You can be brilliant, confident, even right—and still not be trusted. I learned this the hard way. Early in my career, I assumed that working harder, knowing more, and delivering results would automatically earn trust. People respected my competence, but they didn't always follow me. They didn't open up. And sometimes, they didn't stay. That's because trust isn't built on expertise alone. It's built on three layers—and the most powerful one is the one nobody talks about. In this episode of Amanda's Playbook, I break down: ✓ Competence – Why being smart gets you admired, but not always trusted ✓ Character – How consistency (not perfection) builds believability ✓ Clarity – Why confusion kills trust, even when your ideas are genius ✓ Benevolence – The overlooked layer that overrides credentials every time Chapters: 0:00 – Intro: When Being Smart Isn't Enough 0:39 – Level 1: Competence (Do You Know What You're Doing?) 1:05 – Level 2: Character (Who are you as a person?) 1:34 – Level 3: Clarity 2:15 – 3 Layers of Trust Explained The truth: People don't just need to know you're capable. They need to believe you have their best interests at heart. That's relationship capital—and it's the real engine of influence. Whether you're building a personal brand, leading a team, or trying to earn trust in a new space, this framework will change how you show up. 🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS: → How to signal competence without over-explaining → How to demonstrate character in high-stakes moments → How to build trust when you haven't earned it yet (borrow trust, admit the gap, offer value anyway) → Why benevolence beats credentials in the trust equation 📚 ABOUT THE SERIES: This is Episode 3 of The Influence Equation—a framework for building authentic influence without faking it. We've covered charisma and influence. Now we're diving into the foundation: trust. Previous episodes: Episode 1: Charisma → https://youtu.be/51s6DczcSjo?si=vWN0e2ZCJ3Ti9by9 Episode 2: Influence → https://youtu.be/lTlVW3sfNTs?si=z5KcfS79ocAGb6eT Next up: Episode 4 explores "Hero’s Journey for Thought Leaders". 👤 ABOUT AMANDA RUSSELL: I'm a faculty member at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, where I co-direct the world's first accredited influencer marketing program. I'm also a 2x founder and exit CEO, author of The Influencer Code, and board advisor to Lamborghini and the Andy Roddick Foundation. I built my career at the intersection of academia and entrepreneurship—teaching what actually works because I've built it first. 🔗 CONNECT WITH ME: Website: https://www.amandarussell.co LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/profamandarussell Instagram: @amandarussellfss Book: The Influencer Code – https://www.amandarussell.co/the-influencer-code/ 💬 LET'S TALK: Drop a comment: Who's someone you admire but don't fully trust? (And why do you think that is?) 🔔 SUBSCRIBE for weekly insights on influence, leadership, and authentic brand-building. Charisma gets attention. Trust gets loyalty. Let's build both. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not all charisma looks the same. Learn the five types and how to use yours with intention — without turning it into performance. Last week, we split the atom between charisma and influence — how one gets you in the room, but the other moves it. This week, we go deeper. Because when someone calls a person “charismatic,” they rarely ask: what kind? Charisma isn’t a personality. It’s a lever — and there’s more than one way to pull it. In this episode, Amanda breaks down the five types of charisma that show up across industries and leaders — plus how to identify which one you naturally use, and when to switch gears.  You’ll learn: The difference between High Conviction and Authentic charisma Why Disarming Humor works better than trying to be funny How Empathetic charisma drives influence one conversation at a time What makes Energetic charisma contagious (and what kills it) How to use charisma as a channel — not a mask 🕒 Timestamps:00:00 – Intro: Charisma vs Influence01:32 – The myth of “born charisma”02:40 – Type 1: High Conviction04:25 – Type 2: Authentic06:00 – Type 3: Disarming Humor07:40 – Type 4: Empathetic09:10 – Type 5: Energetic11:00 – How to use your charisma intentionally12:30 – The Unspoken Layer: From performance to power13:30 – Coming Next: The Trust Gap — Why Being Smart Isn’t Enough 📩 Subscribe to Amanda’s Playbook:https://www.amandarussell.co/newsletter/— for weekly strategy and insight drops. 📺 Watch the full video version:https://youtu.be/lTlVW3sfNTs?si=Q44hFDLrxePAFvGm 🧠 Read the full blog post:https://www.amandarussell.co/the-5-types-of-charisma-and-how-to-use-yours-without-losing-yourself/ 💬 Share this episode:Send it to someone who leads, teaches, or builds things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We need to talk about the cult of “busy.” Because being “too slammed” to reply, treating your inbox like a graveyard, and ghosting deadlines doesn’t make you important. It makes you replaceable. Here’s the truth: busy ≠ successful. The people I bet on aren’t performing overwhelm — they’re the ones who follow through, keep their word, and close loops without making chaos everyone else’s problem. In this video, I break down: 📌 Why “busy” is the biggest liability in business 📌 The 48-hour rule that separates leaders from pretenders 📌 Why trust and consistency are the ultimate competitive advantage Your response patterns aren’t about your calendar. They’re about your character. If you want to build influence, don’t get busier. Get reliable. Because trust compounds faster than attention. And follow-through? That’s the real flex. