We’re living through a crisis of trust.

Trust in institutions. Trust in business. Trust in media. Trust in government. Even trust in one another. According to the latest Edelman Trust Barometer, only 54% of Americans trust business to do what is right. Just 44% trust the media. And only 39% trust government.

But perhaps the more troubling number is that 70% of people say they are hesitant or unwilling to trust someone who is different from them.

So what happens when we stop trusting our institutions and increasingly, one another?

How do you build trust in an environment where skepticism has become the default?

That’s what we explore in this episode with Amy Weisenbach, Chief Marketing Officer of The New York Times, and VEST Member Michelle Brobston, Chief Operations Officer at Hunger Free Oklahoma.

Amy has spent nearly a decade thinking about this question from inside one of the most scrutinized institutions in the world. And what she’s learned about trust applies far beyond media.

Whether you’re building a brand, leading a team, stepping into a new role, or simply trying to figure out who and what deserves your trust, this conversation will make you think differently about how trust is earned.

For our guests full bio and show notes click here.

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If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

AI is everywhere right now, and the loudest message sounds like a threat, move fast, adopt everything, or get left behind. We’re not buying that. We sit down with Julie Guirado, Executive Director of the Center for Humane Technology, to ask the question underneath the hype, is AI truly inevitable?

Or is that a story shaped by incentives and profit?

We dig into what’s driving the AI race to be first and why that speed can hide the “mid-range harms” already showing up in daily life, from delegating our thinking to machines to shifting how we relate to other people. Julie also breaks down what the data and incentives suggest about job displacement, wages, and economic mobility, plus why “human value” like judgment, empathy, and relationship-building may become more valuable as automation spreads.

Because this is a women-centered conversation, we get specific about where women are hit hardest, bias in AI outputs, underrepresentation in the rooms where funding and regulation happen, and the exhausting pressure to constantly play catch up. We talk about concrete guardrails that can make responsible AI real, including product liability, design standards, whistleblower protections, and deepfake and likeness rights, along with global momentum like the EU AI Act and the need for clear red lines.

You’ll also leave with practical ways to protect your creativity and agency.

Click here for our guest full bio and show notes.

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co

Who’s actually driving your decisions at work? Your calm inner leader, or a stressed-out protector trying to keep you safe?

In this episode we sit down with Reverend Dr Celeste Laback, executive coach, chaplain, leadership consultant, and certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) practitioner, to map the inner voices that shape how we lead, negotiate, and set boundaries. Celeste also shares her lived experience as neurodivergent and autistic, a breast cancer survivor, and a longtime leader working at the intersection of identity, conflict, and organizational dynamics.

We get practical about “parts” like the achiever, perfectionist, people pleaser, procrastinator, and inner critic, and why these patterns are not character flaws. Using IFS therapy concepts in plain language, we talk about unblending, the small shift from “I’m a perfectionist” to “a part of me wants this perfect,” and how that creates real space to choose your next move.

You’ll hear how to tell when ambition aligns with your values versus when productivity becomes the measure of your worth, plus how people pleasing shows up in salary negotiations, promotions, and hard conversations.

Celeste also breaks down why perfectionism and procrastination often lock into a tug-of-war, how to respond to imposter syndrome without arguing with yourself, and what self-led leadership looks like when you’re triggered by family dynamics or workplace power.

For our guest full bio, resources and show notes click here.

Support the show

If you enjoy the episode share it with a friend, leave us a review and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.

If you are ready to take your career and business to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co