Season 2 Finale: Trust, Change, and the People Who Hold Us Together

In the Season Two finale, host Richard Roman looks back across the conversations that (on the surface) spanned wildly different worlds: medieval literature, organizational change, intuitive coaching, higher education, trauma-informed yoga, entrepreneurship, branding, and investigative journalism. But beneath these differences, one theme kept emerging: What do we do when the systems meant to help us are the ones causing harm? What is our role within those systems? Drawing from each guest’s story, Richard presents a narrative about trust, power, institutional design, self-leadership, and the courage required to “stay with the trouble,” borrowing Donna Haraway’s invitation to remain present with complexity rather than flee toward false hope or collapse into despair. The episode closes with three questions for listeners to carry into the new year: Which system in your life is “working as designed," but not designed for you? Who are your "oddkin," the people who help you stay with the trouble? What is one small relational action you can take this week to build trust where you are? Season Two ends with gratitude to the guests who trusted Richard with their stories and to the listeners who have journeyed through another season of this inquiry into trust. Season Three arrives in early 2026. Stay Connected If this episode resonated with you, here are a few ways to stay connected and go deeper: 📩 Substack – Read essays and reflections that expand on each episode at Trust Be Told on Substack. ▶️ YouTube – Watch clips, shorts, and full conversations on the Trust Be Told YouTube channel. 📲 Instagram – Join the conversation and see behind-the-scenes stories at @trustedpod. 🌐 Website – Explore resources and download The Trust Toolkit at Trusted Arc Labs. And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast wherever you listen. Thank you for your support!