Flipping Tables Podcast — Episode 43: "The Change We Want to See — Trevor Silva and My Cluck Hut"

Date: November 26, 2025
Host: Monte Mader
Guest: Trevor Silva (Founder, My Cluck Hut)

Overview

In this heartfelt and dynamic episode, Monte Mader sits down with Trevor Silva, the founder of My Cluck Hut, to discuss the intersection of activism, small business, humor, and hope during fraught times in America. Monte, a former alt-right evangelical, and Trevor, a musician-turned-entrepreneur, share stories of deconstruction, resisting fascism, building sustainable businesses, and finding joy and community while facing overwhelming odds.

The conversation invites listeners to consider how everyday actions, laughter, and collective effort can become vehicles of real, tangible change, and emphasizes the importance of community, joy, and defiance in the face of hopelessness.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Building My Cluck Hut: From Pandemic Blues to Activist Soap (04:29–05:53, 12:12–15:19)

• Origins in Crisis and Humor:
  Trevor shares how My Cluck Hut began as a response to depression and hopelessness during the pandemic, combined with a need for practical, sustainable action and levity:

  "It all started actually during the pandemic when I started conceptualizing this. Little things like making sustainable choices... But what if we did it together? What if millions of drops came together?" (03:47)

• Community as Revolution:
  The goal from the outset was to build a collective capable of real change, resisting both environmental devastation and rising fascism.
• Rejection of Venture Capital and Corporate Takeover:
  Trevor emphasizes a commitment to keeping My Cluck Hut independent and community-focused:

  "I made a pledge. I was like, I will never sell this business. I'm not trying to build something that we then sell to somebody who gets to just take it and hoard more wealth like a damn dragon." (04:09)

• Humor as Defense and Love Language:
  Humor and sarcasm serve as survival tools, perfectly captured in:

  "Sarcasm is not only my defense mechanism, but my love language." (02:59)

• Soap as a Vehicle for Change:
  The products themselves (eco-friendly, sensory-friendly soaps) are tools to finance and drive communal action.

2. Personal Deconstruction: Faith, Identity, and Becoming Radical (06:17–10:22)

• Trevor’s Religious Journey:
  Growing up Catholic, drawn into evangelicalism due to music, and eventually becoming a youth pastor — only to be fired for growing the youth program too successfully. His gradual enlightenment came from focusing on the "words in red" and questioning church hierarchy.

  "I was in it because I really, I always dug the words in red. To me that... made sense." (08:13)

• Leaving the Church and Touring:
  Post-divorce and leaving ministry, Trevor pursued music in Nashville, eventually burning out on the touring lifestyle and longing for something more authentic and connected—the beginnings of his pivot to business and activism.
• Mental Health and Crisis:
  The pandemic led to deep depression, empathetic pain for others, and a profound internal crossroads:

  "I honestly, I don't say this lightly. I looked at Jennifer and I go, it's either blow my brains out or change the world... And she just looked at me, she's like, why don't we go with the latter?" (15:05)

3. Leveraging Privilege and Choosing Mission Over Money (20:58–22:34, 25:20–26:14)

• Voice and Platform:
  Trevor, as a white man, recognizes his platform and is intent on using it as a "Trojan horse" for love, equity, and inclusivity.
• Business Ethics:
  My Cluck Hut eschews profit-driven models for paying living wages, giving ownership stakes, and building wide, deep foundations for sustainable impact.

  "I Brought in the goats at what they did. I made them owners." (26:03)

4. Hope, Joy, and Resistance: Using Humor to Battle Fascism (34:55–39:42)

• Pranks and Mockery as Tools:
  Trevor references the book Pranksters vs. Autocrats and the historical power of ridicule against tyrants:

  "I've been doing this and then somebody recommended this book and I'm like, holy... This is what I do." (35:29)

• Refusing to Cede Joy:
  Both Monte and Trevor agree that joy is a weapon against authoritarianism:

  "The best thing we can do is rub joy in their face. Is be joyful." (33:29)

• Not Taking the Bait:
  The podcast explores not being drawn into divisive anger cycles, instead opting for persistent presence, humor, and mutual encouragement.

5. Real Talk on Intersectionality and Allyship (28:10–31:54)

• LGBTQ+ and Anti-Patriarchy Advocacy:
  Both guests discuss the necessity of standing up for marginalized people, rejecting performative allyship, and calling out the illogic and cruelty in right-wing scapegoating:

  "I can't wrap my mind around the hate and the vitriol being directed at 1% of the population that is not taking your income... Be mad at the top 1% who control... the economy. Those are the people exploiting you, not trans people who have every right to choose how they exist." (28:10)

• Self-Love and Projection:
  The conversation repeatedly returns to the idea that much hate comes from self-loathing and repression, especially in puritanical cultures.

