
Advertise on podcast: Honing In
Rating
5from
This podcast has
37 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Dr. Kate HenryExplicit
No
Date created
2025/01/14
Latest episode
2026/10/14
Average duration
51 min.
Release period
16 days
Description
Honing In is a podcast for creative thinkers where we’ll hone our skills, explore our passions, and nurture our dream projects into being.
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When Coffee Becomes Your Career: From Barista to Author with Morgan Eckroth of Morgan Drinks Coffee
2026/10/14
As a lover of coffee, books, and creatives who dare to share their work with the world, today’s guest is a literal dream come true! Morgan Eckroth, a Portland-based barista and creator who has amassed nearly 8 million fans sharing coffee tutorials, inventive drink recipes, and barista stories online, is here today to talk about their new book, Coffee, For Here.
After landing a job at their local coffee shop as a teen, Morgan fell in love with both coffee and the hospitality involved in becoming a beloved neighborhood barista. Eventually, Morgan would take their talents out of the coffee shop and onto the stages of the world of barista competitions, winning the title of U.S. Barista Champion, 2022 World Barista Runner-Up, and two-time U.S. Barista Runner-Up.
Knowing that not everyone can dedicate their life to learning the art of a perfect pour-over, Morgan wrote Coffee, For Here, a practical handbook and a guide to building real coffee skills at home. Today, Morgan joins me to talk about tender memories of coffee, what it takes to go from barista to content creator to published author, and how they have distilled their love of coffee into a blooming career.
You’re going to want to brew a fresh cup for this one!
Together, we hone in on:
Morgan’s ever-evolving content journey, starting with their signature Barista sketchesHow the COVID Pandemic impacted their experience in the service industry, and eventually moved their work onlineDeciding which parts of their process are for the public, and what should be kept privateThe barista competition track and making it all the way to the global stageBehind-the-scenes details about their book-writing process, especially the extensive recipe testing processWhy their new book, Coffee, for Here, is about so much more than coffee itself
More from Morgan:
Instagram: @morgandrinkscoffeeTikTok: @morgandrinkscoffeeYouTube: @morgandrinkscoffeeWebsite: https://morgandrinkscoffee.comNewsletter: Coffee for Here on SubstackNEW BOOK: Coffee, for HereMore from Kate:
⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity PlannerNever miss an episode of Honing In! Sign up HERE to get new episodes delivered to your inbox.
Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
Portals, Paradoxes, Numerology, and Turning 40 with bee scolnick
2026/09/23
It’s my 40th birthday this week! I couldn’t reach a milestone like this without wanting to hone in on its deeper meaning. Luckily, my friend, bee scolnick, a writer, witch, and weirdo who makes meaning out of mess, is here to help me unpack the numerology of it all.
We talk about the significance of turning 40 both numerologically and personally. We also explore the paradoxes and portals we traverse throughout life. And of course, share a list of things that we used to give f*ck about that we have since let go of completely.
Tune in for a fun chat between friends that I hope will inspire you to get curious about the cards (and numbers!) you’ve been dealt.
Together, we hone in on:
The energetics of birthdays, and especially turning 40Kate’s 13-year sobriety milestoneHow embracing paradox can free us from the binary of choiceLearning to embrace curiosity (instead of shutting down) when considering the state of the world we’re living in todayAn overview of “the holy trinity” in Numerology Personal meaning-making and thoughts about vanity
Mentioned in this Episode:
Join Dr. Kate for the workshop, Will This Work For Me? Experimental Approaches to Scholarly Life. Friday, October 16, 12 - 3 pm EDT. Register HERE [$55] Blog Post: Giving a F*ck is a Personal Resource
More from Bee:
bee’s website: https://www.beescolnick.combee’s instagram: @beescolnickbee’s newsletter: common denominatorsBook: The Witch’s Book of Numbers: Enhance Your Magic With NumerologyBook: Marriage by the Numbers: Planning Your Wedding Using NumerologyPodcast: Call Your Coven: Practical Advice for Nonsensical TimesMore from Kate:
⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner
Become a Honing In VIP! SIgn up HERE to get new episodes sent to your inbox.
Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
We have a lot to learn from plants! Exploring Milpa Culture with Keitlyn Alcántara, PhD
2026/09/09
When we think about agriculture, we often consider the foods that we eat and the farmers who cultivate them, but before plants emerge through the soil, there’s already a world of collaboration taking place. Artist, writer, plant enthusiast, and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University, Keitlyn Alcántara explores these unseen worlds and distills her knowledge so that we can grow alongside the plants.
Keitlyn’s love of nature and attention to detail fueled an early passion for creative writing, one that was later diminished by the hypercriticism of academic writing. In her new book, An Archaeology of Milpa Cultures: Maize and Ecological Worldbuilding in Central Mexico, Keitlyn brings these two forms together, combining rigorous research with personal stories, playful asides, and her own hand-drawn illustrations.
Today on Honing In, we talk about Milpa Cultures, an agricultural practice that has fostered collaboration and coevolution between humans and plants for thousands of years. Keitlyn explains how the biodiversity of the Milpa allows it to adapt to changing conditions, and what it can teach us about interdependence, resilience, and creating alternative worlds.
If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to take research beyond the confines of academic standards, you’ll be delighted by Keitlyn’s work.
Together, we hone in on:
How deadlines, expectations, and responsibility can change our relationship with creative projectsHow the hypercriticism of graduate school can diminish creativity in writingKeitlyn’s choice not to give her “whole self” to academiaReclaiming creativity through writing, art projects, and illustrating her own bookWhat Milpa cultures can teach us about connection, collaboration, and adaptabilityExpanding our understanding of knowledge beyond traditional academic structures
More from Keitlyn:
Keitlyn’s Website: www.keitlynalcantara.comKeitlyn’s Instagram: http://instagram.com/sazon_dondeseaKeitlyn’s Bluesky: @keit-lyn.bsky.socialKeitlyn’s Book: An Archaeology of Milpa Cultures: Maize and Ecological Worldbuilding in Central MexicoFood as Resistance Documentary: https://www.keitlynalcantara.com/comida-como-resistenciaThe Healing Garden: https://www.healinggardeniub.com/
More from Kate:
⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity PlannerBECOME A HONING IN VIP! Sign up HERE to get new episodes sent to your inbox.
Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
Being Both Teacher and Student with Cody Cook-Parrott
2026/08/26
Cody Cook-Parrott is your small business owner’s favorite small business owner. The vulnerability that they bring to every aspect of their work has inspired thousands of students, colleagues, and peers, myself included! Writer, artist, and movement practitioner who builds simple structures that help artists make work, Cody’s focus is attention, creative ecosystems, and research, so your practice becomes a scaffolding to grow steadily, online and off.
Today we talk about the various seasons of life that impact business (we’re looking at you summer lull!), How to Not Always be Working, earning a MFA, and where Cody is putting their attention these days.
Together, we hone in on:
The dichotomy between being a teacher of their own classes and workshops, while also being a student working towards their MFAHow classical pilates has informed Cody’s writing practice Writing publicly, writing in private, writing behind a paywall, and how Cody differentiates between the threeFeeling “unmoored” and how to navigate being in a liminal space in life and workCody’s new book, The Practice of AttentionExploring how to measure “enoughness” in ways that go beyond financial stabilityThe importance of movement and its impact on Cody’s mental and physical wellbeing
Tune in for a fun conversation between friends that’s full of takeaways you didn’t know you needed.
Mentioned in this episode:
Podcast Episode: Frameworks for Community and Creativity with Cody Cook-ParrottCody’s Newsletter, A PMDD MiracleMore from Cody:
Cody's website: https://www.codycookparrott.com/ Cody's newsletter: https://www.codycookparrott.com/newsletter Creative Advising with Cody: https://www.codycookparrott.com/creative-advising Cody's books, including The Practice of Attention and How to Not Always Be Working: https://www.codycookparrott.com/books Landscapes Writing Group: https://www.codycookparrott.com/landscapes
More from Kate:
⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity PlannerPodcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio.
Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
Infusing Human-First Care into Digital Spaces with jess herrera
2026/08/12
If our websites are our homes in this vast digital landscape, then jess herrera, a Venezuelan graphic designer, writer, and restless creative, is an architect. Informed by their experience moving through the immigration process, farming, and being in tune with their own humanity, they build human-first digital spaces for real needs.
