Building Client Trust, One Bite at a Time

❝ Do you mind if I eat on this meeting? ❞

It’s a question I love to hear.

Often it’s followed by:
“This is my seventh meeting today.”
“I haven’t had a moment to eat.”
“I just need to grab a bite while we talk.”

And to me, that small moment signals something big: trust.

It means we’ve moved beyond performative professionalism and into something real. You’re not putting on a show; you’re showing up as yourself.

Recently, I joined a workshop led by Ariadne Ducas for interns transitioning into the working world. During the “meeting etiquette” section, we reminded them not to snack loudly or multitask too much in virtual meetings. And that’s fair advice, especially when first impressions matter.

But in ongoing client relationships, I see it differently.

If you’re eating on our call, here’s what that tells me:

You feel safe enough to be human with me.
You trust that I’ll meet you where you are.
You know I won’t confuse casualness with lack of care.

In fact, I love when my clients eat because:

I value nourishment. No one does their best thinking when they’re running on empty.
I want our space to feel like a breather, not a burden.
And, honestly, I’ve gotten some great lunch ideas from these calls (send your salad dressing recs, please).

Trust isn’t always built through polished presentations and polite conversations. It’s also built in the in-between moments where we choose connection over perfection. So if you need to eat during our meeting, please do. We’ve got real work to do and real relationships to build.