Desire, Dopamine, and Anticipation: Rachelle Robinett on Herbalism, Evolution and Redefining Ambition

This week I spoke with herbalist and writer Rachelle Robinett about her new book, Naturally, and some of my favorite ideas inside it: dopamine, novelty, primal motivation and strategies to regulate our nervous systems. We also talk about how the ways we distract ourselves are often attempts at a change in state and how knowing what type of state change we’re craving can help us determine not only which herb to work with, but what the desire under the craving actually is. We get into her favorite herb, how she uses it as an alternative to alcohol, as well as how she’s evolved within wellness culture and how she’s redefining ambition now.   Show Notes / Resources / Mentions: Learn more about Rachelle Robinett on her website Follow Rachelle Robinett on IG @rachellerobinett RSVP Here to a free live event with Rachelle, Herb Club LA, and me on March 9th at 6pm. Grab her book Naturally on Amazon Find Katie: Katie's Substack | IG: @letitouttt + @katiedalebout | Zine shop is here! My Creative Clinic Book Let It Out: A Journey Through Journaling   If you liked this episode, try this one from the archive: Supernatural Herbalism, Adaptogens, Trends, Productivity, Change + with Rachelle Robinett

This week I talked to attorney and writer Savala Nolan. Her newest book, Good Woman, which was named a Most Anticipated Feminist Book of 2026 by Ms. Magazine, is out now. I got to read an early copy and loved it. She writes with raw honesty about making herself smaller, both literally and metaphorically, in order to be a good daughter, a good wife, a good mother, and all the ways she allowed herself to be diminished to keep the peace, and how many others do this too. The 12 essays blend cultural commentary, personal experience, reportage, and history. We talked about the vulnerable process of writing a personal book of essays, including writing about divorce, motherhood, and the importance of respecting one’s appetite in every way, from creative to physical. I always love talking to Savala and loved getting to catch up with her here. Let us know if you listen.   Show Notes | Resources | Mentions: Follow Savala Nolan on IG and on Substack Good Woman: A Reckoning by Savala Nolan Website Find Katie: Katie's Substack | IG: @letitouttt + @katiedalebout  | Zine shop is here! My Creative Clinic.  Book Let It Out: A Journey Through Journaling   If you liked this episode, try this one from the archive: Don't Let It Get You Down: Savala Nolan Returns (part 1) 📖 Don't Let It Get You Down: Savala Nolan Returns (part 2) 🥖

This week, I’m joined again by emotional eating expert Tricia Nelson. This time, we explore the intricate connection between emotional eating and romantic relationships. We talk about how emotional responsibility includes becoming aware of the ways food struggles can impact intimacy and communication in relationships.We also discuss how isolation can intensify emotional eating, why connection and honesty are essential to healing, and the underlying reasons food becomes a coping mechanism. Tricia shares practical ways she has helped people shift these deep-rooted patterns, including how processing, expressing, and communicating how we’re feeling is essential to changing compulsive eating behaviors. It’s an honest conversation about how long-term struggles with food can affect the people in our lives, with practical advice for how to feel and connect with others instead of numb and avoid with food.If you liked this episode, here's my first episode with her: Why We Eat Our Feelings (and What to Do Instead)—Tricia Nelson ExplainsShow Notes | Resources | Mentions:The Substack I wrote about this most recently...Instagram: @tricianelson_Website: healyourhunger.comEmotional Eating Free QuizBook: Heal Your Hunger: 7 Simple Steps to End Emotional Eating NowPodcast: Heal Your Hunger Show on Apple PodcastsFind Katie:Katie's Substack | IG: @letitouttt + @katiedalebout  | Zine shop is here!My Creative Clinic. Book Let It Out: A Journey Through Journaling

My close friend Christine came over on New Year’s Day and we caught up on what’s ahead. We talk about friendship, big life transitions, and the constant evolution we all experience. She’s candid about how she’s changed creatively, professionally, and personally, including navigating freelance work amid uncertainty, and her excitement about becoming a parent and how pregnancy has unexpectedly fueled her productivity. We reflect on our last interviews, what she’s learned since, and the importance of staying adaptable. She’s quietly shown me how to move through change with poise and loved getting to have a time capsule conversation of this time in her life. It's a warm, reflective conversation about staying adaptable, new beginnings and staying on nodding terms with past versions of ourselves. Let us know if you listen!Find Chrissstttiiine on Instagram | YouTube | Watch a video version of this here: https://youtu.be/1UKPcKN0Pe0 Katie's Substack | IG: @letitouttt + @katiedalebout  | Zine shop is here!  Creative ClinicIf you liked this episode, try this one from the archive: EPISODE 485- Christine Nguyen on Film, Freelance, YouTube, Style, Breakups, and more! (RERUN of Ep 193) Chrissstttiiine

*This episode originally aired in 2017. I made a new intro/ reaction to it. It's my first conversation ever with my now very dear friend. Look out for an updated conversation between us next week. January 2017Today's conversation is one of the rare occasions where I make a friend live on the podcast. This conversation exceeded my expectation of what Christine would be like live. She was every bit as thoughtful, earnest, and wise as she comes off in the hundreds of YouTube videos she's published. Christine went to film school and simultaneously began on YouTube when she was just 18 and has been uploading to her chanel ever since. Her videos range from home decor to film photography to make-up to design to music. We get into everything from a cultivating a career as a freelancer to recovering after a tough breakup to handling aging and body image and finding a community. We also talk about  style, religion, family,  travel and more. I loved meeting her and having this meandering conversation which I think you'll love too. Notes from the Show:-Find Chrissstttiiine on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Tumblr | blog-My book Let It Out: A Journey Through Journaling  Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iBooks.-Sign-up for my newsletter to get updates on where I'll be and what I'm loving!-the apartment and home tours she doesRecs from the show: -Badbutnotgood on Spotify-the Marco Polo tea she loves... you can also find it at Dean & Deluca in NYC (or other areas)-Book — anything by Haruki Murakami-Movie — This is England, The 400 Blows, Fight Club-TV - Freaks and Geeks, Vice News, Sex in the City-Podcast - The Daily

In this episode, I talk with author and emotional-eating expert Tricia Nelson about why we turn to food for comfort, what emotional eating actually is (it’s not about willpower), and how to build a life that makes late-night kitchen raids less inevitable. We get into compulsions, body image, aging, intimacy, the “tiger out of the cage” metaphor, and why healing has way more to do with buried feelings and stress patterns than with food itself. It’s an honest, tender conversation about breaking cycles, lowering pressure, and learning to feel instead of numb.Show Notes | Resources | Mentions:The Substack I wrote about this most recently...Instagram: @tricianelson_Website: healyourhunger.comEmotional Eating Free QuizBook: Heal Your Hunger: 7 Simple Steps to End Emotional Eating NowPodcast: Heal Your Hunger Show on Apple PodcastsFind Katie:Katie's Substack | IG: @letitouttt + @katiedalebout  | Zine shop is here!My Creative Clinic. Book Let It Out: A Journey Through JournalingIf you liked this episode, try this one from the archive: Episode 422 | Well-being > Wellness: Christy Harrison on the Care Effect, the Wellness Trap, History of Hysteria & Much More

What Happens When You Actually Feel Feelings Instead of Avoiding Them? This week, I spoke with Jessica Gill about this. She's the Chief Content Officer at To Be Magnetic, about creativity, expansion, and what it really means to feel your feelings. We talked about grief, nostalgia, career ruts, rock bottoms, and how to get unstuck by doing the opposite of what you usually do. Jessica shares practical tools for raising self-worth, letting go of the past, and reconnecting to radical authenticity. If you’ve ever felt in limbo or like your old shell doesn’t fit anymore, this one will hit home.Show notes:Sign up here to get a companion workbook for this episode and the next!Jessica's Instagram | YoutubeKatie's Substack | IG: @letitouttt + @katiedalebout  | Zine shop is here!My Creative Clinic. Book Let It Out: A Journey Through JournalingIf you liked this episode, try out from the archive:Episode 481: (RERUN) Get Better at Feeling: The Art of Emotional Expansion - Lacy Phillips on Body Image, Style, and How To Be Magnetic (EP 212)

