The TrustBuilt Podcast

Alan Bennett
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  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

The TrustBuilt Podcast is for business owners ready to break free from the daily grind, scale with confidence, and create lasting value. Hosted by Alan Bennett, a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and business strategist, this podcast tackles the biggest challenge entrepreneurs face—building a business that thrives without their constant oversight. What You’ll Get from Each Episode: 🎙 Expert Conversations – Insights from top business leaders, exit strategists, and entrepreneurs who’ve built self-sustaining businesses. 📈 Real-World Case Studies – Stories of business owners who optimized operations and positioned for long-term success. 💡 Actionable Takeaways – Strategies you can apply immediately to step back, scale up, and build a business that works for you.

  1. Apr 24

    Building Culture That Makes People Love Their Work | Steve Blair

    Welcome back to The TrustBuilt Podcast! Host Alan Bennett sits down with culture expert Steve Blair for a deep dive into what it really takes to build and maintain a thriving organizational culture. Steve Blair is a master at culture, people, and community who works alongside leaders and founders to create cultures where the best people can thrive. In this episode, Steve breaks down his powerful "culture stack" framework—revealing the four critical levels where culture either flourishes or falls apart. Whether you're a founder, leader, or manager, this episode will change how you think about building culture in your organization. 👉 Learn more about how TrustBuilt helps business owners build trust-driven teams: https://www.trustbuiltsolutions.com/ ⏱️ Chapters 00:25 - Welcome & Meet Steve Blair 01:16 - Steve's Mission: Creating Cultures Where People Love Their Work 02:36 - Going Deep: The Art vs. Science of Building Culture 03:22 - Two Types of Leadership: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up 05:03 - Finding Leaders Who "Get It" 06:53 - Creating Heroes: The Power of Mentorship 09:50 - Why Culture Can't Be Left to Chance 11:12 - The Core Framework: Understanding Culture 13:45 - Defining Culture: Values, Behaviors, and Results 16:20 - The Anatomy of Culture: Breaking It Down 19:30 - The Culture Stack: Four Critical Levels 22:15 - Level 1: Vision & Leadership 24:40 - Level 2: Organizational Systems & Processes 27:10 - Level 3: Managers - The Linchpin of Culture 29:45 - Level 4: Teams & Daily Work 32:15 - Where Most Culture Initiatives Fail 33:18 - Leveraging Tools at the Right Level 34:28 - Communication Strategies Across Levels 36:17 - Connecting Individual Purpose to Organizational Purpose 37:21 - The Danger of Resource Gaps 38:33 - Culture You Design vs. Culture You Deserve 39:23 - What Resources Really Mean (It's Not Pizza Fridays) 40:09 - Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up --- Connect with Steve 💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairsteve/ 🌐 https://www.fulcrumcollective.com/

    41 min
  2. Building Trust-Driven Nonprofit Boards That Actually Raise Money | Melanie Palmer

    Apr 10

    Building Trust-Driven Nonprofit Boards That Actually Raise Money | Melanie Palmer

    When your nonprofit board isn't functioning, everything suffers—fundraising stalls, strategy gets murky, and passionate leaders burn out trying to do it all. In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, host Alan Bennett sits down with Melanie Palmer, founder of M. Palmer Consulting, to explore how nonprofits can build high-performing boards that drive real impact. From victim services to arts organizations, Melanie shares powerful lessons on strategic planning, meaningful board engagement, and why clarity is the foundation of everything. Together, they dig into how to recruit the right board members, the critical role of strategic planning, why CliftonStrengths assessments transform team dynamics, and how to align your board with your mission—not just fill seats. 👉 Whether you lead a startup nonprofit or manage a mature organization, this episode will help you see trust and strategic clarity as your ultimate competitive advantage. Learn more about how TrustBuilt helps business owners build trust-driven teams: https://www.trustbuiltsolutions.com/ ⏱️ Chapters 1:19 – Meet Melanie Palmer: From Victim Services to Nonprofit Consulting 4:38 – What It Really Means to Be on a Nonprofit Board 6:17 – The Non-Negotiable: Passion for Mission (Not Resume Building) 11:00 – The Three Questions Every Board Should Ask Before Recruiting 15:00 – How CliftonStrengths Unlocks Board Potential 22:00 – Why Nonprofits and For-Profits Have the Same Leadership Challenges 30:00 – The Hidden Gap: When No One Is Driving the Bus 35:00 – How a Strategic Plan Fixes Most Board Dysfunction 37:15 – The Fundraising Plan Most Organizations Forget to Create 45:13 – Starting with Assessment: Where Is Your Board Now? 47:24 – "It's Hard to Read the Label from Inside the Bottle" 48:05 – Connect with Melanie Palmer Consulting Connect with M. Palmer Consulting 🌐 https://melaniepalmerconsulting.com  💼 Schedule a free consultation to assess your nonprofit's needs Are you a business owner who is ready to break free from the day-to-day grind & build a self-sustaining company? 👉 Set up a time to talk to Alan  🔗 https://app.reclaim.ai/m/alan-trustbuiltsolutions/quick-meeting

