THE EMAIL GROWTH SHOW EPISODE 187

We’re in a trust recession – and it’s changing how people buy, engage, and say yes online. In this episode, I’m walking you through what’s really going on in the online business space, and 5 real ways to build trust that actually converts.

Let’s be real – the online space feels noisy as hell right now.
Sales feel slower.
Launches aren’t landing.
Engagement is… meh.
And it’s not just you – we’re in what people are calling a Trust Recession.

TL:DR:

What you’ll learn in this episode:

– What the ‘trust recession’ actually means
– How visibility without trust leads to silence (and how to fix it)
– 5 ways to build trust in 2025 without burning out
– Why saying the thing others won’t = instant credibility
– What works right now in Kylie’s own business

Listen to this episode here:

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The online space feels… noisier than ever

Everywhere you scroll, someone is selling something. AI is generating copy. Launches are popping up left, right, and centre. Someone shared a million-dollar Stripe dashboard recently that was completely fake – and it looked so legit it could fool anyone.

It’s no wonder audiences are more cautious.

People are skeptical. Jaded. Distrusting.

And that means your job as a business owner is not just to stand out.
It’s to rebuild trust.
Because visibility on its own? It isn’t enough anymore.

We’ve all seen it. Someone goes viral, gains thousands of followers overnight, and then? Crickets. No buyers. No real traction.

Why?

Because visibility without trust doesn’t convert.

That perfectly curated feed? Doesn’t matter if no one believes you can help them. That 10k email list? Doesn’t matter if no one opens your emails. That 5-day challenge? Doesn’t matter if no one trusts you enough to buy at the end of it.

So… what do we do about it?

We shift.
We get intentional.
And we rebuild trust at the core of our businesses.

👀 Pssst – This is exactly what we’re working on inside The Email Growth Club and Headliner Mastermind. Ready to rebuild trust and grow without burning out? Book a free 30 minute visibility audit with me today!

Here are 5 powerful ways to do that:

1. Show your face. Use your voice.

People trust people – not logos, not taglines. Show up. Be seen. Use your podcast, emails, or video to let people get to know you. Let them hear your laugh, your accent, your stumbles.

Because connection? It starts with showing up as YOU.

2. Say the thing that others won’t.

If you’re always playing it safe, never rocking the boat, never saying what you really think… you’re not building trust.

You’re being vanilla.

Have a point of view. Let it be clear. Thought leadership doesn’t mean controversy for the sake of it – it means honesty. It means depth. It means being known for something real.

3. Deliver what you promise – and then some.

This one’s simple.

If your freebie says it’ll teach something? Teach it.
If your email says it has a gift? Deliver it.

Trust grows in the micro-moments where you keep your word.

When people walk away thinking, “Wow, she actually delivered.”

4. Show the journey, not just the highlight reel.

Share the behind-the-scenes.

Talk about the failed launches. The lessons. The messy middle.

Let people see that you’re in it with them – not just standing on the mountaintop yelling, “Look how great I am!”

5. Prioritise connection over conversion.

Reply to DMs. Answer emails. Show up in rooms your dream clients are already in.

Relationship-first visibility always outperforms the surface-level stuff.

Every single time.

Final Thought: This is the kind of work I help my clients with!

Whether it’s inside The Email Growth Club or my Headliner Mastermind, this is what we focus on:

Not just audience growth, but aligned audience growth.

Not just email marketing, but email marketing that connects.

Not just visibility, but visibility that leads somewhere.

Because when you lead with trust?

The sales still come. Actually – they come easier.

So if you’re feeling like launches are quiet, content isn’t landing, or you’re starting to second-guess everything, come back to trust… and start there.

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Full Transcript:

Kylie Kelly [00:00:00]:
So as business owners and marketers, we can’t pretend like it’s business as usual because it’s not. We can’t rely on the flashy tricks or the one size fits all templates. We can’t out hype a trust recession. The only thing that cuts through the noise right now is real trust. And that means it’s time to double down on what actually works. Building relationships, showing up consistently, creating content that connects instead of just converts and treating your audience like fucking humans, not just leads. Let me say this clearly. Trust is the strategy.

Kylie Kelly [00:00:38]:
Are you a female business owner frustrated with battling the algorithm and looking for for growth strategies that don’t involve awkwardly pointing or dancing online or throwing cash at paid ads? Welcome to The Email Growth Show. I’m your host, Kylie Kelly, visibility and email marketing strategist. I grew my email list from zero to almost 10,000 subscribers in less than two years, and the same is possible for you too. Are you ready to build your email list and start making more money in your online business? Let’s head into today’s episode. Before we get into today’s episode, I have to tell you that if you’re ready to take your email marketing to the next level and you want real strategies, expert coaching, and a supportive community to help you grow, then you need to be inside the email growth club. Now this isn’t just another membership. It’s a space where I share what’s working now in email marketing and you get my personal guidance on how to grow, nurture and monetize your list in the smartest way possible. If you’re tired of guessing what to send or you’re struggling to make sales from your emails, this is where you need to be.

