How Analogies, Food Noise, and Apple Slices Changed My Thinking

When someone says the word apple, what happens in your brain?

Do you picture it in your mind—shiny, red, maybe with a little leaf?
Do you see yourself biting into one, hear the crunch, feel the tartness?
Or… do you just read the word and move on?

Turns out, we don’t all experience words the same way. Some of us have a movie trailer running 24/7 in our heads. Others? Just the script.

And before you start worrying something’s wrong with you—let me stop you right there. It’s not weird. It’s wiring.

My Brain is Basically a Film Studio

When you say “apple,” here’s what I see:

I’m in my kitchen, pulling out my favorite knife. I can feel the weight of it in my hand. I slice the apple on a cutting board I love, then reach for the peanut butter—the good kind, the one with the perfect scoopability. I can hear the slice hit the plate. My mouth starts to water. I’m already anticipating the taste before it even hits my lips.

That’s not imagination. That’s a whole five-sense experience happening in real time.

I’ve always thought in visuals—and not just pictures. I see movies. When I’m trying to explain something, my brain instinctively hits play. I see highways, metaphors, colors, timing, traffic patterns, stage lights.

Launching this company, for example? I told someone recently: “If we open the gates too fast, it’s like letting more cars on the highway when we know there’s a wreck up ahead.”

That’s how my brain works. It has to paint the picture. I’ve been told for years I give great analogies—probably because I rely on them to translate what I’m seeing. It keeps people engaged and helps them understand. (Also, it keeps me entertained… let’s be honest.)

Our Brains Don’t All Work the Same (And That’s the Point)

It’s easy to assume everyone else’s experience is similar to ours. But whether it’s how we picture an apple or how we respond to hunger, motivation, emotion, or leadership—it all comes down to how we’re wired.

Some people think in color. Some in words. Some in checklists. Some in soundtracks.
Some people need a story. Some need data.
Some people can visualize success. Others need it mapped out.

There’s no one right way to think.
There’s just your way—and learning how to leverage it.

That realization hit me on a much deeper level the first time I experienced something called food noise.

Food Noise, GLP-1s, and a Big Wake-Up Call

If you’ve followed the conversation around GLP-1 medications the last couple years, you’ve probably heard people talk about weight loss or appetite suppression.

But for me, the most powerful change wasn’t about food intake.
It was about the volume in my brain. And for the first time in my life… it got quiet.

Before the medication, I didn’t need to be hungry to eat. I planned food around our schedule like a strategist. If we had a big dinner Friday, I’d plan out meals Tuesday and Wednesday accordingly. Not in a “meal prep” way—more like a chess game, two bites ahead.

Appetite suppressants never worked for me because hunger wasn’t the issue.
My brain was just… loud. About food. All the time.

I’ve been on a GLP-1 for nearly two years now. And while yes, it’s helped physically—what really caught me off guard was realizing that other people don’t live like that at all.

I had family and friends who looked at me and said,
“What do you mean you think about food all day? I only eat when I’m hungry.”

Wait, what?
You just eat to live? Not live to eat?? Say what.

That’s when it clicked—our brains don’t all process the same way.
Some of us hear the music. Some of us see the movie. Some of us experience food with the intensity of a sensory memory.
And some people? Just… eat lunch.

The Leadership Lesson

I’ve realized that because I value analogies, I use them more—and because I use them more, I’ve become better at them. It’s both a blessing and a bit of a curse. Because once you start seeing the metaphor in everything? You can’t unsee it.

But that’s the invitation here:
Learn your brain.
Use your strengths on purpose.
And recognize that other people’s minds might run a different operating system.

The key isn’t to copy someone else’s process.
It’s to understand your own—and get really, really good at using it.

Sidebar: Why Good Analogies Work

Ever wonder why people remember a great analogy but forget the actual facts? Because analogies give your brain a coat hook. They create a visual, emotional place to hang the data.

It’s the difference between saying:
“I avoided her like the plague.”
(Yawn. Generic. We’ve all heard it.)

Versus:
“I avoided her like your ex’s mama at church.”
(Oop. Now we’re picturing it. Cringing. Laughing. Remembering.)

That’s the power of fresh analogies. They stick. They teach. They entertain. And they leave room for people to say, “Wait—say that again??”

Journal Prompts:

1. When was the last time an analogy helped you “get” something?
2. Do you picture, hear, or feel your thoughts most clearly?
3. How could you lean into your brain’s strengths instead of fighting its quirks?

Want to Play Along?

When you hear the word “apple,” do you…

• See it clearly?
• Feel a vague concept?
• Literally just read the word and keep moving?

No wrong answers. Just different movies—or no movie at all.

This is why I lead the way I do—whether we’re talking skincare, AI tools, business growth, or dinner plans. Because strong leadership starts with knowing your own mind first.

And if you’ve never thought about how your brain is wired to lead—let me be the one to help you unlock it.

P.S. If your brain works anything like mine—visual, fast-moving, sometimes noisy but always brilliant—there’s a reason tools like ChatGPT have been game-changing for me.
Not to replace my creativity, but to help me catch it. To organize it. To turn those mental movie trailers into actual, usable content and strategy.

If that sounds like something your brain might love too… stay close. I’ll show you how.