Together jess and I unpack the “user experience” when it comes to navigating online spaces, along with examples where the experience is overridden by a need to streamline and systematize. jess also shares the various ways that tending to the fields as a farmer has guided them towards centering ease and care into every aspect of their work. If you’re looking for the complete opposite of “tech bro culture,” this episode is it.
Together we hone in on:
How jess identifies projects across personal and professional work What makes something a “human-first digital experience”How the immigration process has informed jess’s approach to building truly inclusive online spacesThe various ways that farming has given jess insight into the “user experience” and has helped them center human-first carejess’s art expressions of writing, collaging, and screen printing as ways to explore their queer identity and Venezuelan cultureMentioned in this Episode:
Queer Liberation Library More from jess:
jess’s website: https://sundogcowboy.comjess’s Substack: https://onbeingalive.substack.com Article: National Identity Documentjess’s Instagram: @sundogcowboyjess's newsletter package offer
More from Kate:
⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity PlannerPodcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio.
Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter
3 Time-Saving Tools I Use Every Week as a Productivity Coach
2026/07/22
Have you ever made your morning beverage and sat down at your desk, only to find yourself utterly confused about which task needs your attention the most? The next thing you know, you’ve spent an hour “cleaning up” your inbox, and you’re left feeling like every task is somehow urgent and can wait a little longer. I can describe this so well because before I started researching productivity in 2018, I found myself stuck in this exact loop almost daily.
Now, as a Productivity Coach who helps clients finish their most meaningful projects with an individualized human-first approach, it's essential that I offer myself the same care and support.
If you’re curious which tools and approaches a Productivity Coach uses for her own projects, gather round! Today, I’m talking through the tools that have been supporting my prioritization, time management, and focus for almost a decade.
Let’s hone in on:
The Eisenhower Matrix (and its limitations)How the Must-Do Method helps me schedule my week, manage overlapping priorities, and prioritize rest The ways I utilize gamification professionally and personally to increase focus/measure progressGretchen Rubin’s 4 Tendencies and understanding different accountability styles How body doubling increases my ability to follow through on my goals Resources mentioned:
Sarah Knight’s Get Your Shit Together (The Must-do Method)Blog Post: “The Productivity Tool that Changed My Life”Article: “The 5 Productivity Practices that Helped Me Finish My Dissertation”Newsletter: “How to Play the Game: tools that prompt action”App: Forest Pomodoro App: Finch (for self-care)Gretchen Rubin’s, The Four TendenciesGretchen Rubin’s The Four Tendencies QuizNewsletter: “The Buddy System, But For Productivity”More from Kate:
⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity PlannerPodcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio.
Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
Guiding Clients Towards “Good Enough” with Erica Ando, PhD and Michelle A M Miller of Interval Paper
2026/07/08
We’ve all heard the term “coach,” but what happens when we challenge the structure of a coaching container and invite it to be a truly collaborative experience? These curiosities are the inspiration for the collaborative coaching project of Interval Paper. Founded by coach, certified somatic practitioner, and writer Erica Ando, PhD and coach, interdisciplinary artist, writer, and End-of-Life Doula Michelle A M Miller, Interval Paper helps people step out of “Never Enough Culture” and build more fully engaged lives.
In today’s conversation, Erica and Michelle share how their work has evolved as a result of being in an ongoing collaborative relationship. They also share how they “named their villain” (Never Enough Culture) and how that inspired them to create a resource that counters cultural conditioning called the Good Enough Guide.
We talk about the pressure of academia, the health consequences that follow, and the ultimate decision to reject external pressures and to honor internal care. You’ll also hear about their upcoming summer retreat with an exclusive discount for listeners!
Together, we hone in on:
How Erica and Michelle lean on projects to create discrete boundaries in their workThe origins of Interval Paper and the many benefits of being in ongoing collaborationThe Good Enough Guide and how it counters the cultural conditioning of never enoughWhy “one percent change” is an effective and gentle approach to setting goalsMoving past academic success to honor lived experience and internal successHow somatic practices help to stay grounded in both personal and client work
More from Interval Paper:
Interval Paper Website: https://intervalpaper.comSummer Retreat - Get $100 off with code HONING100 Workbook: The Good Enough GuideFree Resource: 5-Minute Permission SlipBlog post: “Good Enough is the most radical practice”Blog post: “Exhaustion Isn’t a Personal Failure” Erica’s website: https://www.ericaando.com/ Michelle’s website: https://www.wisemortal.com/
More from Kate:
⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner
Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio.
Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
Publishing as an Artistic Practice with Emily Larned
2026/06/24
When we talk about publishing, it’s usually the finish line for any aspiring author. For Emily Larned, Associate Professor and the incoming Director of Graduate Studies in Art at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, publishing is an artistic practice within itself. She’s been publishing since 1993, when she made her first zine. Currently, her imprint Alder & Frankia publishes new collaborations from feminist archives.
Today on Honing In, we talk to Emily about how her start in the Zine subculture at age 16 taught her to value community-oriented, socially engaged artistic practices. We also talk about Impractical Labor in Service of the Speculative Arts (ILSSA), a union for artists and makers that Emily started with her friend Bridget Elmer in 2008.
Throughout our conversation, Emily graciously walks us through the various feminist projects that have informed her work and shares what we can continue to learn from them. She also shares her endeavors to create beyond economic compensation, time constraints, and the pressures to “produce.”
If you’re interested in feminist art, creating without time pressure, and moving individual projects into the social sphere, there is much to learn from Emily today.
Together, Emily and I hone in on:
The distinction between “platforms” and “projects”Publishing works as a social act that builds communityThe origins of the Impractical Labor in Service of the Speculative Arts (ILSSA)How time and materials can transform a work of text into an immersive experienceThe various feminist projects and texts that inform Emily’s workEmily’s personal goal of working less and moving slowlyThe importance of bringing a fluid, humane approach to academic work
More from Emily:
Emily’s Website: EmilyLarned.comILSSA: https://impractical-labor.org/Emily’s Instagram: @emilylarnedEmily’s Substack: Till & DriftEmily Current Exhibition (in Connecticut until Jan. 10, 2027)More from Kate:
⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry
💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter
📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner
Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio.
Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
Spiritual Ecology and the Ethics of AI with Philosopher Madelaine Ley
2026/06/10
On today’s episode of Honing In, we’re asking a big question: how can our society address the rapid growth of AI technologies in a way that feels ethically intact? Philosopher of technology, Dr. Madelaine Ley, suggests an explorative approach that invites us to slow down, reflect, and feel, not just to moralize or optimize.
Madelaine guides us through how her motivations and interests have developed since pursuing a PhD in Care in Responsible Technology. We also explore Spiritual Ecology as a way to connect with the earth, question the ethics of technological advancement, and become sensitive to the many options available to us about how we choose to engage. If you’re curious about the robot in your local grocery store or have been wondering what sits at the intersection of technology and integrity, this conversation is for you.
Together, we hone in on:
Philosophy as a generous, curious, and explorative practice How we feel about the emergence of robots in our everyday livesWhat Spiritual Ecology is and the perspective it offers about the morals of technology Starting points for challenging our perspectives about technology and AIContemplative art and making space and time for reflection Gestures: Madelaine’s upcoming project that explores ethics beyond morality
Mentioned in this episode:
Nic AntionetteMore From Madelaine:
Madelaine’s personal websiteWaySeeing Ethics ConsultancySTIRRINGS (newsletter and podcast)Madelaine’s LinkedInMadelaine in the Weaving New Narratives FilmMore from Kate:
⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry
💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter
📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner
Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio.
Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
Why I’m Aiming for Effectiveness Over Efficiency This Season
2026/05/27
School’s out for summer…which means it’s finally time to pick up those projects you’ve been dreaming of starting (or avoiding entirely, whoops). Before you develop a 9-to-5 bootcamp or timeblock your days into oblivion, take a deep breath and consider what an effective approach to productivity could look like for you this season.
On today’s solo episode of Honing In, Dr. Kate Henry walks listeners through her process for setting summer goals by referencing her free workshop “How to Effectively Reach Your Goals this Season.”
Kate shares that when we aim for effectiveness over efficiency, we make a plan that acknowledges our individual needs around time, energy, and focus. In doing so, we strategically chip away at our tasks with intention, versus racing to finish, which may cause overwhelm and burnout.
Join Kate for her reflections and a-ha moments, then try out the workshop prompts yourself to plan truly effective goals in this season of your life!
