Ditch the Ick with Katie Carson: Redefining Relationships, Self-Worth, and Building Your Dream Life as Millennial and Gen X W

Podfox Media
Podfox Media
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Relationships
  • Weekly

Welcome to Ditch the Ick, the podcast for anyone who’s over settling for less. Hosted by Katie Carson (your new favorite hype girl), this show dives deep into what it means to be a whole-a$$ person, worthy of love and success—partner or no partner required. Relationships? Sure, they come up—whether they’re romantic, platonic, or the one you have with yourself (because, let’s be honest, the ick never truly dies). But we’re also here to talk about leveling up your life, chasing your dreams, and living boldly on your own terms. So if you’re tired of waiting for someone else to make your life exciting, stick around. Every week, we’ll talk through what it means to design a life that feels like yours. No fluff, no clichés, no nonsense—just real conversations and a lot of laughs.

  1. Oct 30 ·  Bonus

    I Thought I Wanted This: Episode 3

    Psst — this is from my new show, I Thought I Wanted This. Ditch the Ick grew up. I Thought I Wanted This is about what happens when the life you planned and the life you actually want stop being the same thing: careers, relationships, money, moving across the world and changing your mind out loud. There’ll still be the occasional dating story, but mostly it’s honest conversations with women who’ve been there (or are in the messy middle right now). If you liked hanging out here, come find us. Follow along on Instagram: @ithoughtiwantedthis. ----------------------------------- Do you actually like the work, or do you just like being good at it? If you were the gifted kid, the eldest daughter or the one who always gets voluntold, this one’s for you. We dig into how being good at something turns into an identity you never asked for, and why praise and promotions can keep you in a role you don’t enjoy. We also talk about how to tell the difference between liking the work and liking the recognition that comes with it. In this episode: How “the responsible one” becomes who you are, not just what you do Liking the work vs. liking the praise, money or security Would you still do it if you were only mediocre at it? Why the job you’re good at can pay for the space to experiment This week’s exercise: make three lists (good at and like, good at but don’t like, not good at yet but curious) Connect with us: Apply to be a guest: https://forms.gle/aumPddFB33yvBUxB6 Email: ithoughtiwantedthis@gmail.com Instagram: @ithoughtiwantedthis / Katie: @ladykatieabroad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. Oct 30 ·  Bonus

    Ellie Kime thought she’d be a copywriter forever. Then the business she built for freedom started to feel like a trap. So she threw her copywriting offers a retirement party and started over with everyone watching. We get into how she knew it was time

    Psst — this is from my new show, I Thought I Wanted This. Ditch the Ick grew up. I Thought I Wanted This is about what happens when the life you planned and the life you actually want stop being the same thing: careers, relationships, money, moving across the world and changing your mind out loud. There’ll still be the occasional dating story, but mostly it’s honest conversations with women who’ve been there (or are in the messy middle right now). If you liked hanging out here, come find us. Follow along on Instagram: @ithoughtiwantedthis. ----------------------------------- Ellie Kime thought she’d be a copywriter forever. Then the business she built for freedom started to feel like a trap. So she threw her copywriting offers a retirement party and started over with everyone watching. We get into how she knew it was time to go and why changing direction publicly can feel like letting people down. We also talk about what the messy middle actually looks like almost a year later: more joy, less income and a lot of experimenting. In this episode: Throwing your old offers a retirement party instead of quietly pivoting Telling intuition apart from anxiety when you have OCD Being happy in your business but not with it Why a part-time job alongside your business isn’t a failure Finding the through line in a career that looks all over the place About Ellie:Ellie Kime is a business personality strategist and the founder of Eleanor Mollie, where she helps small business owners put more of their personality forward to stand out from competitors (and robots alike). She’s the host of the Front & Centre podcast, an event MC, and has worked with businesses like [noths] and Pinterest. She doesn’t believe in the phrase “long story short,” and her absolute favourite thing in the world is 0.5 zoom photos. Website: eleanormollie.co.uk Instagram: @eleanor_mollie Podcast: Front & Centre Connect with us: Apply to be a guest: https://forms.gle/aumPddFB33yvBUxB6 Email: ithoughtiwantedthis@gmail.com Instagram: @ithoughtiwantedthis / Katie: @ladykatieabroad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. Oct 30 ·  Bonus

