
Ignitecast - Official Podcast of the Ignite Leadership Conference by CDF
Ignite your leadership passion with Ignitecast, the official podcast of the Ignite Leadership Conference in Tupelo, MS. IgniteCast features content from past Ignite speakers along with insights from local leaders. Each episode will be a short, engaging 20-to-30-minute conversation designed to highlight the impact of leadership and economic development in Tupelo and Lee County. Our purpose is to tell the Community Development Foundation’s story by showcasing how we create more and better jobs, attract top talent, and foster leadership growth within the community. Through these conversations, we aim to strengthen talent retention, support business expansion, and ensure that Tupelo, Lee County, and CDF remain relevant and forward-thinking.
Ignitecast - Official Podcast of the Ignite Leadership Conference by CDF
Trust Keeps People Coming Back with Justin Patton
In this episode of IgniteCast presented by iHeartMedia, Judd sits down with Justin Patton—national keynote speaker, bestselling author, and executive coach—for a high-impact conversation on what truly sets great leaders apart.
Justin shares powerful insights on the importance of trust, how to build confidence in others, and why a leader’s energy is one of their greatest tools for influence. With his signature mix of passion, clarity, and real-world experience, Justin challenges us to lead with intention and authenticity—starting from the inside out.
🎧 Whether you're leading a team or simply leading yourself, this episode will leave you inspired to step up, show up, and spark meaningful change.
Big thanks to iHeartMedia—our Presenting Sponsor for the entire IgniteCast podcast and the powerhouse fueling this season’s episodes! 🔊🔥
🎧 New episodes drop every other Thursday, packed with insight, inspiration, and actionable ideas to help you grow as a leader—right where you are.
Want to learn more about the Ignite Leadership Conference?
Visit 👉 www.igniteleadership.com
S4 E5 Justin Patton
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Taylor Tutor: [00:00:00] Welcome to Ignite Cast, where ideas Spark action brought. To you by the Community Development Foundation, your Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Engine for Tupelo and Lee County, thank you to our presenting sponsor, iHeartMedia for powering this season of Ignite Cast. I'm Taylor, I'm Judge and welcome.
Taylor Tutor: Welcome to Ignite Cast.
Judd Wilson: So we're here for another IgniteCast. Actually, my co-host isn't with me. Taylor's not with me because. I'm in Athens, Georgia, believe it or not, I think this is our first at night cast to do on location and my guest today is Justin Patton and those of y'all that have been to at night, Justin is no [00:01:00] stranger to you.
Judd Wilson: He's an author and trust expert and keynote speaker, but he's been into at night twice. Justin, you came and visited us in 2019 and guess what? You are our first return speaker ever to the Ignite Co Conference back in 2023. Welcome to at Nightcast.
Justin Patton: Thank you. I appreciate it. So glad to be back with y'all again.
Judd Wilson: Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, tell us a little bit about, we're talking about leadership and we asked this before to a couple of people. What, what's the first leadership tip that, that you remember receiving and kind of impacted you?
Justin Patton: I think for me, um, probably the first one is to just do your job really darn well. I think if you're gonna have any type of influence or get people to want to hear what you have to say, they have to believe that you have some credibility behind it.
Justin Patton: So I think part of, um, I remember early on my career, probably when I was at Anthem, I had a boss who was saying, listen, you're gonna move up. People gonna believe what you say. You gotta do your job really well.
Judd Wilson: Yeah. And, and it's kind, kind of show up more than anything, right? Yeah. [00:02:00]
Justin Patton: Well I think it's taking responsibility for your presence and how people feel around you.
Justin Patton: Do they feel that they can trust not just your Yes, you're smarts and that you know what you're talking about, but you're someone that they can rely on.
Judd Wilson: Yeah. Yeah. So trust is a big thing. Um, your company trust architect, I believe I have that right. Kind of talk about. The essence of trust and why that's so important for teams and, and, and as leaders to be trustworthy.
