Trust Be Told

Standing on Business: Executive Presence, Communication and Confidence | Jo Newell, CEO of Monday Strategies

In this episode of Trust Be Told, host Richard Roman sits down with Jo Newell, leadership strategist, executive coach, and Founder of Monday Strategies and Drop The Mic, to unpack what it really takes to build and sustain trust as a leader. Jo shares powerful insights on executive presence, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the importance of communication in cultivating organizational culture.
From being the first Black woman to lead the Orlando Regional Chamber to launching two impactful companies, Jo brings over 15 years of leadership experience to the table. Together, we explore how trust is earned daily, why authenticity is a game-changer in professional spaces, and how underrepresented leaders can thrive, not just survive, in executive roles.
Whether you're a manager, aspiring leader, or entrepreneur, this conversation offers actionable strategies for leading with confidence, communicating with impact, and building lasting trust in any environment.

Inbox to Impact: Community, Leadership, and the Future of News | Kyle Hagge, Morning Brew, Inc.

In this week's episode, host Richard Roman sits down with Kyle Hagge, Chief of Staff to the CEO at Morning Brew Inc., to explore what it really takes to build and sustain trust in modern media and digital communities. Kyle shares his journey from AmeriCorps and civic tech to leading community initiatives at Morning Brew and eventually stepping into his current role as Chief of Staff.
Together, they discuss:
How Morning Brew earned the trust of 4+ million subscribers.
The difference between building an audience and building a community
How digital media companies can use transparency, consistency, and tone to strengthen credibility
What AI means for the future of content creation and human connection
Lessons in leadership, psychological safety, and impostor syndrome in fast-paced environments
Kyle also reflects on his work with Bridge the City, a civic engagement podca cofounded in Milwaukee, and why local journalism may be the key to restoring trust in American institutions.
Whether you’re leading a team, growing a brand, or navigating your career path, this episode is packed with insights on trust, leadership, and the future of media.

From Ghosting to Growth: Rethinking Hiring, Leadership, and Culture | Michelle Magnetti, Founder of Magneaux

What does trust look like in today’s hiring process? In this week's episode, Richard Roman sits down with Michelle Magnetti, HR strategist, founder of Magneaux, and co-host of The WellNest Podcast, to explore how trust is built, broken, and restored in modern talent acquisition.
Drawing from over 20 years of experience in talent acquisition and human resources, Michelle unpacks the evolution of recruiting in the age of AI, remote work, and automation. She offers candid insights on recruiter overwhelm, candidate ghosting, and how to create hiring strategies that are both human-centered and scalable.

Who Accredits the Accreditors? The Lasting Value of Higher Ed | Dr. Laurie Shanderson, Accreditation Insights

This week, we sit down with Dr. Laurie Shanderson, CEO of Accreditation Insights, for a timely and wide-ranging conversation to unpack the misunderstood world of higher education accreditation.
As political scrutiny intensifies and debates over DEI and educational quality deepen, Dr. Shanderson offers an insider’s perspective on what accreditation really is, why it matters, and how it can be a tool, not a hurdle, for institutional improvement.
We explore everything from emerging innovations like the 90-credit bachelor’s degree to how leadership decisions shape accreditation outcomes to the dangerous misconception that rankings say more than rigorous program review ever could.

Accountability, Affordability, and the Future of Trust in Higher Ed | Ben Cecil, Third Way

Looking for more insights? Check us out on Substack! In this episode, we sit down with higher education policy expert Ben Cecil from Third Way to unpack the many-layered challenges (and urgent opportunities)facing America’s colleges and universities today. From Title IV funding and student debt to public trust and institutional transparency, we explore what it will take to rebuild confidence in the value of a degree.
Ben brings policy insight grounded in his frontline experience working with students during COVID-19. He offers a candid view on how higher education can shift from prestige-chasing to purpose-driven outcomes. We discuss the dangers of “some college, no degree,” the limits of the current accountability framework, and what real equity looks like when institutions truly center student success.

Redesigning Higher Ed: Transparency and Talent Activation | Dr. Bridget Burns, University Innovation Alliance (UIA)

We sit down with Dr. Bridget Burns, the founding Executive Director of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA), a coalition of public research universities transforming how higher education serves its students.
Raised in rural Montana and a first-gen student herself, Dr. Burns shares her journey into higher ed leadership and how her lived experiences continue to fuel her mission: redesigning institutions around students, not systems.
We dive into what it takes to build a high-trust network in a sector wired for competition, how predictive analytics helped UIA campuses graduate over 164,000 more students, and why transparency and career readiness are essential to restoring public trust. 

The Business of Belief: Shaping Trust in the Digital Age | Christine Wilson, CEO of MtoM Consulting

This week, we sit down with Christine Wilson, founder of MtoM Consulting, to explore building trust in a digital landscape overrun with ads, algorithms, and (in)authenticity. Christine shares the journey of launching her agency in the early days of social media, how influencer marketing has evolved since the “mom blogger” era, and why authentic storytelling still wins, especially when it’s unexpected.
Richard and Christine discuss how consumer trust is formed, how AI reshapes content creation, and how small businesses can navigate the digital space without losing their authentic voice. From brand partnerships to employee retention, Christine’s insights will speak to anyone trying to market with meaning.

Open by Design: Building Trust in Policy and Tech | Katie Steen-James, Open Source Initiative

What does it mean to build trust across institutions that are, by design, slow to change but crucial to public life? In this episode, we chat with Katie Steen-James, Senior U.S. Policy Manager at the Open Source Initiative, for a rich conversation about trust and transformation in higher education and tech.
From her early advocacy work in Missouri’s state legislature to her leadership at SPARC and now OSI, Katie brings a blend of policy expertise, lived experience, and systems thinking. We explore how open-source software reshapes global tech policy, why trust between students and administrators often breaks down, and how AI regulation could be the next frontier for public accountability.
Katie offers a candid, grounded perspective on what it means to meet people where they are and the hidden forces that benefit from mistrust. She also shares how personal storytelling can be a powerful tool for policy change.

Leading With, Not Over: Alignment and Trust | Erin Seheult, CEO of WITH Leadership

Erin Seheult offers a transformative alternative: leadership rooted in trust, authenticity, and shared responsibility in a world that too often equates leadership with authority or personality.
Founder of WITH Leadership, Erin's work bridges research and practice, drawing from experience in higher education and leadership development to guide clients toward clarity and courageous alignment. If you're rethinking what it means to lead or trying to build trust in a fractured space, this conversation will meet you where you are and invite you to step forward with purpose. This is leadership, reimagined. 

Sowing Trust: Agriculture and Climate Policy | Rod Snyder, Founder of Junction Strategies

How do we build trust between farmers, environmental advocates, and policymakers in an era of political and cultural divides? I speak with Rod Snyder, who has over two decades of experience fostering collaboration across the food and environmental sectors. As the former Senior Advisor for Agriculture to the EPA Administrator, Rod led the expansion of the Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, where he worked at the intersection of federal policy, rural communities, and sustainability initiatives. For more on Rod's work, visit https://www.junctionstrategies.com/.