Your Brain is Lying to You | The Invisible Beliefs Running Your Business

Please enjoy this transcript of the Crown Yourself Podcast, with your host, transformational story coach, Kimberly Spencer (@Kimberly.Spencer)

What if your greatest competitive advantage isn't your marketing...

It's your reputation?

In the Age of AI, information has become abundant. Strategies can be generated in seconds. Funnels can be copied. Content can be automated.

But trust?

Trust still has to be earned.

This episode began with an unexpected parenting moment—one that nearly cost my eight-year-old something far more valuable than a privilege: his reputation. That conversation became a powerful reminder that trust takes years to build and seconds to break. And the exact same principle applies to business.

Inside this episode, I'm sharing the Four Trust Accounts every entrepreneur must intentionally grow if they want to create sustainable success:

• Trust with yourself
  • Trust with your team
  • Trust with your clients
  • Trust with your reputation

We'll also explore why so many founders unknowingly inflate their reputation beyond their current mastery—or hide their brilliance altogether—and how both extremes quietly sabotage growth.

If you're building a six-, seven-, or eight-figure company, this conversation will challenge you to think beyond marketing and into the deeper currency that creates referrals, authority, premium pricing, and lasting influence.

Because your legacy isn't built by algorithms.

It's built by integrity.

If you're ready to become the obvious choice in your industry by aligning your character, leadership, reputation, and results, this episode will give you the framework to start building trust that compounds for years to come.

#SovereignLeadership #TrustEconomy #LegacyBrand #CrownYourself

*Transcripts may contain typos. We do our best to catch any human or robot errors prior to release. And we thank you in advance for your understanding. Enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or your favorite podcast platform. And, you can always watch the episode on YouTube here.

Before we dive in, boundaries are everything to protecting your energy and your empire, so please note some legal boundaries before we dive into the full episode transcript:

Crown Yourself LLC and Kimberly Spencer own the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of the Crown Yourself podcast, with all rights reserved, as well as outright publicity.

WHAT YOU’RE WELCOME TO DO: You are welcome to share the below transcript (up to 500 words but not more) in media articles (e.g., Forbes, The New York Times, CNBC The Guardian), on your personal website, in a non-commercial article or blog post (e.g., Medium), and/or on a personal social media account for non-commercial purposes, provided that you include attribution to the “Crown Yourself Podcast” and link back to crownyoutself.com/podcast URL

For the sake of clarity, media outlets with advertising models are permitted to use excerpts from the transcript per the above release.

WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED: No one is authorized to copy any portion of the podcast content or use Kimberly Spencer’s name, image or likeness for any commercial purpose or use, including without limitation inclusion in any books, e-books, book summaries or synopses, or on a commercial website or social media site (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) that offers or promotes your or another’s products or services, except without explicit consent in writing, from Crown Yourself LLC. For the sake of clarity, media outlets are permitted to use photos of Kimberly Spencer from the Media Room at crownyourself.com/media or (obviously) licensed photos of Kimberly Spencer from Getty Images, etc.

We good? Great. Let's get to the goods.

___________

The Trust Economy: How Invisible Beliefs Shape Your Reputation More Than Your Marketing

Why Trust Is the Greatest Competitive Advantage in the Age of AI

Podcast: Crown Yourself®

Host: Kimberly Spencer

Primary SEO Keyword: Invisible Beliefs

Related Keywords: Trust Economy, Sovereign Leadership, Business Reputation, Founder Mindset, Leadership Integrity, Personal Brand Authority, Conscious Business Growth

Introduction

What if I took away your marketing?

Your website.

Your social media.

Your sales processes.

Would people still trust you enough to do business with you?

That question sits at the heart of today's episode—and beneath it lies something even deeper: the invisible beliefs shaping every decision you make as a leader.

Many founders believe success comes from better marketing, more visibility, or another strategy. But behind every thriving business is something much harder to duplicate: trust.

In this episode of the Crown Yourself Podcast, Kimberly Spencer explores why we're entering a new era—the Trust Economy—where your integrity, consistency, and reputation have become your greatest business assets.

Trust Is the New Currency of Leadership

Timestamp: 00:00

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"If I took away your marketing, your website, your social media, even your sales processes, would people still trust you enough to do business with you? Your reputation is not built on what you say. It is built by what people repeatedly experience.

