LYNN — Memory expert Neil Kutzen isn’t trying to dazzle anyone with his memory. Instead, he’s helping people dazzle themselves with their own memories.
Kutzen hosted his “Never Forget a Name” workshop at the Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce office this Tuesday. To demonstrate his credibility, he began the presentation by accurately naming the 30 attendees with ease.
“My memory is no better than anybody else’s unless I use these methods,” he said.
With a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, Kutzen, 78, describes himself as a storyteller. He started his organization MemorizeBest in 2012 when he felt overwhelmed by having to memorize lines in a play. 13 years later, he has trained over 1000 people.
As a storyteller, Kutzen leads his workshops by demonstrating scientifically proven techniques with an engaging sense of humor. Although many of his methods stem back from ancient Greece, they are not commonly known by the public.
“In our education system, you’re taught to memorize the ABCs. After that, you’re on your own,” Kutzen said.
Kutzen’s approach is also useful for memorizing historical data, foreign languages, grocery lists and more. However, his workshops focus on people’s names to address a universally relatable issue.
Attendee Gabriella Marichal said while she can typically memorize people’s faces, she struggles with recalling their names specifically.
“I feel like these tricks are definitely making a difference,” she said.
Although Kutzen also leads these events in places such as retirement homes and community centers, he said the demographic that benefits most from them are young professionals, especially in the long term.
“You have to be motivated to study the methods. I have found that business people are more motivated to study it, because they know it’s going to improve their business,” he said. “Knowing a name helps build relationships,” he added.
Social worker Dinorha Mendez said she signed up for the “Never Forget a Name” event because her line of work requires personability with a high volume of clients.
“It was easier than I thought. I would recommend it for business and personal development,” she said of the presentation.
In his 13 years of leading these workshops, Kutzen has educated a wide variety of people with diverse backgrounds and ways of thinking. “Everybody is at a different place in their lives with their memories. My goal is to help each person improve from where they are,” he said.
A major aspect of Kutzen’s workshops is tapping into one’s creativity, even if someone doesn’t personally consider themself to be creative.
“Their creativity is not dead. As adults, many people don’t have a reason to be creative because it’s not something that’s been monetized. And now, I’m helping people revive their creativity,” Kutzen said.
