Freelance Cake

Trust, Verify, and Match Access: Believing People’s Actions with Marc Hyde


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Entrepreneurs love promises. Results come from patterns. Austin and Marc unpack why “actions speak louder than words” is more than homespun wisdom—it’s a working rule for choosing partners, clients, and collaborators without becoming cynical. Expect candid stories (including an investor publicly dressing down his assistant), red flags to watch for, and a dead-simple rubric:

Lead with trust. Watch what people do. Match their access with their actions.

Key Points

  • Start people at zero, not negative-100. Assume positive intent, then trust but verify.
  • Look for “tells”: delayed follow-ups, ghosted meetings, partial replies to multi-question emails—micro-signals of reliability (or not).
  • Match access to actions: expand access when people keep promises; restrict it when they don’t. No drama required.
  • Finish with integrity: if you’re in a misfit engagement, complete the contracted work cleanly or use a “cancel without cause” clause—then exit.
  • Reset boundaries mid-project (response windows, meeting cadence, content handoffs) to “right the ship.”
  • Automate your judgment with rules (e.g., no tight turnarounds for brand-new clients; no work without deposit). Stick to them.
  • Reliability beats charisma: premium pricing and long-term trust ride on doing what you said, when you said.
  • Self-audit matters: don’t become the person others can’t count on—communicate early, renegotiate timelines, and keep small promises.

Notable Quotes

  • “Start everyone at zero—then trust, but verify.”
  • “If they react badly to your rule, they just showed you who they are.”
  • “People will tolerate a lot—except unreliability.”

Resources Mentioned

  • Learn more about Marc Hyde: https://marchyde.com/
  • Check out Marc's other website: Christian School Websites
  • Learn more about Freelance Cake Community (for advanced freelancers): https://www.freelancecake.com/community
  • Get 1:1 Strategy Session with Austin: https://www.freelancecake.com/freelance-business-coaching
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Freelance CakeBy Austin L. Church

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