Meet one of our Knight Authors: Roy Reid ’88

Tell us a little about yourself!

I’m a proud graduate of the University of Central Florida, Class of 1988, where my passion for communication and leadership first took root. Today, I serve as an executive coach, speaker, and author of The Trust Transformation — a framework that helps leaders and organizations build measurable, high-trust cultures. My career began in strategic communications, and in 2019, after surviving an acute aortic dissection with a 2% survival rate, my mission deepened. That experience strengthened my faith and shaped how I teach trust as both a leadership system and a spiritual practice.

I’ve been married to my wife, Kim, since 1990, and we’re the proud parents of four children — including a soon-to-be UCF alum. Through my work, I’ve had the privilege to serve leaders across healthcare, business, and community sectors, helping them rediscover trust as the foundation of transformation.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I was inspired to write as a young man, with teachers in elementary, middle and high school implanting a love for writing. I was inspired to write The Trust Transformation as I sought to help people discover the transformational power of trust

What’s your writing process? What inspires your writing?

I spent years speaking and training people, using that process to refine ideas and begin to write them down. As I saw people benefit. from the content, it came together. When AdventHealth commissioned the work for an employee training program, it finalized the structure and framework for the book. Seeing people learn, grow and thrive inspires me.

What was the biggest thing you learned during your time as a Knight that you apply to your life today?

Relationships are the foundation for success. Beginning within and extending through the lives of every divine appointment you meet.

What was a class or club at UCF that helped you grow as a writer?

The four years I worked with Jimmie Farrell on the Orientation Team set an expectation for serving others and seeking a higher calling in my life.

Who are some of your favorite authors or books?

Anything by Seth Godin, John Maxwell, Gary Vaynerchuck, Simon Sinek, Malcom Gladwell and Lee Strobel.

If UCF had a time machine, what moment on campus would you go back to?

Fall of 1983 as I walked on campus as a freshman.

If your UCF experience were a meme, what would it be?

Lifetime Friendships.

Anything else?! What are you currently working on right now?

Building a platform to share the life-changing message of The Trust Transformation with the world.