Why Most Business Owners Think They Have Culture, But Don’t | Beth Tellez & Stacey Bankston

What if the thing holding your business back isn’t strategy… but trust?

In this episode of The TrustBuilt Podcast, Alan Bennett is back with therapists and business owners Beth Tellez and Stacey Bankston to unpack one of the most misunderstood leadership challenges business owners face: vulnerability, accountability, and trust inside growing teams.

They explore why many owners believe they have a healthy culture—yet still face high turnover, disengaged employees, and a business that can’t run without them. This conversation bridges therapy, leadership, and business ownership to show how trust is built (or broken) in real time—and why it directly impacts scalability, retention, and exit value.

If you’re tired of carrying everything yourself and wondering why your team won’t fully step up, this episode is for you.

👉To learn more about how to build a business that runs without you subscribe to The TrustBuilt Podcast

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⏱️Chapters

02:10 — The Hidden Trust Problem in Owner-Dependent Businesses

05:28 — How Childhood Conditioning Shapes Leadership Behavior

08:58 — Accountability Without Fear: Reframing Leadership Responsibility

12:01 — Why Business Owners React Defensively to Accountability

16:15 — Psychological Safety: The Missing Link in Team Performance

21:00 — Designing a Team Model That Attracts the Right People

25:14 — Alignment vs. Misalignment in Partnerships & Teams

32:17 — Scarcity vs. Insecurity: What’s Really Driving Control Issues

37:21 — Kinship-Based Leadership & Why It Scales Better

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Connect with Beth & Stacey

🌐 https://www.creativenwa.com/