If you're building towards six or seven figures, you've probably already realized something. The higher you climb, the less people buy your offer and the more people buy you.

They buy your integrity, your consistency, your follow-through, your emotional steadiness.

They buy your ability to keep your word.

Because at this level, trust isn't just some nice-to-have.

It is your most valuable business asset."

The Invisible Belief Most Founders Never Question

One of the biggest invisible beliefs many entrepreneurs carry is that success comes from becoming more visible.

But what if visibility isn't the real goal?

What if trust is?

As businesses become increasingly powered by automation and artificial intelligence, trust becomes the one competitive advantage that technology cannot manufacture.

Why Sovereign Leadership Matters More Than Ever

Timestamp: 00:42

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"Today on the Crown Yourself podcast, we are gonna talk about something that almost cost my eight-year-old one of the most valuable things he'll ever own.

His reputation with me.

I'm Kimberly Spencer, founder of Crown Yourself and mentor to founders building businesses rooted in sovereign leadership instead of survival.

I work with entrepreneurs at six, seven, and eight figures who realize their next breakthrough isn't just some marketing funnel.

It's becoming the kind of leader that people instinctively trust and stepping out from the shadows of their business to build their authority and become known as the obvious choice."

After coaching hundreds of founders in high-level one-on-one containers, I have learned something fascinating.

The businesses that scale sustainably aren't built by the smartest leaders.

Sorry.

They're built by the most trusted ones.

And trust isn't something that you just earn one time.

It's something that compounds every single day.

This is the Crown Yourself Podcast where we explore subconscious success strategy, sovereign leadership, and conscious business growth so that you can build extraordinary success without sacrificing who you are in the process.

My mission is to help high-performing leaders stop building businesses from pressure, proving, and hypervigilance and start building from peace, integrity, and sovereign identity.

Because your greatest competitive advantage isn't your strategy.

It's your character, your story, and your authority."

Invisible Beliefs Become Visible Leadership

Whether we realize it or not, every leader operates from an internal belief system.

Those invisible beliefs influence:

• How we lead
• How we communicate
• How we respond under pressure
• How consistently we keep our word
• How others experience working with us

The marketplace doesn't simply respond to your expertise.

It responds to the consistency between what you say and what people experience.

That consistency is what builds trust.

The Parenting Conversation That Sparked This Episode

Timestamp: 02:24

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"So this episode really came from a conversation that I was having with my eight-year-old because I won't share what he did, because that will stay private, but he did something that broke my trust.

Me and my husband, we were like, 'Man, that was a big mistake.'

Like that really broke our trust in his ability to hold certain responsibilities around the house.

And that sucks.

Because he was working so hard."

What Parenting Revealed About Business

Kimberly explains that this experience immediately brought her attention back to something she sees every day inside entrepreneurship.

We spend so much time talking about visibility.

Opportunity.

Marketing.

Growth.

But underneath all of it...

There's trust.

The Trust Economy in the Age of AI

Timestamp: 02:47

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"And it got me thinking about the Trust Economy.

And especially in the era of AI, where we can just AI an algorithm and people want to have and work with leaders who have a level of discernment from their lived experience.

Who have developed a keen eye with judgment.

That have walked the path and trotted the path before them rather than AI.

AI can give you how-to's.

But it's not always going to give you the best how-to's for you—for what you need.

So discernment comes into play here.

And discernment can be a part of your reputation and how you build trust."

Discernment Is Becoming the New Competitive Advantage

Artificial intelligence can provide information.

It can summarize books.

It can generate marketing campaigns.

It can produce endless strategies.

But it cannot replace discernment.

Discernment comes from lived experience.

From mistakes.

From wisdom.

From practicing integrity long enough that people begin trusting your judgment—not because of what you know, but because of who you've become.

Trust Takes Years to Build—and Seconds to Break

Timestamp: 03:36

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"But back to my eight-year-old.

So we're having a conversation with our eight-year-old about trust and he's really upset.

I literally let him know.

I said, 'Dude, you broke our trust.'

And he was like,

'Okay... well you're never gonna trust me again ever.'

And I was like,

'That's not the case.'

'I said, but the problem is trust takes time to compound—and it takes a second to break.'

'The second you break it, you've got to go start back.

Maybe not from ground zero...

But you're definitely starting from a few steps back.'

Sometimes if you make a really big mistake...

You may actually be starting from ground zero."

