EverydaySpy Podcast

CIA Training: How to Brainwash & Influence Anyone (Ethically)

12 min
Feb 23, 2026about 2 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Andrew Bustamante, founder of Everyday Spy, discusses CIA communication and influence techniques applicable to business and personal relationships. He explains how understanding human psychology—particularly survival and tribal instincts—enables ethical persuasion and relationship building, with practical tactics deployable within minutes of learning.

Insights
  • CIA-trained influence operates on behavioral control through understanding competing human instincts (survival vs. tribal), not manipulation with negative intent
  • Seed-planting strategy—consistent relationship investment over time—creates premium client loyalty when friction occurs with competitors
  • Ethical influence and business success are fundamentally about understanding what drives human decision-making at a psychological level
  • Practical CIA skills transfer directly to business contexts: sales, partnerships, client retention, and leadership communication
  • Personal transformation through skill acquisition (mindset, communication, risk assessment) creates exponentially greater ROI than material rewards
Trends
Rising demand for ethical persuasion and influence training in executive and entrepreneurial communitiesIntegration of behavioral psychology and CIA tradecraft into mainstream business communication curriculaRecurring revenue business models as preferred growth strategy for sustainable client relationshipsPsychological assessment tools (personality/spy quizzes) becoming standard for self-awareness and competitive advantageReframing of 'manipulation' as 'behavioral control' or 'motivation' in professional development discourseEmphasis on seed-planting and long-term relationship cultivation over transactional sales approaches
Companies
Everyday Spy
Andrew Bustamante's company teaching CIA-derived communication and influence skills to business professionals and gen...
CIA
Referenced as the source of training methodologies and behavioral control techniques that Bustamante adapted for civi...
Starbucks
Mentioned humorously as an example of what might incentivize someone to share national secrets, illustrating motivati...
People
Andrew Bustamante
Founder of Everyday Spy; former CIA officer sharing tradecraft-derived communication and influence techniques for bus...
Quotes
"The skills that we teach can be applied within minutes after you learn them. They can amplify relationships, amplify wealth, amplify personal health."
Andrew Bustamante
"CIA doesn't deal with the science. They focus on the practicality. We don't get to learn why shit works. They just tell us, do it. We do it. And it works."
Andrew Bustamante
"The vast majority of your success is tied to what you say is the manipulation of people. We could call it influence but it's really manipulation."
Andrew Bustamante
"CIA teaches us that there are only three types of people in the world. Those who motivate, those who manipulate, and those who are being controlled by one of the other two."
Andrew Bustamante
"If you don't try, the competition wins."
Andrew Bustamante
Full Transcript
is everyday spy. So as an executive, as a curious executive who's built a lot of businesses, I've had the opportunity to get training on communication. Couldn't tell it from this interview. Boy, you should have heard the word salad I'd had 10 years ago. You know, words need to be served neat. No ice cubes. I like it. It's like my bourbon. Yeah, just nice and neat. But the training that you're bringing with Everyday Spy and how quickly can people integrate what you're teaching into their conversations with their family, with their children, business? What is the get for people for working with you, consuming your content, however you do it? I'll answer your question first and then answer why second. Yeah. The skills that we teach can be applied within minutes after you learn them. They can amplify relationships, amplify wealth, amplify personal health, because these are the same three pillars that CIA wants to amplify in every officer. And CIA doesn't deal with the science. They focus on the practicality. We don't get to learn why shit works. They just tell us, do it. We do it. And it works. And that's all it takes for us to keep doing it. So whether it's something as simple as drinking 500 milliliters of water, as soon as you wake up, anybody who drinks 500 milliliters of water tomorrow morning will literally transform their entire day, 15 minutes after they drink that water. Something as simple as that, all the way up to the specific words and cadence of your voice to create a temporary hypnosis to get a person to trust you more than they should trust you so that they divulge secrets. secrets. CIA teaches us the step-by-step of multiple tactics. The reason I teach these and CIA and Everyday Spy can get these into the hands of the everyday person within minutes, within hours, within days, depending on how fast the person applies them, is because when I went to CIA, I was expecting to be a movie star. I was expecting to drive fast cars, meet fast women, and look really good in a custom tailored suit. None of that happened. But what happened instead was they completely changed my life. They changed the way I thought. They changed the way I looked at the world around me. They changed the way that I engaged with people. They changed the way that I prioritized opportunities and risks. And that was a permanent change. If they would have given me a nice suit and a sports car, it would have been awesome for about two days. Instead, they gave me skills that made the rest of my life exponentially better than every year of my life up until the day that I started training. And that's what I want to do with Everyday Spy. My company is there to change people lives in an instant in a moment to completely change the future direction the trajectory through an inflection point that can be as simple as an $11 four-part special series that you purchased. If they just read it, it doesn't take long to read a three-page article, but it can change the direction of your entire future. How much of our success has to do with manipulation, whether it be with to make money or manipulation with good intent to create positive change in other people the short answer is the vast majority of your success is tied to the what you say is the manipulation of people we could call it influence but it's really manipulation And even the word manipulation is a term that we don't use at CIA inside the walls of CIA. Okay. Because manipulation has an inherently negative connotation to it. It's like the opposite of loyalty. Loyalty has a positive connotation. Manipulation has a negative connotation. When in fact, what we're talking about when we use the word manipulation or when we use a word like motivation, what we're talking about is getting people to take a certain action that we want. When you manipulate somebody, you get them to take an action that you want that doesn't benefit them. But we also motivate people to take a specific action that benefits us and also benefits them. Okay. So that's how CIA looks at it. There is no motivation or manipulation. It's just behavioral control. Getting a person to take a behavior that you are