The TrustBuilt Podcast

What if building a high-trust team actually made your business move faster—not slower?

In this episode, Alan Bennett sits down with Kjartan Kennedy, co-founder of Causeway Studios, to unpack how trust, clarity, and intentional leadership allowed his team to:

-Operate fully remote

-Eliminate burnout in a high-pressure industry

-Launch a major product in one year (instead of 3–5)

-Build a culture that doesn’t depend on the founder to survive

This is a must-watch conversation for business owners who are tired of carrying everything themselves and want to build a team that truly shows up.

⏱️Chapters

03:10 – From Passion to Business: Building a Studio That Lasts

11:58 – The Burnout Trap Most Business Owners Fall Into

14:10 – The 4-Day Workweek: Less Time, Better Results

17:32 – Remote Teams, Real Accountability (Without Micromanaging)

21:26 – Trust as a Leadership System, Not a Vibe

27:44 – Shipping Faster by Building Trust First

31:02 – Recognition, Purpose, and Why Teams Need to See Impact

38:10 – Conflict, Feedback, and Healthy Disagreement

47:30 – One Piece of Advice Every Business Owner Needs to Hear

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Connect with Kjartan Kennedy & Causeway Studios

💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kjartankennedy/

🌐 https://www.causewaystudios.com/

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Feeling stuck carrying everything yourself?

TrustBuilt helps business owners build teams they can trust—so the business runs with them, not because of them.

👉 Learn more at https://www.trustbuiltsolutions.com/

What happens when you evolve as a business owner, but your business doesn’t?

In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, Alan Bennett sits down with Cari Kaufman of Storyteller Wordsmith for a candid, unscripted conversation about purpose, identity, and what happens when successful businesses start to feel misaligned. 

This episode dives deep into why purpose and accountability are the gateway to trust, how personal life changes inevitably shape business direction, and why building a business that can evolve is critical for retention, leadership clarity, and sustainable growth. 

If you’re exhausted from carrying everything yourself and wondering how to get your team bought in again, this conversation will hit home.

👉 Looking to build a business that runs without you? Visit https://www.trustbuiltsolutions.com/

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⏱️ Chapters

02:10 – The moment “purpose” changed the conversation

03:30 – Feeling trapped by your own brand

04:30 – Established businesses hit this wall more than startups

05:45 – Alan’s personal pivot: when life demanded change

07:05 – Freedom is why most people start businesses (but lose it)

08:20 – Work-life balance isn’t real — harmony is

09:35 – Building a sellable business makes it easier to run

12:45 – Purpose + accountability = the gateway to trust

14:05 – Why teams disengage when purpose is unclear

16:20 – Purpose isn’t always about the product

17:30 – “My purpose is to make money” (and why that’s not enough)

20:10 – The danger of choosing a path just because you’re good at it

22:00 – When purpose becomes a trap instead of a guide

23:40 – Purpose as the front door to everything else

25:00 – Communicating purpose so people actually buy in

26:20 – Credentials don’t build trust — stories do

28:10 – How trust changes decision-making and leadership ease

29:30 – External trust matters too (vendors, partners, advisors)

31:00 – What most owners miss about their suppliers and advisors

33:10 – Trust as a force multiplier in business

35:20 – Final thoughts: purpose is the starting point

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Connect With Cari 

🌐 https://www.storytellerwordsmith.com/

💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/carikaufman/

Most business owners don’t lead in life-or-death situations…but they feel like they do.

In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, former police chief, SWAT commander, executive coach, and leadership trainer Tim Keck breaks down what crisis leadership teaches us about building engaged, reliable teams in everyday business. 

Tim shares unbelievable real-world stories — including the moment he put his life in the hands of his team — to illustrate what trust really means. And more importantly, how business owners can build that level of confidence, discipline, and buy-in inside their own culture.

If you’re a leader who’s tired of carrying everything yourself, this conversation will help you breathe again. You’ll walk away with simple tools to lower stress, increase employee engagement, and create a culture that scales because people are aligned, accountable, and trusted.

