HR BESTIES - HR Besties: Our Top Ten Most Memorable Cringe Corporate Speak Moments

Episode Date: June 4, 2025

How many of these have you heard in your workplace, Besties? Open kimono New sheriff in town Out of pocket Too many balls in the air Bang it out More to come Executive presence Ducks in a row We're like family Your To-Do List: Grab merch, submit Questions & Comments, and make sure that you’re the first to know about our In-Person Meetings (events!) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hrbesties.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow your Besties across the socials and check out our resumes here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hrbesties.com/about⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Subscribe to the HR Besties Newsletter - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hr-besties.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠ We look forward to seeing you in our next meeting - don’t worry, we’ll have a hard stop! Yours in Business + Bullsh*t,  Leigh, Jamie & Ashley Follow Bestie Leigh! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@hrmanifesto⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/hrmanifesto⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hrmanifesto.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Bestie Ashley! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@managermethod⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/managermethod⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyherd/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://managermethod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Bestie Jamie! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.millennialmisery.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Humorous Resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠ Millennial Misery: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠ Horrendous HR: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tune in to “HR Besties,” a business, work and management podcast hosted by Leigh Elena Henderson (HRManifesto), Ashley Herd (ManagerMethod) and Jamie Jackson (Humorous_Resources), where we navigate the labyrinth of corporate culture, from cringe corporate speak to toxic leadership. Whether you’re in Human Resources or not, corporate or small business, we offer sneak peeks into surviving work, hiring strategies, and making the employee experience better for all. Tune in for real talk on employee engagement, green flags in the workplace, and how to turn red flags into real change. Don't miss our chats about leadership, career coaching, and takes from work travel and watercooler gossip. Get new episodes every Wednesday, follow us on socials for the latest updates, and join us at our virtual happy hours to share your HR stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have a lot on the agenda today. Let me kick it off then with cringe corporate speak. The cringe corporate speak for today is open kimono. So if you want to be sexist and racist in two words, use that in the workplace. I have a physical reaction when I hear it in the workplace. It is something that I've heard my entire career. And I don't know if it's because I've been in manufacturing, heavy industrials, production, ops, like, you know, like things, I don't know why, or I've just worked with a bunch of creepers,

shout out creepers. But that one just kind of, you know. Can you, okay, so for those that are thinking, what's that? You have had the pleasure of never hearing that in your career. How do you tend to hear that in a sentence? It means real talk. Like you know, we got to be really open about something. Let's be transparent.

You know, I'm just going to lay all my cards out. I'm just going to put all the data on the table, right? So let's just get open kimono about this topic. Or hey, let's be open kimono. And it's just like permission to basically open up your shirt and get naked is what that is saying. A email sent duct line I should have had is I'm about to open your kimono.

That's what people would do, or open my kimono. That is an alternative. But Jamie, thoughts? I thankfully have never heard that. Really? Oh my gosh. Yes. I've thankfully never heard that.

I'm happy for you. Just knowing who I am, I probably would have called the person out, be like, no, Bob, no. Bob would say that. Yeah, Bob would say that. Yeah, Bob would say that. Yeah, it is a Bob thing, right? Definitely, you know, you may want to bring it to that person's attention, but it's really cringy. Like, this is really cringy when you hear that in the workplace. Like you say, it's sexist, racist.

And so the way I've heard it, I've also heard this in legal, like legal speak, like open kimono, like a deal, potentially. Like if someone's talking about a business deal, we're going to, to our point of when we give you cringe corporate speak, you know, we'll try to give you an alternative, unless it's so bad that we're just going to say, just move off that entirely. But for a deal, what you're trying to say is, like you said, we're going to show all of our cards. We're going to show all the information proactively. We will put it out there, so we're not going to waste anybody's time, and we're going to show all the information proactively. We will put it out there so we're not going to waste anybody's time and we're going to be respectful to the

other people. It's a few more words than open kimono, but I tell you what, it's a lot safer and a lot less expensive than that EEOC charge that could be coming your way from my U.S. audience and globally. I hope that that's a phrase that is limited to the U.S. and that others would not say that, especially for some of our global colleagues. But it's just, I don't know how that got started, but not in a good way. Yeah. Yeah, I wish we did know the origins on that.

