Hi, I’m Chris Sparks. My friends call me Sparks.

I work with select executives and investors as a performance coach through my consultancy Forcing Function.

I split my time between Brooklyn, Austin, and traveling the world.

I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated summa cum laude with a dual degree in Marketing and Psychology from Ohio State.

I’ve always been fascinated with human behavior, particularly the way we make decisions in conditions of incomplete information. My dream for a long time was to make television commercials, which led me to work in brand advertising for Nationwide and Ford Motor Company. After realizing I was a poor fit for the corporate world, I turned my attention to applying my analytical skills to lead marketing at a growing fashion marketplace.

I give talks and lead workshops on poker strategy, behavioral science, and game theory to portfolio managers, management teams, and creative professionals.

My current mission is to deconstruct and distill the success of elite performers. I open-sourced that knowledge in a free workbook, Experiment Without Limits, which contains the same recommendations, prompts, and experiments I share with my private clients. I also host Forcing Function Hour, a podcast revealing principles, systems, and strategies for a competitive edge in business.