Kate hones in on:
The benefits of using the framework of a “season” for project planning How Kate defined effectiveness this season and set criteria that supports her relaxationThe predicament of balancing personal, creative, and professional goalsAn invitation to bring more compassion to our productivity approach How Kate would update the workshop in 2026Mentioned in today’s episode:
FREE WORKSHOP: “How to Effectively Reach Your Goals this Season” Honing In Episode: “How to Set More Realistic Goals” Honing In Episode: “Bringing Our Humanness to the Table with Jen Carrington” Blog post: Jen Carrington’s “The Eight Seasons of Business”Newsletter: “What to Share and What to Keep: Reflections on the Creative Process” Newsletter: “Is Your To-Do List Clear Enough: It’s all in the Verbs” Newsletter: “I Need to Just Do It! Exploring Aversive Tasks” More from Kate:
⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry
💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter
📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner
Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio.
Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
Building a Portfolio Career and Advocating for Change Leadership with Taylor Elyse Morrison
2026/05/13
Navigating multiple career paths simultaneously may seem fragmented, stressful, and a nightmare for calendar scheduling, but Taylor Elyse Morrison, a portfolio careerist and PhD student who believes people build identity through action and interaction, is here to show us that it’s quite the opposite.
As a neurodivergent, multi-passionate person, the challenge of balancing various projects creates the precise level of interest that Taylor needs to stay fully engaged in her work. Plus, the flexibility of being a portfolio careerist allows for designing a life that supports self-exploration and self-care…both of which Taylor is deeply passionate about.
In today’s episode, we explore what it means to build a portfolio career, and how diversifying both income streams and skillsets has created the room for Taylor to pursue multiple degrees and dive deep into what it means to be a leader in today’s social climate.
Together, we hone in on:
What a Portfolio Career is and how Taylor has intentionally configured hers How building a portfolio career has supported Taylor’s neurodivergence Multical as a solution for overlapping schedules and how Taylor created itThe importance of leaving behind archives as a portfolio careerist What Change Leadership is and why Taylor pursued a PhD in the field
More From Taylor:
Taylor’s WebsiteTaylor’s NewsletterTaylor’s LinkedInOn Portfolio CareersMultical (scheduling tool)Women Facilitating More from Kate:
⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry
💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter
📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner
Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio.
Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
Liberating Yoga and Mindfulness with Harpinder Mann
2026/04/22
Welcome back to Honing In and to my interview with Harpinder Mann.
Harpinder Mann, RYT-500, SEP (she/her), is a trauma-informed yoga teacher, Bhakti student, and author based on Tongva land (Los Angeles). Rooted in her Sikh spiritual background and Panjabi ancestry, she shares yoga as a sacred path of remembrance and liberation. Practicing since 2013 and teaching since 2018, she guides students in weaving sādhana and the eight limbs of yoga into daily life to cultivate resilience, meaning, and connection. Her work bridges social justice and healing, honoring collective liberation. Her book, Liberating Yoga: From Appropriation to Healing, invites readers to reclaim yoga as a practice of integrity and wholeness.
Here are some of the things Harpinder and I discuss:
Challenging the packaging of yoga and mindfulness as relentless self improvementWhy working with students and clients doesn’t feel like a project to HarpinderDecolonizing yoga through honoring where practices have come fromHarpinder’s book journey and the sense of responsibility she felt while writing Liberating YogaGiving yourself space between projects to allow ideas to come to youThe many ways we can deepen and practice yoga
Resources & Links:
Harpinder’s websiteEvents with HarpinderHarpinder’s book, Liberating Yoga: From Appropriation to HealingHarpinder’s InstagramHarpinder’s Podcast (we referenced Episode 3: Understanding Yoga Exclusion, Fatphobia + Racial Trauma with Leah Saliter)Books mentioned: Edward Said’s Orientalism and Bessel Van Der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score.
SUPPORT FOR CREATIVE THINKERS⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry💌 Sign up for Dr. Kate's free newsletter📚 Download Dr. Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner
Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio.Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
How to Take a Sabbatical and Prioritize Projects that Resonate with Amelia Hruby
2026/04/08
Welcome back to Honing In and to my interview with Amelia Hruby.