The Four Trust Accounts Every Entrepreneur Must Build

Timestamp: 04:00

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"So there are four trust accounts that we have to be building. And I'm not talking about like an actual trust that you put your money and your property and your assets into.

I'm talking about the trust that comes internally with you abiding by your word and leading with integrity.

And the shift that will come in your team and your leadership, in your health and your wealth, when you start leading from a place of integrity is founded with the roots of trust.

So there are four trust accounts that we have to play into because each one of these stacks onto each other."

The Invisible Beliefs That Quietly Erode Trust

Every entrepreneur has an internal trust account.

Long before your clients trust you…

Long before your audience believes your message…

Long before your team follows your vision…

You have to decide whether you believe yourself.

That belief isn't built through affirmations alone.

It's built through integrity.

Through consistency.

Through following through on what you said you would do.

Trust compounds the same way interest compounds.

One decision at a time.

Trust Account #1: Building Trust With Yourself

Timestamp: 04:50

Keep the Promises You Make to Yourself

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"We want to trust ourselves.

Do we trust ourselves to make the best decision?

Do we trust ourselves to keep our promises?

If you say you're waking up at 6 a.m. to work out...

Are you actually?

Or are you waking up at 6:15 or 6:30?

Are you finishing what you start?

Do you say that you're going to grow your business to a certain level...

And then every year that number just kind of keeps repeating instead of really chasing after that goal?"

When Goals Become Broken Agreements

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"Are there multiple projects or multiple books?

I know I had this for myself personally for years.

I had multiple unauthored, half-written books that were started but weren't completed."

Kimberly shares a deeply personal example.

For years she carried unfinished books.

Not because she lacked ideas.

Not because she lacked talent.

But because she hadn't yet completed the commitment she had made to herself.

Finishing the Book Was About More Than Publishing

Timestamp: 05:17

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"So when I wanted to Make Every Podcast Want You and take that to bestseller, I had to make that book make sense financially.

Some of the other books were for where my business was a decade ago...

Or they were for where I was a decade ago.

I wanted to have a book that I saw through to the finish line because I knew that my trust in the role of being an author was unfounded.

I had uprooted my own trust in myself to completely write and finish a book.

So I had to build that trust.

I had to finish the damn book.

I had to get it out there.

I had to promote it.

I had to keep that promise to myself."

Self-Trust Is the Foundation of Confidence

This isn't just about writing a book.

It's about honoring your own word.

Invisible beliefs become visible behaviors.

Every unfinished project…

Every abandoned commitment…

Every promise postponed…

Slowly chips away at your confidence.

The Real Source of Self-Confidence

Timestamp: 06:05

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"So finishing what you start is a huge one.

Do you follow through on commitments?

Or do you drop the ball?

When you say you're going to deliver a proposal...

Do you deliver it on time?

Do you deliver it a few days later?

Do you follow up?

Self-integrity is what creates self-confidence.

And every broken promise to yourself is a withdrawal from your internal trust account."

Invisible Beliefs Create Invisible Withdrawals

Many founders believe confidence comes first.

Kimberly flips that belief.

Confidence doesn't come before action.

Confidence comes after repeatedly proving to yourself that you'll keep your word.

Every promise fulfilled becomes evidence.

Evidence becomes trust.

Trust becomes confidence.

Are Your Goals Creating Trust—or Doubt?

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"If you have a monthly revenue goal...

That in and of itself can become a broken trust if you keep missing that goal.

If you don't try...

Test...

Play...

Figure out a way to make that happen...

Then that goal becomes a pie-in-the-sky goal rather than something you're building trust toward."

Rather than setting goals that quietly reinforce self-doubt, Kimberly encourages leaders to pursue measurable goals while expanding their capacity through consistent action.

Trust Account #2: Building Trust With Your Team

Timestamp: 07:21

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"Second...

You have trust with your team."

Leadership Is Built Through Follow-Through

Trust inside an organization isn't created by authority.

It's created by reliability.

By communication.

By ownership.

When Trust Is Broken

Timestamp: 07:39

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"Do you have follow-through?

Do you have clear communication?

Do you repair quickly when mistakes happen?

Do you communicate when mistakes happen?

This was a big one for me recently with a team member.

I had my trust broken with this team member because I hired them for a specific role.

They failed to perform the role.

They failed to communicate that there was an issue.

Because there was a client-facing issue...

They failed to communicate directly to me.

