Bridging the Say-Do Gap in Customer Research with Laurie Michaels - Getting to Aha! with Darshan Mehta

Topics in this episode

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Episode notes

What if the gap between what people say and what they actually do holds the key to better business decisions? In this episode of Getting to Aha! , Darshan Mehta sits down with Laurie Michaels, sociologist and Associate Director of Market Research at Innovation Partners, to explore why understanding people requires looking beyond what they say. Laurie shares how qualitative research, structured curiosity, and interdisciplinary thinking help uncover the motivations that drive decisions across healthcare and business. The conversation examines the "say-do gap," revealing why customers, patients, physicians, and payers often act differently than expected and how organizations can align competing incentives to reduce friction. Laurie also discusses the value of literature, philosophy, and pattern recognition in developing better judgment, an increasingly important skill in an AI-driven world where information is abundant but discernment is scarce. From extracting meaningful outcomes to asking better questions, this episode offers practical insights for leaders seeking to make smarter decisions, build stronger customer connections, and turn insight into foresight.