The Very Good Trap: Why High Performers Stop Feeling Seen with Gretchen Grottenthaler

For years, we've been told that if we work hard enough, recognition will come. But what happens when it doesn't? In this episode of Trust Stories, Tom Keenan sits down with Gretchen Grottenthaler—executive coach, speaker, and founder of Energy Inspire—to explore why so many talented people, especially women, find themselves stuck in what she calls "the very good trap." Together, they unpack how burnout often begins with feeling unseen, why trust erodes long before someone resigns, and what leaders can do to build workplaces where people genuinely thrive. The conversation also explores authenticity at work, return-to-office mandates, the changing expectations employees have of leaders, and why AI may ultimately make human skills more valuable—not less.