    49 min
  3. Why Your Team Can't Scale Without This One Leadership Principle | Jim Robinson

    Mar 27

    Why Your Team Can't Scale Without This One Leadership Principle | Jim Robinson

    What if the secret to building a thriving business isn't just about systems, it's about empathy? In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, I sit down with Jim Robinson, CEO, founder, speaker, and coach with 41 years of business experience. Jim shares the powerful moment that changed everything: realizing he needed a business coach when he thought he had all the answers. What You'll Learn: ✅ The difference between empathy and sympathyand why it matters ✅ How to validate employees individually while building team alignment  ✅ Why making every team member a trainer transforms your business  ✅ The exact framework for developing trust in one-on-one and group settings  ✅ How to lead teams of 5 to 500+ with the same core principles Learn more about how TrustBuilt helps business owners build trust-driven teams: https://www.trustbuiltsolutions.com/ ⏱️ Chapters: 01:26 - The Realization That Changed Everything 02:02 - From Business Owner to Accredited Business Coach 03:33 - What is Leading with Empathy? (Not Sympathy) 04:00 - Empathy in the Workplace: Putting Yourself in Their Shoes 05:12 - The Power of Emotional Connection with Your Team 05:41 - Empathy vs. Sympathy: The Well Analogy 06:24 - Why You Shouldn't Anchor Bad Behaviors 07:40 - The First Two Weeks: Intentional Onboarding 08:09 - How Quick Trust Develops When You Show Up with Empathy 09:00 - The Danger of Over-Tasking New Hires 10:06 - Creating Purpose & Clarity for Your Team 11:17 - Why Small Businesses Fail: The Team Development Gap 12:55 - The Mentor Myth: Why You Need the Right Guide 15:32 - How to Validate Team Members & Get Their Input 17:17 - Why Business Owners Struggle to Let Go 19:21 - The Bottleneck Problem: When Everything Runs Through You 21:00 - Stop Micromanaging & Start Leading 22:27 - How to Develop Leaders Within Your Team 23:52 - What Happens When You Don't Develop Your People 26:03 - Leading Teams of 5 to 500: The Same Principles Apply 27:41 - The Greatest Success: When Your Team Speaks in Your Tone 28:09 - Validate Individually, Recognize Publicly 29:02 - The Magic Number for Direct Reports & Team Size 29:34 - What Happens When Your Team Feels Heard & Validated 31:14 - Turning Introverts Into Confident Trainers 32:15 - Jim's Monthly Regional Team Meetings: What He Asks 33:04 - The Textbook on Purpose in Organizations 33:31 - How to Connect with Jim Robinson & CGP Construction Connect With Jim 📧 Email: jim@cgpconstruction.com 🌐 Website: www.cgpconstruction.com 📚 Upcoming Book: "Lead with Empathy" (Co-authored with Chris Voss) #TrustBuiltPodcast #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessCoaching #TeamBuilding #Empathy #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #LeadWithEmpathy #ScaleYourBusiness #BusinessFreedom #TrustInBusiness #ChrisVoss #TeamDevelopment #CEOInsights

