#900. Today on Off the Vine, Kaitlyn sits down with the internet’s favorite poet — the woman whose words somehow manage to read our minds — Josie Balka.

They unpack the unexpected moment her career began with one poem at 30, how everything blew up overnight, and what it was like when Hollywood royalty started using her sounds. Josie opens up about creating her own music, the pressure of writing work that feels like hers, and the mindset shift that made her embrace her “luckiest girl in the world” era.

She also gets beautifully vulnerable — diving into the love stories behind her second book Loves of Our Lives, the friendships that shaped some of her most emotional pieces, the cosmetic surgeries she chose entirely for herself, and her hilariously relatable take on being a “pessimistic optimist,” aka constantly worrying every good thing might be the last good thing.

It’s girl talk, real talk, and everything in between. Enjoy!

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 

• (07:36) How it all began: Josie shares the story of turning 30, writing one poem on a whim, and waking up to her life completely changed after it went viral.
• (21:49) The “luckiest girl in the world” mindset: how shifting her perspective transformed her confidence, creativity, and career.
• (35:38) Josie reads a poem from her new book Loves of Our Lives.
• (40:01) Josie gets real about the cosmetic surgery she’s had, why she chose it, and how she approaches transparency with her audience.

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