Kylie Kelly [00:01:43]:
I would love for you to join us now. The link is in the show notes below. Now let’s jump on into the episode. Hey, hey. Welcome back to The Email Growth Show. I’m Kylie Kelly, your go to visibility coach and audience growth strategist. If you’re new here, this is where we talk all things visibility, list growth, and relationship first marketing that actually leads to revenue. And today’s conversation, it’s one we need to have.

Kylie Kelly [00:02:09]:
Because there’s this phrase being thrown around a lot right now, especially online, maybe you’ve heard it, and I can’t stop thinking about it. We’re in a trust recession. Now let that sink in for a second. A trust recession. What a powerful way to describe what so many of us are feeling in business right now. People are skeptical. They’re slow to buy. They’re asking more questions.

Kylie Kelly [00:02:31]:
They’re looking for receipts. They’re not just taking your word for it anymore. And honestly, I don’t blame them. The world feels like a lot right now. Things are uncertain economically, socially, globally. There’s been this collective pulling back, this caution in the air. People are more intentional about where they spend their time, their energy, and especially their money. Plus, AI is everywhere, and more and more of what we’re seeing is fake as fuck.

Kylie Kelly [00:02:59]:
Last night, I legit saw someone post a photo of a Stripe dashboard showing a million dollar year and it turns out it was all fucking AI generated, but it looked so real. And this is exactly the problem. So as business owners and marketers, we can’t pretend like it’s business as usual because it’s not. We can’t rely on the flashy tricks or the one size fits all templates. We can’t out hype a trust recession. The only thing that cuts through the noise right now is real trust. And that means it’s time to double down on what actually works. Building relationships, showing up consistently, creating content that connects instead of just converts, and treating your audience like fucking humans, not just leads.

Kylie Kelly [00:03:42]:
Let me say this clearly. Trust is the strategy. Inside my own business, I’ve felt this shift really deeply. The best results that I’ve seen lately, they’re not from some magic funnel. They’re from things like inside the inbox where people told me that they felt seen and supported. This podcast, yep, this one that you’re listening to right here, which has become a consistent trust building engine for me. And simply being in people’s inboxes with value, transparency and realness. Because here’s the thing: when someone trusts you, they’ll listen.

Kylie Kelly [00:04:12]:
When someone trusts you, they’ll refer you. And when someone trusts you, they’ll buy from you again and again. So how do we actually build trust when this online world feels a little bit shaky? Let me walk you through five ways to build unshakable trust with your audience even during a so called trust recession. Number one. Show your face. Use your voice. People trust people. Not logos, not brands.

Kylie Kelly [00:04:40]:
You. Show up in your emails. Use your podcast to speak from the heart. Record a voice memo. Post a photo without a filter or makeup. Let them see the real you because people buy from humans, not from Canva graphics. And if this makes you hesitate, if this makes you cringe, I need to tell you with love to get out of your own fucking way. People do not care what you look like.

Kylie Kelly [00:05:02]:
They do not care about if you’re carrying a little bit of extra weight right now. They don’t care about how beautiful your kitchen is. They want to connect with you, the person behind the business, the person that could help them solve a really painful problem if they got out of their own way and showed up. Right? If they could start to show their audience that they trusted them. And you have to show your face. You have to use your voice to be able to do that. Number two. Say the things that others won’t.

Kylie Kelly [00:05:30]:
Now you don’t need to be edgy or spicy for the sake of it, but you do need to have a fucking point of view. Stop playing it safe. Stop being vanilla. Vanilla does not build trust. It builds forgetability. Is that even a word? But it’s fucking forgetful. Right? Speak the truth. Say the quiet part out loud.

Kylie Kelly [00:05:47]:
Say what your dream clients wish somebody would finally have the guts to say. Some of my spicy takes are definitely coming onto the podcast every Tuesday, hence the new little mini solo episodes. And they revolve around some of these opinions that I have. They revolve around the fact that you don’t need a fucking email template, you just need to be using your own voice. That saying yes to everyone isn’t a strategy, right? Like there are so many little truths that I am not afraid to say anymore. And I must admit, like, this was part of my journey. This was something that I’ve grown into. But right now, even if this makes you a little bit uncomfortable, you need to get better at speaking up.

Kylie Kelly [00:06:24]:
You need to get better at using your voice to have an opinion so that you can stand out, so that you can attract your perfect people that agree with your opinion, that want to be in your world, that then can start to trust you, so that you can serve them, so that you can grow an audience of people that know, like, and trust you, that want to work with you, that that actually support you in everything that you do. Because that, right there, when you start using your voice, when you start saying the things that others won’t, that is a thing that is going to change everything for you. Right? That’s going to change your business. If you’re sitting here and you are feeling vanilla and stagnant and you’re not making progress and you don’t know what to do next, fucking start using your voice. Start saying the things that others won’t. Have a point of view. Have an opinion and start speaking out about the things that you feel really passionate about in your industry, in your niche, in your corner. Because I can guarantee that there are gonna be other people that are thinking the exact same thing.