I do hear a lot of BD folks, sales, like to your point, you know, I do. Because it is very deal related, you know. But yeah, that one is a cringe. Well, I'm looking it up. Okay, there you go. Live Googling. Yeah, live Googling. NPR covered this about 10 years ago, which is helpful.

Thank you, NPR. Oh my gosh. So, the expression originated in feudal Japanese times and referred to the practice of proving that no weapons were hidden within the folds of clothing. Oh, totally makes sense. So, to show you, hey, I'm not hiding anything. Here's my wiener. Oh my gosh.

Well, that's true. What are they wearing underneath? That's what I'm saying. Like, I have no weapons, but here's my wiener. I love when you do a Google search and it's, you know, the Google. People also ask, number one question, is it okay to say open the kimono? No, no, it's not. These words are dripping with misogyny and racism. I will agree with you, Google. But hopefully, no thing, like in the workplace, like you're not in feudal times. And so you don't need to say that about your business, your business deal or your conversation. Yeah. And if you felt the need to, you could just go into a meeting and say, I have no weapons.

Ashley, what do you have from a cringe speak perspective? I'll say yeehaw because this week, not just because Lee's from Texas, but because this week's Cringe Corporate Speak is there's a new sheriff in town. Cue the spurs, cue the, cue the, nu-dun-dun. Japs? Assless chaps. And where you tend to hear this is when a new leader comes either into an organization or over a team and is trying to disparage the prior leader and say, I'm here, things are going to be different and set the tone that way.

Have we heard this ladies? Yes, for sure. Yes. You know what would be funny? If like, you know how you see sometimes, I drove by one just the other day where like, you're driving by a business and it says, under new management.

If like the new manager, under new management like on their door. Oh gosh. Dang. Yeah, there's a new sheriff in town. Have I heard a leader say that when they're new? I don't know. Yeah. I know. I've definitely heard things are going to change around here and then other people

saying, well, apparently there's a new sheriff in town. There's a new sheriff in town. Yeah. Yeah. I've heard someone say this about themselves. Oh my gosh. Oh, cringy. Oh my gosh. But it wasn't inside an organization. It was when I was a brand new law firm associate and we went to a lunch and learn by the Atlanta

Bar Association Labor and Employment Section. And it was the new regional head of the EEOC then. Oh my gosh. Totally. This is like 20 years ago. I'll never forget it. And he said, I'll tell you, there's a new sheriff in town. And it was about how they would not be cooperating so much with management side employment firms,

such as what I worked at. And so, of course, I'm in my mind of hearing it just like a new person in cringe corporate speak a thing. That seems very severe. And didn't really, didn't have the backstory, hadn't worked with the EEOC either way. And in the legal environment, I can tell you this, having, hadn't worked with the EEOC either way. And, you know, in the legal environment, I can tell you this, having since worked not just with the EEOC, but with opposing counsel back and forth, rarely are you going to have good outcomes

when you're an asshole. And so this is what I'm talking about for lawyers, not just this head of the EEOC, who was a bit intense, but this, but when you're a lawyer, management side law firms tend to do this a lot and come in and be a jerk. It does not help. I did not do this in my practice. But so it said this and of course, these law firm partners, I think in their mind were like, you know, puffed up. Also, they were probably thinking, oh, more, more legal fees. Here we, here we go. But because new sheriff in town also means going to look in like it's going to be tougher around here.

And so... Yeah, y'all have had it too easy around here. So I'm going to... Exactly. You know, do, do, do. I feel like there's going to be a duel with guns. Yeah. Oh, man.

