The Rise and Fall of Trust

You might think trust takes months to build. Dan Brothers earned it in a single conversation… by saying almost nothing. In this episode, Pete sits down with Dan Brothers , CFP and co-founder of Brothers Wealth Management at Edward Jones. Dan brings a rare dual perspective to the conversation: he's spent decades building trust with clients as a financial advisor, and he's also experienced...

What happens when the advice people need most goes against everything they have been taught to believe about health? In this episode, Anne sits down with Stevyn Guinnip , founder and CEO of Grow Wellthy, to explore why trust is essential in health conversations shaped by fear, vulnerability, and long-standing habits. Stevyn helps financial advisors treat health like a long-term asset rather than a...

What does it cost to trust someone who publicly champions your success but privately limits it? In this episode, Anne Claessen speaks with Bridget Grimes , CFP and president of WealthChoice, a fee-only financial planning firm serving high-earning breadwinner women. After a decade in an industry that repeatedly asked her to shrink, Bridget’s perspective on trust is shaped by both the damage that ex...

Most firms invest heavily in client relationships while quietly neglecting the internal ones. The result is predictable: talented people leave, institutional knowledge walks out the door, and the cost rarely shows up on a single line item. In this episode, Anne speaks with Zack Hubbard , Director of Financial Planning at Sargent Investment Group, an independent fee-only RIA based in Bethesda, Mary...

What holds a relationship together when outcomes are uncertain, mistakes are inevitable, and incentives begin to shift? In this episode, Anne speaks with Brett Danko , president of Danko Education and a financial advisor at Main Street Financial Solutions . Working in both financial education (where students place their future in his hands) and in advisory work (where clients do the same with thei...

What does trust actually depend on when the stakes are high and something goes wrong? In this episode, Anne speaks with Eric Stein , partner at East Bay Investment Solutions, whose work sits inside one of the most trust-sensitive environments there is: investment decision-making . When advisors rely on your judgment to serve their clients, credibility is built in the details. Eric shares two stori...

What actually earns trust: expertise or evidence of care? In a world full of information and increasing complexity, the real tension is not access to answers, but confidence in who is giving them. In this episode, Anne sits down with Eric Ludwig, a retirement income specialist, researcher, and advisor who operates at the intersection of practice and academia. His work centers on helping individual...

What makes a partnership last decades when most business relationships fracture under pressure? In this episode, Anne speaks with financial advisor and True Success Podcast co-host Daniel Friedman , whose 30-plus-year partnership with his business partner offers a rare long-term view on trust in business. Daniel’s philosophy challenges the common idea that partnerships should be “50/50.” Instead,...

What if the biggest threat to your client relationships isn’t market volatility but a poorly handled referral or an unanswered question? In this episode, Anne sits down with Larry Ginsburg, a seasoned financial advisor who has built decades-long client loyalty primarily through referrals. At the heart of his approach? Disciplined communication. Larry believes trust isn’t built through performance...

What if your sales problem, leadership challenge, or retention issue isn’t really about strategy at all, but about trust? In this episode, Anne sits down with trust expert David Horsager, founder of the Trust Edge Leadership Institute and author of multiple books on trust, including Trust Matters More Than Ever and Trust at a Distance . David has spent decades researching how trust is built, measu...

What happens when you shift from a seven-stage approval process that screams “we don't trust you” to a radically open model where almost anyone can edit anything? In this episode, we feature a special conversation (originally hosted by Pete Mockaitis of How to Be Awesome at Your Job ) with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales . Jimmy shares the story of how Wikipedia went from an intimidating, top-d...

What does real trust look like when pressure hits, incentives shift, and no one is watching? In this episode, venture capitalist Victor Orlovski, founder of R136 Ventures and host of Ventures from the Valley , shares the raw reality of trust in the high-stakes world of startup investing. After backing a promising European startup through years of growth and nearly closing a major acquisition, Vict...

