A nostalgic deep-dive into the last era of millennial optimism, when we got to figure out who we wanted to be before the algorithm told us who we already were.

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS who make producing an independent show possible.

Whether it’s a weekend away, a big night out, or just a little style refresh – your dream wardrobe is just one click away. Head to REVOLVE.com/BETHEREINFIVE, shop my edit, and take 15% off your first order with code BETHEREINFIVE. Fast two-day shipping, easy returns – it’s literally the only place you need to shop from. Offer ends September 28th, so happy shopping!

Reboot your fall wardrobe with elevated essentials from Marc Fisher. Shop the new collection and receive 10% off your purchase with my new code BETHEREINFIVE10 at marcfisherfootwear.com.

Head to cozyearth.com and use my code BETHEREINFIVE for 40% off! And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, make sure to let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here!

Go to Helixsleep.com/bethereinfive for 25% Off Sitewide during the Extended Labor Day Sale.

Take advantage of this exclusive offer: For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/bethereinfive and use code bethereinfive.

This week, Kate answers listener texts and voicemails. She snorkels left chest logo polo critters of yesterday and today, organizes mall chain restaurants into experiential tiers, power ranks Gatorade flavors, and explores a world where the Cullens' immortality problems are simply solved by homeschooling. Yep, that’s the episode. Enjoy!

 tiers of mall chain restaurants, 

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Thank you to AllModern for furnishing Kate's Season 2 Studio! AllModern has the best of modern furniture and decor all in one place. With styles from Scandi and mid-century, to minimalist and maximalist, every design is hand-vetted for quality by their team of experts. Plus they have fast + free shipping! Check out allmodern.com; you'll find Kate's bookshelves here and her new rug here!

Fuel your day with the freshest, best-tasting meal delivery made by award-winning chefs. Go to cookunity.com/bethereinfivefree or enter code bethereinfivefree before checkout for free premium meals for life.

Head to cozyearth.com and use my code BETHEREINFIVE for 40% off! And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, make sure to let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here!

Get healthy, glowing skin for summer with clean, vegan skin and body care from OSEA. Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code BETHEREINFIVE at OSEAMalibu.com. You’ll get free samples with every order, and free shipping on orders over $50.

Don’t settle for less than evidence-based support. Get 25% off your first month at ritual.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Start Ritual or add Essential Prenatal to your subscription today.

This week, Kate brings in a friend of hers and a friend of the pod, Lucy Carey (aka @lucyontheground), for an in-depth discussion about the series “The Summer I Turned Pretty" [ALERT: the TV series version, they aren't book experts]. They explore the cultural phenomenon of the series, its massive viewership, intense stan-dom, the love triangle, and complex character dynamics between Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah (and Redbird??). They go through key moments, episodes, character motivations, songs, Easter eggs, Jere and Belly’s biggest flops, and so much more. Don’t listen if you aren’t open to speculating about the ending :) Enjoy!

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Thank you to AllModern for furnishing Kate's Season 2 Studio! AllModern has the best of modern furniture and decor all in one place. Check out allmodern.com; you'll find Kate's bookshelves here and her new rug here!

Go to cookunity.com/bethereinfivefree or enter code bethereinfivefree before checkout for Free Premium Meals for Life. Terms and conditions apply. Go to Cookunity.com for details.

Savor the last bits of summer with Liquid I.V. Tear. Pour. Live More. Go to LIQUID-IV.COM and get 20% off your first order with code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout.

Today or some quiet Sunday morning when you’re feeling inspired, visit Sixpenny.com/BeThereInFive for a stroll through their impeccably designed pieces, and perhaps even order yourself some free swatches.

Get healthy, glowing skin for summer with clean, vegan skin and body care from OSEA. Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code BETHEREINFIVE at OSEAMalibu.com. You’ll get free samples with every order, and free shipping on orders over $50.

This week, Kate listened to a two-hour football podcast and lives to tell the tale. In this podcast episode about a podcast episode, Kate obsesses over a 30-something woman and her boyfriend existing and being normal, which surprisingly turned out to be the best entertainment of all. She recaps Taylor Swift's unprecedented appearance on New Heights, where we learned about TS12: The Life of a Showgirl, coming October 3rd. She breaks down her personal interview highlights, from SAT vocab words to otters to human exclamation marks and having fun. She was particularly struck by the Sourdough (10-minute version) airtime that was devoted exclusively to bread puns. She also talks through what we know so far about TS12 and gets excited to make space for more Blank Space pop on this album, exclusively produced by Max Martin and Shellback. Enjoy!

