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The Trust Recession: Why Faceless Marketing Is Destroying Your Company
Humans of Growth · 2026-01-22 · 47 min
Episode notes
Marketing is changing faster than most companies can keep up, but the biggest shift isn’t AI, new platforms, or another algorithm update. It’s trust. Buyers are overwhelmed with information, numb to ads, and increasingly skeptical of faceless brands. What cuts through now isn’t louder messaging, it’s human leadership, clear perspective, and real storytelling. In this episode of Humans of Growth, Aly Hathcock sits down with Doug Longenecker, CEO of NKST, to unpack why companies are losing trust, how executive visibility has become a competitive advantage, and why today’s leaders need to think and show up more like creators.
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