How Can I Remember People's Names?
15 Dec 2025 · 8 min
Podcast episode hosted by JJ Virgin (four-time New York Times best-selling author and health expert) centered on the question "How can I remember people's names?" The episode mixes sponsor ad reads (Earth Breeze laundry sheets, Wayfair home goods, Columbia outerwear, Monarch budgeting app, Chrysler Pacifica) with an interview: memory expert Jothin Levy explains the visual mnemonic technique—converting a name into a vivid image and linking it to existing memories—to remember names reliably. The episode also includes promotional segments (offers and discount codes) and a guest promo by Anne Boeckle for her reading podcast.
Questions this episode answers
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Chapters
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How can I remember people's names? I always forget and it's so embarrassing. This is JJ Virgin, four time New York Times best selling author, celebrity nutrition expert, and fitness hall of famer. I've been on a lifelong quest for answers to the toughest health questions, and now I'm sharing what I found with you. Welcome to Ask the Health expert. Michelle from YouTube asks, How can I remember people's names? I always forget and it's so embarrassing. Hey, it's jj And I've asked author, podcast host and keynote speaker Jothin Levy, who is an expert in accelerated learning and memory, to answer this question. Stay tuned.
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So jj, this is a question that comes up so often and Michelle, you are not alone. So many of us forget names and as Dale Carnegie said, we have to remember that a name is to that person the sweetest sound in any language. It's one of the most powerful tips in our interpersonal relationships and our business relationships to remember someone's name. And it turns out that it's actually really, really easy to do if you have the right technique. Now when it comes to memory, there is one technique above all other that's been used for thousands and thousands of years and that is the visual mnemonic. What does that mean? Basically, you take that person's name and convert it to a picture. So you might want to come up with a picture of something that you will visualize on their shoulder. You might want to visualize that person with someone else that you know that has that same name. But what you want to do is create that visualization because pictures are much more memorable to you than just the sound of that person's name. You then want to connect that visualization to something you already know, because doing that tells your brain, hey, this is pretty important. It's connected to something that I've remembered for years and years and years. So for example, if I might meet someone named Maya, I might visualize her with Mayan or Aztec painting on her face. And I might connect that to other memories that I have. For example, seeing the Mel Gibson movie about the Mayans. And once you do this, it takes a little bit of time to practice, but once you do it, you can remember anyone's name pretty much indefinitely.
This is JJ with Ask the Health Expert. I do this five times a week, so make sure you never miss a show by going to subscribetojay.com.
Hello listeners, this is Anne Boeckle, author, blogger, and creator of the podcast what Should I Read next? Since 2016, I've been helping readers bring more joy and delight into their reading lives. Every week I take all things books and reading with a guest and guide them in discovering their next read. They share three books they love, one book they don't, and what they've been reading lately, and I recommend three titles they may enjoy reading. Next, guests have said our conversations are like therapy, troubleshooting issues that have plagued their reading lives for years and possibly the rest of their lives as well. And, of course, recommending books that meet the moment, whether they are looking for deep introspection to spur or encourage a life change or a frothy page turner to help them escape the stresses of work, school, everything. You'll learn something about yourself as a reader, and you'll definitely walk away confident to choose your next read, with a whole list of new books and authors to try. So join us each Tuesday for what Should I Read Next? Subscribe now wherever you're listening to this podcast, and Visit our website, whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com to find out more.
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