👉 Want a team that can run the business without you? Learn more at https://www.trustbuiltsolutions.com/

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⏱️ Chapters

00:00 — The Rule of Responsibility: Why You Can’t Do Everyone’s Job

00:20 — Meet Tim Keck: Police Chief, SWAT Commander & Leadership Coach

01:49 — What Crisis Teaches About Leadership

03:07 — The Team-Building Exercise That Hit the New York Times

04:12 — Stress vs. Crisis: Why Leaders Misread Their Own Bodies

06:24 — How Stress Sabotages Decision-Making (and What to Do Instead)

07:55 — Tactical Breathing: A Tool Every Leader Should Learn

10:15 — Emotional Intelligence: The Four Skills Every Owner Needs

14:18 — Why Most Leaders Mislabel Their Emotions

17:12 — Managing Conflict Without Escalation

20:14 — The Hidden Cost of Wanting to “Win the Argument”

21:05 — How Your Emotions Affect Your Team (Read the Room)

25:11 — Why High-Performing Teams Need Someone “Watching Their Six”

26:44 — SWAT-Level Trust: Doing Your Job So Others Can Do Theirs

34:07 — What Business Owners Can Learn from Real-Life Training

37:41 — Purpose, Clarity, and Why Most Teams Row in Different Directions

41:30 — The Story: Putting His Life in His Team’s Hands

45:18 — Final Lessons on Trust, Vulnerability, and Leadership Freedom

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Connect with Tim

💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/timkeck/

🌐 https://www.safehavensecuritygroup.com/

🌐 https://www.gobulletproof.com/

Building a business that doesn’t depend on you isn’t about grinding harder — it’s about learning to trust your people, lead with vulnerability, and build a culture that can stand on its own.

In this conversation with longtime entrepreneur and EOS implementer Calvin Smith, we dig into what really holds business owners back: fear, control, burnout, and the belief that “no one will ever care as much as I do.” Calvin shares lessons from 20+ years of entrepreneurship — the wins, the mistakes, the dumb tax — and how leaders can finally break the cycle of doing everything themselves.

We talk about building trust, creating alignment, getting honest about your own limitations, and how systems and processes (done right) actually create freedom rather than restrict it. If you’re tired of carrying the whole business on your back, this episode shows a better path forward.

👉 Want a team that’s engaged, accountable, and capable of running the day-to-day?

Visit https://www.trustbuiltsolutions.com/

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⏱️ Chapters

00:00 — Why Trust Starts With the Leader

01:00 — Corporate vs. Entrepreneurship Mindset

02:30 — The Passion Problem: Why Entrepreneurs Burn Out

03:45 — Defining Your Personal “Why” Before You Build Your Business

05:10 — When Your Team’s Why Doesn’t Match Yours

06:40 — The Power of Vulnerable Leadership (A Story That Changed Everything)

08:00 — Why Trust Backfires When You Hold Too Tightly

10:45 — Culture Reality Check: Are You Living What You Say You Value?

12:05 — Hiring People Who Actually Care About the Work

14:10 — The 90-Day Culture Pulse: Keeping Your Team Aligned

17:00 — Commitment, Discipline, and Trusting Yourself First

18:40 — How Your Personal Life Mirrors Your Business Performance

23:00 — Letting Go as You Scale: Why Leaders Must Evolve

33:00 — Systems & Processes: Why They Create Freedom (Not Rigidity)

41:00 — The Horror Story of an Owner-Dependent Business

45:00 — How to Help Employees See That Their Work Matters

48:00 — The Books That Changed Calvin’s Leadership Journey

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Connect with Calvin

💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvin-smith/

🌐 https://calvinsmith.co/

Stress doesn't just wear you down. It silently erodes trust, engagement, and team performance.