It just means there's going to be more side texting and people have to hide their fun and lives outside of work more. And they're quiet quitting and going open. Gosh, I'll never forget when I left a job and people started texting me or calling me to tell me that, oh gosh, the person that replaced you, Lee, she's a real hard ass. She keeps saying things and it contradicts what you had said and the precedent we had had and she keeps saying, well, Lee's not here anymore, is she? You know, like I'm in charge now, you know, which is the same sentiment, right? She all but

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are backed by a 20-day money-back guarantee. So get talking with Babbel. I want you to learn another language. So I'm teaming up with Babbel to give you 55% off subscriptions, but it's only for our listeners. At babbel.com HR besties get up to 55% off at babbel.com HR besties spelled B-A-B-B-E-L.com HR besties babbel.com HR bestrbesties, babbel.com slash hrbesties. Rules and restrictions may apply. Today I present to you all the cringe corporate speak of out of pocket. And so how is this

used if you've never heard of it? Let's say you're not going to be at work. Perhaps you're in a training, you're doing something else. Who knows? You are out of pocket for that day. I'm quiet vacationing. I'm out of pocket. I mean, I always, always, always envision someone sticking out of like the breast pocket. Wow. I did not go there. I was thinking that cute little pocket on the jeans. That seems like the chest pocket, you know, whatever. I'm stuck on my button up shirt for my flu shot. But just thinking of that poking the head over, like my mom, when I was growing up, on my

lunch bag every day, she drove the little character from like, I think the 60s, I can't remember the name, but holding a sign with like the nose sticking over in the hands like that. She would write that and write a note every day on my little brown lunch bag. And so I think about the leader poking out of the pocket just like that. So that's you in the pocket, right? It's me in the pocket. Yeah. So when you're out of pocket, you escape and you flee corporate America's little jeans pocket for the day. See, for me, it is cringy. I don't think I say that. Yeah. That's not a thing. Oh, God, what if I have?

Well, I'm sure you have before. Like if someone says that, like then, you know, it kind of goes around and culturally some, some businesses or teams or whatever. I'm going to be out of pocket. I've said it. I've said it, but I had some Gen Z colleagues when I was doing some consulting work. Well, I said I'm going to be out of pocket and they had an intervention with me on our next meeting and they were like, I don't think you know what that means. And I was like, no kids, I know exactly what I'm talking about. But they're like, no, you said out of pocket and we looked and I guess that can mean out of office, but you should just say out of office for that because out of pocket nowadays really means you're acting

crazy. Like, yeah, off the rails, off the chains. Yeah. I was like, yeah, no, it doesn't. It already had a meeting and find something else for that to say. But it's, but you'll just know, and we'll put this in our newsletter of like the discussion questions because I do think this one is, I don't know if it's a general generational divide. They thought it might be a geographical divide.

So they were like asking other people. They're like, is it's... Really? Yeah. But... Yeah. See, like I say it to my kids, like you're acting out of pocket. Yeah. When they're acting up. I've never heard that. Really? No.

Huh. And see, I've never liked out of pocket, meaning out of office or not working that day or whatever. Because to me, that then symbolizes I'm typically in a pocket, a pocket of oppression. You see what I'm saying? Like I'm being held in someone's crotch pocket. I'm held captive in this shithole. Yes. It just feels ick. Give me the ick. Oh my gosh. Give me the egg. Oh my gosh. So my cringe corporate speak for today is right size.

And where you tend to hear right size is in a layoff announcement. And an organization, again, never, we've talked about this in our layoff, so they never want to call the layoff. So sometimes they will call it a right size. And that feels very, very wrong to really everybody, the people who have been laid off and the people who are staying who were like, well, now I feel especially guilty that I'm right and they're not. It's a very callous way of saying, you know, our numbers were off and we're going to make

decisions and people are going to lose their jobs. But we'll call it right size. So have you all heard this? Absolutely. Absolutely. Yep. And that's exactly it too, right? It's what you said like, oh, we were so wrong before.

We fucked up, but we can't say we fucked up by getting too fat and inflating numbers or having duplicitous work or just managing things like shit. Yeah, exactly. So now we're going to right size. It really puts lipstick on the pig to use a previous corporate speak that we've covered and just absolves the sense, it's all fine here. We have to do it. We really have to.

It's not our choice. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. I've heard it in that very sense of like a layoff. Now we're right. Now things are good because we got rid of all those people. Just call it a layoff. This is it. Do you recognize this? So we were wrong size, but we're right. Don't make people feel forced on the way out. That's it. That's the same. So yes, right size. If we can just do away with that term entirely, we'd at least move the needle slightly in our corporate

world. What about fun size? I am fun sized. Yeah, we size that because if I'm short. Yeah. Oh, y'all call yourselves fun size. Oh, that's cute. Like I can just pop you in my mouth. Oh, that's cute. Put you in my pocket. Yeah, that's right. Here we are. That's cute. Fun size. That's it.

