The Self-Employed Life

979: Milton Pedaza & Erica Wertheim Zohar - Trust is the New Currency of Business

The Self-Employed Life

Show Notes

In this episode of The Self-Employed Life, I had the pleasure of speaking with two guests, Milton Pedraza and Erica Wertheim Zohar, co-authors of High Trust Worth: The New Currency of Business is Not Money, It's Trust. We discuss the power of trust in business and why it is more important now than ever. Drawing from their experience in the luxury market, Milton and Erica break down the five pillars of building high trust and share what it really takes to both earn and keep it. We explore how businesses can stand out by making trust their foundation and how even small gestures can make a lasting impact. This episode is filled with advice for anyone who wants to grow their business with integrity.

Erica Wertheim Zohar is a distinguished entrepreneur, consultant, speaker, philanthropist, and journalist with specialized expertise in luxury brands and ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs). After founding a successful clothing manufacturing company, she transitioned to consulting, advising leading luxury brands on sales, marketing, and communication strategies. A former West Coast Contributing Editor for Town & Country, Erica is currently a contributing writer for Forbes and a long-standing member of YPO. Drawing from her experience as both a business leader and a UHNWI, she focuses on helping organizations build strategic, high-performance relationships with UHNWIs. Erica's unique perspective offers invaluable insights into the luxury market, making her a sought-after speaker, advisor, and thought leader in her field.

Milton Pedraza is the founder and CEO of the Luxury Institute, a leading-edge HNW and UHNW research, consulting, and training solutions firm that has served over 1,100 luxury and premium goods and services brands in the last 22 years. With unique, unmatched expertise in emotionally intelligent luxury, Luxury Institute has helped top-tier luxury and premium brands create extraordinary customer experiences, build long-term relationships and achieve financial results. Milton is globally recognized as one of the world's leading luxury industry experts, as well a leading private investor and entrepreneur. Milton has served on the boards of top-tier luxury brands, as well as tech startups. He is a member of the Advisory Board at The UHNW Institute and is a frequent speaker at corporate events worldwide. Prior to founding the Luxury Institute, his successful career included executive roles at PepsiCo, Colgate, Citibank and Cendant. Milton is a frequent guest speaker at Columbia, has lectured at Duke and Harvard and has been recognized as a top Latin Entrepreneur by Stanford. He has conducted business in over 120 countries and speaks several languages.

Erica's Contact – Book: High Trust Worth: The New Currency of Business is Not Money, It's Trust

Website

Linkedin

Milton's Contact – Book: High Trust Worth: The New Currency of Business is Not Money, It's Trust

Website

Linkedin

Contact Jeffrey – SelfEmployedNewsletter.com

JeffreyShaw.com

Books by Jeffrey Shaw

Business Coaching for Entrepreneurs

Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!

Valuable Resources – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out!

Take The Self-Employed Assessment! Ever feel like you're all over the place? Or frustrated it seems like you have everything you need for your business success but it's somehow not coming together? Take this short quiz to discover the biggest hidden gap that's keeping you from having a thriving Self-Employed Ecosy

More from The Self-Employed Life

Sep 3, 2025

The final episode after 1000 episodes and 11 years! To close out this epic journey, I share some background on the starting and growth of the show as well as the biggest lessons I've learned from interviewing so many people. I hope you'll take these lessons to heart! I believe there's a lot of value in them for you. Let's stay connected on social and be sure to check out and join me on my next show, Selling Luxury launching on September 16th!

Aug 27, 2025

A lot of creatives think we are doomed to a life without systems because that's not our natural inclination. Our business is "us," which makes it difficult to scale. I know that I personally have trouble making the connection between who I am as a photographer and my branding.

Aug 27, 2025

A lot of creatives think we are doomed to a life without systems because that's not our natural inclination. Our business is "us," which makes it difficult to scale. I know that I personally have trouble making the connection between who I am as a photographer and my branding.

Aug 20, 2025

In this episode of The Self-Employed Life, I had the pleasure of speaking with leadership advisor and host of The Virtual Campfire, Tony Martignetti. Tony shares what it means to live as a multidimensional person in a one-dimensional world, explaining how we are too often asked to compartmentalize or suppress parts of ourselves. Together, we explore why people feel trapped in narrow roles, how integrating hidden passions can unlock our true potential, and why embracing our multidimensional selves may be the key to solving today's most pressing challenges. Tony also introduces his Illumination Framework—a four-step path to uncovering what matters most and living with full expression. This episode is for anyone who feels boxed in by expectations, craves the freedom to express their true self, and is ready to step fully into the light of who they are meant to be.

Aug 13, 2025

As we're getting close to the last episode of The Self-Employed Life podcast, I wanted to leave you with something helpful and actionable. Here it is! Pretty common advice that I offer to many coaching clients and it's certainly a big part of the conversation with prospective members of my High Achievers group. What is the one thing that can change everything?

See all episodes →