directing. When you're looking to turn a target, is it motivation through something that they want and need? And where does somebody, what's the psychological bridge that somebody needs to cross to betray their country with information? It's shockingly a short bridge. Is it? It is. So I can be bought, by the way. Just if any CIA people are out there. I don't know if your national secrets are worth it. I don't think they're worth much, but I do like Starbucks. If you haven't discovered your natural-born spy skills, then somebody else might be using theirs against you. CIA teaches us that there are only three types of people in the world. Those who motivate, those who manipulate, and those who are being controlled by one of the other two. I created a three-minute CIA-style quiz to help you unlock your secret psychological advantage and identify your hidden blind spot. This test was developed to help you weaponize your natural-born gifts and use them to get ahead of 99% of people in power, wealth, and purpose. It was also designed to make sure that you can protect yourself against those who would use their skills against you. All you have to do is click on the first link in the description below or scan the QR code on your screen to start your spy quiz now. I want you to discover your secret spy superpower and use it for good before somebody else uses their power against you. I easy the uh you had two questions there right so so the first question was oh i just lost the first question actually yeah me too it been a minute it's been a minute no but it was what does it take a bridge was a second what is what is the bridge to get somebody to basically say i'm i'm willing to make this trade of what i had it's going to be to the detriment of my country but it's going to be for the benefit of me how do i justify it. The reason that it's easy to convert a patriot into a traitor is because when it comes down to getting anybody to take an action, there's one dominant instinct. And that dominant instinct is survival instinct. Human beings are still animals. We might be spiritual animals, but we are still biological animals. And every animal has two competing instincts, a survival instinct and a tribal instinct. We all know that we're better in groups, but we all also know that if we're in a group, we might not be taken care of. We might be the weakest in the group. We might be tricked. The berries that I gather all day might get shared with somebody I don't like. So we have these two competing and conflicting instincts at all times, which is why sometimes you see people act in their own best interest. Sometimes you see people act in the best interest of the group. CIA understands that. It's a psychological thing in all people, all ages, all educational levels, all languages, all religious sets, right? Competing instincts. So when I want you to do something, I just have to pander to your survival instincts. Because if it's not the dominant instinct in this moment, maybe you're feeling really safe with your family. And I just plant the seed like, you know, you're a handsome guy. Well, now, two weeks from now, when your wife is mad at you and you and I are having a bourbon together, you remember that I think you're a handsome guy. And now maybe you're thinking, I wonder if we could go to a strip club. I wonder if we could go take off these wedding rings and go on a date somewhere and see if we can pick some ladies up. That's exactly what happens to people. Right. You're with a business partner and you're happy with that business partner on Monday. But on Wednesday, they piss you off. And now all of a sudden you're OK talking to somebody about selling the business. Sure. Right. that it's those competing instincts that are constantly happening. So CIA teaches us to systematically plant the seeds consistently over time. Okay. Because we know that your life is going to change in some unpredictable way. Yeah. And when that unpredictable change is not something that you like, the seeds that we planted will grow. And there's recency. So you have to be consistent. Yep. And they're just like, you know what? I'll probably see Andrew next week. Or Alex. Alex, what was your name? Alex Rodriguez. I'll see Alex Rodriguez in Falcon next week and he'll have something for me. Yeah, and that's the system. That's also the system for good business. Plant seeds consistently over time and that client who isn't interested in you today is gonna eventually have friction with their primary provider And then when they come to you and they like can you rescue me Can you save me Boom You have a new premium client for life because you said you spent the time planting the seeds. Yeah. Well, Andrew, this has been great. Thank you so much for coming in. Can you tell people the best way to get in touch with you or to get familiar with your content? You can find me on my homepage all the time, everydayspy.com. You can find me on social media, every channel at Everyday Spy. And you can always click on the link in the description of this interview. And you'll be taking to our spy quiz, the same quiz that you used to find out that you were a mastermind. I took it this morning. What does that mean? Does that mean I'm eligible or ineligible or hire as a agent? It's funny. Most people are fully eligible to be hired. It just depends on the need of the mission that they fill. You as a mastermind, it means that you are very operationally oriented. you are by all means a successful business owner so it makes sense you think quickly you are decisive you take risks but it also means that i know that you might struggle with self-discipline because follow-through isn't always the best i actually hear giggles coming from your producer over here fair fair feedback fair feedback well obviously and and it's a free test it took me about five minutes to take this morning and gave me some great feedback so yeah so i appreciate it All right. Everybody go there. Curveball for you. Okay. Well, I shouldn't say that. Well, I will say it. Okay. Gun to your head, which you have to start a business in the next 30 days, and it can't be anything that you're currently doing. This is about market opportunity. If you had to start a business and you were forced to do it in the next 30 days, what would you do? Where's the market opportunity? I would create some kind of business that has to do with ongoing repair because things always break down and they have to be repaired again. People don't like having to find a new repairman. They like going back to the same repairman. So if I could find my way into something that I know is going to degrade and I know I can repair and I can do a good job once every six months like a dentist, only I don't want to touch teeth. Right. That's where I would go. So fixing driveways, repairing automobiles, repairing some element of the house. something that had to do with children's shoes maybe, right? Anything that has to do with, that needs continual repair so that I can build a loyal client base and then just clone and duplicate the business in the next village over and then do the same thing again. Yep, recurring business. Recurring business. Awesome. Fastball right down the middle. If you had one sentence to make an impact in somebody's life, what would that be? If you don't try, the competition wins. Yes. Thank you.