So I'm king size. What am I? What the hell am I? Queen size. Queen size. Queen size. Oh, damn. Okay.

So our cringy corporate speak today is too many balls in the air. How do you tend to hear this, this cringe speech? Yeah, like I've got too much going on. I've got too many balls in the air. Why am I doing the hand motion? Cause you're juggling. That's what it is. I've got too many balls in the air.

Yeah, I can juggle. You can juggle. I saw you juggle last night. Oh yeah, you were juggling. Yeah, in the ball pit. Yeah. But not well, honestly. But side note, I learned to juggle in like fourth grade gym class.

That was a lesson in there? Yes. It was a whole. As well as square dancing, of course. Exactly. But no, I'm not kidding. We the first learned with. God forbid we learned how to do our taxes.

We sort of, yeah. I know, like, yeah. Oh gosh, that's your square dance. I learned with scarves first. Yes. And then. Oh my gosh. Same, I learned with scarves in test, but but I learned a clown camp and that's the difference.

Oh, she's professionally trained. You just went public. Tennessee public school. Right there with you, friend. Oh, yeah. So let's try to sneak that into today's episode. Too many balls in the air. It's all about juggling stuff is what that means. You got too much going on. I know because you said you can just say, I have a lot going on. I need to figure out how to prioritize that there's anything that I can actually move off. Yeah, that's a little long. Right. So now I do see why we say that was like four lines.

You're like, you only have so much time with your boss. You're not wrong. You're not wrong. Exactly. Instead, you could just go and do this cringey juggle movement with your head. I got a ditty ball. People know, but if someone saw, I would probably understand even with that motion alone. Someone like, I'm busy.

Can you help me? You're doing the juggle hands. I'm fucked. I'm like, leave me alone. I've got ditty balls. Cringe corporate speak today. The phrase that I would like to bring forward is the phrase, let's bang it out. I know, right? Take me out to dinner first before we do that. Yeah.

You got to wine and dine this time. Buy me a DDS bottle of cream or with a bow on it, and then we'll do what we may with it. No, not with this leader. Well, let's bang it out. Well, that reminds me of the Bang Bus. What's that? I knew she would know what the Bang Bus is.

Google. I don't know what the Bang Bus is. Oh dear. I don't know what the Bang Bus is. That's a sentence I didn't think I was saying. Oh my gosh. A corporate mean. Oh, Ashley's Googling it.

Live action, action Googling. Just like fleshlight. Is it just a porn channel? What? I see. All this, the first, one of the Google visuals is Bang Bros. A long time ago in a bang bus, far, far away. And the away part of that, I don't want to

see them. They used to bang in a bus. Who? The bank bro. Well, on here, it gives, it gives some, I'm sure, I assume they're not their real names. What? Did you watch this? Okay. I won't make you answer that. Lee and I clearly didn't. Yeah. No, I don't feel this is mainstream, this one. No. I think the flesh light is, I don't think, I don't feel this is mainstream, this one. I think the flesh light is, I don't think, come on, bang bus is a thing. Please don't DM me. I get enough stuff.

Real quiet when I was like, have you watched that? I know, okay, yes. I mean, how would it open? No, I did not know what the bang bus is. I can see leaders saying that, let's put this on the bang bus. Did they say that? No, I could see leaders saying that, like, let's put this on the bang bus. Did they say that? No, I can see that.

I have heard, let's bang it out. And then I've had other females come that are like, is that appropriate? I'm like, it's not appropriate. It doesn't feel right. Unless he saw it, but whatever. Bang it out. Yeah, but that one is one, one of those kind of, I mean, that is like the definition of cringe there.