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can’t always buy your way into influence. This summer in Sotogrande, Spain — one of the world capitals of polo — I witnessed how brands engineer desire without a single ad, hashtag, or ticket link. The most talked-about spot at the Gold Cup wasn’t on the program, and you couldn’t find it online. From the outside? Just a plain white tent. From the inside? The only place everyone wanted to be. In this episode of Amanda’s Playbook, I break down: -How exclusivity fuels influence -Why the best experiences aren’t advertised — they’re whispered about -Multi-sensory branding that makes you remember a brand long after the event Brands that master this don’t just get attention — they become unforgettable. 🔔 Subscribe for more weekly episodes on marketing, influence, and building brands people can’t stop talking about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The word influencer built my career — and now, I hate it. Here’s the truth: what most people call “influencer marketing” is just advertising in a social media costume. Follower counts. Engagement rates. Cost-per-post. None of that is real influence. Real influence is the ability to cause action. It’s awareness + ability. It’s Oprah’s Book Club sticker, Sequoia’s stamp, Michelin’s stars. The smartest brands don’t buy followers. They build proximity to trust. In this episode, I’ll break down the big misconception about influence, why brands are wasting millions chasing the wrong thing, and how to shift from transactions to relationship architecture. If you want to stop chasing metrics and start creating gravity, this one’s for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Community has become a buzzword. But you can’t swipe a credit card and call it connection. The strongest communities I’ve ever seen weren’t bought. They were built through shared effort, trust, and time. In this episode, I share the story of how a 5 a.m. cycling group changed the trajectory of my career—and why the same principle applies to any brand trying to cut through the noise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most brands think visibility comes from more content. The truth? It comes from better placement—being seen in the right ways, in the right places. In this episode of Amanda’s Playbook, I’m sharing 3 strategies to grow your reach without becoming a full-time creator: 1️⃣ Brand the Background – Turn your space into visual storytelling that naturally integrates your brand. 2️⃣ Incentivize Mentions – Reward the organic tags and shoutouts you’re already getting. 3️⃣ Co-Produce for Control – Collaborate with creators so your brand gets high-quality, on-message content—without you doing all the work. Forget trying to outpost your competitors. This is about out-positioning them—so your brand stays visible without burning out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You don’t need to become a content creator. You just need a smarter way to show up. In this episode of Amanda’s Playbook, I’m flipping the script on what visibility really requires in 2025. If you’re exhausted by the content treadmill—and secretly allergic to hustle culture—this one's for you. Inside, you’ll learn: Why “just post more” is not a strategy—it’s a burnout spiral How to borrow visibility instead of building it from scratch The #1 reason most content isn’t converting 3 plug-and-play ways to turn your physical space into a content magnet (Yes, even if it’s a boring B2B office or that spare room in your house) You’ll walk away with tangible strategies to amplify your brand—without filming a single video, writing a single caption, or syncing to stock audio. 👇 Drop a comment or DM me a photo of your office space and I’ll help you brainstorm how to make it work for you. 🔔 Subscribe to Amanda’s Playbook for more brand strategies that feel less like rocket science and more like cheating on a test. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rolex isn’t selling time. Hermès isn’t selling handbags. And De Beers? They turned shiny rocks into a ritual of forever. This episode is about how the world’s most iconic brands create desire—on purpose. Not through ads. Through identity engineering. You’ll see how: – Rolex broke $10B not by selling accuracy—but achievement – Hermès made waiting the luxury – De Beers scripted scarcity into “forever” These brands don’t just price high. They build meaning. They make you feel like you earned it. So if you're building something premium—ask yourself: What does owning it say about someone? And how do you make that message feel deserved? Because people don’t buy with their wallets. They buy with identity. — Amanda #AmandasPlaybook #InfluenceByDesign #BrandStrategy #LuxuryMarketing #StatusSignals #Rolex #Hermès #birkinbag #DeBeers #PsychologyOfDesire #MarketingThatMoves Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This isn’t a story about nightlife. It’s a story about emotion—and what people are really buying when they pay for exclusivity. Back in 2008, with no budget and no celebrity backing, Daniel Koch and his brother Derek launched a brunch party in New York City. They didn’t build hype. They built feeling. What started as Day & Night became something more: – A curated crowd, not a pay-to-play model – Word-of-mouth as the north star metric – Emotional design that made people feel chosen The real luxury? Wasn’t access. It was memory. Today, that same emotional architecture is being used to build modern members clubs, high-trust spaces, and brands that feel magnetic—not because of what they charge, but because of how they land. Watch the full conversation to see how exclusivity is evolving— And what it looks like to build something people never stop talking about. #Exclusivity #EmotionalDesign #AmandaNorenWest #DanielKoch #BrandBuilding #CulturalStrategy #Amanda’sPlaybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do wine tastings, painkillers, and pricing psychology all have in common? More than you think. In this episode of Amanda’s Playbook, I break down two surprisingly simple studies that reveal how price shapes perception, how it influences expectation, and why this matters more than ever for anyone building a premium brand, product, or service. You’ll learn: ✔️ Why pricing isn't just financial—it's emotional ✔️ The psychological principle behind “premium perception” ✔️ How to use price as a storytelling tool, not just a revenue lever ✔️ What happens when your experience doesn’t match your price ✔️ How to build trust and desire through intentional pricing If you're a creator, founder, marketer, or service provider who wants to raise your rates without losing trust, this one's for you. 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a comment (I LOVE responding to comments) if this shifted something for you. #pricingstrategy #luxurybranding #influence #marketingpsychology #brandstorytelling #amandasplaybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the most powerful thing you could offer… was a question? This week on Amanda’s Playbook, I’m sharing a story I’ll never forget — one that completely changed how I think about leadership, influence, and solving real-world problems. It’s about Gloria Steinem. A village in Zambia. And the unexpected solution that stopped sex trafficking: 👉 An electric fence. Not education. Not policy. A fence — because families were starving, and girls were leaving just to survive. This episode is a masterclass in relationship capital — how real influence isn’t about showing up with answers… it’s about showing up with empathy. Inside, we’ll break down: 🔹 Why expertise alone can blind you 🔹 The shift from telling to listening with intent 🔹 How co-creation leads to lasting change If you lead a team, build a brand, or want to have greater impact — this story is for you. 👇 I’d love to hear your thoughts — drop a comment and let me know:What’s one question you need to ask before trying to solve the problem in front of you? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone’s selling cold plunges, $14 matcha, and 4AM alarms as the secret to success. I’m not buying it. And I’m definitely not waking up early for it. This week on Amanda’s Playbook, I’m breaking down the Cold Plunge Lies—the performative routines we’ve started worshipping as gospel. I share my own obsessive history with extreme discipline, how it held me back more than it helped, and what actually drives long-term results: reliability, clarity, and resonance. This one’s for anyone tired of pretending their morning routine is a spiritual awakening. Let’s cut through the noise and build lives that work—not just look good on camera. 👇 Watch + let me know in the comments: what’s one “should” you’re ready to stop doing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people think reputation is built in the big moments—killer decks, polished launches, loud wins. But in reality? It’s built (and lost) in silence. In this episode of Amanda’s Playbook, I share a story that’s more common than we want to admit: a warm intro, a missed moment, and a reputation quietly eroded by lack of follow-through. If you’ve ever been ghosted after putting in the effort—or worse, accidentally ghosted someone yourself—this is your reminder: Communication is your business. 💬 Leave a comment if you’ve had something like this happen to you. I read every one. ➤ Subscribe for more episodes like this:    / @amandarussell   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people trying to connect with high-profile people make the same mistake: They lead with their goals, their pitch, their calendar. But what if the real strategy… was anchoring yourself in their world? In this short episode, I share the simple (but powerful) tactic that earned me a meeting with OG YouTube star  @shaycarl  —and turned a cold message into a real collaboration. This isn’t about being sneaky—it’s about showing up with relevance. 