Trust Is the Product: How JUST Builds More Than Capital
READ TIME: 7 minutes
Trust Is the Product: How JUST Builds More Than Capital
At JUST, trust isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s the product.
We talk a lot about access to capital, coaching, and community. But underneath all of that is a deeper truth: none of it works without trust. It's the invisible asset that makes our model sustainable, our clients empowered, and our impact real.
That’s why we don’t just ask for trust — we design for it. And one of the most powerful tools we use to build and measure trust is our annual community survey, which helps us listen, learn, and evolve. But before we get there, let’s talk about what trust looks like inside of JUST, and why it matters so much.
“No Surprises”: Designing for Trust
“Clarity is kindness,” says Erika, JUST Board Member and former Product Manager. “Our entrepreneurs know exactly how much capital they’ll receive when they follow through on their repayment plan. No surprises. No hidden fees. That kind of transparency is everything.”
The structure of our loans — clear amounts, consistent timelines, and the ability to graduate to higher levels of capital — is intentional. It's not just about money. It's about creating confidence.
Steve, JUST’s CEO, puts it this way:
“We built a lending process that says ‘yes’ 100% of the time — and still gets repaid nearly 100% of the time. That’s possible because we’ve tested, learned, and made trust a design principle.”
Trust is also internal. It shows up in how we hold ourselves accountable, how we communicate as a team, and how we give people the space to make decisions and grow. “Everything we attempt to do with our community,” Steve says, “we have to do internally first.”
Listening Is a Trust-Building Act
Trust doesn’t end at the loan agreement. In fact, that’s just the beginning.
Every year, we ask our community to share their experiences through our annual survey — a tool that has helped us evolve our programs and uncover new ways to serve.
“Many of our clients are incredibly generous,” says Steve. “They show up for their families, their communities — and for us. But they don’t always find it easy to offer critical feedback. So we push for it. We ask hard questions, and we make a promise: we’ll do something with what you share.”
One powerful example?
Through our survey, we learned that while many clients felt proud of their business growth, they were still experiencing deep financial instability. That insight led directly to the creation of the Wealth Club, a program designed to move beyond survival and into ownership and asset-building.
“Taking feedback seriously isn’t just about listening,” Steve explains. “It’s about acting on it. And then closing the loop — showing the community what we heard, what we did, and how it’s changing the future of JUST.”
What Trust Unlocks
When trust is present, everything changes.
Internally, it creates autonomy. Teams move with confidence. Leaders rise. People take initiative and know their work matters.
In the community, trust creates possibility. “Our clients take a leap of faith on themselves,” says Erika. “They start businesses. They lead others. They show up week after week — not because they have to, but because they believe in the power of what we’re building together.”
One of the most powerful things Erika says she’s learned from the JUST community is that resilience doesn’t always look loud.
“It’s a mom showing up to a coaching session after two shifts. It’s someone starting over in a new country, building a business from nothing. And still — they smile. They lead. They give 110%. That kind of trust is a gift.”
This month, we’re excited to share initial results from our 2025 survey.
Because building trust means checking in. It means hearing not just what’s working, but what could be better. And it means showing up with new ideas, new systems, and new opportunities that reflect the voices of the women we serve.
Trust isn’t static — it’s earned, over and over again.
Stay tuned to hear more about our survey results on JUST’s Linkedin and Instagram.
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