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Did you know all of your favorite podcasts, including Be There in Five are on Amazon Music? All you have to say is ‘Alexa, play the podcast Be There In Five on Amazon Music.’ Or if you’re listening on your phone, just download the Amazon Music app, search for “Be There In Five” and click "Follow."

Take advantage of this exclusive offer: For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/bethereinfive and use code bethereinfive. 

So today or some quiet Sunday morning when you’re feeling inspired, visit Sixpenny.com/BeThereInFive for a stroll through their impeccably designed pieces, and perhaps even order yourself some free swatches. 

Go to helixsleep.com/bethereinfive for the Labor Day Sale: Best of Web Offer, which is 27% Off sitewide

Exclusive for listeners of Be There in Five, from August 15, 2025 → September 8, 2025. Make sure you enter our show name after checkout so they know we sent you!

Get 15% off Branch Basics with code BETHEREINFIVE at https://branchbasics.com/BETHEREINFIVE! #branchbasicspod

Calm has an exclusive offer just for listeners of our show– get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription at calm.com/BETHEREINFIVE for 40% off unlimited access to Calm’s entire library. calm.com/BETHEREINFIVE. And tell Calm you heard about them from me!

This week, Kate’s interviewing Lee Tilghman, also known as @LeeFromAmerica, who was one of the very first major wellness influencers on social media. To her nearly 400k followers, she shared daily updates on everything from skincare and sleep hacks to smoothie bowls, travel tips, and workout routines, and her sponsorships netted an income of over $300k a year. On the grid, her life seemed perfect. But behind her carefully curated posts, Tilghman was in crisis, suffocating from the unrelenting demand of keeping up her online facade. She found herself viewing everything she did as potential content for Instagram, her relationships suffered, and her job’s focus on food led her to develop an unhealthy obsession with eating “perfectly.” After a stay in a mental health facility to address her disordered eating and psychological decline, Tilghman quit influencing as her primary career and set out to discover who she really was by leaving it all behind. Or did she?

In this episode, Kate and Lee discuss her memoir (out Tuesday Aug 12) “If You Don’t Like This, I Will Die,” with topics including the pressures of influencer culture, the evolution of wellness trends, and the complexities of social media addiction. They explore Lee's journey through extreme wellness practices, her current POV on her treatment for orthorexia, and her departure from the influencer world. Ultimately, while Lee shares a compelling personal story, the conversation reveals notable inconsistencies between her current perspectives and her memoir's narrative, so Kate also contemplates how curated online personas continue to shape real-life accountability in her outtro and will continue the conversation over at patreon.com/bethereinfive.

Note: This episode covers eating disorders and wellness culture. For resources and support, visit NEDA.org

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Thank you to AllModern for furnishing Kate's Season 2 Studio! AllModern has the best of modern furniture and decor all in one place. With styles from Scandi and mid-century, to minimalist and maximalist, every design is hand-vetted for quality by their team of experts. Plus they have fast + free shipping! Check out allmodern.com; you'll find Kate's bookshelves here and her new rug here!

Go to cookunity.com/bethereinfivefree or enter code bethereinfivefree before checkout for Free Premium Meals for Life. Terms and conditions apply. Go to Cookunity.com for details.

Head to cozyearth.com and use my code BETHEREINFIVE for 40% off! And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, make sure to let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here!

Go to LIQUID-IV.COM and get 20% off your first order with code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout. That’s 20% off your first order with code BETHEREINFIVE at LIQUID-IV.COM.

 Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code BETHEREINFIVE at OSEAMalibu.com. You’ll get free samples with every order, and free shipping on orders over $50. Head to OSEAMalibu.com and use code BETHEREINFIVE for 10% off.

Get 25% off your first month at ritual.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Start Ritual or add Essential Prenatal to your subscription today. That’s ritual.com/BETHEREINFIVE for 25% off.

This week, join Kate and Caroline Moss as they chat through a variety of topics, from nostalgic summers that turned shitty to off-broadway dreams becoming realities in the big city. They discuss things like the Coldplay couple, Labubus, the importance of a modern-day Girls rewatch, the likability trap, Gen Z’s relationship to social media, the attention economy, and, most importantly, Caroline shares her journey to becoming a producer of the off-Broadway play ‘Dilaria,’ starring Conrad Fisher himself (#teamconnie). Enjoy!

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Hey Beths, did you know all of your favorite podcasts, including Be There in Five are on Amazon Music? All you have to say is ‘Alexa, play the podcast Be There In Five on Amazon Music.’ Or if you’re listening on your phone, just download the Amazon Music app, search for “Be There In Five” and click "Follow."

To pick up my amika favorites, go to loveamika.com/bethereinfive. And for the rest of July, amika is giving Be There in Five listeners a one-time use code for 20% off your first order. Yes, that is TWENTY PERCENT OFF from now through July 31. Just go to my page at loveamika.com/bethereinfive and use code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout.

Get what you’re craving. Try the freshest, best-tasting meal delivery made by your favorite celebrity chefs. Go to cookunity.com/bethereinfivefree or enter code bethereinfivefree before checkout for Free Premium Meals for Life. That’s Free Premium Meals for Life by using code bethereinfivefree or going to COOKUNITY.COM/bethereinfivefree. Terms and conditions apply. Go to Cookunity.com for details.

Go to Helixsleep.com/bethereinfive for 27% Off Sitewide, Exclusive for listeners of Be There in Five. That’s Helixsleep.com/bethereinfive for 27% Off Sitewide. Make sure you enter our show name after checkout so they know we sent you! 

Squeeze the most out of your Summer with Liquid I.V. Tear. Pour. Live More. Go to LIQUID-IV.COM and get 20% off your first order with code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout.

Head to nordstrom.com to build your Marc Fisher Footwear wish list now, and shop premium styles at an exceptional value online through Aug 4!

This week, join Kate as she returns to form (2+ hour early BTI5-style rambling) by going through an old PowerPoint she found on her computer about Taylor Swift’s evolution from diary-style songwriter to mythological storyteller through increasingly complex literary references. From "Love Story" fairytale princess to The Albatross and Cassandra the cursed prophet, how has Taylor deliberately written herself into literary archetypes as both artistic strategy and psychological self-defense? TLDR; a chaotic TS deep dive with a (hopefully) entertaining payoff about why our "crazy" fan behavior might actually be anthropologically normal.

Topics covered:

• The difference between symbolic self-portraiture and literal autobiography
• Greek gods vs. monotheistic religious figures (and why it matters for fandom behavior)
• Guillermo del Toro's quote about Taylor's "deep interest in fable and myth"
• Why "Mastermind" is more about childhood loneliness than strategic planning
• "The Albatross" and the Rime of the Ancient Mariner
• Why treating artists like gods can be dehumanizing in the name of protection
• Finding self-acceptance and/or collective empowerment at pop concerts
• A bathroom floor monologue about fairytales and personal authority
• And so much more!

Enjoy!

TRACK FIVE CHICAGO is on Saturday, July 19. Get your tix here!

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

To pick up my amika favorites, go to loveamika.com/bethereinfive. And for the rest of July, amika is giving Be There in Five listeners a one-time use code for 20% off your first order. Yes, that is TWENTY PERCENT OFF from now through July 31. Just go to my page at loveamika.com/bethereinfive and use code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout. Thanks to amika for supporting the show!

Get ready for Cozy Days! Don’t miss your chance to score Cozy Earth’s biggest discount of the year. From July 11–13, head to cozyearth.com and use code BETHEREINFIVE to get 45% off best-selling, temperature-regulating sheets, apparel, and more. Don’t forget, this deal ends on July 13! For better sleep and a cooler summer, what’s stopping you? Sleep cooler, lounge lighter, stay cozy at Cozy Earth.

(if you listen after July 13, you can get 40% off with code BETHEREINFIVE!)

For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/bethereinfive and use code bethereinfive. That’s Hungryroot.com/bethereinfive, code bethereinfive to get 40% off your first box and a free item of your choice for life.

Head to nordstrom.com to build your Marc Fisher Footwear wish list now, and shop premium styles at an exceptional value online and in-store starting July 12th!

Get healthy, glowing skin for summer with clean, vegan face and body care from OSEA. Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code BETHEREINFIVE at OSEAMalibu.com. You’ll get free samples with every order, and free shipping on orders over $60. Head to OSEAMalibu.com and use code BETHEREINFIVE for 10% off.

Don’t settle for less than evidence-based support. Get 25% off your first month at ritual.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Start Ritual or add Essential Prenatal to your subscription today. That’s ritual.com/BETHEREINFIVE for 25% off.

This week, Kate starts by talking about water table culture, Le Creuset mystery boxes, and attempting to reclaim her adult hobbies, then she’s joined by Katie Gatti Tassin (Money with Katie, Diabolical Lies) to talk about her book Rich Girl Nation, which analyzes the unique experiences women have with money and discusses a variety of fascinating cultural, economic, social and financial intersections related to navigating capitalism as a woman. They talk about the co-opting of investment terminology in the name of consumerism and “self-care,” the hot girl hamster wheel of pricey beauty maintenance, as well as touch on societal influences on women's financial habits, the significance of prenups, and effective strategies for negotiating salaries, and more. Enjoy!

TRACK FIVE CHICAGO is on Saturday, July 19. Get your tix here!

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

Check out my favs at loveamika.com/bethereinfive and use code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout to get 15% off your first order! 

This week, Kate reviews America's Sweethearts season 2 on Netflix and tells the tale of how last year's Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders episode became one of BTI5's biggest hits— and biggest headaches. When current DCC members flooded her TikTok comments defending themselves against former teammate Victoria's mild birthday party observations, Kate found herself thunderstruck by cheerleader drama she never saw coming, and she'll never be the same. A year later, Kate returns to process what really went down behind the scenes and what she learned about internet drama, institutional dynamics, and the difference between nice girls and kind people. But she doesn't just break down her personal breakdown, she also recaps season two and reviews the pay negotiations that dominated this season, Shandy's mysterious Bahamas incident, Jada's incredible leadership, Dayton's return to Saturn (but not The Star), and examines how each season humanized the women in different ways. Originally recorded for Patreon, this episode offers a mix of gossipy pop culture, behind-the-scenes scoop, and personal vulnerability that she may regret later. Enjoy!

TRACK FIVE CHICAGO is on Saturday, July 19. Get your tix here!

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here!

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

For June, amika is giving my listeners a one-time use code for 15% off your first order. Go to my page at loveamika.com/bethereinfive and use code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout.

This week, Kate is joined by Nora Princiotti (host of Every Single Album, author of Hit Girls) to talk about the women who built pop's shiniest decade, like Taylor, Britney, Avril, Ashlee, Beyonce, and beyond. First, they tackle the news that Taylor Swift now owns her masters, then discuss some thoughts about Reputation TV and TS12 clownery, and it doesn't take long for Kate to interject and defend her Be There in Five Holes in a Fence era. Then, Nora shares what inspired her new book Hit Girls they and chat about a variety of topics, like how artists such as TS redefined fandom and authorship in the digital age (and how her MySpace posts laid the groundwork for today’s stan culture). They also discuss Avril Lavigne's not-like-other-girls brand, how Ashlee Simpson is correlated with why pop is finally being taken seriously, Max Martin's melodic math, and more. A must-listen for anyone obsessed with pop history, parasocial dynamics, or rereading their old Tumblr posts. Enjoy!

Order Nora’s book, Hit Girls, here

Order Kate's NYT Bestselling book, One in a Millennial here

Text or leave a voicemail for Kate at 775-HEY-BETH!

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

To pick up amika's new line of smoothing/anti-frizz products, go to loveamika.com/bethereinfive. For June, amika is giving my listeners a one-time use code for 15% off your first order. Go to my page at loveamika.com/bethereinfive and use code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout.

Go to helixsleep.com/bethereinfive for the Fourth of July Sale and the Best of the Web offer, which is 27% off sitewide through July 31. 2025.

Hey Beths, did you know all of your favorite podcasts, including Be There in Five are on Amazon Music?All you have to say is ‘Alexa, play the podcast Be There In Five on Amazon Music.’ Or if you’re listening on your phone, just download the Amazon Music app, search for “Be There In Five” and click "Follow."  

For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/bethereinfive and use code bethereinfive.

No matter what your summer brings: Tear. Pour. Live More. Go to LIQUID-IV.COM and get 20% off your first order with code BETHEREINFIVE at checkout.

Get healthy, glowing skin for summer with clean, vegan face and body care from OSEA. Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code BETHEREINFIVE at OSEAMalibu.com. You’ll get free samples with every order, and free shipping on orders over $60.