Real Matters: Building Trust in an Unreal World

Curated feeds. Corporate spin. AI-generated everything.

Building trust in modern times is harder than ever. It’s also one of the most valuable assets a leader or organization can possess.

Employees, customers, and stakeholders are attracted to what feels real – and they can
sense inauthenticity in an instant.

When leaders show up with authenticity, they create cultures rooted in trust,
engagement, and collaboration – the foundations of high-performing teams.

Being real is the most powerful way to stand out in an unreal world of filtered
perceptions and manufactured narratives.

This doesn’t mean rejecting technology – quite the opposite. It means embracing it without losing the human touch in leadership and processes.

BOOK MARIANA

Backed by Global Leadership Research

Mariana’s Trust Advantage™ framework is informed by insights from 3,000+ leaders across four continents and aligns with research from Edelman, Gallup, and Harvard Business Review.

Her findings show that leadership trust consistently rises when 3 elements are present:

Clarity

Leaders who clearly articulate their purpose and direction earn significantly higher trust.
Purpose was the most frequently cited trait of trusted leadership in Mariana’s global survey.

Presence

High-trust leaders are fully engaged, emotionally attuned, and steady under pressure.
Research on psychological safety confirms that presence is foundational to team performance.

Congruence

Trust strengthens when a leader’s words, values, and actions align.
Studies show that alignment under pressure is a defining predictor of long-term credibility.

Purpose is the strongest driver of leadership trust.

In her global survey of 3,000+ leaders, clarity of intention — what a leader is truly “in it for” — was the most cited driver of trust.

The Performance Impact

High-trust teams report 106% more energy and 50% higher productivity

(HBR).

Highly engaged teams are 21% more profitable

(Gallup).

63% of customers choose brands they trust over cheaper alternatives

(Edelman).

Key Takeaways

  • Identify and leverage your unique leadership abilities to build trust.

  • Develop the skills to determine, understand, and guide your team through change effectively.

  • Communicate with clarity, empathy, and transparency to navigate uncertainty.

  • Unite your teams around a shared purpose to drive collective progress.

  • Mariana’s interactive exercises make unforgettable lessons and customized experiences.

A Perfect Fit For:

  • Opening and Closing Conferences, Summits, yearly gathering – when you need the energy boost to keep your event and audience engaged.

  • Industries facing disruption – healthcare, finance, tech, media, automotive – where trust is both regulated and fragile

  • Companies implementing new processes and AI at scale – where employees fear displacement/overwhelm and customers expect humanity 

  • Organizations post-layoffs or reorgs – rebuilding trust with survivors who watched colleagues exit

  • Hybrid and remote teams – where distance erodes connection and interactions become transactional

  • Sales and Marketing teams – where teams are looking to connect with their target audiences genuinely, so their product or service resonates  

  • Leadership teams driving transformation – where change management is actually trust management

  • Companies with engagement or talent retention crises

Trust Data:

2026 Edelman Trust Barometer Key numbers Core trust levels by institution, media, etc

(global, general population):

My Employer: 78% trust

Business: 64% trust

Media: 54% trust

Government: 53% trust

WHAT CLIENTS SAY

  • Mariana was exceptional. Her sincerity cut through the skeptics — they deemed the event an extremely successful and memorable team-building experience.

    Mariana brought the conference theme to life in ways that truly resonated, and her magnetic personality led the room in the right direction — the standing ovation confirmed it. What stood out most was how thoroughly prepared she was: it was obvious she took time to deeply understand our business needs and objectives, which made her presentation even more personal and relevant. The feedback continues to be overwhelmingly positive.

    – Charles E. Chase, President & CEO, FirstService Brands / California Closets

  • Mariana unlocks the most memorable of experiences, that deliver learning, insights, and calls to action that promise to transform.

    Mariana is a world-class expert in her profession, and for Microsoft she is so much more. She is a thought partner who brings her uniqueness to creating informed, empathetic, future-forward discussions on innovation and inclusion. Her ability to mobilize curiosity, community, and positive change is remarkable. 

    – Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, Chief Diversity Officer and Corporate Vice President of Talent and Learning, Microsoft

  • We've booked Mariana for keynotes, community programs, and social media campaigns and she has over delivered every time.

    You and your organization are in the best hands by hiring Mariana. Her creativity and attention to detail will make your brand stand out in a unique way. She is very dynamic and great at keeping the audience engaged. 

    – Senior Manager, Ford Motor Company

  • Mariana's energy, approachability, and the way she connected with the group engaged everyone from the very beginning.

    The session provided inspiration, reflection, and a genuine sense of connection among the participants. After the session, the audience approached Mariana to request videos for their teams. 

    – Senior Manager of Global Employee Recognition, Scotiabank

  • Blown away by Mariana's captivating energy and unparalleled ability to engage the audience.

    Her speech not only hit the mark but soared beyond expectations, leaving everyone inspired and eager for more. She is a force to be reckoned with. 


    – Manager, Ford Motor Company

  • Mariana's authentic, relatable, engaging style enabled her to immediately connect with our audience.

    Through a series of stories, she shared uplifting, relevant, and empowering learnings that all of us can embrace as leaders. 

    – VP, Google Cloud Consulting

  • Book Mariana – it will be the smartest decision you make for your event. Her message set the tone for the rest of the conference.

