The Corporate Cliché Podcast

🎙️ Ep. 17 – Be Bold with Kelly Price
Welcome back to the Corporate Cliché podcast! Join Jess and Jen as they dive into the realities of corporate life through relatable and unfiltered watercooler conversations.
In this episode, we continue our Be Bold series with special guest Kelly Price, founder of ThriveHR, a company built on the belief that thriving businesses start with thriving people. Kelly and her team help small and mid-sized businesses build high-performing, people-first organizations—aligning culture, talent, and operations while bringing a whole lot of heart to HR.
🔥 Episode Highlights
✅ Culture in Action Kelly shares what she’s learned about how culture actually shows up—the good, the bad, and the messy—and why transparency is one of the most powerful tools leaders can use to shape it.
✅ The Ultimate Business Asset: People We unpack why your employees aren’t just resources—they’re your greatest competitive advantage. Kelly shares advice for organizations ready to shift their mindset from managing headcount to valuing humans.
✅ Toxic Leadership & Mental Health Kelly gets real about toxic managers, how they impact mental health, and what employees can do when leadership won’t change. Spoiler: protecting your peace comes first.
✅ Purpose, Joy & Intention Discover how aligning your purpose and values helps you (and your team) find joy in the work you do every day—and why the best leaders hire great people, then get out of their way.
✅ HR Nightmares & Real Talk Kelly shares a jaw-dropping interview story that’ll make you both laugh and cringe. (Let’s just say…someone really didn’t read the room.)
🛠️ Bold Advice from Kelly
💡 Be transparent—share what you can, even when it’s uncomfortable. 🧭 Lead with empathy, not ego. 🧘 Take a break before you’re forced to take one. 📋 Reflect on what’s really bothering you at work so you can avoid repeating it. 📖 Discover your “why”—and help others find theirs.
💬 Key Takeaways
Don’t be afraid to be honest in the workplace. Find the courage to answer questions as truthfully as you’re comfortable with.
Toxic environments won’t fix themselves—protect your peace and start planning your next move.
Take time to reflect, journal, or go to therapy. Small steps lead to big change.
Aligning purpose and joy isn’t fluffy—it’s how we uplevel corporate culture one conversation at a time.
👥 Join the Conversation!
🔗 Connect with Kelly: thrivehrconsulting.com 📱 Follow Kelly on socials: @KellyPrice
🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Don’t miss future watercooler conversations—subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform!
📝 Rate & Review: Loving Corporate Cliché? Leave us a review and share your favorite moment from this episode!
 

Welcome back to the Corporate Cliché podcast!
Join Jess and Jen as they dive into the realities of corporate life through relatable and unfiltered watercooler conversations.
In this episode, we’re bringing some fun into the Work/Life Balance series with a twist on a classic game: Never Have I Ever – Corporate Edition!
🔥 Episode Highlights:
✅ Corporate Never Have I Ever From “Reply All” regrets to pretending to have Wi-Fi issues, we put a workplace spin on this classic icebreaker.
✅ Workplace Slip-Ups We’ve All Made Zoom fails, forgotten names, professional shade (“per my last email”), and those meetings that definitely could have been an email.
✅ Relatable & Cringe-Worthy Moments Nodding along in a meeting without a clue, secretly Googling jargon, or fake-laughing at a VP’s joke — we’ve all been there.
✅ Behind the Scenes of Work/Life Balance These lighter episodes give you a chance to know Jess and Jen beyond the 9–5, sharing stories that prove corporate life isn’t all grind.
💬 Key Takeaways:
You’re not alone in your corporate quirks — most of us have made these mistakes!
Laughter helps balance out the stress of corporate life.
Work/Life Balance isn’t just serious — sometimes it’s about finding joy in shared experiences.
👥 Join the Conversation!
🔗 Engage with Us: What’s your best “Never Have I Ever” corporate moment? Share it with us — we want to hear your stories!
🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Don’t miss future watercooler conversations — subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform!
📝 Rate & Review: If you’re loving Corporate Cliché, leave us a review to help others find the show!
 