    33 min
  4. Why Letting Go Is the Key to Growing Your Business | Stella Rodda

    Mar 26

    Why Letting Go Is the Key to Growing Your Business | Stella Rodda

    What does it take to build a thriving business at 20 years old out of a converted school bus, with no bank loan, and a product almost nobody was making? In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, host Alan Bennett sits down with Stella Rodda, founder of Zenith Coffee Company, a mobile coffee business built on one bold premise: coffee that's actually good for your body. Together, Alan and Stella dig into what it really means to build a team you can trust, why hiring for personality beats hiring for a résumé, and how systems and vulnerability can coexist in a tiny mobile workspace. Alan also unpacks the three pillars of trust — clarity, connection, and consistency — and how Stella is already applying them without even realizing it. 👉 If you're a business owner who's doing everything yourself and wondering how to step back without things falling apart, this episode is for you. Learn more about how TrustBuilt helps business owners build trust-driven teams: trustbuiltsolutions.com ⏱️ Chapters 0:30 – Welcome & Intro: What Is Zenith Coffee Company? 2:25 – The Concept: Coffee That's Actually Good for Your Body 3:16 – How She Funded It  8:27 – Alan's Three Buckets 11:27 – The Trust Challenge: Handing Your Business Off to Other People 13:04 – Understanding Your Behavioral Style as a Leader 15:47 – Why Most Hiring Posts Attract the Wrong People 21:46 – How Zenith Got 150 Applications in 4 Hours 24:11 – Monthly Meetings, Feedback Loops & Leaning Into Strengths 26:59 – The Three Pillars of Trust: Clarity, Connection & Consistency 28:55 – Why Recognition Can Backfire (and How to Get It Right) 33:24 – The Missing Piece in Most Onboarding Processes 37:30 – Employee Engagement: Communicating Constraints to Your Team 41:29 – How Stella's Team Solves Problems Together 44:13 – Exit Planning, Business Value & Reducing Owner Dependence 47:26 – Where to Find Zenith Coffee Co Connect with Stella & Zenith Coffee  🌐 https://www.zenithcoffeeco.com/ 💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/stella-rodda-a9a440204/

    48 min

  5. Mar 3

    How to Align Sales and Marketing to Scale Faster | Marc Ensign

    Most business owners don’t have a marketing problem. They have a leadership alignment problem. In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, Alan sits down with Marc Ensign, founder of LoudMouse, to unpack what a Fractional CMO actually does, why most marketing agencies fail businesses, and how misalignment between sales and marketing quietly destroys trust and revenue. If you’re spending money on marketing but unsure what’s working—or frustrated by silos between departments—this episode will help you regain clarity, control, and confidence. 👉To learn more about how to build a business that runs without you subscribe to The TrustBuilt Podcast ⏱️Chapters 01:00 – What Is a Fractional CMO? (And Why Small Businesses Need One) 04:35 – From Broadway to Business: Marketing Is About Being Heard 08:20 – Why Most Marketing Agencies Work in Silos 11:20 – Sales vs. Marketing 16:04 – The Metrics That Actually Matter 22:22 – Marketing KPIs Every Service Business Should Measure 28:34 – Client Retention & Trust 31:44 – Why Busy Marketing Doesn’t Equal Growth 33:18 – Free Marketing Resources & How to Use AI --- Connect with Marc & LoudMouse 🌐 https://loudmouse.com/ 💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcensign/

    37 min

  6. Feb 13

    The Missing Ingredient in Leadership (Hint: It’s Not Strategy) | Luke Groomer

    What do youth sports, coaching, and business leadership have in common? More than you think. In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, Alan sits down with Luke Gromer, founder of RYG Athletics, and operator of Nike Sports Camps across multiple states. What starts as a conversation about youth sports quickly becomes a masterclass on building trust, creating engagement, and developing culture that actually lasts. If you're a business owner trying to build a team that performs without you micromanaging every move, this episode will hit home. If you want your business to grow beyond you, this conversation is required listening. 👉To learn more about how to build a business that runs without you subscribe to The TrustBuilt Podcast ⏱️ Chapters 05:00 – The Leadership Tension Every Owner Faces 11:00 – The Foundation of Every High-Performance Culture 15:00 – When You Lose the Locker Room (Or the Team at Work) 24:30 – Scaling Trust: How to Build a Culture Across Multiple Locations 28:00 – The “Secret Sauce”: Connection + Competence = Trust 31:00 – Recognition as a Leadership Tool  36:00 – Creating Memorable Moments That Build Loyalty 44:00 – How to Design an Experience People Want to Come Back To 46:30 – The Legacy Question: What Will Your Team Say About You? --- Connect with Luke Gromer 💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-gromer/

