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August 7, 2025 43 mins

Can you really train your brain to remember everything?

In this fascinating episode of Retail Retold, Chris Ressa is joined by Chester Santos, 2008 U.S. Memory Champion and world-renowned memory expert, to explore how mastering memory can transform your personal and professional life. Chester breaks down the science behind memory training, shares practical applications for business leaders, and even puts Chris on the spot with a live memory test. From eliminating to-do lists to improving client relationships, this episode proves that memory isn't just a gift—it's a skill you can build.

What you'll hear:

  • Memory is a skill that can be developed and improved.
  • There is no limit to human memory; the more you know, the easier it is to learn new things.
  • Chester trained for the memory championship like an Olympic athlete.
  • Memory techniques can help minimize the use of notes during presentations.
  • Maintaining eye contact during meetings enhances professional relationships.
  • Visual representation aids in memory retention.
  • Involving multiple senses can strengthen memory connections.
  • Making information unusual or extraordinary helps in remembering it.
  • Memory skills can significantly impact personal and professional success.
  • Chester offers online memory training resources for those interested.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro: What happens when memory becomes your superpower?

01:13 – Meet Chester Santos: U.S. Memory Champion & “International Man of Memory”

02:30 – Why Memory Is an Overlooked Professional Skill

03:08 – Clear the Air: Chester’s surprising answers

05:38 – From 2020 Segment to Memory Champion

08:00 – What It Takes to Win a Memory Championship

10:20 – Self-Taught Success: Training like an Olympian

11:10 – What Happens at a Memory Championship? (Hint: Decks of Cards)

13:00 – What Science Says About Super Memory

14:35 – Real-World Applications: Business, Sales, and Public Speaking

20:25 – Ditching To-Do Lists and Meeting Notes—Seriously

26:00 – 3 Core Principles to Improve Your Memory Today

30:00 – Interactive Exercise: The Story Method Memory Challenge

35:00 – How to Apply Memory Skills to Presentations

37:15 – How You Can Train with Chester

39:20 – Where to Find Chester Online

40:15 – Fun Questions: Blockbuster, Chinatown Suitcases & Target Electronics

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