Ask JBH with Janice Bryant Howroyd

A contract can be legally binding and still fall short of trustworthiness. The space between the two can decide whether a partnership grows into an enterprise or ends after one cycle. This solo moment from the Ask JBH universe gets into what a handshake still settles that a contract can’t, and why being heard is not the same as being trusted.

A year as an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority has reminded me of a lesson worth sharing: people we have never met are being shaped by what we do and how we do it. In this solo episode, we talk about why mentoring reaches further than we realize, the mantra that guides how I live and lead (never compromise who you are personally to become who you wish to be professionally), and why the opportunity to find a mentor, and to be one, has never been wider. At the end of the day, the whole world is watching.—Follow JBH:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbryanthowroyd/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jbryanthowroydFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaniceBryantHowroyd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janicebryanthowroyd/Website: https://askjbh.com—Listen to the Ask JBH podcast on your favorite platformApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-jbh/id1473455480Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5t63i9dGRMrAdv9YQ0OUEJ—Get JBH’s book Acting Up herehttps://www.amazon.com/Acting-Up-Winning-Business-Down-Home/dp/1544504551

A handshake still settles what a contract never can. This solo episode walks through the space between what's legally binding and what's actually trustworthy, why being heard is not the same as being trusted, and why confidentiality belongs in every relationship, not only the written ones. Have people trust you by being trustworthy.

Dr. Marisa G. Franco is a psychologist, professor, and New York Times bestselling author of Platonic. Her new book, Worth, makes a claim that cuts against most confidence advice: telling yourself "I am loved" can leave you feeling worse, not better. Her research traces this to self-verification theory, the idea that we look for proof of what we already believe about ourselves, so praise that doesn't match our own sense of self reads as a threat rather than a gift. In this conversation, she and JBH work through what that means for parenting, friendship, and the pressure to project confidence you don't actually feel, and what it looks like to build worth from the inside instead.

Elle Lanning is President of Investments at Camino Partners. She spent 16 years working alongside Daniel, founder of KIND, starting as his Chief of Staff and helping scale the company from $20 million to more than a billion dollars in sales. She shares the story behind KIND's fight with the FDA over the word "healthy," why the company chose to challenge the rule instead of simply complying, and what that journey uncovered along the way. Whether you're building a company, leading a team, or trying to figure out who to trust with your next big decision, this conversation is about what it really takes to build something meant to last.

Dr. Cheryl Wood is an international speaker, author, and empowerment coach who went from spending 15 years as a legal secretary to building a successful speaking business and helping women around the world find their voice, own their expertise, and step into leadership.From overcoming fear and rejection to building confidence, resilience, and purpose, Cheryl shares lessons drawn from her own journey and years of helping others move beyond self-doubt and into action. She discusses entrepreneurship, career transitions, perfectionism, and why the most important voice to trust is often our own.Whether you're building a business, changing careers, or questioning your next move, this conversation explores what it takes to move forward when fear, doubt, and uncertainty are along for the ride.

Dr. Nicholas Epley is one of the world’s leading experts on human behavior and connection. As a professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and author of A Little More Social, his research explores why people misunderstand each other, avoid connection, and underestimate the power of simple human interaction.In this episode, Dr. Epley breaks down the science behind loneliness, conversation, gratitude, relationships, and the growing impact of isolation in the digital age. He shares why people are often overly pessimistic about social interactions, how small moments of connection shape our happiness, and what we lose when convenience replaces human contact.If you’ve ever felt disconnected, overlooked, or uncertain about reaching out to others, this conversation offers a powerful reminder that even the smallest moments of human connection can change the course of someone’s day, including your own.

Harvard professor and leading public health researcher Dr. David R. Williams brings decades of work into sharp focus, challenging how we understand health, equity, and responsibility. Grounded in one of the most comprehensive bodies of research in the field, his work confronts a question many would rather avoid: why do Black Americans experience worse health outcomes, even when income, education, and effort are held constant?What unfolds goes beyond data. It reveals how systems, structures, and everyday experiences quietly shape access to care, opportunity, and ultimately, longevity, often long before a person ever enters a doctor’s office. It also makes something just as important clear: these outcomes are not inevitable, and when we are willing to see clearly, we are better equipped to lead, to change, and to build something better.Because when the problem is this deeply rooted, awareness alone is not enough. Real change demands action.

What if the distance between you and your goal is not the goal, but the way you see it?Dr. Emily Balcetis, Associate Professor of Psychology at NYU and TEDx speaker viewed by millions, studies how perception shapes performance. Her research has been featured in Forbes, Time, and Scientific American.In this Ask JBH episode, she reveals why focus is about perspective, how to turn fear into fuel, and when to look back versus look ahead to stay motivated.

On this episode of Ask JBH, Arian Simone shares a fearless journey shaped by faith, grit, and purpose. From early lessons in entrepreneurship at Florida A&M University to rebuilding her life after homelessness in Los Angeles, she reflects on the moments that clarified her calling.Those experiences led her to found the Fearless Fund, the first venture capital fund built by women of color for women of color, reframing access to capital not as charity, but as strategy. The conversation explores sisterhood, resilience, venture readiness, and what it takes to stay grounded when leadership is tested in both public and private ways.This episode is for anyone figuring out how to keep going when the path forward feels unclear.