    50 min
  7. The Leadership Lesson Every Business Owner Needs to Hear About Trust | Solomon Burchfield

    Jan 30

    The Leadership Lesson Every Business Owner Needs to Hear About Trust | Solomon Burchfield

    In this episode, Alan Bennett sits down with Solomon Burchfield, founder of New Beginnings NWA, to explore what business leaders can learn about trust, accountability, purpose, and culture from an organization working with chronically homeless individuals. While Solomon leads a nonprofit, the leadership lessons apply directly to business owners who want stronger teams, deeper buy-in, and a culture that doesn’t collapse without them. ⏱️Chapters  02:00 — Understanding Your “Customer” 04:20 — The Hidden Cost of Mistrust in Leadership 08:10 — Trauma, Behavior, and Why Rules Alone Don’t Work 11:15 — “You Don’t Become Homeless When You Run Out of Money” 14:45 — Building Trust Before Enforcing Accountability 17:00 — The ‘Pennies in the Cup’ Approach to Leadership 19:15 — Purpose Drives Engagement  22:40 — Compassionate Accountability That Actually Works 26:40 — Leadership as Gardening, Not Controlling 30:30 — Horizontal Accountability vs. Top-Down Control 34:15 — Recognition, Care, and Why It’s Free but Rare 38:25 — What Business Owners Can Learn from Nonprofit Leadership --- Connect with Solomon & New Beginnings NWA 💻 https://newbeginningsnwa.org/

    41 min
  8. Why Successful Business Owners Don’t Trust Themselves (And How to Fix It) | Amanda Horn

    Jan 22

    Why Successful Business Owners Don’t Trust Themselves (And How to Fix It) | Amanda Horn

    What happens when the biggest obstacle to growth isn’t your team, your market, or your systems, but you? In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, Alan Bennett sits down with Amanda Horn to unpack how self-awareness, trust, and emotional regulation directly impact leadership, decision-making, and long-term business sustainability. Amanda shares her powerful personal journey and introduces her GRACE Toolkit, a practical framework leaders can use to interrupt destructive patterns, rebuild self-trust, and lead with steadiness instead of burnout. This conversation is for business owners who feel stretched thin, stuck in reaction mode, and ready to regain control—without hustling harder. ⏱️Chapters 02:15 – The Moment Everything Breaks: Rock Bottom, Wake-Up Calls & Leadership Growth 05:40 – The GRACE Toolkit: A Framework for Breaking Self-Sabotage 09:50 – Self-Sabotage at Work: Rationalization, Perfectionism, and Control 14:10 – Why Leaders Struggle to Trust Themselves (and How to Rebuild It) 18:00 – Perfectionism vs. Progress: Why ‘Good Enough’ Builds Better Businesses 23:45 – One Step at a Time: Creating Real Change Without Overhauling Your Life 29:40 – Morning Habits, Mental Nutrition, and Leadership Energy 35:30 – Emotional Intelligence Is a Perishable Skill (And How to Protect It) 41:00 – Helping Leaders Who Don’t Know They’re Stuck Yet Connect with Amanda Horn 💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-thiebaud-horn/ 💻 https://www.beewellyoga.com/reiki-yoga-appts

    52 min
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About

The TrustBuilt Podcast is for business owners ready to break free from the daily grind, scale with confidence, and create lasting value. Hosted by Alan Bennett, a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and business strategist, this podcast tackles the biggest challenge entrepreneurs face—building a business that thrives without their constant oversight. What You’ll Get from Each Episode: 🎙 Expert Conversations – Insights from top business leaders, exit strategists, and entrepreneurs who’ve built self-sustaining businesses. 📈 Real-World Case Studies – Stories of business owners who optimized operations and positioned for long-term success. 💡 Actionable Takeaways – Strategies you can apply immediately to step back, scale up, and build a business that works for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Alan Bennett
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    52
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The TrustBuilt Podcast

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