Justin Patton: Yeah. Listen, I'm biased, but I always say that trust is our biggest competitive advantage. And the reason I believe that is because it's the one thing that keeps people coming back again and again. I don't care if that's how we parent or if that's in our marriage or if that's in the, in the work. Place is trust will be the one thing that keeps people coming back.
Justin Patton: And when we teach trust, we did all this research. We found out there were three factors that really build trust with people, and that was transparency, tacked and togetherness and trust requires all three. You can't get rid of one when one of those starts to go away and any relationship in your life, that's when.[00:03:00]
Justin Patton: Trust really starts to take a hit. So we go in and we help people in any relationship try to say, how are you using your presence that you just talked about? To really show up in a way that makes people feel that, that you're someone they can talk to, which is the transparency that you're open with your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, you're tactful that.
Justin Patton: You're not, I don't know if you've heard this, judge. You know how these leaders, I hear people say, I'm just a truth teller. I just tell people how it is. I'm like, no, you're a jerk. You know? And because they learn to value transparency, but sometimes they don't always know how to keep people whole in the process.
Justin Patton: That's the tack piece I. Finally that togetherness piece really is that I know how to take people with me. Like this is a team effort and I feel like we're really in this together.
Judd Wilson: Right, right. I, I find sometimes we talk about transparency, but some people are scared to be transparent because they're scared of.
Judd Wilson: Confrontation. Yeah. How, how do you overcome that?
Justin Patton: Uh, there's a couple things that come up. I actually think we talk so much about building trust with other people. I think the foundation is actually building [00:04:00] trust with yourself. Yeah. And until you can do that, you typically won't be as transparent. You'll withhold, you won't share your ideas, you don't share your feelings in any relationship.
Justin Patton: So I would say you gotta build someone's self-confidence first. Part of that is speaking up people. We know that your voice is directly connected to your, um, to your, to your confidence. People are like, oh, I'll speak up once I'm confident. I'm like, boo, it does not work that way. You just won't do it. Right?
Justin Patton: And so part of this is teaching people that your voice, your opinion, your feelings has value, and you were hired. To give your opinion, you're hired to share those things now. I think there's some discretion there, but I think as people are learning to do that, they've gotta learn to speak up, set boundaries, talk about their thoughts and feelings more.
Justin Patton: And so it's building self-confidence, I think is a big contributor to that.
Judd Wilson: And a lot of times when you do bring that up, yeah, you're scared of confrontation, but. It actually kind of levels the PA playing field where there's less confrontation in the future. Yeah. Do you [00:05:00] see that?
Justin Patton: I do. Well, I always think about Brene Brown.
Justin Patton: She said Brene Brown once said that when people don't have all the information, they fill it in with fear. And so what happens is other people start making up a story about what you're thinking or what you're feeling, or that you don't have an idea. Right. Versus when I can just put it out there. Then I think people, no one's second guessing and now we're all playing by the same rules.
Justin Patton: Or at least I know. I can play off your idea. So yeah, I think that to me this, this transparency piece is, it only is going to serve you. Um, but I, lemme say that, I'm gonna say the opposite. I do know some, there has been very few in my career, but I do know some people that probably overshare. Um, and they don't have the discretion to know maybe I'm too transparent, um, sometimes and has everyone earned the right to hear what I'm about to share?
Justin Patton: And so that, I always say that, have they earned the right to hear what I'm about to share? And is it going to serve the relationship this moment to really share that? Right,
Judd Wilson: right. And it kind of goes back to this too. You, you think about, oh, he's a born leader, or [00:06:00] she's a born leader. Really it's learned behavior and, and, and trust is the same way.
Judd Wilson: Correct?
Justin Patton: It is. And, and people, I would say trust is built in the really small moments. Everyone thinks it's these big things. Oh, we do this big annual event, or we, whatever. I'm like, but trust is the small moments of. The, the tone and the email that you send, it's the way that you recognize other staff members.
Justin Patton: It's the way that you do share your thoughts and feelings in a meeting. It's all the little ways, and I, I don't think that is just an eight. I think that you learn that through getting it wrong sometimes. Mm-hmm. I think you learn it through getting feedback from mentors along the way. I think some aspects might be innate, but I think a lot of it is just, um.