And they didn't try to repair it."

Kimberly explains that trust isn't lost simply because someone makes a mistake.

Trust erodes when mistakes are hidden.

When communication stops.

When ownership disappears.

Stop Defending. Start Repairing.

Timestamp: 08:05

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"Are you owning your part instead of defending it?

So often our egos want to be right.

They want to defend ourselves.

They want to blame.

'I couldn't get the logins...'

'I couldn't do this...'

But ultimately...

If that's your role...

You've got to own your part instead of defending it."

The Question That Rebuilds Trust

Kimberly returns to the lesson she shared with her son.

The quickest way to begin rebuilding trust isn't with excuses.

It's with responsibility.

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"Recognize when you made a mistake.

Instead of defending yourself...

Instead of explaining yourself...

Just own it.

Then ask,

'Wow...

I messed up.

How can I make this right?'

That simple question begins rebuilding trust."

Why This Matters for Sovereign Leadership

One of the biggest invisible beliefs founders carry is:

"If I admit I made a mistake, people won't respect me."

But sovereign leadership teaches the opposite.

Ownership creates trust.

Integrity creates authority.

Repair creates stronger relationships than pretending perfection ever could.

Trust Account #3: Building Trust With Your Clients

Timestamp: 09:19

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"Number three, trust with your clients.

The small moments matter.

One missed email—it isn't about a missed email.

It's about safety.

It's about reliability.

It's about the commitment to the relationship.

Every interaction is either a small deposit or a withdrawal into that trust account."

Trust Is Built in the Small Moments

One of the biggest invisible beliefs entrepreneurs carry is that trust is earned through big wins.

A huge client result.

A keynote.

A viral post.

A million-dollar launch.

But trust is rarely built in one extraordinary moment.

It's built through ordinary moments repeated consistently.

Returning the email.

Following up when you said you would.

Being present.

Delivering on your promises.

The smallest interactions often communicate the biggest message:

"You can count on me."

Trust Account #4: Protecting Your Reputation

Timestamp: 09:33

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"And finally...

We have number four.

Trust with your reputation.

And this is a big one because on the internet you've seen a lot of coaches and business owners get taken down because what they say does not match what they do.

And reputation sounds exactly like interest.

One impulsive decision can damage years of credibility."

Reputation Compounds Like Interest

Kimberly introduces one of the most powerful metaphors of the episode.

Your reputation functions like compound interest.

Every aligned decision grows it.

Every moment of incongruence weakens it.

And unlike marketing campaigns, reputation cannot simply be relaunched.

It must be rebuilt.

The Danger of Inflating Your Reputation

Timestamp: 09:55

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"When your skill set is down here and you haven't yet mastered certain things...

But you're promoting certain things in your business...

That also creates a fray in the trust with your reputation.

When people discover...

You said you had this skill set...

You said you could do this for me...

But you're actually not there yet.

The goal isn't about perfection.

It's about congruence.

Repair.

And integrity."

Invisible Beliefs That Keep Founders Stuck

Kimberly shares something she has observed repeatedly while coaching founders and consulting with high-level business owners.

Sometimes the greatest obstacle isn't lack of skill.

It's the invisible belief that maintaining appearances matters more than telling the truth.

Why So Many Leaders Hide Their Struggles

Timestamp: 10:30

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"I was working with a client of mine who works with a ton of top business coaches.

She was telling me that a lot of the numbers are inflated.

I was having another conversation with a consultant for restaurants.

He said that out of all his clients...

Only 20% had actually given the real numbers."

Kimberly explains that when founders become overly attached to protecting their reputation, they stop asking for help.

Not because they don't need support.

Because they're afraid someone will discover the gap between perception and reality.

Shame Loves Secrets

Timestamp: 10:54

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"The problem is...

If you're so concerned about your reputation...

You won't ask for help when you actually need it because you're embarrassed.

Shame loves secrets.

Shame will hide inside this mythological reputation you've created for yourself.

But eventually...

That mythological creature becomes a dragon."

Ego Can Inflate... or Minimize

One of the most insightful moments in the episode is Kimberly's reminder that ego doesn't always show up as arrogance.

Sometimes...

It disguises itself as false humility.

Some founders exaggerate their mastery.

Others hide their brilliance.

Both are forms of incongruence.

Both create imbalance.

Reputation Without Mastery Creates Fear

Timestamp: 11:15

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"If your reputation is inflated...

