Ask JBH with Janice Bryant Howroyd

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.