👉 Try this strategy and let us know how it goes—we just might feature your story next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s be real: The world doesn’t reward the best. It rewards the most visible. The most trusted. The most strategically influential. In this week’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on why your brilliance might still be overlooked — and how to stop playing a rigged game. If you’re tired of working hard with nothing to show for it... If you’re done being invisible... If you’re ready to shift from being excellent to being seen... This one’s for you. 👇 Want the free 5-Step Starter Guide to Strategic Influence? Comment “INFLUENCE” below and I’ll send it directly to you. No pitch. No pretty bow. Just what actually works. — #StrategicInfluence#InfluenceOverExcellence#VisibilityMatters#InvisibleBrilliance#RiggedGame#InfluenceIsStrategy#ThoughtLeadership#PersonalBranding#ModernMarketing#ContentThatConverts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We used to define luxury by price tags, silence, and formality. But that version of luxury? It’s outdated. Today, the most magnetic brands understand one thing: real luxury is about experience. It's not about white tablecloths and bow ties — it's about how you make someone feel. In this episode of Amanda’s Playbook, we explore how smart operators are rethinking exclusivity, experience design, and emotional connection — and why the brands that embrace this shift are winning. What You'll learn: – Why traditional luxury is becoming irrelevant – How modern consumers define premium experiences – What it takes to build connection-driven brand loyalty Tell me in the comments: What’s a brand that felt like luxury to you — even if it wasn’t the most expensive? Subscribe for more strategy, insight, and weekly deep dives at Amanda’s Playbook. #LuxuryRedefined #BrandExperience #ModernLuxury #MarketingStrategy #BusinessStrategy #AmandasPlaybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people take the check. Mark Wahlberg didn’t — and walked away with $200 million instead. In this episode of Amanda’s Playbook, I’m breaking down one of the smartest plays in the game — and why it has nothing to do with acting and everything to do with how you use your influence. It’s not about celebrity. It’s not about followers. It’s about leverage. And if you get this right, it can change the entire way you grow a brand, close a deal, or build long-term wealth. This one’s personal — because I’ve done this (without even realizing it at first). And you might have too. 🎯 Watch 'til the end — I’ll leave you with a question that might change how you look at your next opportunity. 👇 Let’s keep the convo going — drop your thoughts in the comments. I read every one. 🎬 Subscribe for weekly drops 📱 Follow @amandasplaybook on all platforms #MarkWahlberg #InfluenceStrategy #BrandEquity #AmandasPlaybook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The most dangerous person in your business isn’t your competitor. It’s the friend who never challenges your thinking." In this episode, I share why conflict is the exact friction you need to sharpen your thinking, elevate your strategy, and build genuine influence. We’ll cover: ✔️ The mindset shift that helped me stop fearing critique ✔️ Why advisory boards and diverse perspectives are crucial even when you’re small ✔️ A simple challenge that will instantly upgrade your decision-making process This is what I call the Iron Sharpens Iron Approach — and it’s uncomfortable by design. Because real leaders aren’t built in echo chambers. 👉 WATCH NOW And comment below: Who’s the one person in your life that challenges your thinking the most? #leadership #conflictresolution #growthmindset #strategy #ironsharpensiron Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all been told to “network.” To ask for the job. Pitch ourselves. Wait for the invite. But what if the real power lies in flipping that script? In this episode, I’m sharing a personal story that completely shifted how I think about building influence, relationships, and opportunity. It starts with one book, a bold email, and ends in an unexpected real-world connection. Let’s talk about creating your own momentum—and why that’s what draws people in. 👇 What’s one connection in your life that started unexpectedly but made a lasting impact? TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Create the Job. Create the Moment. 00:22 – A Book That Sparked It All 00:53 – Why Influence Has No Direct ROI 01:21 – The Full-Circle Email That Led to Coffee 01:57 – What I Asked (and What I Learned) 02:38 – How to Leapfrog Into Board Roles 03:18 – My First "Keynote" Was in a Basement 03:52 – The Truth About Energy and Influence 04:30 – Become the Person of Influence #amandasplaybook #ConnectionCurrency #Influence #BuildYourOwnStage #RelationshipCapital #CreateTheRoom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices