‘How it was named’ is a series where I explore the creation of brand names that have caught my interest. This edition features Erica Breuer of Trash Talk

 

1] Tell us about Trash Talk; what do you do?

 

Trash Talk is a podcast where cliched self-help advice goes to die. My co-host Erin Thomas and I get together each week and we’ll discuss any number of cliches. Classics like “just be authentic”, “if he wanted to, he would” and “if it’s not a hell-yes, it’s a hell-no.” Concepts that are accepted as gospel, but are they really? We use the conversations to figure out how they actually get in the way, and what’s possible through a different lens.

 

2] And why do you do it?

 

Most people hold their tongues when it comes to generally accepted advice, whether they’re on the receiving end, giving the advice, watching someone else encounter it… or, or, or…

 

The podcast is an invitation not to do that and to come up with your own mental hacks, your own ways of thinking about things. My hope is that listeners hear us chatting these cliches over, and as a result, maybe they’ll do that in their writing or in their social media posts, or when they are leading; because at the end of the day, what it takes to feel good, or succeed, or navigate difficulty, isn’t universal.

 

And the more we question the gray areas, the more we’re able to move forward individually, but also with each other.

 

3] What values inform your ‘why’?

 

For starters, definitely nuance, originality, and expansiveness.

 

Maybe rebellion… and I like the way that rebellion and nuance work in opposition to create brand tension. Oh, and levity! I choose levity because I think sometimes wit can be a little bit biting, or even mean, whereas levity is more true of the way that we are in the podcast; there’s a warmth and a care to the way we move through our subject matter.

 

The name of the podcast is clickbait, admittedly. It sounds like we’re going to be really harsh, and that’s the point. It gets you in the door, and you receive so much more than you expect.

 

4] How did you end up with the name Trash Talk? (did you work with an agency, undertake trademark searches and registration, indicative costs…)

 

Here’s the breakdown of our thought process: We played with the name ‘Garbage Advice’. That was born from the fact that, Erin and I, we both work in marketing and brand building, working with founders and service-based and boutique firms; we would catch ourselves complaining about how some of the things people wanted in their messaging was just absolute garbage. It’s difficult when that threatens to disguise their otherwise good work!

 

So ‘garbage’ came up a lot. But at the end of the day, we’re covering more than just pieces of advice. It’s how these cliches affect entire ecosystems, ways of operating or treating each other. So, ‘talk’ just felt more encompassing. And then the alliteration of the ‘T’s, was kind of a no-brainer.

 

5] What did you almost call it before deciding on ‘Trash Talk’?

 

Garbage Advice was the only other name, and it was a quick jump to ‘Trash Talk’ from there.

 

6] How important is a business name according to you?

 

I’m a bit of a gourmet when it comes to Brand, so the name is everything. If I’m not excited to say it or repeat it, if I question it, I’m not going to embody it as I carry this initiative or project. A name is everything for that reason alone. If it’s not resonating with me, then it’s probably not going to resonate with the people that I want to carry it through the world for us. So there’s the other side of that formula that makes it so important as well. It’s more than just a name. It’s a filter. It’s a decision lens.

 

7] What one thing do you wish people were aware of about your area of expertise/industry? 

 

It’s less about my industry and more about people like me who are multi-potentialites — they have a lot of different projects, a lot of different… a varied body of work. There’s a lot of regular, cliche advice like “you just need to niche” that won’t apply to people like that, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find through lines. That *specific advice* might not be for you because there are other ways of uniting all of your work, despite what coaches, mentors, or peers might advise.

 

8] Question for funsies! Fill in the blank: Whatever you do, don’t _____ 

 

Don’t, ever, let anyone’s lack of imagination limit your potential.