#165 - Building Trust and Better Mondays with Amanda Gulino

Welcome to the Charismatic Leader Podcast. In this episode, Brett McDermott sits down with Amanda Gulino, founder of A Better Monday, coach, facilitator, and truth teller who has spent nearly a decade inside teams uncovering why some leaders earn instant trust while others never do. Amanda shares her journey from burnout to building a company designed to make Mondays something people look forward to, not dread.Together, Brett and Amanda explore why trust is the foundation of thriving workplaces, how fractures in trust quietly erode culture, and what leaders can do to repair and rebuild it. Amanda introduces frameworks like the Trust Equation and Brené Brown’s BRAVING model, showing how shared language helps teams move from conflict to connection. She also explains why leaders must learn to respond rather than react, and how creating space—through pauses, deep breaths, or even a walk—can transform communication. Finally, Amanda offers practical ways to tap into team creativity by changing environments, embracing silence, and priming with playful exercises.This episode is packed with actionable insights for leaders who want to build trust, foster creativity, and create workplaces people actually look forward to.Key Takeaways:Why trust is the foundation of culture and performanceHow fractures in trust quietly erode teams—and how to repair themFrameworks like the Trust Equation and BRAVING for shared languageThe importance of responding vs. reacting in leadership communicationAmanda’s three M’s framework: mindset, meeting space, and messagePractical ways to tap into team creativity by changing environments and priming exercises