Trash Talk: Where Bad Advice + Cliches Get Taken Out
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
Episodes
38 episodes
“Choose curiosity over fear.” | Elizabeth Gilbert
Curiosity killed the cat? Maybe. But the real question is: who decided curiosity needed a morality clause in the first place? In this episode of Trash Talk, Erica Breuer and Erin Thomas take the mantra “Choose curiosity ove...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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33:14
“The Divine Feminine” / Deepak Chopra
The Divine Feminine: nurturing, abundant, inspiring… and apparently complicated IF your guru is Deepak Chopra. Erica Breuer and Erin Thomas dig into why “activating your feminine energy” suddenly feels way less mystical when the messenger...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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42:11
"Stop Apologizing" with Kelly Elaine Garthwaite
They say you should stop apologizing. But is that always true?We sat down with Kelly Elaine Garthwaite who shares how the phrase “stop apologizing” reshaped her life, and how she (and we) still question the situations where it truly appl...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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40:48
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“Vulnerability is Courage” / Brené Brown
Yup: We’re talking about Brené Brown, AGAIN.Why are we so quick to outsource our authority to her? And what does “vulnerability is courage” actually mean? We talk credentials, timing, and the uncanny way this guru blends warmth, data, an...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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29:57
"Coming Out" with Ché Ugwuala
What does it really mean to let people see the truer version of you? In this episode of Trash Talk, Ché Ugwuala introduces a bold reframe: the art of unveiling yourself on your own terms. Forget the pressure of a “big revea...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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41:41
"Everything is Figureoutable" | Marie Forleo
Welcome to the official kickoff of All the Gurus, our feature experiment in examining ideas that don’t *always* deserve to be nodded at.In this episode, Erica Breuer and Erin Thomas take on “Everything is Figureoutable,” the phr...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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44:48
Trash Talk — Mid-Season Teaser
Everyone has advice. Most of it’s garbage.On Trash Talk, we dig into the cliches everyone swears by and figure out what’s actually worth keeping. If you’re new here, jump in anywhere — you’ll get it.New episodes return Fe...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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1:26
"New Year, New You" - BONUS EPISODE
We’re back, unannounced, and ready to shake up your New Year’s Eve. In this bonus episode, Erica Breuer and Erin Thomas examine overhyped New Year’s Eve rituals.They dissect the promises these practices make, the cultural pressures behin...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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32:33
"Clarity is Kind"
Erin and Erica agree about a lot of things, but this cliche isn’t one of them. Whether you attribute it to Brené Brown, Melissa Hartwig, or somewhere else in the wellness-industrial complex, “Clarity is kind” is THE cliche where the...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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24:52
"Count Your Blessings"
Yep, Trash Talk is skipping a week. Thanksgiving, leftovers, existential dread…pick your excuse. Consider this week a breather for your ears and brain, or a chance to get caught up on those episodes that almost got away....
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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1:10
“Your Words Become Your World” Part II
In this second installment of cliches they love and live by, Erin and Erica reveal the traits that make a cliche worth keeping.The TLDR version: "Done is better than perfect," "Gotta start somewhere," "Your vibe attracts your tribe," "Th...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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20:16
“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...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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33:04
"Community is Everything" with Dr. Kalpana Sundar
“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 entrepr...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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30:13
“You’re Not the Main Character in Other People’s Stories.”
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 t...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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20:55
"Your Soul Speaks in Whispers, Not Shouts"
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 accessibl...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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25:42
"Don't Confuse Effort With Results" with Nick Power
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...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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34:46
“You can’t pour from an empty cup.”
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 ...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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30:32
"Get Out of Your Comfort Zone" vs. "Stay in Your Lane"
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 be...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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30:28
"Work Hard, Play Hard" with Meghan French Dunbar
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 ha...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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37:36
"If It's Not a Hell Yes, It's a Hell No"
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 ...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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32:10
"Let Them" / Mel Robbins
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 advi...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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30:00
Trash Talk: Season 2 Trailer – September Release Date & More!
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 ...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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1:30
"Time heals all wounds.”
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:
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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5:07
"Steal Like an Artist"
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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19:08
"Happiness is a Choice" with William Davies
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
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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31:37