And your skill set doesn't match...

People perceive you one way...

But you know you're not there yet.

What happens?

You don't ask for help.

Because you're trying to protect that reputation."

Kimberly explains that this emotional frequency of shame and guilt quietly keeps entrepreneurs from receiving the mentorship, coaching, and support that would actually accelerate their growth.

The invisible belief becomes:

"I have to look successful instead of becoming more successful."

The Courage to Tell the Truth

Timestamp: 12:08

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"Instead of honoring where you're at...

Humbling yourself...

And saying,

'I've figured out a few things...

But there are still some things I don't have figured out.

I'm going to need help with those things.'"

Legacy Leaders Choose Honesty Over Image

Authentic authority isn't built by pretending.

It's built through humility.

The strongest leaders aren't those who know everything.

They're the ones willing to continue learning.

The Queen & King Framework

Timestamp: 13:19

Building a Legacy Brand Through Balance

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"We want them equal.

As we say here at Crown Yourself...

The brand...

The reputation...

That is the Queen.

But she needs to be supported by the King...

Who's got the skill sets.

Who's got the structure.

Who's got the systems in place.

So they both can live integrated in union."

When the Queen Rules Alone

Kimberly paints a memorable picture.

Sometimes the Queen—the brand—becomes larger than the King's mastery.

Visibility exceeds capability.

Marketing exceeds results.

Authority exceeds experience.

Eventually...

Trust begins to crack.

When the King Hides

The opposite can also happen.

Exceptional founders become masters of their craft...

But remain largely invisible.

Their expertise far exceeds their reputation.

Kimberly explains that this is exactly where many Crown Yourself clients begin.

Highly capable.

Deeply committed to integrity.

Remarkably skilled.

But hiding behind their businesses instead of allowing their authority to be seen.

Aligning Your Reputation With Your Results

Timestamp: 14:30

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"Our clients have mastered aspects of their business.

They're operating at six, seven, even eight figures.

But their reputation is here.

They've downplayed it.

They've hidden behind it.

That's where we come in.

To balance the King and the Queen so they can reign together."

Reflection Questions for Every Founder

Timestamp: 14:49

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"So I want to ask you...

Where are you with your reputation?

Where are you with building trust with yourself?

Do you trust your own reputation?

Or is your reputation a little inflated?

Have you been downplaying your expertise because you want to appear humble?

What trust withdrawals have you been making...

To yourself...

Your team...

Your clients...

And your reputation?"

Final Thoughts: The Invisible Beliefs That Shape Your Legacy

Timestamp: 15:32

Kimberly Spencer (host):

"I want you to cultivate not only an external reputation in your field...

But an internal reputation with yourself.

That you know you're going to keep your word.

That you're going to operate in integrity.

And that you're going to go for your goals like your life depended on them.

Because they do.

Because maybe it does."

Kimberly closes the episode with one final invitation.

To examine where your ego may be quietly influencing your reputation.

Have you inflated it?

Or have you diminished it?

Because neither creates the kind of legacy you're here to build.

True sovereign leadership isn't about becoming someone else.

It's about bringing your reputation into alignment with your real mastery.

That's where trust compounds.

That's where authority becomes magnetic.

And that's where conscious business growth begins.

Continue the Journey

If this episode resonated with you, Kimberly invites you to take the next step:

Take the Sovereign Leadership Assessment to discover which subconscious leadership wound may be influencing your business and identify where to focus your growth so your reputation and results become fully aligned.

Resources Mentioned

• Sovereign Leadership Assessment: https://www.crownyourself.com/
• The Collective: https://www.crownyourself.com/the-collective
• Crown Yourself Podcast: https://www.crownyourself.com/podcast

Final Reflection

Invisible beliefs shape visible leadership.

Trust shapes reputation.

Reputation shapes legacy.

And in the Trust Economy, the leaders who rise won't simply have the best marketing—they'll be the ones whose integrity, discernment, and character consistently earn the trust of the people they serve.

The Crown Yourself Podcast is a fast-growing self-improvement podcast, ranked in the top #200 personal-development podcasts in two countries, so far,  out of 4.5 million podcasts. Each week, you get the conscious leadership strategies you need to help you reign with courage, clarity, and confidence so that you too can make the income and impact you deserve. Imagine this podcast as your royal invitation to step into your full potential and reign in your divine purpose. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.