American Negotiation Institute
The American Negotiation Institute (ANI) is a global consulting firm that specializes in providing training, coaching and education on applying the foundations of negotiation to any difficult conversation in life and business. With expertise in the areas of negotiation, inclusion, leadership, sales and conflict resolution, ANI helps clients turn their most challenging conversations into opportunities for achieving meaningful and measurable results. Put simply, we exist to make difficult conversations easier for all. Whether you are looking for a customized solution for your team’s specific challenges, seeking to create internal cultural harmony, or are interested in booking a keynote for your next event, the American Negotiation Institute has the expertise to provide you with bespoke solutions.www.americannegotiationinstitute.com
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Search complete. 11 mentions across 9 episodes found for "American Negotiation Institute".
Nov 2, 2026
Lauren CastleGUEST
And he was like, no, you could just here model this.
Lauren CastleGUEST
And he had a friend named Kwame Christian, who ran the American Negotiation Institute.
Lauren CastleGUEST
And it was just him behind the scenes.
Lauren CastleGUEST
That was the name of his business.
Josh ZolinHOST
Kwame Christian built his whole career helping people stop running from those moments.
Josh ZolinHOST
He's the founder and CEO of the American Negotiation Institute, a two-time best-selling author, and the longtime host of the world's number one negotiation podcast.
Josh ZolinHOST
His work has reached more than two and a half million people.
Josh ZolinHOST
But Kwame didn't start as a fearless negotiator.
Kwame ChristianGUEST
But then I started to recognize that if I was dealing with this problem, other people are probably dealing with this too.
Kwame ChristianGUEST
So I wanted to find some kind of way to create something that could help other people to overcome those same problems.
Kwame ChristianGUEST
And that's what helped me to launch the American Negotiation Institute.
Josh ZolinHOST
Wow.
Kwame ChristianHOST
You're someone who's trying to improve their communication skills and learn how to resolve conflict, or you're a dealmaker who's trying to learn how to get an edge in their next negotiation so you can either make more or save more.
Kwame ChristianHOST
The American Negotiation Institute is built for both.
Kwame ChristianHOST
We have keynotes for conferences, workshops for teams, and courses for everyone because the best things in life are on the other side of difficult conversations.
Kwame ChristianHOST
What is it that's giving you the most energy right now?
Kwame ChristianHOST
But I've always been reluctant to just say, hey, this is my style because the way that I would sound would be different for different people in different circumstances.
Kwame ChristianHOST
For me as a business lawyer, the way that I negotiate will sound very different when I'm wearing that hat versus when I'm negotiating here at the American Negotiation Institute versus when I have tough conversations as a mediator.
Kwame ChristianHOST
It's very different, but you have to be able to be flexible and adjust.
Kwame ChristianHOST
And so for you, based on the fact that you've trained people all over the world, what do you think holds people back from being willing to embrace change and pivot and adjust to the person who's in front of them?
Josh ZolinHOST
Yeah.
Josh ZolinHOST
Just yesterday, I had a conversation with Kwame Christian, who is the CEO and founder of the American Negotiation Institute.
Marcus Aurelius AndersonGUEST
Wow.
Josh ZolinHOST
He specializes in difficult conversations.
Greg CobleGUEST
Yeah, this was the first time we'd heard Kwame speak, and we didn't know a lot about him, but there was so much to learn from his talk.
Greg CobleGUEST
I mean, this guy, he's the CEO of the American Negotiation Institute.
Greg CobleGUEST
And he started his talk with this bold statement saying there's a big difference between being right and being persuasive.
Greg CobleGUEST
And, you know, coming from a master negotiator, that really kind of piqued my interest.
Scott Anthony BarlowHOST
That's Kwame Christian.
Scott Anthony BarlowHOST
He's the founder of the American Negotiation Institute, host of the number one negotiation podcast in the world.
Scott Anthony BarlowHOST
And he has made difficult conversations his entire career.
Scott Anthony BarlowHOST
He's a really good friend.
Elizabeth AyoolaHOST
Also kidding there, but we'll try.
Elizabeth AyoolaHOST
But we are going to be talking with Kwame Christian, a negotiation expert and also the head of the American Negotiation Institute.
Elizabeth AyoolaHOST
Very fancy.
Elizabeth AyoolaHOST
Welcome, Kwame.
Sean PylesHOST
Why do you think folks are so afraid of having these conversations? The fear of rejection,
Kwame ChristianGUEST
that's really what it comes down to.
Kwame ChristianGUEST
People look at me and they say, Kwame, the CEO of the American Negotiation Institute, lawyer, that's why he's the negotiation guy.
Kwame ChristianGUEST
Let's take a step back though, because I got into this because I was a people pleaser for the majority of my life.
Elizabeth AyoolaHOST
You can also email us if you don't want us to hear your voice at podcast@nerdwallet.com.
Sean PylesHOST
Join us next time when we'll be talking with Kwame Christian, CEO and founder of the American Negotiation Institute.
Sean PylesHOST
They share some practical strategies to help you nail your next negotiation.
Sean PylesHOST
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