“Community is everything,” they say. But what if that “everything” is actually a drain on your time, energy, and sanity? Erica and Erin sit down with Dr. Kalpana Sundar, health and wealth strategist for MedSpa and healthcare entrepreneurs, to untangle the truth behind one of the most overused platitudes in business. Kalpana brings data and a hefty dose of reality on how to build community that lifts you up (without demanding your soul in the process). Your turn: tell us the cliche...

Erica and Erin dig into the viral #maincharacterenergy phenomenon, weighing its appeal, its dark side, and what it really means to claim agency in your own life. Together, they ask the question that underlies it all: just who decides who gets to be the main character anyway? Reviews help, but your weird, wild, or painfully familiar cliches are the real gold. Share them via our hotline: 719-819-2175 Links & resources Narcissism and Agency https://doi.org/10.1177/216770261772553...

What does it actually take to hear your inner voice when your brain- and life- doesn’t work like a Zen meditation retreat? In this episode, Erica and Erin dismantle the quiet-whisper mantra, why stillness isn’t universally accessible, and how this advice quietly reinforces control (and yes, capitalism). Have a story about when someone hit you with “Your soul speaks in whispers, not shouts”? Leave a message on the Trash Talk hotline at (719) 819-2175- we might feature it on a future e...

This week, Erica and Erin take on the cult of productivity with guest Nick Power, marketer, creator, and professional chaos enthusiast. Nick shares how he first heard the phrase (hint: it didn’t go well), and how it still haunts the way we talk about work and worth. They also get into what counts as success, how “results-only” thinking dulls creativity, and what might actually be worth measuring instead. Don’t forget to leave us a review and call the hotline to share your favorite or mo...

Show notes “You can’t pour from an empty cup”...but what if your cup isn’t empty? From misreading your cup to questioning learned helplessness, Erica and Erin go beyond individual self-care and discuss the messy (mostly) terrifying context of today’s world—shrinking rights, disappearing resources, and structural chaos–and how we might think about cups in a way that generates some much-needed hope. Don’t forget to leave us a review and call the hotline to share your favorite or most cringe-wor...

Two of the most recycled pieces of advice—“Get out of your comfort zone” and “Stay in your lane”—sound helpful on the surface. Push yourself! Focus! Hustle! Specialize! When these concepts collide, the absurdity becomes obvious. Erin and Erica analyze two cliches that seem at odds, but that also define a new reality in the tension that lives between them. Don’t forget to leave us a review or call the hotline to share your favorite (or most cringe-worthy) cliches: 719-819-2175 Show Note...

What does “work hard, play hard” really mean and why won’t it die? In this episode of Trash Talk, Erica and Erin sit down with Meghan French Dunbar, author and co-founder of Conscious Company Media, to unpack the cultural myth of “work hard, play hard.” Drawing on Meghan’s new book, “This isn’t Working,” this conversation explores how play has been commodified, as well as why, despite our best efforts, hustle culture from decades ago still sneaks into modern work. Don’t forget to leave us a r...

Erin Thomas and Erica Breuer talk about everyone’s favorite decision-making mantra: “If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no.” They trace this phrase back to its roots (surprisingly, it's not an influencer carousel) and get into into the messy stuff (privilege, trauma, hustle culture) that makes this cliche difficult to apply everywhere. They also review the neuroscience that proves your brain isn’t always the best hype-man when you’re chasing a hell yes. 📞Listener Hotline Have yo...

Erica and Erin are back from summer break and they’re examining the lifecycle of a cultural darling, “Let Them.” In this episode, they explore why society (sometimes) eats meaning for breakfast. If you’ve ever wondered why some advice hits hard one day and feels hollow the next, you’ll enjoy their examination of how “Let Them” and other cliches become wallpaper for the internet. Resources & Mentions: → “Let Them” poem (2019) by the original author, Cassie Phillips: “Just let the...

Trash Talk: Season 2 Trailer Welcome back to Trash Talk for season two, where Erica Breuer and Erin Thomas dive into the cliched advice everyone repeats like gospel (even when it’s garbage). Got a cringe-worthy cliche to share? Call or text our new Trash Talk hotline at 719-819-2175. New episodes of Trash Talk drop Tuesday, September 9th—subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to stay up to date.

This isn’t a goodbye: it’s a see you in September. We’re taking a well-earned summer break (because seasonal girlies need rest too), but we’re already cooking up a trashier, spicier, more unhinged Season 2. In this episode: A heartfelt thank you to our listeners (yes, you, with the fire DMs and existential side-eyes)Listener highlights, PLUS feedback we’re incorporating into next seasonWhy poking at popular ideas isn’t the same as canceling themHow to send us the clichés you love to hat...

Erica and Erin dig into the creative cliché they actually love: “Steal like an artist.” Inspired by Austin Kleon’s book and a long lineage of remix-friendly wisdom, they explore the difference between influence and theft when both humans and AI borrow from what’s come before If everything’s an echo, what makes something yours? Resources & Mentions: Austin Kleon → Steal Like an Artist → Also by Kleon: Show Your Work, Keep Going → Website: austinkleon.com Julia Cameron &nb...

If happiness is a choice, let’s talk about who gets to choose it, and who’s just trying to survive a system that tells them it’s their fault they’re miserable. Erica and Erin are joined by William Davies, political economist, author of The Happiness Industry, and one of the sharpest critics of how governments and corporations turned happiness into a metric, a mandate, and a market. Together, they dig into the cultural scaffolding behind our obsession with happiness: where it comes from,...

No full episode this week. We’re stepping away from the mic to touch grass, eat carbs, and avoid small talk. Back next week with more delightful dumpster fires.

Erica and Erin trace this phrase from its New Age roots to its Instagram glow-up, digging into how “the universe” became a rebranded higher power for people who’d rather not talk about God. What looks like faith might actually be a filter for avoidance, especially when it’s used to explain away failure or justify a $10K group program that never delivered. From prosperity gospel to “trust the process” culture, they ask: Is this cliche (belief) helping people heal, or is it a cosmic cop-out?

You know that phrase, “Be your best self”? This episode rips it wide open: from its shiny, self-help packaging to the industrial shame complex underneath. Erica and Erin are joined by media scholar Laurie Ouellette to break down how makeover reality shows (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Biggest Loser, Wife Swap, etc.) didn’t just make for good TV; they quietly rewired our ideas about help, worthiness, and personal responsibility. What we mistake for glow-ups, might be about control...

You know those phrases that sound important but mean absolutely nothing? Yeah, we made a list. In this rapid-fire episode, Erica and Erin pull back the curtain on some of the most overused (and underwhelming) buzzwords in business, leadership, and personal development, or rather “Business BS,” “Leadership Lies,” and “Personal Development Delusions.” It’s a roast. It’s a reset. It’s your permission slip to stop pretending these phrases are helpful.

In this episode Trash Talk, Erin and Erica take a step back to reflect on their podcast journey…from their first encounter in a Google Doc to deciding to turn their weekly coffee chats into a podcast, they share the behind-the-scenes story. They also dive into the juicy bits of their personal histories, like Erin’s dumpster dive moment that launched her career (literally), and Erica’s museum exhibition background that led her to shaping big ideas for brands. Tune in for a mix of brandin...

You’ve heard the quote. You’ve probably even said it. But what if that ever-popular cliché is doing more harm than good? In this episode, Erica and Erin throw “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room…” under the microscope, and discover a tangled web of assumptions about intelligence, value, status, and the rooms we choose to enter (or flee from). If this episode gave you a forehead-smack moment, or just made you feel seen, go ahead and rate & review Tras...

Transformation. It’s a buzzword that’s been overhyped and misused to the point of meaninglessness. In this episode, Erica and Erin dive into the fallout of selling the “transformational” dream in coaching, marketing, and self-development. They break down how the promise of overnight change leads to unrealistic expectations, burnout, and shame. From Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey to Tony Robbins’ high-ticket events, “transformation” has become the ultimate sales pitch…one that’s setting ever...