Welcome back to the Corporate Cliché podcast!
Join Jess and Jen as they dive into the realities of corporate life through relatable and unfiltered watercooler conversations.
In this episode, we’re exploring The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor — a book that challenges the idea that success leads to happiness and instead proves that happiness fuels success.
🔥 Episode Highlights:
✅ Rethinking Success & Happiness Most of us believe success brings happiness, but Achor’s research shows the opposite: cultivating happiness first leads to higher performance, better health, and greater creativity.
✅ Practical Strategies to Train Your Brain From writing down three things you’re grateful for to practicing small daily wins, we discuss actionable tips that help you rewire your mindset and build lasting positivity.
✅ Applying the Science at Work Learn how companies like Google and Yahoo use positive psychology to boost creativity and innovation — and how you can apply these same principles in your own workplace.
✅ Key Principles We Loved We break down our favorite insights, including:
The Zorro Circle → Focus on small, controllable goals to build confidence.
The Tetris Effect → Train your brain to see solutions instead of problems.
The Pygmalion Effect → Our expectations of others shape their performance.
✅ Corporate Culture Takeaways This isn’t just about feeling happier — it’s about transforming workplace dynamics, strengthening relationships, and building a more resilient and engaged team.
💬 Key Takeaways:
Happiness isn’t a reward for success — it’s the fuel that drives it.
Simple daily habits like gratitude, meditation, and journaling can reshape your brain’s default patterns.
Investing in relationships at work boosts performance, collaboration, and creativity.
Progress beats perfection: focusing on small wins leads to big results.
👥 Join the Conversation!
🔗 Engage with Us: We’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you read The Happiness Advantage? How do you bring positivity into your workday?
🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Don’t miss future watercooler conversations — subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform!
📝 Rate & Review: If you’re loving Corporate Cliché, leave us a review to help others find the show!
 

Ep. 14 – Be Bold with Heather DeSiena | Break the Bias, Own the Pivot & Negotiate for Yourself
Welcome back to the Corporate Cliché Podcast!
Join Jess and Jen as they dive into unfiltered watercooler conversations about what it’s really like working in corporate.
In this Be Bold episode, we sit down with Heather DeSiena—a powerhouse leader whose career spans television news, ministry, and cybersecurity. Heather shares her journey of breaking barriers, navigating bias, and finding her voice in male-dominated industries. From advocating for equal pay to mastering the art of negotiation, Heather equips listeners with the tools to know their worth, own their pivots, and confidently advocate for themselves in today’s workplace.
🔥 Episode Highlights: ✅ Heather’s unconventional career path & lessons learned ✅ How to uplevel corporate culture from any seat ✅ The power of soft skills in leadership & negotiations ✅ Strategies to negotiate with confidence and secure what you deserve ✅ Creating truly inclusive workplaces & challenging bias head-on ✅ Navigating career pivots and knowing when it’s time to make a change
💡 Key Takeaways:
Know your worth and advocate for yourself
Everything is a negotiation—from salary to opportunities
Challenge bias and push for equity
Focus on upleveling both your career and your organization
👥 Join the Conversation! Have thoughts on this episode? Connect with us and share your stories of breaking barriers at work.
🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Don’t miss future episodes—subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform!
📝 Rate & Review: Love what you’re hearing? Leave a review to help others find the show!
 

🎙️ Episode 13: Corporate 101 - Resume Building Podcast: Corporate Cliché Hosts: Jess & Jen
Episode Summary: Let’s face it — resumes are the worst. Whether you’re starting your job search or navigating career growth, having an up-to-date, effective résumé is essential (and kind of annoying). In this Corporate 101 episode, Jess and Jen are back with five relevant, practical, and 2025-ready tips to help you build a resume that actually gets noticed.
Drawing from both employee and hiring manager perspectives, we break down everything from formatting and personal branding to using AI and storytelling techniques that highlight your actual impact — not just buzzwords. Whether you’re on the hunt or just keeping your “in case of emergency” document updated, this episode is packed with advice, a few laughs, and some real talk about how to stand out in a stack of resumes.
💼 In This Episode, We Cover:
Why resume building is still a dreaded but necessary process
The importance of regular résumé refreshes (yes, even if you’re not job hunting!)
5 Resume Tips That Matter in 2025:
Be thoughtful on the structuring of your resume – Use a clean, ATS-friendly template and follow the 3 C's: Clear, Consistent, Concise
Leverage your professional summary as a personal brand statement – Craft a personal brand in your professional summary
Highlight your most relevant experience to that job role – Highlight the experience that aligns with the job
Make your resume speak results, not clichés – Use data and action verbs to tell your story
Use AI to Tailor Your Resume for Every Role- Make Every Application Count – Tailor your resume for every job (and yes, you can use ChatGPT to do it!)
Hiring manager insights: what Jen looks for when reviewing hundreds of resumes
How your resume tells a story — and why it matters
✨ Key Takeaways: 🔹 Proofread and keep it short — 1–2 pages, max 🔹 Tailor your resume to every job description 🔹 Make it skimmable with clear formatting and bullet points 🔹 Use quantifiable impact statements, not clichés 🔹 Want a resume template? Email us at thecorporateclichepodcast@gmail.com
📌 Resources Mentioned: ✔️ Free Resume Template – just email us! ✔️ Try AI Tools (like ChatGPT!) to optimize your resume
💬 Let's Connect: DM us on Instagram @corporateclichepodcast if you need support — we’re here to be your work besties during the job hunt or career glow-up!
 

🎙️ Corporate Cliché Podcast
Episode 12: HR Nightmares 2.0 Call Centers, Creepy Customers & the Accidental ‘I Love You’
Welcome back to the Corporate Cliché podcast! Join Jess and Jen for another round of unfiltered, hilarious, and cringe-worthy watercooler conversations as they dive into real-life workplace horror stories in this HR Nightmares sequel.
This episode brings the chaos—from unfortunate Zoom mishaps to questionable hotel arrangements on business trips—and yes, another case of telling your boss "I love you" by mistake. 🙈 You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, and maybe you’ll double-check who’s watching your screen during remote access.
🔥 Episode Highlights:
✅ Gender Bias in the Workplace Stats from The Muse highlight how bias continues to shape hiring and promotion opportunities for women—and Jess shares a client interaction that left her speechless.
✅ Caught on Remote Access Jen shares a jaw-dropping email about an employee caught watching… something inappropriate… while working from home. You won’t believe how the manager handled it.
✅ Oops, I Said I Love You Have you ever ended a work call like it was a romantic date? Jen has. And so have others. Accidental workplace affection strikes again.
✅ Call Center Confessions Tech support horror, collections empathy, and the emotional toll of dealing with frustrated (and sometimes cruel) customers.
✅ Theft in the Workplace From sticky fingers swiping office supplies to managers embezzling cash, Jess drops data that will make you look at your stapler twice.
✅ HR Travel Nightmares Sharing a hotel room is one thing… but sharing a bed with a coworker?! Jen shares a listener story that takes workplace discomfort to new (mattress-level) heights.
✅ Creepy Retail Encounters Jen and Jess reflect on the disturbing experiences female employees face while simply doing their job—from “help me shop for my girlfriend” creepers to overheard dressing room moments that can’t be unheard.
💬 Key Takeaways:
🔒 Don't watch anything NSFW during work hours (yes, even if you're remote).
📞 Be kind to customer service and call center reps—they’re human too.
😳 “I love you” is sweet… just not on a call with your boss.
🧳 HR policies should NEVER include bed-sharing on work trips.
🛍️ Treat retail workers with the respect they deserve—and don’t be a creep.
🧠 What Will You Implement?
Jess and Jen encourage listeners to reflect: What’s one thing you’ll do differently at work after hearing these stories? Whether it’s showing more empathy or double-checking your mic and camera settings, the lessons are real.
👥 Join the Conversation!
Have an HR Nightmare of your own? We’d love to hear it! Reach out and share your wildest workplace story—we might just feature it in a future episode.
🎧 Listen & Subscribe Never miss an episode—follow Corporate Cliché on your favorite podcast platform!
📝 Rate & Review If you laughed, cringed, or screamed “NO WAY” while listening, leave us a review so others can find the show!
 