I don't want to think about banging anything out there. Yeah. Well, there's the jarring like, yeah, you know, yeah. Let's just work on it. Yeah. Yes. Let's knock it out, maybe? Well, recently, very recently, I went to my father's retirement party and he retired after

he started work at PNC Bank 45 years ago. Shut up. And he had a get up started literally for in the mail room working nights, basically check room working nights. But anyway, they said they were like, let's finish it off by saying, let's get to work. And I'm like, what do you mean? He's like, he's like, he always ended his meetings and he said, let's get to work. And I was very delighted that my dad's retirement party, nobody said he finished

things by, so from Papa, Papa, Papa manager method, you can then let's get to work as a perfectly, perfectly accessible that will end you not in HR's office. Just say, let's get to work. Yeah. Yeah. I don't think I've had a council, anybody on that though. Just say, let's get to work. Yeah. Yeah. I don't think I've had to counsel anybody on that though. I have.

Yeah, I haven't, but I've definitely heard it. Not like, mm-mm, hard stop. Yeah. I feel like sometimes HR, you just have that visceral, I mean, how many times in your career have you heard things in your career? Oh yeah, like piggybacking, where it's like you just visualize, you know,

somebody on top of Steve. Just piggybacking Steve, you know, and visualize, you know, somebody on top of Steve. Just piggybacking Steve, you know, and it's not, I know, well, Steve is a dick. But yeah, yeah, I mean, you know, and it just kind of gives you that visual there, you know? So, I don't know, there, people love to like infuse just a little razzle dazzle sex in the workplace, don't they? There's, there are some people, you know, some people just kind of. Or in a podcast, in the workplace. There are some people just kind of... Or in a podcast in my... That's different. We're shining a light to it.

We're talking about it. We're talking about it. Totally say that. Say this, not that. Yes, yes, yes. Please, don't say that. Do as... yes, yes. So if I may, I would love to share some cringe corporate speak.

And that speak is more to come. And why that is so cringy is because it never comes. The more never comes, right? So it's like, that's just like a transitional thing. Like we always say, more to come on that. Yes. Okay, when? Never. Never. Never. More to come. It's kind of what it's like your filler word when like you didn't do your homework or you didn't finish that part or whatever. You don't know. Well, more to come.

Or like in my case, when I've used it, it's been like, I got this little piece of information from like the exact committee and now I'm disseminating that on my team and I'm like Nobody knows it's gonna be a lot of discussions on that and probably very little action Yes, but it feels great to be able to deliver some piece of piece of information and at least suggest put that whiff down Exactly. Well, it will come. I like there's more to come. Yeah, cuz I mean it does kind of Sound shitty to be like I don't know shit. Okay, I don't know nothing. I don't think it does I think if you have someone into like I mean I say that I mean, I say that. Yeah, me to my team.

I do. I'll be like, sorry, I don't fucking know. I'll get you more information if I get it. The corporate non-cringe speak, I think, is the phrase, I don't know. And to be able to say in the workplace, I don't know. And I think telling people, this is what we're thinking, but we want to get people's input and do something, which also doesn't happen enough. But underutilized.

You know what I don't like? And this will be a topic that we are gonna cover in full, but it's on LinkedIn. When people like, they stay where they're leaving and they're like, more to come on my next journey. And you're like, it's not a two-part series. It's not an after school special. No one cares that much.

Yeah, and they like list out, I worked at a place once and the people that worked at this place, it's a very large company, will know. The goodbye messages in that instance would be like, oh my God, it would be like the ending credits at the movie, like 80s and 90s style. Totally. And if you didn't include somebody, then they- Wait, like on their LinkedIn? No, no.

Like an email, a goodbye email. No, like internal, internal, goodbye email. And then it's the multitude of questions. Who do you include in it? Who do you call up by name? Because if you don't, it's nobody. They will call up. And then who do you send that as a distribution list to? I mean, it's all of those corporate thoughts that people call it six. Anyway, but more to come on that. Yeah, but more to come on that one. Yeah, we'll park you on that one. We will actually be cycling back. Jesus, we are using this. My cringe corporate speak is executive presence.

Oh, yeah. No. What that tends to mean is when people are talking about someone in a promotion or, oh, there's this person and they have a great executive presence. And what that can mean is like probably Lee, like a little bit, like maybe taller, so I don't have that, maybe a bit of a deeper voice, but like a level of confidence. Gorgeous. Yeah, gorgeous.

