Trash Talk: Where Self-Help Cliches Go to Die
What if the so-called “truths” about growth and success are actually keeping you playing small?
On Trash Talk, hosts Erica Breuer and Erin Thomas unpack empty platitudes and tired cliches that dominate the business and personal development world. These ideas might be popular, but that doesn’t mean they’re useful.
Who listens to Trash Talk?
- Skeptics and Questioners of hollow advice
- Those asking why self-help advice fails
- People done with toxic self-help culture
- Anyone who wants a place to finally talk openly about all the advice that makes you roll your eyes
Trash Talk: Where Self-Help Cliches Go to Die
“Your Words Become Your World”
Just because Trash Talk is the podcast where clichés go to die doesn’t mean Erica and Erin hate all of them.
This is the episode where they examine cliches they actually live by. From “clear is kind” to “baffle them with bullshit," Erin and Erica get honest about cliches that stick for them, as well as where they backfire.
Don’t forget to leave a review and call the hotline to share your favorite or most cringe-worthy cliches:
719-819-2175
Links & Resources
Follow Erica Breuer: LinkedIn
Follow Erin Thomas: LinkedIn
Visit Trash Talk Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2451264
Your Words Become Your World
Trash Talk Podcast — Episode 26 | November 2025
Episode Summary
Erica Breuer and Erin Thomas flip the script on their usual “anti-cliché” stance to talk about the sayings they actually love and live by. From “clear is kind” to “baffle them with bullshit,” they unpack why certain clichés still hold power in personal life, business, and leadership (and when they backfire).
Table of Contents
- Intro
- Main Topic 1: Personal Clichés We Love and Live By
- Main Topic 2: Leadership and Work Clichés That Still Hold Up
- Key Takeaways
- Call to Action
- Show Notes & Links
Intro
Some listeners have said we’re too hard on clichés — fair. Not every cliché is meant for every person or situation. Our tagline is literally “where self-help clichés go to die,” so we get the reputation. But today, we’re switching it up to share the ones that we actually love — the ones that feel like small life hacks.
We’ve split them into three categories: personal, business, and leadership. Think of it as our “Clichés That Survived the Trash Talk Filter.”
Main Topic 1: Personal Clichés We Love and Live By
“Clear is kind.”
Erin: I first heard this from Melissa Urban, founder of Whole30. The idea is that people aren’t mind readers — so say what you mean instead of hoping they’ll pick up on it. It’s a reminder that being honest is often the kindest thing you can do.
Erica: I love that. I have my own version: “Don’t be nice. Be kind.” Nice is performative — it avoids conflict. Kindness actually creates safety. It’s not always easy, but it’s more real.
“Everything is figureoutable.”
Erin: Marie Forleo made this one famous, but I’ve lived it long before hearing it. It’s about trusting the process, even when you don’t have all the answers.
Erica: I remember hearing that and thinking, “Duh.” I’ve always been a messy middle problem-solver — creative work trains you to improvise. But sometimes “figureoutable” masks exhaustion. It can become, “I’ll just do it all myself.”
Erin: Exactly. So, love it — but with limits.
“You can do hard things.”
Erin: Glennon Doyle popularized this one. It’s that steady inner voice when you’re overwhelmed: you can do hard things.
Erica: I say a version of that — “You’ve done harder things than this before.” It’s a reminder that we’ve already survived everything we thought we couldn’t.
Erin: The caveat? Hard doesn’t have to mean solo. Things don’t have to be hard to be valuable.
“I’ll try anything twice.”
Erica: This one’s pure me. I believe in giving things (and people) a second chance. The first time might have bad timing, nerves, or just a weird mood.
Erin: I love this, especially as someone who battles anxiety. You can’t always get a fair read on something the first time.
“What you resist, persists.”
Erin: Carl Jung said it first. What we avoid tends to amplify — like that cat that knows exactly who doesn’t want it near them.
Erica: Totally. But not everything avoided is meant to be confronted. Sometimes resistance is wisdom, not fear.
“If you can’t kill ’em with kindness, baffle ’em with bullshit.”
Erica: It’s funny but true — sometimes humor and absurdity diffuse conflict better than niceness ever could.
Erin: I love that twist. It’s cheeky and effective.
Main Topic 2: Leadership and Work Clichés That Still Hold Up
“How you do anything is how you do everything.”
Erin: I tell my teenage daughter this all the time. Follow-through and attention to detail build character.
Erica: Art school version: learn the rules before you break them. Small habits shape big ones.
“Measure twice, cut once.”
Erica: It’s an old-school one, but it matters. In leadership, it means pause before you act — check your gut, then move.
Erin: It makes me tense, but yes — especially in hiring. It’s better to measure twice than fire fast.
“What gets measured gets managed.”
Erica: Peter Drucker nailed it. I love metrics as reflection, not obsession. You can’t adjust what you don’t track.
Erin: The shadow side? When measurement becomes micromanagement — when you’re using data to avoid decisions instead of inform them.
“People don’t quit jobs, they quit leaders.”
Erin: My best job ever was McDonald’s — because of my manager. She was fair, clear, and demanding in the best way.
Erica: Same. I left my last job not because of the work, but because the leadership was unbearable. Clarity and appreciation build loyalty.
“Never ask someone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself.”
Erin: This one’s about integrity. It keeps you connected to your team’s reality — and your own values.
Erica: Right. I can’t ask a team member to overwork if I’ve stopped doing that myself. It’s about alignment and mutual respect.
Key Takeaways
- Not every cliché is trash — some hold deep truth when lived, not just quoted.
- “Clear is kind” and “Don’t be nice, be kind” both center emotional safety over politeness.
- “Everything is figureoutable” works — unless it’s masking burnout.
- “You can do hard things” is helpful, but “hard” doesn’t always equal “right.”
- Leadership clichés like “measure twice, cut once” and “what gets measured gets managed” still matter when applied with humanity.
- The best leaders lead by example — not distance.
Call to Action
Loved this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, or share it with your favorite overthinker who secretly loves a good cliché. Follow us on LinkedIn and join the conversation.
Show Notes & Links
Follow Erica Breuer: LinkedIn
Follow Erin Thomas: LinkedIn
Visit Trash Talk Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2451264
Related Episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2451264/episodes/17045028-major-buzzkills-volume-i-the-greatest-hits-of-nonsense