What happens when trust in the financial system collapses inside your own family? In this episode, Measured Risk Portfolios Chairman and Chief Compliance Officer Larry Kriesmer shares the story that shaped his lifelong commitment to transparency, risk management, and investor education. After witnessing his father lose nearly everything due to financial fraud following early retirement, Larry saw...

Trust in wealth management isn’t built on returns. It comes from how you show up when things get messy.  When markets rise and fall, strategies shift, and emotions run high, that’s when trust is really put to the test. In this episode, Tom Kelly , Chief Investment Officer and Senior Advisor at SJS Investment Services , shares how transparency, patience, and emotional intelligence shape real confid...

What separates leaders who earn trust effortlessly from those who struggle, even with all the right qualifications? In this episode, Stars & Stripes Financial Advisors founder Phillip Hulme reflects on why understanding someone’s language, background, and lived experience isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s often the difference between trust that grows easily and trust that never forms at all. Phi...

In a world full of constant distractions, the people who choose to make time for us stand out — and for Charlie Horonzy, founder of Focused Up Financial, that simple act has become one of the clearest measures of trust. Across his career, Charlie has experienced both the steady confidence that comes from a generous mentor who always shows up, and the frustration that emerges when communication bre...

Trust in financial planning isn’t built in the big moments — it’s revealed there. Most people think of trust as something you prepare for like a final exam, with a clear date and time on the calendar. But what if the real tests come without warning? What if trust works more like a pop quiz, where the only thing that matters is whether you’ve been doing the work all along? For Levi Anderson, a fina...

Trust in financial services isn't built through credentials or polished sales pitches. It’s earned through transparency, consistent communication, and a genuine willingness to help—even when there's nothing in it for you. But what happens when those elements are missing? The contrast can be stark, stressful, and leave you wondering if you got a fair deal. Ian Bloom, a financial life plan...

Trust isn't built on promises… it's built on follow-through. In this episode, Anne speaks with Gloria Garcia Cisneros, Certified Financial Planner and financial educator, about what it means to build and rebuild trust in an industry that often struggles with authenticity. Gloria shares how genuine connection, shared identity, and vulnerability helped her form a lasting mentorship with a...

Managing someone’s wealth isn’t just about numbers, strategies, and returns—it’s about trust. In this episode, Anne sits down with Nicole Meihofer, founder of Pearlvest Capital, to explore the deeply personal side of wealth management. Nicole shares her journey from Merrill Lynch to launching her own independent firm, revealing how personal loss and professional challenges shaped her empathetic, c...

Trust may be the cornerstone of every successful relationship, but do we really understand how it works? Many talk about “building trust,” yet trust can’t be constructed like a wall of bricks… it has to be earned, moment by moment, through actions that prove reliability and integrity. Few people know this better than Anne Claessen, CEO of Cashflow Podcasting, whose career has been shaped by both t...

In the competitive landscape of modern business, trust isn't just a nice-to-have. It's the invisible force that transforms transactions into lasting partnerships.  This inaugural episode explores how prioritizing authenticity and honesty in your business relationships creates a powerful competitive advantage that goes far beyond any single sale. We dive deep into the counterintuitive tru...

When building a team, conventional wisdom suggests casting a wide net to find the best talent. But what if the secret to building a thriving company culture lies in doing the exact opposite? This episode explores the provocative "hire no strangers" philosophy that challenges everything you think you know about early-stage recruiting. Through the insights of serial entrepreneur Jothy Rose...

In the world of financial planning, impressive credentials and industry certifications are everywhere—but do they guarantee trustworthiness? This eye-opening episode features financial planner Mary Ann Sullivan, who reveals the crucial distinction between credibility and trust that every consumer needs to understand.  The conversation takes a deeper dive into Mary Ann's unique philosophy of e...

The Rise and Fall of Trust dives deep into the defining moments when trust is earned, shattered, or put on the line. In each episode, hosts Anne Claessen and Pete Mockaitis sit down with bold, honest professionals–from wealth advisors and legal experts to executive coaches and thought leaders–who’ve seen trust tested in real time. Through real-world stories of extraordinary follow-through and shoc...