Yeah, sorry. Rainbow colored. So be. I definitely do not have an exact be. But it can be someone that's a good public speaker or convincing when they speak. And it's a lot about their style and their window dressing. Another word you hear sometimes is gravitas.

Like, oh, they have this, that people believe what they say. And so you coach people, like, oh, to move up, you need to have executive presence. And what I would say is if people, no matter what you're doing, wherever you want to be on the organizational ladder, it is good to have communication skills and a thought process and be able to add value.

But this thing of executive presence in gravitas, the problem that I have with it is that it does tend to skew mail and it tends to favor some really superficial characteristics that can mask actual substance underneath, and it can make it hard for introverts or people that have really strong skill sets from feeling like, well, I can't get up and be commanding like this person. So well, my future's F-tier.

So, thoughts. Yeah. Well, I had a leader use executive presence once and I called them on it because I knew that, quite frankly, they were racist. You know what I mean? After working with them for a while and things that they had shared with me. And they said, Well, I just love that guy's executive presence. And I said, Oh, is that because they look just like you? He didn Yeah, he didn't. He didn't like that.

You know what I mean? But it was true. And we know that like Kyers like, right? But he was kind of like, oh, of course. Here you go again. But there's a lot of that in that as well. So it's kind of anyone who doesn't fit the social more raise or the stereotypes of a leader, you know, they don't have executive presence,

right? And the person that's typically saying that is someone that of course has this vision, like we all do, we all have biases, right? But they have this vision in their head from all of their experiences and background of what a leader should look like and be like. And they try to fit it in that box. You know what I mean? So it's like, oh, well, they don't have the executive presence. Well, what sometimes what they're saying is, well, I've never seen a leader that looks like them. Exactly. Like, what does that even mean to you? Yeah. Yeah. So I don't think that's going to work. You know, it's like, wait, what? You know, so that's how I've seen that unfortunately play out in the workplace when people use that term executive presence.

It's not always for good. No. I definitely have more of a clownal presence. Clownal? Yeah, like I'm a class clown, you know? Oh, that's a new word. Kind of like a clown in the workplace. Like a personality hire?

I love it, actually. A personality hire. A hundred percent a personality hire. But you have a really, really incredibly strong skill set as well. So that does benefit. I know a really, really incredibly strong skill set as well. That's a benefit. I know. Well, that's cool then. I'm sure no one knows that though.

I'll tell them. I'll bring the circus. Jamie gets jobs because people she's worked with are like, come with me. Come with me and you'll see. Yeah. But I like that. So there's executive presence now and clownal presence. Yeah. I just made that up. I love that actually

That's a tick tock I think there's a lot of stereotypes that people need to get in front of this stuffy boardroom Yeah, have these you know this puff puff puff that just but I think when people the way people Talk and in the more real talk man's the same behind all this corporate cringeworthy, double-click, like this tech-focused, tech stack, like what tech stack? What fucking software? What software makes your job easier? What tech stack are you? People do it to try to sound like you're like, add a couple zeros behind your worth or your

company name, but when you have people that just shoot at you straight and they're not using the big words and they're humble and they have a real touch with people. I'd rather hear from people like that all of the time. And I think if one of the gaps is that people don't get opportunities, they're expected at some point when you rise to like start doing presentations and it's really hard to do that. And so valuing more real talk and people's personalities rather than stuffing them into this mold, I think, is more 2024.

Yeah. Yeah. No, that's totally odd. I mean, I just hate how it becomes so homogenous. Right? We've seen that in our boards, some of our boards and our C-suite leaders. It's just group think. It's just cookie cutter. Yeah, and like even when you just say executive presence, it just gives me like good old boy vibes. And that's literally what my head goes to. Yeah. Alright. Ugh.

That's it. Let's not say that. Ugh. I know, I know. What could we say? Clownal? Clownal presence. I'm going to change my LinkedIn, uh,

Clownal presence. my LinkedIn clown presence. Oh, chief clown officer. Oh, chief clown officer. I am chief meme officer. I know. We know. We see you in the top of the orange chart. That's who you are.

That's who you are. CMO. CMO. Jamie, what do you got? Ducks in a row. Aw, quack, quack. So it's definitely cute. It is. It's cute.