Justin Patton: Learning through the process.
Judd Wilson: Yeah, yeah. Um, one thing we've been doing with this podcast is, as you know, we have the night leadership conference and already mentioned you were with us in 2019 and 2023 is, we've been playing some clips of some of the speakers in the past, and so we, I wanna play a clip with you from Sun Neil Gupta.
Judd Wilson: You actually shared the [00:07:00] stage with him in, in 2023. We didn't want to use a clip of you because it would've been weird, like, man, that Justin's awesome, you know. So, um, let me play this clip for you from, um, Sunil. I'd love to get your feedback on that as well.
Suneel Gupta: If you look at great leaders and great teams that are able to build momentum in their lives, and you compare them to leaders and teams that lose momentum over time, the teams and leaders that fizzle out, very rarely do they run out of time.
Suneel Gupta: Very rarely do they run out of talent. What they almost always run out of. Energy.
Judd Wilson: So energy, losing energy as a leader, where do you see those pitfalls and maybe how to overcome that?
Justin Patton: I, I, I think too many people are unaware of how their energy is actually even coming across to people. I. So when I think about energy, I'm gonna tell you my, my view, just from the research we did.
Justin Patton: We define energy as your mindset and your presence. So when you walk into a room, what's the mindset that you [00:08:00] walk in with? And then what's the presence that of, of how you're showing up in that moment? And I think too many people either are unaware or they don't care about the energy they show up with.
Justin Patton: And they'll, they'll justify it by saying, well, this is just who I am. This is authentic and. I think sometimes that's just an easy pass to get away with bad behavior. And so I think you've gotta be able to, the best leaders that I've ever worked with, ever coached, ever known, they, they took responsibility for the energy they walk into a room with,
Judd Wilson: and that, again, bad energy can.
Judd Wilson: A road trust too. Correct.
Justin Patton: A hundred percent right. Versus, um, this idea is do I, does my energy make people feel safe? Does it make 'em feel like they could speak up and talk? And I always say your presence either puts people at ease or it puts 'em on edge. Those are the only two options we got. So even, even in the way in my written stuff or the way that I vocalize, I'm either putting people at ease or on edge.
Justin Patton: And to me, I could be biased, but I do think the best leaders I know, they tend [00:09:00] to put people at ease. There are moments that there's a time to push. There's a moment that I'm gonna call you out, but I can still do that in a way that, that says, that keeps people safe and whole. Um, and, and, and, and be responsible for the energy that I'm putting out there.
Judd Wilson: Right, right. Sometimes our energy is affected not at work, but maybe at home and, and, and other personal things. I've overcome some things. You've been very transparent about, uh, what your mom is going through with Alzheimer's and, you know, that affects you. How, how do you overcome that and, and bring that to a positive energy?
Judd Wilson: Because I mean, it's, it's, it's a, it's a sad story, but a positive story too. So
Justin Patton: there's a quote I use in my life that really helps me. It says, use pain as a stepping stone, not a campground. I love that quote. Yes. Pain is a stepping stone, not a campground. And too many people I know camp out in their pain and I guess, I don't know, Judd, I've just been one of those people that's like, I am just not gonna be that person.
Justin Patton: I'm not gonna keep out. But I also don't believe in toxic positivity, so I don't believe those people are like, everything's great. I'm like, no. Sometimes it's burning down and [00:10:00] sometimes you need to acknowledge like the, the emotion that it is. But this is to me, how I deal with it. It's. That two things can be true.
Justin Patton: I can be sad about my mom's diagnosis. I can hate that it's happening, but I still have so many more memories that I get to create with her and I'm not gonna miss out on those. And so to me it's honoring, yes, I. It's sad. Yes, it's, I wished it was different, but I'm gonna make the most and I'm gonna move forward with what it is that I've got left.
Justin Patton: That's just, to me, that is a mindset choice, that is an energy choice of how you choose to see life, how you choose to see relationships and people. And I think for me, I. I also think that it's the, those two opposite ends require the same amount of energy.
Judd Wilson: Mm. Yeah.
Justin Patton: So being negative and camping out requires the same amount of energy as being optimistic and finding the most out of it.
Justin Patton: And I get to decide where do I wanna put my energy?
Judd Wilson: Yeah. Yeah. And that kind of, it helps shape you. Your story is, is very unique too, because. You're, you're a leadership coach, keynote [00:11:00] speaker, writer, all that good stuff. Kind of tell us about your start and where you are now. High school teacher, do I have that right?
Justin Patton: Yeah. That's how I started. Yeah. I was a high school teacher for five years, English, creative writing. Loved it. Never thought I was getting out, but I had a mentor who was like, Hey, would you ever can teach your, you know, consider teaching adults? And I was like, I don't know. And so after a little bit of convincing, I was like, I'm gonna try it for one year, and if I don't like it, I'll come back and on.
Justin Patton: I remember day one they flew me. I was from, I'm a country boy from Kentucky, and on day one of joining, I joined Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. And I was, I'm a sales trainer and they flew me to Thousand Oaks, California. And I, they put me up in the Four Seasons. I had never been anything above a Marriott.
Justin Patton: And all I remember was I walk in the bathroom and I go. There is a television in the bathroom and I thought I had made it at that point. But what happened was they started investing in my development, putting me through certifications, giving me opportunities, and um, so I ended up being a sales trainer for Anthem Blue Cross Blue [00:12:00] Shield for five years.
Justin Patton: And then after that I ended up leaving and going to Young Brands top. Global leadership programs for all of you. Who owns KF CDs? I, taco Bell. Just amazing people, amazing leaders. That company really taught me about culture, how to, how to get people to be in a workplace that inspires people, makes people feel seen, and just had a lot of good mentors.
Justin Patton: And finally because of a mentor there, it actually a Taco Bell, her name is Monica. Um, I decided to leave and start my own company and she really gave me the window. She was like, if you leave. We'll give you a contract to keep teaching. I was like, what is this happening? Right. You know, and, but that's kind of the, that was the, the safety net that I needed to go start my own company, which happened in one one of 2014.
Justin Patton: And then, so then we were like, okay, well if we were gonna have our own biz, what do we wanna spend our life teaching people about that we thought was meaningful? Which is how we really got into the trust architect group to say. You know, how, how to get people thinking differently about their presence and how they're using their presence to build trust.
Judd Wilson: That's great. Great. Yeah, you could tell I'm a big yum span from my, we all are, I'm [00:13:00] gonna support Yum. Yum. Changed my life. But it's neat 'cause you were teaching high school and it took a person to say, Hey, have you ever thought about teaching adults? So sometimes as a leader that listening to this podcast, they might feel stuck in where they are.
Judd Wilson: What kind of, what kind of advice do you give them to say, Hey, you might not be doing what you're doing. 10 years from now.
Justin Patton: Well, lemme say it this way, I think it sometimes the people will be in a position to open doors for other people that. I, I wasn't even, I didn't even know that door would even exist, right?
Justin Patton: So he saw something in me and he gave me an opportunity. And then I think once you get the opportunity, it's up to you to really go and run with it and make the most of it. And then my, my goal now, Judd, is now that I'm in a position is how do I create some of those opportunities for other people as well?
Justin Patton: And I think in leadership, that is our goal, is to be door openers, um, to speak really well with people. In rooms maybe that they're not in, and then hopefully create opportunities for people that maybe they didn't even know was an option for them. [00:14:00]
Judd Wilson: Right. Open that door for 'em. But they gotta, yeah, they gotta step forward.
Judd Wilson: Well, '
Justin Patton: cause once I, once I got there, he left six months later, I was like, wait, I did not sign up for that. Right. Yeah. But I realized he gave me the opportunity. Now it's up to me to go make the most of the opportunity. And that's not on him.
Judd Wilson: Yeah.
Justin Patton: And I think for everybody, right? You, you, you put your head down, you build relationships, you.
