Podcast Summary: The Digital Executive

Episode: Clay Moffat on Writing 'The Trust Trap': Finding the True Cost of Misplaced Trust | Ep 1060
Host: Brian, Coruzant Technologies
Guest: Clay Moffat
Date: May 10, 2025
Length: ~16 minutes

Episode Overview

In this compelling episode, Brian interviews Clay Moffat, performance coach and author of The Trust Trap, about the real cost of misplaced trust in business and life. Written in a three-week window while facing imminent blindness, Moffat’s book distills years of experience with elite performers, painful mistakes, and gritty psychological truths into a raw guide for founders and innovators. The episode dives into trust as a process (not a trait), why high-performers fall for the same traps, and why our brains are not designed for the modern world of business relationships.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Urgency Behind 'The Trust Trap'

[01:22 – 04:29]

• Writing Under Pressure:
  Moffat’s right eye began failing rapidly in late 2024, with his only other eye already blind from a previous surgery. Facing a ticking clock and the risk of total blindness, he wrote and published the book in just 21 days.

  "That urgency stripped away every ounce of drama, every ounce of self doubt. And what it gave me was unwavering commitment. There's no posturing, just a raw, unfiltered truth about how trust actually works and why so many smart people keep stepping into the same landmines, the same field, the same destruction. And I lived it." — Clay Moffat [03:08]

• Loss Through Misplaced Trust:
  Moffat invested heavily in a tech platform (Rifmoia), ignoring serious red flags because he wanted to believe in his team. The fallout cost him not only money but the core of his coaching business and reputation.

• Mission for Others:
  The book exists to help non-technical founders avoid losing everything to preventable trust mistakes—especially when you don’t get a second shot at life or vision.

2. Why the Smartest People Get Fooled

[05:05 – 07:21]

• Emotional vs. Logical Influence:
  Even very smart people are susceptible to deception because influence happens through emotional, not logical, pathways.

  "The simplest thing is that the easiest people to see are often the most smartest... Influence doesn't happen for your logical brain. It happens with your emotional patterns." — Clay Moffat [05:08]

• Ego and Overconfidence:
  Trusted mentors like Chase Hughes and David Snyder taught Moffat that ego blinds you:

  "If your ego is too tied to being the smartest guy in the room, you'll never see the knife until it's in your back." — Clay Moffat [06:01]

• Ignoring Red Flags:
  Driven by his need to deliver and “keep his word,” Moffat rationalized away all gut warnings during the Rifmoia project, leading to catastrophic loss.

3. Patterns of Trust and Betrayal Among Top Performers

[07:55 – 10:04]

• Pattern Blindness:
  Hard-charging performers are not fragile or naïve, but are often blind to behavioral patterns that precede betrayal.

  "They trust based on charisma and credentials or urgency... They think trust is a trait and it isn't... but it's not actually blindsided. Like there's always clues, there's always breadcrumbs, right?" — Clay Moffat [08:14]

• False Authority and Familiarity:
  Betrayal often happens when someone appears like an expert or mirrors your values and mission—so you let your guard down.

• Cost of Overriding Instincts:
  Moffat lost six figures and 18 months of business momentum by ignoring alarms, and his reputation as a “delivering coach” suffered permanently.

• Practical Guidance:

  "Build trust like they build software, right? Modular, testable, trackable. Recognize that it's not something that is permanent... They go on blind faith and think it's permanent, and it's not." — Clay Moffat [09:40]

4. "Trust is a Glitch, Not a Gift"

[10:39 – 15:31]

• Hardwired for Familiarity:
  The brain is biologically designed for survival by conserving energy and relying on recognizable patterns—not for evaluating trust in modern, dynamic relationships.

  "Your nervous system isn't calibrated for the modern world... your brain is lazy. It's economical. It wants to expend as little energy as possible because that is survival, and we are wired to survive." — Clay Moffat [10:44]

• The Trust Bracket:
  Once someone is slotted as “trustworthy,” we stop scrutinizing their actions, exposing ourselves to potential betrayal.

• Trust as Fluid, Not Permanent:
  People change due to incentives and context. Trust should be continuously tested and never assumed static.

  "People think it's this permanent process because the nervous system, the brain, is lazy and likes to make things permanent, whereas it's not. Everything's a process." — Clay Moffat [15:19]

• Illustrative Anecdote:
  Example of co-founders: as personal priorities shift (e.g., starting a family), the original trust dynamic may no longer serve both parties—even if no one is “at fault.”

• Mutual Benefit is Key:
  Trust is sustained only as long as it serves a mutually beneficial outcome.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "No posturing, just a raw, unfiltered truth about how trust actually works and why so many smart people keep stepping into the same landmines." — Clay Moffat [03:10]
• "If your ego is too tied to being the smartest guy in the room, you'll never see the knife until it's in your back." — Clay Moffat [06:01]
• "Most people don't consider it being a red flag until it's too late. And they don't pay attention, and they don't know how to pay attention." — Clay Moffat [06:56]
• "Build trust like they build software, right? Modular, testable, trackable." — Clay Moffat [09:40]
• "Trust is not a trait, it's a glitch in your pattern-matching nervous system." [Theme]
• "Neither one of those people is bad. They just now got a values misalignment. And trust is built on a mutually beneficial outcome." — Clay Moffat [13:45]

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [01:22–04:29] — The story behind writing The Trust Trap under life-altering pressure
• [05:05–07:21] — Lessons from behavioral training and why smart people get fooled
• [07:55–10:04] — Patterns of trust and betrayal among high achievers
• [10:39–15:31] — Why trust is a glitch, not a gift, and how to change your approach in business and relationships

Tone and Language

The conversation is raw, direct, and bracingly honest, mirroring the urgent and unfiltered nature of Moffat’s book. Clay uses vivid storytelling from personal losses and behavioral science experience, blending vulnerability with practical, actionable advice. Brian echoes the emotional resonance and distills key lessons for listeners.

Summary Takeaway

Clay Moffat’s episode is a wake-up call for founders, entrepreneurs, and high achievers: trust is not a permanent trait but a pattern-based glitch of our evolutionary wiring. Smart, driven people are just as likely to be blindsided because of ego, urgency, or charisma. To avoid the costliest mistakes, treat trust in business and relationships as a process—modular, testable, and always in motion.