It's still a little cringy though when I hear it. When you hear like a grown man say, let's get our ducks in a row. I'm like aw. You think a little one's waddling around. Oh, this one keeps going in circles. Come on you. This is definitely a palate cleanser. Yeah, I feel. I'm going to go ahead and put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on.

I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on.

I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on.

I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. I'm going to put this on. And the origin does date back to the late 19th century when it was used in the world of fairground shooting galleries was the main origin. And, and, you know, some other people have said, oh, it's also like a mama duck leading their ducks, but I love those fairground shooting, shooting galleries because I like the ones now, not with I guess, well, not with those, those things, but bullets, but with the water where you do the cause being from Kentucky, I like the ones that are a horse race and you know,

the you're it's, you know, two or more people and you're always looking for more people to join at the fair because then your prize will be bigger when you win, if you win, when you win. And so I love those, those games, but I like that origin. Oh, that is cute. And I can see it, right? Like the image is there. So the cute little ducks and at least then this cringe corporate speak is precious. Yes. It is fresh. It's cute.

And I definitely used it. Yeah. Let's get our ducks in a row, people. Yeah. Yeah. Let's get our shit together. You know, people give you that advice if you're speaking and they say, imagine people in their underwear. That's never worked for me whatsoever. It just makes me giggle, like, ooh, make a cringe face.

But if you imagine your leader saying, let's get their ducks in the row and like all your leaders playing the duck, duck, goose or something like that, that can humanize. If you're nervous to talk to the board or you're anybody at work, you're VP, district manager, just imagine them sitting around playing duck, duck, goose, and that can ease the nerves. Yeah. So we'll allow this one, right? Or no.

I mean, this one's cute. I'm okay with this one. Yeah, it's cute. Yeah. Everyone worked us in today, if you can. It's cute. Let's get our ducks in a row. Come on, people.

I'll kick it off with the cringe corporate spoof. Yeah. Yeah, everyone worked us in today, if you can. It's cute. Let's get our ducks in a row. Come on, people. I'll kick it off with the cringe corporates, babe. And it's one of my favorites. And it's something that I favorite to make fun of. I've got several TikToks on this that went viral, but it's we're like family here. We are like family here. We are like family here. Now, if you are interviewing with somebody and they pull out the F word, which is family, run. Just absolutely run, because that is going to be a workplace that lacks accountability, that probably doesn't have

defined roles and responsibilities, and they are going to exploit and gaslight the fuck out of you. And I'm sorry, they just are facts. Fast-track facts. Just put it in the job posting. So to drop, just put it in there so you can, you can send the red flag right away. Exactly, put it at the top.

Bold it, bold it at the top, you know what I mean? Yeah, that honestly just screams toxic to me. Well, and I've definitely been in environments that would say that and there's times I really didn't think about it until all of a sudden it's like, you know, job loss, things like performance terminations, like these difficult conversations.

Oh, I'm sorry, you had a loss, but you only get two bereavement days per leave. So no, that's not gonna happen. Like, oh, that's very familial of you. It really is an exploitative term, flat out. And it's not. It is a working relationship. And someone should put that effort in, you should encourage them to put that effort in. But I completely agree. It tends to take those aspects and really mind fucking boys. Oh, I know. It's ick. It's ick. You know, and you're not a family, you're a team, if you're

doing it right. Right? That means there's accountability, there's respect and dignity. Because let's be honest, there's no one you treat worse besides yourself than your family. Because you're so close to them and because you can, they're going to maybe love you anyway. I mean, you know, but that's just how it is. You're in close quarters with somebody, you're your real authentic self, like hardcore, sometimes gross in some ways with those people. And so you do not want that in the workplace. Jess procures the tech equipment for a big warehouse. Grandin Toy provides the essential products and support to keep operations

seamless. She doesn't de-stress with bubble wrap anymore. It's just for fun. Don't overthink it. Go to Grand and Toy com. Catherine Edwards is our go-to for calm, smart takes on the economy. She joined us on a recent episode of the Her Money podcast to remind us that if we end up going into a recession or if we're already in one right now and yeah, that might be possible that yeah, your investments might dip, but they always bounce back. So if you need clarity rather than chaos around today's headlines, tune into Her Money. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.