What happens when you trade corporate comfort for entrepreneurial chaos?

In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, host Alan Bennett sits down with Dustin Murphy, founder of Pitch Retail, to talk about how he went from working for corporate giants like Walmart, PepsiCo, and Disney to leading a small but mighty team that helps suppliers break into Walmart the right way.

Dustin shares how he turned career uncertainty into ownership, the lessons he learned about trust and communication from his business partner, and what it really takes to build a growing team that doesn’t burn out.

From hiring and delegation to leadership maturity and client trust, this conversation is packed with insight for business owners who are scaling fast and trying to stay sane.

If you’ve ever wondered how to keep your people engaged while your business grows—or how to build a partnership that doesn’t implode—this one’s for you.

👉 Learn more about building a trust-driven, engaged team: trustbuiltsolutions.com

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – The Question Every Leader Should Ask Their Team

00:30 – Introducing Dustin Murphy & Pitch Retail

01:00 – What Pitch Retail Actually Does

02:00 – Growing Up in a Walmart Family

03:40 – From Intern to Industry Expert

05:00 – Climbing the Corporate Ladder (Rubbermaid, PepsiCo, Disney)

06:00 – The Leap: Leaving Corporate for Entrepreneurship

08:00 – Taking Control of Your Own Exit

09:30 – Buying Out the Business: How Pitch Retail Began

11:00 – Getting Clients and Building Early Trust

13:00 – From Scrappy to Structured: Learning to Lead a Team

14:00 – Why Partnerships Work (When They’re Built on Trust)

16:00 – Learning to Communicate Like a Mature Leader

18:00 – Growing Pains: When to Hire and How to Scale

20:00 – Removing Bottlenecks and Empowering Employees

22:00 – Letting Go: From Doer to Leader

24:00 – The 80/20 Rule and What Really Moves the Needle

25:00 – How Reflection Fuels Growth

27:00 – Lessons from Working with Walmart

29:00 – The “Hug of Death” and Managing Growth Wisely

32:00 – Defining Real Success: It’s About Sell-Through

34:00 – Be Careful What You Ask For (Alan’s Catering Story)

35:00 – Who Pitch Retail Serves and How They Help

36:30 – How to Connect with Dustin Murphy

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Connect with Dustin Murphy

🌐 https://www.pitchretailsales.com/

💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustin-m-84828470/

What happens when trust becomes the through-line of everything you build—your team, your brand, and your business partnerships?

In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, host Alan Bennett sits down with Windy Elstermeier, CEO of Pivotal Solutions and founder of Jane Wick, to talk about the power of connection, compassion, and trust in leadership.

From her days leading teams at Walmart to launching a women-led gun range bag brand, Windy shares how learning to serve first, build meaningful relationships, and trust others (and yourself) can completely transform how you lead and grow.

You’ll hear:

✅ How authentic connection fuels both team engagement and customer loyalty

✅ The difference between facilitating and leading through storytelling

✅ What it takes to build partnerships rooted in mutual trust

✅ How serving others first can multiply business opportunities

✅ Why compassion is the hidden superpower in every strong culture

If you’ve ever wondered how to move from doing it all yourself to building through people, this conversation is for you.

👉 Learn more about building a business that runs on trust (not stress): www.trustbuiltsolutions.com

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Spotting a Gap: How Jane Wick Was Born

01:00 – From Training to Keynotes: Building Confidence on Stage

04:00 – The Role of Trust—In Yourself and Your Audience

07:00 – Connection and Compassion: The Core of Leadership

10:00 – Turning Speaking into Service: Adding Real Value

14:00 – Storytelling, Authenticity, and Lessons Learned

19:00 – Building Jane Wick: Trusting Partners Across Borders

28:00 – Community, Reciprocity, and the Power of Connection

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Connect with Windy

🌐 https://pivotalsolutions.co/

🌐 https://janewick.com/

💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/windy-elstermeier/

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team engagement, building trust, leadership compassion, small business growth, culture that scales

What does it take to move from carrying your business alone… to building a team that’s engaged, trusted, and thriving?

In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, host Alan Bennett sits down with Steve Toth of Crestline Leaders to explore the foundations of team building, culture, and engagement.

Steve shares his journey from scrappy solopreneur to leading teams inside Fortune 500 companies and startups, and what he’s learned about:

• Why purpose and vision matter for keeping teams aligned.
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• How personal values shape company culture (and why that attracts A-players).
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• The link between accountability, trust, and employee engagement.
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• What happens when leaders stop delegating and start abdicating—and how to fix it.
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• Why a flourishing team is the real key to scaling any business.
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If you’re tired of carrying your business on your shoulders and want a team that buys in, sticks around, and thrives—this conversation is packed with practical insights you can apply right now.

👉 Ready to build a team you can trust? Learn more at https://www.trustbuiltsolutions.com/.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Why maximizing value also maximizes employee happiness

01:00 How Alan & Steve met at a family business event

02:30 Steve’s entrepreneurial beginnings: lawn mowing & Volkswagens

07:00 Lessons learned from W-2 roles and building trust through relationships

09:20 From solopreneur to team builder: why “just me” doesn’t scale

13:20 The People & Culture Model: why culture is the foundation

15:20 Flipping over rocks: uncovering hidden issues in organizations

20:00 Vision: how clarity drives team alignment

23:00 Building sticky, authentic values that attract A-players

26:00 Purpose as the driver of passion and culture

29:00 Why accountability is “purpose’s first cousin”

30:30 How purpose + accountability fuel employee engagement

33:10 Prioritization, scaling, and the “triangle model”

36:00 Enterprise value: why engaged teams grow business value

42:00 The tipping point of trust: what happens when it clicks

45:00 Where to connect with Steve Toth

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Connect With Steve Toth

🌐 https://www.crestlineleaders.com/

💻 https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-real-steve-toth/

team engagement, building trust at work, company culture, employee retention, small business leadership