In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, Alan sits down with Eliz Greene, stress researcher, author, and resilience expert, to unpack why so many small business owners feel constant pressure and what that stress is really doing to their teams.

Together, Alan and Eliz break down the science behind stress, why your brain shuts down under pressure, and simple, practical steps to regain control, reduce cortisol, and make better decisions. 

If you’re a business owner drowning in responsibility, struggling with turnover, or trying to build a team that truly steps up, this conversation offers a roadmap to relief.

👉 Want a team that runs the business with you — not one that drains you? Learn more at https://www.trustbuiltsolutions.com/

⏱️ Chapters

01:10 – Eliz Greene’s Backstory: A Life-Changing Heart Attack

02:52 – Parenting Twins & Early Lessons in Stress

06:05 – What Stress Really Is (and Why It Builds Up)

07:40 – The Physical Side of Stress: Cortisol & Health Risks

08:58 – Recognizing Your Body’s Stress Signals

11:04 – Why We Crave Control (and Why It Backfires)

12:52 – A Simple System: What Can I Control? What’s Possible?

15:30 – How to Physically Reduce Stress in the Moment

17:49 – Making the Unpredictable More Predictable

19:48 – Leaders Letting Go: Discipline vs. Rigidity

24:02 – The Power of Feeling Seen and Valued at Work

29:27 – Stress, Turnover, and Why People Really Quit

42:34 – Eliz’s One Message to Every Leader

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Connect with Eliz

🌐https://elizgreene.com/

💻https://www.linkedin.com/in/theelizgreene/

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What happens when a once-thriving company culture starts to slip?

Chief People Officer Steve Blair knows firsthand what it takes to rebuild trust, re-engage employees, and restore a sense of ownership in fast-growing organizations.

In this episode, Steve joins host Alan Bennett to talk about:

• The real cost of culture drift and disengagement

• Why employee surveys—when done right—can be the most powerful trust-building tool in your organization

• How to identify culture creators, keepers, and consumers (and what to do when the ratio gets out of balance)

• How vulnerability and consistency are the two key ingredients of authentic leadership

Whether you’re leading a team of 10 or 100, this episode offers a clear path to creating a culture where people want to stay, contribute, and grow.

👉 Ready to build a team that runs with you, not just for you?

Visit https://www.trustbuiltsolutions.com/ to learn more about building systems and teams that scale through trust.

 02:00 – Rebuilding Culture After It’s Been Lost

03:30 – The Real Cost of Turnover and Disengagement

06:00 – How Growth Changes Culture (and How to Keep It Healthy)

08:00 – Culture Creators, Keepers, and Consumers

11:00 – How to Spot and Support Culture Keepers

13:00 – The Simple Framework to Measure Engagement and Trust

14:00 – W.A.L.A. Method: Wonder, Ask, Listen, Act

18:00 – The Flywheel That Builds Organizational Trust

20:00 – What Trust Really Means: Consistency + Vulnerability

22:00 – Creating Safe Feedback Loops That Build Engagement

25:00 – The Role of Recognition and Care in Employee Growth

30:00 – Giving Feedback That Builds Instead of Breaks

34:00 – The Power of “Buy-In Based” Feedback

38:00 – Coaching the What vs. the How

40:00 – Using Assessments Responsibly to Strengthen Teams

44:00 – Steve’s Top 3 Books on Leadership and Growth

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Connect with Steve

💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairsteve/

🌐 https://www.fulcrumcollective.com/

In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, host Alan Bennett sits down with Danielle Keller, owner and Editor-in-Chief of Peekaboo Magazine and co-host of the People of Northwest Arkansas Podcast.

Danielle shares her journey of reviving a beloved community magazine and how storytelling has become her way of building trust, connection, and compassion across Northwest Arkansas.

If you’ve ever felt burnt out or unsure how to reconnect your team—or your business—to its purpose, this conversation will remind you why authentic stories matter.

