How Trust Actually Works: The Trust Equation with Noelle Mykolenko

In the first episode of Trust Stories, Relate co-founder Tom Keenan sits down with Noelle Mykolenko, CEO of Trusted Advisor Associates, to unpack how trust actually works in professional relationships. Drawing from decades of experience and the foundational Trust Equation, Noelle breaks down the four components of trustworthiness: credibility, reliability, intimacy, and self-orientation. Together, they explore why trust is often misunderstood, why it does not actually take years to build, and why being competent and dependable is rarely enough on its own. This conversation sets the foundation for the series and challenges common assumptions about trust in modern, virtual-first work. If you want to understand how trust is formed, measured, and strengthened in the conversations that matter most, this episode is the place to start.