*This episode originally aired in 2018, re-airing it today in honor of Lacy's new book. And look out of an updated conversation between us later this week. In in late 2017 a friend mentioned a workshop she’d  attended in New York led by Lacy. After hearing about her experience, I was intrigued, yet slightly apprehensive because after years of obsession and addiction to all things personal-growth, spirituality, and manifestation I was at a point where I was exhausted by content even in the vicinity of self-help. Despite my trepidation I checked out Lacy's work and several hours later, I was hooked. From her style and aesthetic to her framework and perspective, her work was incredibly intriguing. In the weeks leading up to this interview  I was a bit nervous to meet her in person. Fortunately, Lacy was  warm and welcoming putting me at ease the second I walked into the Brooklyn apartment where she was staying. We sipped a tea infusion she made us (Lacy’s also an herbalist) and chatted for hours about everything from bodies and food to design and design to relationships. We talked about her philosophy around authenticity, boundaries, and of course debunking myths about manifestation. She was kind, charming, articulate, and I loved recording this episode and listening back to it.Show notes:- Lacy on The Web | Podcast | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest>> Lacy's new book: How to Manifest - Katie's Substack | IG: @letitouttt + @katiedalebout  | Zine shop is here! - My Creative Clinic. >> book Let It Out: A Journey Through JournalingAll original music composed by Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs 

*This episode originally aired in 2018, re-airing it today in honor of Lacy's new book. And look out for an updated conversation between us later this week. In late 2017, a friend mentioned a workshop she’d attended in New York led by Lacy. After hearing about her experience, I was intrigued, yet slightly apprehensive because after years of obsession and addiction to all things personal-growth, I was at a point where I was exhausted by content even in the vicinity of self-help. Despite my trepidation, I checked out Lacy's work. From her style and aesthetic to her framework and perspective, her work was incredibly intriguing. In the weeks leading up to this interview, I was a bit nervous to meet her in person. Fortunately, Lacy was warm, putting me at ease the second I walked into her Brooklyn apartment. We sipped a tea infusion she made us (Lacy’s an herbalist) and chatted for hours about everything from body image and food to design to relationships and boundaries. She was kind, charming, articulate, and I loved recording this episode and listening back to it.Show notes:- Sign up here to get a companion workbook for this episode and the next!- Lacy on The Web | Podcast | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest>> Lacy's new book: How to Manifest- Katie's Substack | IG: @letitouttt + @katiedalebout  | Zine shop is here! - My Creative Clinic. >> book Let It Out: A Journey Through Journaling If you liked this episode, try out from the archive:Episode 464: Micro-Hysterical Moments: Amanda Chantal Bacon on shame, aging, dating, the myth of balance, and more!

This week I spoke with longtime activist and author Dean Spade about the complexities of relationships and the challenges we face in a society shaped by disposability culture. We discussed the fear of being wrong in public and of conflict and feedback. He spoke about why self-help often falls short in addressing systemic issues and shared some insights from his latest book, Love in a F*cked Up World, which offers practical advice on navigating personal growth and connection in a world that often feels isolating and disconnected. I loved both the book and this conversation. Let us know if you listen! Show notes:- Dean's books | podcast | IG: @spade.dean- My Substack | IG: @letitouttt + @katiedalebout- Zine shop is here! - My Creative Clinic If you liked this episode, try out from the archive:Episode 426 - Queering in Friendships: Rae McDaniel, Sex Therapist & Author of Gender Magic, Returns