👉 Learn how TrustBuilt helps business owners build teams that run without them: https://www.trustbuiltsolutions.com/

⏱️ Chapters

1:00 – Meet Danielle Keller & the Return of Peekaboo Magazine

3:00 – The Origin Story of Peekaboo and Its Legacy

5:00 – From Burnout to Balance: What Sparked Danielle’s Entrepreneurial Leap

7:00 – The Power of Connection in Community Media

9:00 – Why Trust Starts with Empathy and Compassion

12:00 – How Vulnerability Builds Trust and Belonging

15:00 – The Challenges of Reviving a Legacy Brand

18:00 – Pricing, Partnership, and Rebuilding Advertiser Trust

20:00 – The Emotional Side of Print: Why People Smell Magazines

24:00 – Nostalgia, Tangibility, and the Need for Connection

26:00 – How Storytelling Strengthens Communities and Teams

29:00 – Giving Families a Voice Through Peekaboo

32:00 – Vulnerability: The Fastest Way to Build Trust

34:00 – Representation and Why Every Story Matters

36:00 – How Small-Town Roots Shape Great Storytellers

40:00 – Purpose and Vocation: Living Out Your Calling

45:00 – The Art of Being Present as a Leader and Podcaster

48:00 – Where to Find Peekaboo Magazine and People of NWA

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Connect with Danielle & Peekaboo

🌐 https://peekaboomagazine.com/

🌐 https://podcast.peopleofnwa.com/

💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielles-keller/

In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, Alan Bennett sits down with Alex Andrews, Co-Owner of Storyteller Wordsmith and Founder of Change Creative Co., to talk about the courage it takes to create something new — even when you’re nervous. Alex shares her journey from designer and implementer to visionary entrepreneur, building a business that helps nonprofits tell their stories and connect through compassion and trust.

They explore the emotional intelligence behind effective leadership, how clarity and connection shape culture, and why partnerships thrive on understanding and self-awareness. Whether you’re leading a small team or dreaming up a new idea, this episode will remind you that progress doesn’t require perfection — just the willingness to start.

👉 Learn more about building trust-driven businesses at https://www.trustbuiltsolutions.com/

​​⏱️ Chapters

01:30 — From accidental designer to entrepreneur

03:00 — Launching Change Creative Co. for nonprofits

04:40 — Learning to lead: from implementer to visionary

06:00 — The moment she decided to “just start”

07:15 — First client success: when purpose meets opportunity

08:40 — How trust starts with shared passion and compassion

10:30 — Resourcefulness vs. selflessness in leadership

12:30 — Dreaming up a creative coalition for good

14:20 — How theater shaped emotional intelligence

17:00 — Translating emotional awareness into better client work

19:00 — Connection, empathy, and listening as leadership tools

21:30 — Building clarity before branding: why alignment matters

25:00 — The power (and pitfalls) of business partnerships

27:00 — How trust supports conflict and friction in teams

30:00 — Why connection matters more than clarity in marketing

34:00 — Advice for new marketers: do it scared, serve with trust

36:00 — Where to find Alex and Change Creative Co.

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Connect with Alex

🌐https://www.storytellerwordsmith.com/

🌐https://www.changecreativeco.com/

💻https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-andrews-65993b158/

leadership growth, building trust, small business culture, nonprofit branding, team connection, business partnerships, leadership freedom

When trust becomes your foundation, your business can weather anything — markets shift, teams evolve, and leadership transitions.

In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, host Alan Bennett sits down with Stacie Jacob, Chief Strategist at Solterra Strategies, to explore how trust drives long-term success in business, leadership, and life. From her roots in rural Nebraska to leading PR and marketing for wine country brands, Stacie shares powerful lessons on building loyal teams, managing transitions, and creating a legacy that lasts.

Together, they dig into how emotional connection fuels engagement, why transparency matters more than perfection, and how clarity, consistency, and communication turn clients into lifelong partners.

👉 Whether you lead a small team or run a legacy brand, this episode will help you see trust as the ultimate competitive advantage.

