Ep. 19: Trust Under Pressure: Accountability in High-Stakes Relationships with Eric Stein
What does trust actually depend on when the stakes are high and something goes wrong?
In this episode, Anne speaks with Eric Stein, partner at East Bay Investment Solutions, whose work sits inside one of the most trust-sensitive environments there is: investment decision-making. When advisors rely on your judgment to serve their clients, credibility is built in the details.
Eric shares two stories from his career that reveal opposite sides of trust. One shows how taking full ownership after a major mistake actually strengthened trust. The other shows how unclear expectations and misaligned incentives slowly weakened it.
As you listen, consider whether trust in your own work is being built by what you promise, or by what people experience when pressure arrives.
What You’ll Learn:
Why owning a mistake can build more trust than avoiding one.
How people decide whether you are reliable under pressure.
The cost of delayed communication in high-trust relationships.
Why incentives can quietly weaken trust over time.
How better expectation-setting prevents unnecessary friction.
What strong handoffs require when relationships change.
Why follow-through matters more than good intentions.
Ideas Worth Sharing:
“Trust is not only in what you say, but it’s in how you act and react to different things.” - Eric Stein
“You want to certainly limit the number of mistakes you make, but if you do make them… let's make sure that we're accountable for them and how we fix them.” - Eric Stein
“You need to trust that they're actually going to respond to you and that the relationship they have with you is as important as the relationship that we have with them.” - Eric Stein
About Eric Stein:
Eric Stein, CFA, is Partner and Senior Investment Strategist at East Bay Investment Solutions, where he serves as an outsourced Chief Investment Strategist for select financial advisory firms. With prior leadership roles at Goldman Sachs Asset Management and RSM U.S. Wealth Management, Eric brings deep experience across portfolio construction, risk analysis, asset allocation, and advisor support. He has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal and writes regularly on markets, due diligence, and investment strategy.
Resources:
Follow Eric:
LinkedIn: Eric Stein
Follow Anne:
LinkedIn: Anne Claessen
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