6. Organizing Beyond Capitalism and Fighting Despair (50:04–52:59)

• Labor, Strike, and Money:
  Both agree the most potent threat to fascist and corporate power is organized labor and consumer action:

  "The greatest enemy to a fascist regime is organized labor. So I think it's gonna come down to labor strikes and money strikes." (57:23)

• Black Friday Boycott:
  My Cluck Hut asks customers NOT to shop with them during Black Friday/Cyber Monday to resist big business profits and encourage mindful spending and activism.
• Small Choices Matter:
  The ripple of choosing more ethical, sustainable, and local options is emphasized as both individually and collectively powerful.

7. Staying Engaged and Building Community (56:56–59:59, 77:01–79:17)

• Mutual Support and Orbits of Good:
  Trevor describes the multiplying effect of a principled community—"our orbit of good" draws in more individuals and businesses, compounding positive change.
• Being Loud and Visible:
  Participation in protests and online activism is discussed as vital.
• Importance of Giving Back:
  The "Give a Cluck" program supports nonprofits (suicide prevention, local animal rescues, etc.), returning 30% of collaboration product proceeds to social causes.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Sarcasm is not only my defense mechanism, but my love language." — Trevor Silva (02:59)
• "If you use soap and don't suck at being a person, we might be for you." — Trevor Silva (39:43)
• "I had to give up hope to create hope, to find hope. Relying on others for it was detrimental." — Trevor Silva (17:03)
• "Love wins in the end. If love hasn't won, it's not the end." — Trevor Silva (76:55)
• "We are living in a moment in history where it's impossible to lose the bet on being on the right side of history." — Trevor Silva (44:18)
• "The only option is forward, you know, you can't stop and remember." — Monte Mader (01:55)
• "I want to see a people before profit world. I want to see a diverse world. I want to see an eco-friendly world and a sustainable world. But we wait around for someone to do it. No, it's like, screw it, let's do it." — Trevor Silva (20:58)
• "They want everyone to be as miserable as they are. And I think the best thing we can do is rub joy in their face." — Trevor Silva (33:29)
• "I think that people need to see hope. Like, oh, I can get out, and I can knock on doors, and it makes a difference." — Monte Mader (51:27)
• "We win. We know we win. We have to stop letting them convince us that we don't win. And we have to support each other, love each other and really, you know, wash our asses because God bless America." — Trevor Silva (79:01)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Welcome and Announcements: 00:00–01:44
• Trevor’s Path to Activism & My Cluck Hut’s Founding: 02:13–06:17
• Deconstruction, Faith, and Leaving the Church: 06:17–10:22
• Depression and Pandemic Crisis Point: 12:12–16:10
• Rejection of Hopelessness, Creating Hope Together: 17:01–20:58
• Mission-Driven Business and Privilege: 20:58–22:34
• Sustainable Practice and Organizing Economic Power: 25:20–26:14, 56:33–57:23
• Mockery and Satire vs. Authoritarianism: 34:55–39:42
• Community-Building and Activism: 56:56–59:59, 77:01–79:17
• Maintaining Joy and Perseverance in Activism: 76:40–79:15
• How to Connect/Support My Cluck Hut: 79:17–80:23

Final Thoughts

• Activism and Business Intertwined: My Cluck Hut demonstrates how even a soap company can serve as a front line for activism, mutual aid, and resistance, with humor disarming hate and powering change.
• Hope Is Action: Both host and guest repeatedly stress that hope is not a feeling but an action—participation, solidarity, and day-by-day effort.
• Joy as Defiance: The act of retaining joy in dystopian times is revolutionary and contagious; laughter is as much a survival tool as a protest.
• Every Drop Counts: Individual action seems small, but when coordinated collectively, it can become a flood—whether through budgeting purchases, direct giving, or amplifying the call for justice.
• Community and Care Are Radical: Safe spaces, ethical business, and loving affirmation challenge the narratives of extremism and offer blueprints for building a better society.

Connect with My Cluck Hut:

• Website: mycluckhut.com
• TikTok, Instagram, Facebook: @ycluckhut
• "Give A Cluck" program and other initiatives highlighted

Upcoming Rally:

• Remove the Regime, Washington D.C., with a coalition of influencers and activists (81:33)

Summary by Flipping Tables Podcast Summarizer — "Go wash your ass, love your neighbor, and stay joyful. The revolution is collective—and clucking hilarious."