Learn more about how TrustBuilt helps business owners build trust-driven teams: trustbuiltsolutions.com

 1:00 – Meet Stacie Jacob: From PR to Wine Country Leadership

2:15 – What Moving to Paso Robles Taught Her About Roots and Growth

3:30 – Midwest Work Ethic and the Power of Small-Town Values

5:40 – How 4-H and Public Speaking Built Her Storytelling Skills

8:00 – The Link Between Commitment, Connection, and Trust

9:00 – The Importance of Doing What You Say You’ll Do

10:30 – How Leaders Build Trust Through Transparency

12:00 – Building Culture in Wine Country: Passion and Purpose

14:30 – Storytelling That Differentiates Brands

15:30 – Building Trust with Clients (and Quick Wins That Matter)

18:20 – How Introverts and Extroverts Build Trust Differently

19:00 – What “Legacy” Really Means (and Why It Changes)

22:00 – Handling Ownership Transitions and Team Fear

24:00 – The Role of Communication During Change

26:00 – Culture Alignment and Knowing When to Let Go

27:00 – The Four C’s of Trust: Clarity, Commitment, Connection, Consistency

28:00 – The 80/20 Rule of Trust and Innovation

29:00 – Why Stacie Reads Articles, Not Books (and Who She Follows)

31:00 – Emotional Intelligence, Wine, and Building Human-Centered Brands

32:30 – Final Thoughts: How Trust Shapes Legacy

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Connect with Stacie Jacob & Solterra Strategies

🌐 https://solterrastrategies.com/

💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacie-jacob-802b98/

What happens when you trade corporate comfort for entrepreneurial chaos?

In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, host Alan Bennett sits down with Dustin Murphy, founder of Pitch Retail, to talk about how he went from working for corporate giants like Walmart, PepsiCo, and Disney to leading a small but mighty team that helps suppliers break into Walmart the right way.

Dustin shares how he turned career uncertainty into ownership, the lessons he learned about trust and communication from his business partner, and what it really takes to build a growing team that doesn’t burn out. 

From hiring and delegation to leadership maturity and client trust, this conversation is packed with insight for business owners who are scaling fast and trying to stay sane.

If you’ve ever wondered how to keep your people engaged while your business grows—or how to build a partnership that doesn’t implode—this one’s for you.

👉 Learn more about building a trust-driven, engaged team: trustbuiltsolutions.com

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – The Question Every Leader Should Ask Their Team

00:30 – Introducing Dustin Murphy & Pitch Retail 

01:00 – What Pitch Retail Actually Does

02:00 – Growing Up in a Walmart Family

03:40 – From Intern to Industry Expert

05:00 – Climbing the Corporate Ladder (Rubbermaid, PepsiCo, Disney)

06:00 – The Leap: Leaving Corporate for Entrepreneurship

08:00 – Taking Control of Your Own Exit

09:30 – Buying Out the Business: How Pitch Retail Began

11:00 – Getting Clients and Building Early Trust

13:00 – From Scrappy to Structured: Learning to Lead a Team

14:00 – Why Partnerships Work (When They’re Built on Trust)

16:00 – Learning to Communicate Like a Mature Leader

18:00 – Growing Pains: When to Hire and How to Scale

20:00 – Removing Bottlenecks and Empowering Employees

22:00 – Letting Go: From Doer to Leader

24:00 – The 80/20 Rule and What Really Moves the Needle

25:00 – How Reflection Fuels Growth

27:00 – Lessons from Working with Walmart

29:00 – The “Hug of Death” and Managing Growth Wisely

32:00 – Defining Real Success: It’s About Sell-Through

34:00 – Be Careful What You Ask For (Alan’s Catering Story)

35:00 – Who Pitch Retail Serves and How They Help

36:30 – How to Connect with Dustin Murphy

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Connect with Dustin Murphy

🌐 https://www.pitchretailsales.com/

💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustin-m-84828470/