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Trust Signals by Dusti Arab @ the reinvention co

Let's burn a bridge.


Trust Signals

the reinvention co

Hey Reader,

A couple days ago, I sent the most satisfying exit email of my career.

I’m talking chef’s kiss, cc-the-whole-team, “we're done here” energy. I don’t make a habit of broadcasting client exits, but this one? This one’s a case study in how to show your entire ass - and an absolute lack of leadership or accountability.

And you know what? I’ll show it to you in a sec, because I have zero to lose in this scenario. (Besides, I think I'm hilarious.)

But before I show it to you, let me tell you what led up to it - and what it made me realize (again) about how I do business.

*

A little over a year ago, a close friend of mine called me in a bind. Her company had lost their tech guy, and she needed some help getting their marketing systems back on track.

Now, I don’t typically work hourly. It’s inefficient, it undervalues strategy, and I’ve spent too long building my reputation to be someone’s backup IT department.

But she needed support. I had capacity. And honestly? After years of dealing with the emotional whiplash of personal brands, the idea of doing quiet backend work for a boring business that sells something people actually need sounded kind of refreshing.

So I said yes. Figured I’d help my friend, pick up a little cash, and quietly peace out when they got their shit together.

Spoiler: they never did.

Instead, they hired a new CFO.

We had one call, where he spent the entire hour talking over me while allegedly trying to figure out what I did for the company. Full mansplain mode. Bro bragged about building websites on Drupal like it was 2009.

At that point, I knew I wasn’t staying long, but I was still trying to be helpful. They'd been talking about doing a brand refresh for months, and it finally got approved - so I pulled comps, put together a direction, and sent it over.

Never heard back. Dude ghosted the project entirely.

That was it for me. I’d already been halfway out the door, but that was the moment I mentally clocked out. (If you're not going to take my advice, why are you paying me?)

Then, fresh off the plane from Costa Rica, I find out they fired her - along with half the company.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, they apparently had no plan for transferring access because...

This wasn’t just a bad decision. This was a clown car of poor leadership driving straight into a wall.

We’re talking domain names, backend credentials, website infrastructure - the stuff they’re going to realize too late they don’t have control of when it’s time to update their site (again).

Truly can’t wait for the panicked email when they realize no one knows how to update their footer.

So I wrote the email heard 'round all my giggling group chats. Please enjoy.

If I sound salty, that’s because I am.

You don’t fuck with my people, and you sure as hell don’t treat the people holding your business together like they’re disposable.

But in the name of taking radical responsibility... I knew this gig wasn't a fit.

It wasn’t strategic. It wasn’t creative. It wasn’t a full use of what I actually do.

But I said yes anyway.

A couple hundred bucks a month to keep things moving. Nothing I needed to put my name on. Just background support.

And honestly?

After years of being front and center in other people’s launches and responsible for making sure I was producing major ROI, it felt like a relief to be working on something low-stakes.

The math was mathing. Until it wasn’t.

Because somehow, this tiny bullshit project was still taking up way too much of my brain.

Not the work itself - the tension of it. The resentment. The half-assed communication. The part of me that kept saying, “You fucking know better.”

So I ended it.

And then I had to sit with the real question: If I’m saying no to this… what exactly am I making space for?

Because here’s what I know: I do my best work with people who give a damn.

About their clients. Their reputation. Their relationships.

People who aren’t performing “authority” online - they’re already the go-to, even if no one’s shouting about it.

People like you.

The ones who’ve been at this for a while.

Who don’t need a business coach to tell them how to price a package.

Who’ve got strong referrals sometimes… but still wonder why they still haven't quite conquered feast and famine.

Who do phenomenal work, but poooossibly haven't built the infrastructure that makes it easy to be referred, rebooked, and remembered.

That’s the work I’m here to lead.

That’s why I’m pointing you to the one offer I’ve seen make the biggest difference for the people I actually want to work with.

Referral Worthy. The system I built for relationship-based business owners who want to stay booked without selling harder.

And now? It’s $197.

That’s the update.

It’s not a campaign, or even a soft launch. It’s me making a call.

I know too many of you are incredible at what you do… and still left wondering why the work isn’t flowing.

This fixes that.

It gives you the structure, the language, and the systems to turn what’s already working into consistent referrals, without turning into a marketing machine you hate.

It’s ready when you are. Get Referral Worthy for $197

And if you’re ready for more - if you want my eyes on your referral ecosystem, your offers, your positioning - there’s a 1:1 upgrade waiting for you inside.

You’ve seen what I walk away from. This is what I stand behind.

Let’s build the business people can’t wait to tell their friends about.


The Common Wealth Summit

If you’re coming to the Common Wealth Summit later this month, make sure you’re registered. I’ll be speaking, but more importantly, the rooms are full of people you actually want to know.

Hearth & Hollow

Fall is just around the corner, which means it's time to start your next round of seeds?

No room for your winter garden yet? I’ve got you.

Hearth & Hollow is now taking pre-orders for fall veggie starts. Think of it like a CSA for plants.

More info here!

Last Thoughts

That’s all for now.

Keep your standards high, your systems tight, and your exit emails spicy.

Talk soon,

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
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Trust Signals by Dusti Arab @ the reinvention co

Dusti Arab is a marketing strategist and the founder of The Reinvention Co, where she helps values-driven business owners build regenerative marketing systems rooted in trust, resonance, and results. She’s the creator of Referral Worthy, the podcast and methodology for turning exceptional client experiences into word-of-mouth engines. With a background in creative direction, messaging, and operations, Dusti specializes in making your business unmistakable - and easier to talk about. If your marketing isn’t working the way it used to, she’s the strategist you call when you’re ready to be known for what you actually do best.

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