Josh Kassing on why design quietly dictates outcomes, and others who understand that human response is never accidental.

This is applied behavioral science with teeth. You finish the book understanding why certain experiences work, why others fail, and why alignment directly determines trust, adoption, and sustained behavior.

Congratulations, Kate. This work raises the bar, and I’m proud to be part of it.