Kylie Kelly [00:07:15]:
Number three. Deliver what you promise and then some. This one is simple but so overlooked. If your freebie promises a three step system, make sure it actually teaches them something. If you’re hosting a bundle, make sure it’s fucking high quality and well organised and clear. If you are going to go live, fucking show up. Don’t pull the pin last minute. Like truth grows in micro moments.

Kylie Kelly [00:07:36]:
It grows when people feel like you do what you say you’re going to do. Become a woman of your word. Make sure that you deliver what you promise and then some. Be the person that over delivers every damn time. People will notice. Number four. Show the journey, not just the highlight real. We do not trust perfection.

Kylie Kelly [00:07:53]:
We trust real. We trust messy. We trust behind the scenes. So don’t just share the striped screenshot, whether it’s AI generated or not. Share what you tested to get that result. Share the freebie that failed. Share the ghost town webinar that you did last year that only your mum attended. Hell, if it was me, no one was there.

Kylie Kelly [00:08:08]:
Not even my mum. Let your people in and not because it’s vulnerable for vulnerability’s sake, but because that’s how trust is built. They need to see the journey. They need to see the progress. Then they can picture themselves in your shoes, trying the things to get to the result. And they’re going to trust that you’re not full of shit, that you actually have done the work to get to where you are. There is no such thing as an overnight success. We know that.

Kylie Kelly [00:08:30]:
Right? All the income claims that we see on fucking social media are bullshit. We know the truth. So when you’re not showing us the journey, when you’re not showing us anything but the highlight reel, we don’t trust you. Right? Because we know it’s not that easy. Start to show the journey so that we can start to trust what’s actually going on in your business and who you say you are and what you say you do. And then number five, prioritize connection over conversion. Every single time. Visibility isn’t about going viral.

Kylie Kelly [00:08:58]:
You guys all know that I’m not on social media. I don’t try to go viral. I was never good at dancing reels, pointing and all that fuckery. Right? I was never good at that. And lucky for me, it’s not about going viral. It’s about being remembered. It’s about being known and it’s about being trusted. This is why I spend time in my DMs.

Kylie Kelly [00:09:14]:
I don’t show up on Instagram. I never post to my feed on Instagram, but I do show up in my DMs. Right? I’ll reply back with voice notes. I reply to emails. This is why I collaborate with humans I adore and I show up when my dream clients are already hanging out. This is why I create it inside the inbox. This is why I host private bundles. This is why I’m obsessed with aligned strategic collaborations, not just for growth, but for connection.

Kylie Kelly [00:09:37]:
It’s how I make friends as an adult, for goodness sake. So we need to remember: connection builds trust and trust builds conversions. Right? So the more connections you have And we’re going to come into this with the right intention. Right? We want to actually do it to build trust. We’re not doing it just to make the dollar, but it is a known fact that the more connections that we have, the more conversions we will see. So prioritise connections every single time. Deepen the relationships. Spend time with people.

Kylie Kelly [00:10:04]:
Make sure you are taking time to reply to any of the emails that land into your inbox, the DMs, the messages. You don’t need to be perfect, men. I’m a mom of two little boys and I definitely am a little delayed on the responding aspect of things, but still make it a priority to connect. Right? Let people in. Think of ways you can grow your business intentionally with connection. And here’s the beautiful part of all of this. When you lead with trust, right, the sales will come. Actually, they’ll come easier.

Kylie Kelly [00:10:35]:
Right? There’ll be more joy, more spaciousness, more alignment because you’re not convincing anymore. You’re simply inviting. You’re not forcing. You’re magnetising. If you’ve been feeling this shift lately, if your content’s not landing like it used to, if you’re questioning your strategy, it might not be your offer. It might not be the algorithm. It might be time to rebuild trust. Now, again, those five things you’re going to focus on, you’re going to show your face and use your voice, say the things that others won’t and have an opinion, share your point of view, deliver what you promise and then some, show the journey, not just the highlight reel in your content, and prioritize connection every single time.

Kylie Kelly [00:11:13]:
And finally, babe, you don’t have to do it alone. This is the exact work that I do with my clients inside the Email Growth Club and inside Headline and my Mastermind. We build trust, we grow audiences, and we create content that connects and converts without out the burnout or the bullshit. Right? So if you’re ready for that next level, for growth rooted in real connection, that’s going to build trust, come and find me. Let’s rebuild trust together. You’ve got this. Thank you again for being here. I hope you found this episode really helpful.

Kylie Kelly [00:11:43]:
All the links that you need are in the show notes and I will see you again next week. Bye for now. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of The Email Growth Show. I hope you found valuable insights into the next steps you can take to grow your email list and boost your business without relying on social media or paid ads. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show and share it with others. Your feedback helps me reach more female entrepreneurs just like you who are ready to say goodbye to social media and leverage email marketing to grow their business and make a bigger impact. Thank you so much for listening and I’ll see you in the next episode.