About this Podcast:

I had no idea what I was walking into when I invited Jim Marshall onto my podcast. The guy claimed to have discovered a system—a mathematically structured framework—that could explain and predict human behavior. I’d heard a lot of big claims before, but this one? It sounded like something straight out of a sci-fi novel.

"Septemics," he called it. The study of how nearly every aspect of human behavior operates within seven distinct levels. It applies to individuals, relationships, politics—you name it. And according to Jim, if I could determine where someone fell on these scales, I could understand them better than they understood themselves.

Naturally, I had to put this to the test.

I told Jim about my 14-year-old daughter. Like most teenage girls, she’s going through changes—emotional, social, and everything in between. I’ve tried everything to connect with her, from coaching her basketball team to spending one-on-one time together. Nothing seemed to break through.

Jim didn’t flinch. "Find her level on each of the 35 Septemic scales," he said. "Once you do, you’ll understand her better than she understands herself."

I was skeptical. How could some arbitrary system decode the complexities of parenting? But as Jim explained the system’s structure, something clicked. He walked me through how he’d spent decades refining these seven-level scales, using biofeedback machines and real-world analysis to map out human behavior patterns. The more he spoke, the more I saw how these concepts could be applied—not just to my daughter but to every relationship I’ve ever struggled to understand.

Then he dropped the biggest bombshell of all: every major life problem—every misunderstanding, every conflict—could be traced back to one of these scales. And once you knew where someone landed, you had a roadmap for helping them grow.

It was one of those rare moments where my brain felt like it was rewiring itself in real time. Suddenly, everything from my teenage struggles to business negotiations made a little more sense.

By the time our conversation wrapped up, I knew one thing for sure: I needed to dive deeper into this. If there was even a chance that these scales could improve my relationships—personal and professional—I wanted in.

Jim’s book, Septemics: Hierarchies of Human Phenomena, is available on Amazon, and his website, Septemics.com, breaks down the fundamentals of his work. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, one thing is certain—once you hear his theories, you’ll never see human behavior the same way again.

I don’t throw this phrase around often, but this might be one of the most eye-opening conversations I’ve ever had.

Want to know where YOU fall on these scales? Check out Jim’s book, and let me know what you think. Because if he’s right, this system could change everything.