Meet Natalie Katona | Podcast Host and Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie Katona and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Honestly, the pandemic and period of the pandemic where we had to stay sheltered in place kind of just threw me into it. I had been working as an administrator for the education department of our local theater organization. So of course, that meant I was laid off during the pandemic as theater became impossible to operate while we had quarantines and gathering size limits to contend with. I had always had this idea that To All the Men I’ve Tolerated Before would just be a bit I did at bars. It made a great joke and line to say to friends while we hung out. Then, I had a friend that was willing to learn the technical side of podcasting and offered to co-host. The moment I saw our first three episodes released on an app, I was hooked, Now I can’t imagine the podcast not leading me to a creative career. I’m writing more and practicing comedy writing. And I’ve met so many talented people through the show that really help me learn new ways I can use my creativity and talents. The pandemic ruined me for an office, I want to be in charge of my work and my daily schedule.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a podcast host and producer. My original show is called To All the Men I’ve Tolerated Before and it is a weekly look at everyday misogyny. It all started with my innate need to be honest about the experiences I had when I was carrying out relationships with men where I felt taken advantage of, hurt, and generally mistreated. I wanted TATMITB to be a comedic release and a way for me to claim back my stories. Just like Taylor Swift, I remembered my past experiences with people who subscribed to the internalized misogyny we see within our society “All Too Well” and I had often been told I was dramatic, overly picky, and hard to please when I expected more out of my relationships. When my co-host stepped down after our first season, I knew it was my chance to veer away from my personal relationships and latch onto this persistent theme of “wait, did misogyny have more to do with my relationships than them personally being out to get me?” I started reaching out to my fellow podcasters about this idea of my show pivoting to a show where others could come on and share their experiences with everyday misogyny, I was so scared to think about doing this show alone but the thing is…I’ve never run out of angles where misogyny has affected our lives.

My biggest challenge has been growing my audience and community. I am very aware we currently live in a world where talking about anti-misogyny, anti-racism, anti-capitalism, and any other oppressive system means that you’ll get all of these unseen pushbacks and roadblocks. I’m pretty sure the algorithms on all of our favorite social media sites are not my friends. However, it has forced me to speak up and not just advocate for others but for my own show and content. It has also ended up making me more creative and extroverted. I never knew starting a podcast would make me interested in scripting, writing, storytelling, and other art forms. I was lucky enough to take a comedy writing class that was virtual and very affordable. Shout out to Patrick Rowlands for being a great teacher because his course focusing on late night television writing re-invigorated my love for writing and comedy. Now to try and grow my audience and community in new directions, I’m offering a tier on our Patreon where subscribers can get a new show. Its called The Misogyny Meltdown and it is basically what happens when feminism meets late night television. I’m having a lot of fun writing monologues, jokes, and skits that are at the expense of misogyny,

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Here are some of my favorite spots in Dayton, OH.

My favorite spot to spend the day is Yellowsprings, OH. It is home to my favorite shops and is one of the most welcoming places I’ve ever been. Yellowsprings supports local artists and local shopkeepers and you can feel that love and support when you’re walking around. I can spend the day there petting every bookstore cat, saying hello to everyone on the street, learning about more artforms, making a fairy garden, or adding to my crystal collection. I never tire of being there.

When it comes to a great lunch or dinner spot, you can’t beat Kabuki. Kabuki has some of the most beautifully presented and delicious sushi available. When I have people come to visit, I insist we eat there and they continuously tell me how disappointing it is to eat at a sushi bar that isn’t Kabuki. It is a smaller restaurant so I also appreciate the extra effort the staff goes to when it comes to being friendly and inviting.

I love to take a daytrip to the Cincinnati Zoo, home of the famous hippo siblings Fiona and Fritz. I’m a huge fan of zoos in general but I honestly could spend my entire visit at the zoo just watching Fiona dance in the hippo grove for her fans.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shoutout everyone who has ever joined me for an episode of To All the Men I’ve Tolerated Before. When I invite people onto an episode, I understand that I’ve crafted an episode around topics that are meaningful but are also deeply personal. Allowing me to interview them about the everyday misogyny they experience in their work, relationships, and daily life is such a gift because each conversation makes me a better person. It is amazing that I have found so many people willing to join me in fighting misogyny and other oppressive systems one conversation at a time. I’m so grateful for their radical honesty about their experiences and the space they give me to share my own. Plus, a lot of those guests have become lifetime friends and my biggest supporters, Through them I have learned how to trust myself and my artistry.

Website: https://www.patreon.com/menivetoleratedpod

Instagram: menivetoleratedpod https://www.instagram.com/menivetoleratedpod/

Twitter: @ToTolerated https://twitter.com/ToTolerated

Facebook: To All the Men I’ve Tolerated Before https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087472294746

Youtube: To All the Men I’ve Tolerated Before https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXKexo_7kI6hNkW1nm6oJLw

Other: TikTok- @nataliek124 https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliek124