On Taste, Trust, and Building With Intention

28 Oct

With Dianna Cohen

Season 001 / Episode 013 · October 20, 2026 · 25 min

For our final solo episode of the season, I’m sitting down to answer the questions you all ask me most on Substack, in my DMs, everywhere. I get into how to build something slow and intentional in a world that rewards speed, the difference between chasing a trend and building a real movement (and why I call the trade-offs “pinches of poison”), and the three free, accessible things that taught me how to train my eye: libraries, museums, and thrifting. I also open up about the personal work behind the business: brain spotting therapy with my coach Faith, what it actually took to trust my CEO Elaine enough to step back, and a concept I’ve never shared publicly before, the “triangle of delusion.” Plus, how my partner Alex keeps me balanced, and some thoughts on manifestation as we close out the season.

Fig. 01 — From the episode archive

Illustrated portrait of Dianna Cohen — Fig. 02 — Dianna Cohen

From the Episode

Show Notes

Also on Spotify · YouTube

In This Episode

0:00Intro to the final solo episode of the season
2:00How do you build something slow in a fast-moving world?
5:30Trends vs. movements, and “pinches of poison”
9:15Finding your vision: libraries, museums, and thrifting
15:00The personal work behind the business
21:00Learning to trust Elaine as CEO, and the “triangle of delusion”
26:00Balancing work, Burning Man, and a 13-year relationship with Alex
31:00Manifestation, closing out season one, and what’s next

In Her Words

“If you build something in a rushed way just to get it out, it doesn’t feel like it’s you or authentic to you. Years from now, it probably won’t be around in the same way.”
“When you start any project, especially a business, you have to know that it is not just a professional journey. It’s a personal journey as well.”
“It’s about not just how many people I reach, but how many people I move.”
“Taking the time to build out a strong foundation is going to outlast any trend every single time.”
“What got you where you are isn’t going to be the thing that gets you where you need to go.”
“Rest and fun are a part of the work.”
“You deserve to take time for yourself, and you deserve to take up space.”
“If I am living proof of anything, it’s that this can work. If you marry visualization, creating a world around you, and consistency and showing up, you can really make your dreams come true.”
“Never abandon yourself. Spend the time to get to know who you are and who you want to become, and then stay in that space and don’t give up.”