Amelia Hruby is a feminist writer, educator, and podcaster with a PhD in philosophy. She is the founder of Softer Sounds podcast studio, and the host of Off the Grid, a podcast about leaving social media. Her new book, Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media is out now.
Here are some of the things Amelia and I discuss:
Amelia’s 2026 sabbatical as a way to set boundaries with her work and spark creative energyHow our academic training affects the way we think and make sense of thingsValuing theoretical and embodied knowledge when it comes to business and marketing Big questions folks are asking about social media, big tech, and AIAmelia tells us all about "COME TO CLASS: How to teach & sell online with confidence & care" (see you there!)
Resources & Links:
Amelia’s websiteAmelia’s bookAmelia's interview with the APA about feminist public philosophyOff the Grid podcastOff the Grid AI seriesOff the Grid business predictions: Predictions for Social Media and Predictions for Marketing Trends Softer Sounds podcast studioCome to Class info + waitlist
SUPPORT FOR CREATIVE THINKERS⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry💌 Sign up for Dr. Kate's free newsletter📚 Download Dr. Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner
Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio.Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
Building a Generative Culture Around Conflict with Shivani Mehta Bhatia
2026/03/25
Welcome back to Honing In and to my interview with Shivani Mehta Bhatia.
Shivani Mehta Bhatia is a facilitator, advisor, and writer based in New York City. She works with senior leaders at justice-rooted organizations -- especially queer folks and women of color -- helping them use conflict as diagnostic information about power, culture, and what needs to change. She came to this work after a decade inside public health, crisis response, and community-based care, where she kept noticing the same pattern: the most persistent strategy problems were almost always relational ones, rooted in power, story, and unaddressed conflict. She is also the writer and host of Intimate Practice, an ongoing research project on tending, thresholding, and what it means to move through transition.
Here are some of the things Shivani and I discuss:
Shivani’s background as a facilitator in public health focused on birth, sex, and deathWhy learning to disagree better is key to building the world we deserveAccountability as an invitation into deeper relationship, not moral judgmentHow systemic dimensions of privilege and oppression live in our intimate interactionsClaiming agency and making meaningful change in this political moment
Resources & Links:
Shivani’s websiteCody Cook-Parrott’s class, Quilt in a WeekendShivani’s essay, How Conflict Becomes a Design InputSign up for Shivani's newsletter, Intimate Practice
SUPPORT FOR CREATIVE THINKERS⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry💌 Sign up for Dr. Kate's free newsletter📚 Download Dr. Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner
Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio.Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
Commonplace Books and the Material World with Jillian Hess
2026/03/11
Welcome back to Honing In and to my interview with Jillian Hess.
Jillian Hess is Professor of English at Bronx Community College, part of the City University of New York. She is the author of How Romantics and Victorians Organized Information, a 2022 book from Oxford University Press about commonplace books, scrapbooks, and albums. She also writes the weekly newsletter, Noted, exploring how brilliant people have taken notes and she is currently writing a new book, "Noteworthy" which uses the history of note-taking to offer an expansive how-to guide to note taking--forthcoming from Penguin Life in the US and Viking in the UK.
Here are some of the things Jillian and I discuss:
Jillian’s newsletter Noted as public intellectualism and an extension of her role as a teacherThe experience of writing an academic book vs. one for a general audienceWhy reading creative thinkers’ notebooks humanizes them and empowers usThe iterative and expanding nature of inherited note-taking stylesHow Jillian keeps the commonplace book tradition alive with the Commonplace Book Club
Resources & Links:
The Noted SubstackJillian's Commonplace Book ClubExplorations of notes by Octavia Butler and Samuel Taylor ColeridgeJillian’s academic book, How Romantics and Victorians Organized Information
SUPPORT FOR CREATIVE THINKERS⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry💌 Sign up for Dr. Kate's free newsletter📚 Download Dr. Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner
Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio.Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter.
Podcast reviews
Read Honing In podcast reviews
AuntieHasAThought 2025/10/28
I’m Smarter Thanks to Dr. Kate
Dr. Kate is remarkable! I know I’d never encounter the kinds of guests she brings on her show anywhere else. Thanks to her, my mind feels more expansi...
CatherineWrites 2025/10/13
A wonderful experience!
Not only does Kate have really incredible guests with such great wisdom to share, she also has one of the best podcast voices to listen to! It’s like ...
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