Welcome back to the Corporate Cliché podcast!Join Jess and Jen as they dive into the realities of corporate life through relatable and unfiltered watercooler conversations.
In this episode, we’re continuing our Be Bold series with a powerful conversation on empathy in leadership. We’re joined by Joseph Cope, a former award-winning educator turned keynote speaker and workshop facilitator—better known as The Empathy Guy. Joseph helps corporate leaders embrace fierce empathy, challenging traditional leadership models with a bold blend of humor, vulnerability, and truth.
🎙️ Whether you’re a manager, people leader, or aspiring changemaker, this episode will reshape how you think about connection, accountability, and corporate culture.
🔥 Episode Highlights:
✅ Redefining Empathy as a Skill, Not a Soft Trait Joseph challenges the outdated notion that empathy is just a "nice-to-have" and shares why it's a strategic skill every leader needs.
✅ Self-Empathy is Step One Why leaders must first show empathy toward themselves in order to model it for their teams.
✅ How to Build Empathy on Purpose Actionable strategies leaders can use to develop empathy in daily interactions and decision-making.
✅ Balancing Empathy and Accountability Empathy doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations—Joseph explains how the best leaders do both.
✅ The ROI of Empathy in Corporate Culture From retention to team performance, learn how empathy impacts the bottom line—and how to start measuring it.
🛠️ Practical Takeaways:
💡 Shift your mindset—Empathy is a leadership multiplier, not an emotional liability. 🗣️ Start with listening—Genuine empathy begins with being present and curious. 📈 Build metrics—Explore ways to assess empathy’s impact on team morale and effectiveness. 🧠 Stay future-focused—Empathy will only grow in importance as new generations reshape workplace norms.
 
💬 Key Takeaways:
Empathy isn’t about being agreeable—it’s about being aware. Leadership needs fewer scripts and more sincerity. You don’t have to sacrifice accountability to be an empathetic leader.
Connect with Joseph:
Instagram - @the.empathy.guy
LinkedIn - Joseph Cope, M. Ed. - The Empathy Guy 
Website - https://empathyguy.com/

🎙️ Welcome back to the Corporate Cliché podcast! Join Jess and Jen as they dive into the realities of corporate life through relatable and unfiltered watercooler conversations.
💼 Episode 10: Watercooler Cliché – Burnout
Episode Summary: In this episode, Jess and Jen peel back the layers of the ever-present corporate cliché: burnout. They share candid personal stories, explore the systemic causes behind widespread burnout, and offer real, practical steps to help you regain your balance. From toxic expectations and value misalignment to walking your dog at lunch and rewriting your job description—this conversation is full of insights, validation, and encouragement. Whether you’re exhausted, emotionally numb, or just feeling “off,” this episode will help you name what’s happening and take back your power.
🔥 Episode Highlights:
✅ What Burnout Really Means A state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that leaves you disconnected from your work—and even from yourself. It’s not just about long hours, it’s about misalignment.
✅ Corporate’s Role in the Burnout Epidemic From impossible workloads and poor management to toxic environments and lack of recognition, burnout has been normalized in the workplace. But that doesn’t mean we have to accept it. We found this LinkedIn Article so insightful!
✅ Real Stories, Real Talk Jess and Jen get personal—sharing their own burnout experiences, what triggered it, and how they started to heal. Spoiler: walking your dogs at lunch might be more powerful than you think.
✅ Signs of Burnout You Shouldn’t Ignore • Emotional numbness • Feeling isolated • Reduced motivation • Dread before every workday • Loss of purpose or values misalignment
✅ Burnout Triggers • Overload: You’re doing the job of three people • Lack of control: Always firefighting, never planning • No recognition: You're invisible unless you mess up • Toxic culture: Narcissistic bosses, no psychological safety • Value mismatch: Your work doesn’t align with your beliefs
🛠️ What You Can Do About It:
💡 Understand Where the Burnout Is Coming From Not all burnout is the same—identify your unique stressors so you can make meaningful changes.
📝 Try This Exercise: Re-Write Your Job Description Turn it into a calling instead of a checklist. Focus on the impact, not just the tasks. Then bring 3 actionable ideas to your manager that support this version of your role.
🧘 Create Sustainable Stress-Release Routines Breaks, water, movement, journaling, boundary-setting—build habits that restore you daily instead of relying on weekends to “recover.”
💬 Redefine Success at Work Are you working toward your goals or someone else’s? Burnout often stems from chasing achievements that don’t fulfill you.
🚨 The Canary in the Coal Mine Listen to early signs—both in yourself and those around you. Silence from once-passionate employees often signals deeper issues in company culture.
💬 Key Takeaways:
Burnout is a signal, not a personal failure. • Rewriting your job as a calling can help reframe your mindset and goals. • Small changes in your day can have a big impact on how you feel. • You have power—even in corporate—to push back on toxic narratives. • Culture change starts with conversations just like this.
👥 Join the Conversation!
🔗 Engage with Us: Have you experienced burnout at work? What helped—or what didn’t? We’d love to hear your story. DM us or comment on Instagram @CorporateClichePodcast.
🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Don’t miss future episodes in our Watercooler Cliché series—subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform!
📝 Rate & Review: If this episode resonated with you, drop us a rating and review! It helps others find the show and reminds us why these conversations matter.
 