    I Thought I Wanted This: Episode 1

    Psst — this is from my new show, I Thought I Wanted This. Ditch the Ick grew up. I Thought I Wanted This is about what happens when the life you planned and the life you actually want stop being the same thing: careers, relationships, money, moving across the world and changing your mind out loud. There’ll still be the occasional dating story, but mostly it’s honest conversations with women who’ve been there (or are in the messy middle right now). If you liked hanging out here, come find us. Follow along on Instagram: @ithoughtiwantedthis. ----------------------------------- What happens when you finally get the thing you wanted, and it’s not terrible, just fine? We’re kicking off the show with the job I was sure would fix everything, why “fine” can be harder to leave than a disaster, and why we so often need a villain before we let ourselves change our minds. We also walk through the five questions we’ll come back to all season, and what this show is (and isn’t). In this episode: Why “fine” isn’t the same as content Inflating the story to justify changing your mind Running my own career change through the five questions This week’s exercise: finish the sentence “I thought I wanted ___” Is “Same girl. Different plan.” the right tagline? Tell us. Connect with us: Apply to be a guest: ⁠https://forms.gle/aumPddFB33yvBUxB6⁠ Email: ⁠ithoughtiwantedthis@gmail.com⁠ Instagram: @ithoughtiwantedthis / Katie: @ladykatieabroad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. Oct 2

    Love, Lost in Translation - Dating in Your Third Language (and a Big Announcement)

    It's been a year, party people! In this long-overdue episode, I share big news: Ditch the Ick is evolving into a new podcast, I Thought I Wanted This, launching in October. The new show is about pivots, big life changes, and realizing that the thing you thought you wanted isn't always the right fit. Then I catch you up on life in Italy: immigration headaches, building community, a long-awaited first catcall, and some new experiences (family, you've been warned). I also talk about the guy I've been seeing for a couple of months. We met on Facebook Dating, our first date lasted nine hours, and the whole thing was in Italian. In this episode: Why Ditch the Ick is becoming I Thought I Wanted This How dating across cultures differs from dating someone who shares your background Trying to build secure attachment and communicate your feelings in a language that isn't your own American directness vs. the Italian "we'll see," and why I won't hold my calendar open for a maybe Why American anxiety and our need to define things seem so foreign here Getting sick early in a relationship, ending up in the hospital, and feeling truly cared for What the "I moved to Italy and found my person" TikToks leave out Subscribe to I Thought I Wanted This: Spotify Apple podcasts Amazon podcasts Want to be a guest? Apply here: https://forms.gle/FMLN6B7SubnosWMaA The first few episodes of I Thought I Wanted This will also drop on this feed, so stay subscribed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. Jan 9

    Not Yo Average Dry January

    I'm kicking off 2026 with some real talk about the Scotsman's chaotic holiday visit and why I had to draw some hard boundaries after watching him turn into someone I barely recognized. After that mess and some honest feedback from my Italian crew, I've decided to do a "Dry Hoo-ha January" – no dating, no apps, just focusing on hobbies and expanding my community here in Florence. Of course, the universe immediately threw me a curveball with a cute guy at the café. In this episode: The Scotsman's disaster of a visit and why I had to kick him out Dating in Italy as a plus-size woman and the wild disconnect between apps and real life Announcing Dry Hoo-ha January and what that actually means The beautiful community I've built here in Florence Why the universe always tests you the second you make a decision I'm ready to make 2026 about actually living the life I moved here for instead of just filling the time. Connect with Katie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ladykatieabroad/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon Party! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/DitchtheIck⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Facebook Group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/ditchtheick/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. 12/12/2025

    From Machismo to Mamma Mia, and Why Italian Stallions are Actually Ponies

    Buckle up, party people, because we're diving deep into the absolute chaos that is dating in Italy as a plus-size woman. And I mean chaos. I thought I'd seen it all with dating in America and the UK (God, I miss dating in the UK), but Italian men have brought a whole new level of wild to my life. We're talking about a culture where men won't be seen with you in public but will absolutely beg to be pegged in private. The machismo is real, the Madonna-whore complex is alive and well, and apparently being over 135 pounds makes you "plus-size" here. It's been eye-opening, honestly, in ways both hilarious and frustrating. The apps have been a disaster (looking at you, mommy guy), and I've officially deleted them all. But you know what? Despite the dating horror show, I'm genuinely the happiest I've ever been. I'm making incredible friends, saying yes to amazing experiences, and living the life I always dreamed about. In this episode: Why Italian men's concept of "plus-size" made me laugh out loud The truth about Italian stallions (spoiler: mostly false) My visceral reaction to being called "mommy" by a 27-year-old The wild disconnect between public machismo and private requests Why I've ditched the apps and I'm focusing on organic connections instead If you've been putting off your big move or that thing you've always wanted to do... stop. I promise you it's more possible and more worth it than you think. Even with the dating disasters, this is still the best decision I've ever made. Connect with Katie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ladykatieabroad/⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon Party! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/DitchtheIck⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Facebook Group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/ditchtheick/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. 11/21/2025

    Hermit Summer: A Sweaty Survival Story

    Okay party people, it's been a hot f*****g minute. Literally. I'm finally back with proof of life and holy shit, these past five months have been an absolute rollercoaster. Between melting into a puddle every time I stepped outside, becoming a hermit with Archie in my AC-dependent bedroom cave, and stress-eating over whether I could communicate "ovarian cyst" in Italian, summer in Florence was not the romantic European dream I sold myself. But spoiler alert: I had the best gynecological appointment of my life, paid less than my monthly US insurance premium, and left with zero surprise bills in the mail. The lifestyle here is phenomenal even when it's hard as f**k, and I'd be lying if I said I haven't questioned this move a few times. But between friends visiting at the perfect 90-day mark, making new connections at supper clubs, and averaging 6,500 steps a day without even trying, I think I made the right call. Coming up in the next few weeks: Sex and the City Florence edition, the vulnerable shit about starting over, what it's like navigating fatphobia in Italy, and apparently re-working through middle school trauma because that's fun. Send me your questions about literally anything (dating, Archie, making friends in your late 30s, logistical chaos). I'm here for all of it. Connect with Katie: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ladykatieabroad/⁠⁠ Join the Patreon Party! ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/DitchtheIck⁠⁠⁠ Join the Facebook Group: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/ditchtheick/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. 07/25/2025

    Ciao Bella! Living My Best Chaotic Life in Italy

    Four weeks into my big Italian move and I'm hitting that inevitable expat reality check - you know, the part where you realize moving across the world changes everything and also absolutely nothing. I'm sharing the messy, sweaty, hilarious truth about what it's really like when the honeymoon phase wears off and you're left figuring out how to build a life from scratch in a place where your dog speaks better Italian than you do. From the things I wish I'd packed (spoiler: not what you think) to navigating loneliness in paradise, this is your unfiltered update on what happens when you stop romanticizing the move and start actually living it. Connect with Katie: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ladykatieabroad/⁠ Join the Patreon Party! ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/DitchtheIck⁠⁠ Join the Facebook Group: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/ditchtheick/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See All (93)

Trailer

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Welcome to Ditch the Ick, the podcast for anyone who’s over settling for less. Hosted by Katie Carson (your new favorite hype girl), this show dives deep into what it means to be a whole-a$$ person, worthy of love and success—partner or no partner required. Relationships? Sure, they come up—whether they’re romantic, platonic, or the one you have with yourself (because, let’s be honest, the ick never truly dies). But we’re also here to talk about leveling up your life, chasing your dreams, and living boldly on your own terms. So if you’re tired of waiting for someone else to make your life exciting, stick around. Every week, we’ll talk through what it means to design a life that feels like yours. No fluff, no clichés, no nonsense—just real conversations and a lot of laughs.

Information

More From Podfox Media