Justin Patton: You take the time to learn the job or build your competence and then you, I think you have to add value and, and, and adding value might look different to people, but if you can do that, I think you'll continue to move up.
Judd Wilson: Yeah. Yeah. And it, it was when you got the young brands, it was at Monica you mentioned?
Judd Wilson: Yeah. So it was another mentor said, Hey. Go do your own company. That's right. So what are some other mentors you've had besides those two that have really kind of shaped Justin Patton?
Justin Patton: I just shared this with one of the classes I was just teaching. His name was Dr. Mark Golston. He just passed away recently.
Justin Patton: But, um, he, he has the number one book on listening. It's called Just Listen. I remember, um, I had a falling out with a boss one time and someone I really [00:15:00] trusted Judd. Oh. I was just, I was really hurt by how it ended and at some point this was like, you know, six months later I was talking to him, having lunch in, in LA and he goes, you know, have you ever considered, you know, maybe apologizing?
Justin Patton: I was like. Hell no. I ain't apologizing. I was mad how that relationship ended. Yes. And I still, even to today, don't agree with how the person act acted, you know? And, but I think he realized you talked about energy earlier. Mm-hmm. I was carrying that energy with me everywhere I went. I was bitter, I was judgmental.
Justin Patton: I kind of was. Probably didn't trust leadership as much 'cause I had that baggage and it took me about six more months. I wasn't ready when he told me. But what he did is I realized later was me. Using that energy of forgiveness, whatever was really about me letting go so that I can move forward in a very just fresh perspective.
Justin Patton: And I, I remember I sent her an email and I said, can I get on the phone in just 10 minutes with you? I just wanna apologize. Now, I had to get clear about what I wanted to apologize for. 'cause I didn't agree with how it acted or end it. But I got on the phone with her, she agreed, and I just said, Hey, I need to tell you that [00:16:00] I'm sorry, I, I, I'm sorry for how the relationship ended.
Justin Patton: I, I really valued your guidance and your mentorship, and I, I wished it would've ended differently Now. He said this was gonna happen. I didn't believe him, but he said, he goes, watch what happens when you do that. She said to me, Justin, you don't have to apologize. I would've done a lot of things different in hindsight.
Justin Patton: You talk about in a moment. Wow. Healing and all of that stuff that I was holding onto just kind of melted away. And I never wanted to have a relationship with her after that. It was never about continuing the relationship. It was really about just letting go and me moving forward without that baggage.
Justin Patton: And I think it was really him planting that seed with me to say, Hey, have you thought about this? He didn't push me. He just planted the seed. And I think great leaders plant seeds with people and then they give it time for people to kind of, to kind of figure out what they want do with that information.
Justin Patton: That's powerful. That was such a big moment in my career.
Judd Wilson: Yeah. Yeah. And, and it goes back to the whole trust think we talked about earlier.
Justin Patton: Yep.
Judd Wilson: Yeah.
Justin Patton: Well, and I think it allowed [00:17:00] me to also trust myself going, I was avoiding that tough conversation. It was vulnerable. I didn't know how it was gonna go when I initiated it, and part of it was saying, I'm not responsible for her part.
Justin Patton: I am responsible for my part and how I showed up and, and I could apologize for, there are some, there are some things that I would've done differently at the end and, and what was that? And I think when times is, when you, when you are that vulnerable, it often gives people permission to be vulnerable right back.
Justin Patton: Yeah. And that's really what happened. And it taught me a really valuable leadership lesson.
Judd Wilson: Great. Great. Yeah, I tell you, Justin, I always love sitting down with you. It's always a positive thing. We appreciate you being on the Ignite Cast Podcast. Um, we we're sorry Taylor wasn't here with us, but, um, it's always a pleasure to visit with you.
Judd Wilson: Thank you so much.
Taylor Tutor: Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Ignite Cast, presented by iHeartMedia. For more [00:18:00] leadership insights and engaging conversations, be sure to hit subscribe. And if you enjoyed today's episode, we'd love for you to leave a review and remember, go forward and do good things.