Podcast Title: Corporate ClichéEpisode Title: Beyond the 9–5: After-Hour Adventures, Pet Peeves + TattoosHosts: Jess + Jen
Episode Overview
In this week’s episode, Jess and Jen take a break from the usual Corporate chaos to dive into something a little more personal—Work/Life Balance. From concert road trips and Disneyland passes to unexpected tattoos and pet peeves, the duo shares how they unwind and make the most of life after the 9 to 5. Whether you're looking for new show recommendations or just want to laugh about the weird things that make us tick, this one’s for you.
What to Expect
After-Hour Adventures:
Why weekends are for more than just errands.
The blog that started it all: Weekends are for Adventures.
Jen’s adrenaline rush from package deliveries and planning epic mini getaways.
Real Talk on Work/Life Balance:
How to separate your identity from your job.
Why it’s important to have something to look forward to.
Let’s Get Personal:
What our evenings look like after work.
Our go-to activities outside the office.
Current TV obsessions—and shows we’d recommend to anyone.
Tattoo confessions + biggest pet peeves.
Call to Action
We want to hear from you! What’s your favorite thing to do after work? Got a weird pet peeve or show obsession? DM us on Instagram at @thecorporateclichepodcast or email us at thecorporateclichepodcast@gmail.com.
If you loved this episode, share it with your work bestie! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. Thanks for listening—see you next time!
 

🎙️ Episode 8: Book Club - Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Welcome to our very first Book Club episode! 🎉 In this special series, we dive into business and personal development books that have shaped our professional journeys—and might just do the same for you.
This week, we’re exploring Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown.
Feeling overwhelmed by nonstop tasks, commitments, and distractions? You’re not alone—and this episode is your invitation to pause and refocus. We unpack how embracing the philosophy of Essentialism can help you live more intentionally and achieve success without burnout.
In this episode, we explore:
🧠 What it means to "do less, but better"
🎯 The art of prioritizing what truly matters—and eliminating what doesn’t
🙅‍♂️ How to say “no” gracefully and reclaim your time and energy
🛠️ Practical strategies to identify your “vital few” and apply essentialism daily
💬 Real-world examples of how essentialism can reshape your work, relationships, and personal well-being
Whether you're looking to streamline your workflow, become a more focused leader, or just need a reminder to slow down and reflect—this episode offers inspiring insights and actionable takeaways.
🎧 Listen now and take the first step toward a life by design, not by default.