    Not many speakers can connect and engage with an audience like Mariana Atencio can. Her keynote impacted our members on a very personal level and left them feeling empowered. During our closing celebration, two volunteer leaders were still referencing what they learned onstage. She left our attendees wanting more. 

    – Executive Vice President, Florida Apartment Association

  • Mariana is a special talent in a class all her own, and left our group inspired, pumped, and feeling renewed.

    Passionate. Authentic. Powerful. She easily infused personal stories, actionable next steps, videos, and music, leaving our 6,500+ group inspired, pumped, and feeling renewed. 

    Book Mariana. 


    – CBRE

  • Mariana was inspirational, motivational, and real — we received wonderful feedback from the attendees.

    It was a pleasure working with Mariana, she was highly engaged and accessible from the beginning of the planning process. 

    We would be happy to work with her again. 


    – Senior Brand Manager, Bacardi USA, Inc.

  • What truly set Mariana apart was her ability to listen, understand, and seamlessly weave our key takeaways into her message.

    Authentic, relatable, and effortlessly engaging. Her dynamic presence, boundless energy, and genuine passion were masterful — making her the connective tissue and the perfect closer for our summit.

    – Executive Director, Association of Latino Administrators & Superintendents (ALAS)

  • The event would not have been the same without Mariana’s presence and expertise. Her contribution was one of the defining highlights.

    The ideas, perspectives, and actionable insights sparked meaningful discussions and left a lasting impression on every delegate. 

    The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. 

    – Head, NHCCE Speaker Management, HRD Corp

  • It felt like she connected with each audience member individually, yet we were in a room of 400 people!

    Mariana exudes inspirational energy! She brought a mixed audience of young people and adults together with a message that reached every participant profoundly and uniquely. 

    – The Park School

  • Mariana inspired and uplifted the spirits of those in attendance. We have received so much positive feedback.

    Mariana provided the keynote address to a conference of over 2,000 finance professionals throughout California — and she did not disappoint. 

    – Deputy City Manager, California Society of Municipal Finance Officers

  • We loved her energy, her message and her interaction with our employees.

    It was a pleasure to have Mariana at our event. Her topic was well presented and very well received. I would highly recommend her. 


    – Senior Manager Employee Experience Engagement and Recognition, Confidential Health Insurance Company

  • Mariana created a space for deep connection, reflection, and truth, helping us realign with who we are as individuals and as a team.

    Her authenticity, warmth, and professionalism lit up the room, reminding us that real change begins from within and that purpose starts with being Perfectly You. 

    – CEO, Victor Community Support Services

Perfectly You: Leveraging the Power Within

Everywhere we look, the world pressures us to perform, conform, and be perfect – often at the expense of being true to ourselves. 

But the truth is, when we show up authentically, we become magnetic
and unlock greater resilience, confidence, and purpose. 

Authenticity not only helps us navigate change and uncertainty – it attracts
opportunities and relationships that align with who we really are.

Mariana’s unique energy and interactive dynamics give people permission to drop the masks and discover the bold power of being “Perfectly You.”

Through inspiring stories and practical takeaways, attendees will learn how to
embrace what makes them irreplaceable and tap into authenticity as a source of strength and well-being to give their best at work and in life. 

Audiences leave energized, empowered, and ready to stand out – not by trying to be perfect, but by having the courage to be real.

BOOK MARIANA

Key Takeaways

  • Harness the traits that make you unique (and “Perfectly You”) to resiliently navigate change and uncertainty with confidence.

  • Discover your sense of purpose and increase your personal fulfillment.

  • Learn the three-step framework authentic leaders use to cultivate cultures of trust, collaboration, and purpose.

  • Foster meaningful relationships to strengthen team culture and team building.

  • Mariana’s energy and empathy create breakthrough moments that audiences remember long after they leave.

A Perfect Fit For

  • High-achieving teams battling burnout and work-life balance

  • Organizations and ERGs with diverse teams  – where underrepresented talent needs to feel recognized and energized in this time

  • Women's leadership programs – navigating impostor syndrome, self-confidence, legacy building and the myth of perfection 

  • First-time leaders and recently promoted hires – second-guessing their right to lead, waiting for permission to be decisive and bring forth bold ideas

  • Teams playing it safe – where fear of judgment or failure is killing the differentiation that drives growth

  • Organizations in transition – where people are performing a version of themselves to fit the new culture

  • Corporate environments where psychological safety is needed

  • Multigenerational friction among team members – where leadership and communication styles clash 

The Power of Authenticity

A Six-Year Global Leadership Study

Over the past six years, Mariana has asked more than 3,000 professionals across four continents, from different backgrounds and religions, two deceptively simple questions:

What makes you unique?
What is your purpose?

Spanning entrepreneurs, executives, educators, creatives, and corporate leaders, the responses revealed a consistent global pattern.

Key Findings

• When individuals move beyond titles and achievements and describe identity and values, clarity increases.
• The vast majority of purpose statements center on service, contribution, family, community, and long-term impact — not status or personal gain.
• Participants who articulated alignment between who they are and why they lead expressed greater steadiness, confidence, and resilience.

Across industries and cultures, the language shifted from performance to contribution.

From proving to serving.

From perfection to purpose.

These keynotes are especially powerful for regional and national associations, women’s conferences, leadership summits, and yearly off-sites.

“Book Mariana – it will be the smartest decision you make for your event. Her message set the tone for the rest of the conference.”


– Executive Vice President, Florida Apartment Association

BOOK MARIANA