Show Notes
In Episode 17 of Plants & Beats, Rob Bell and Chris Lindstrom talk about something we often forget: you can’t pour from an empty cup. They explore self-care as a responsibility, not just a luxury or trend. A pothos plant can survive even if you forget about it. It keeps growing and doesn’t need much. People are different. Featuring a lo-fi mix from Aloefi. 🎧 New episodes every Friday 🎙 Hosted by Rob Bell (@byrobbell) & Chris Lindstrom (@foodabouttown) 🎼 Music produced and mixed by Aloefi (@al0efi) Mentioned in this episode: Joe Bean Roasters Coffee that lifts everyone. joebeanroasters.com Connections with Evan Dawson Connections with Evan Dawson - Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Connections
More from Plants & Beats
Listen now to the 24 hour lo-fi stream by @Aloefi : plantsandbeatsradio.com For the Season 3 premiere of Plants & Beats, Rob (@byrobbell) sits down with Jess Lin (@jess_xiaomei), creator and host of Cultureful (@thecultureful), a narrative podcast and social impact project rooted in the belief that everyday people are the experts of their own stories. Jess is a second-generation Taiwanese American, daughter of immigrants and a community builder. Before podcasting, she spent years working in global health and living around the world, including Zambia, Honduras, and Bangladesh. But after chronic pain and disability forced her to step away from that career, she found herself having to imagine a different life. That unexpected pivot eventually led to Cultureful. Jess talks about teaching herself podcast production, why ordinary people deserve space to tell their stories, and how the best interviews can become something more human than a simple question-and-answer exchange. The conversation also moves through chronic pain, family, Taiwan, travel, marriage, miscarriage, fertility treatments, and IVF, as Jess reflects on what it means to adapt when life takes you somewhere you never expected to go. Plant of the Month: Bird of Paradise 🌿 Care Guide: READ NOW Rob on Cultureful This episode also continues a conversation that began on Jess’s show. Rob joined Jess for the Season 4 premiere of Cultureful, a two-part conversation exploring family identity, personal history, Philadelphia, hip-hop, race, fatherhood, trauma, and the experiences that shaped the person he became. In Part 1, Rob looks back at growing up in 1990s Philadelphia, from playing Tetris and Game Boy with his grandmother to the family traditions, neighborhood experiences and lessons about race and safety that defined his childhood. 🎧 Listen to Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cultureful-global-identity-intergenerational-stories/id1714884799?i=1000789750530 Watch video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/X8qda5EisrQ In Part 2, the conversation moves deeper into Philadelphia hip-hop culture, basketball, family, and the life-changing moment when Rob’s brother was shot and paralyzed when Rob was 13. The episode also explores how those experiences later shaped his approach to fatherhood, storytelling, advocacy, and Plants & Beats. Content warning: Part 2 includes discussion of gun violence, sudden trauma, and physical injury. 🎧 Listen to Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cultureful-global-identity-intergenerational-stories/id1714884799?i=1000791075522 Watch video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5a3I_a37Gpg ell Us About Yourself Take the Plants & Beats Listener Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwnaae3QK2xFWy5nS_cYiwrjAjXfGc8GHBp_lr9E-RGuv7xg/viewform?usp=header Listen to More Aloefi Best of Aloefi (Apple Music): https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/best-of-aloefi/pl.u-vxy68aYC8X3dpR Best of Aloefi (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2IlQUrBY5eqcYkZQzRw7Mo?si=T0v930l5Ts6rSz-OqYnkyg Plants & Beats is hosted by Rob Bell, produced in partnership with the Lunchador Podcast Network, and features original music produced and mixed by Aloefi. Mentioned in this episode: Joe Bean Roasters Coffee that lifts everyone. joebeanroasters.com
It's the Season 2 finale of Plants & Beats, and the timing couldn't be more fitting. It’s Rob Bell's birthday and National Tequila Day; this special episode brings back friend of the show Chris Lindstrom—food and drink writer, podcast host, and spirits expert—for a conversation centered around one of the world's most fascinating plants: the agave. Together, Rob and Chris unpack the history and craftsmanship behind tequila, the cultural traditions surrounding birthday celebrations and raising a glass with friends, and the remarkable agave plant itself. The episode also marks the end of another season, as Rob looks back on 27 episodes of Plants & Beats. From conversations with artists, photographers, advocates, musicians, and entrepreneurs to lessons inspired by the natural world, Season 2 has been a celebration of community, creativity, wellness, and the quiet wisdom plants have to offer. This week's featured plant is agave. Known for taking years—even decades—to mature before reaching its full potential, agave reminds us that meaningful things can't be rushed. Patience, intention, and time are often the ingredients behind life's greatest rewards. As always, the conversation is accompanied by a warm, reflective lo-fi soundtrack produced and mixed by Aloefi. Featured Guest Chris Lindstrom Food & Drink Writer • Spirits Expert • Podcast Host Plant of the Week Agave (Agave spp.) Tell Us About Yourself Take the Plants & Beats Listener Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwnaae3QK2xFWy5nS_cYiwrjAjXfGc8GHBp_lr9E-RGuv7xg/viewform?usp=header Listen to More Aloefi Best of Aloefi (Apple Music): https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/best-of-aloefi/pl.u-vxy68aYC8X3dpR Best of Aloefi (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2IlQUrBY5eqcYkZQzRw7Mo?si=T0v930l5Ts6rSz-OqYnkyg Plants & Beats is hosted by Rob Bell, produced in partnership with the Lunchador Podcast Network, and features original music produced and mixed by Aloefi. Thank you for joining us throughout Season 2. Whether you've listened from the very beginning or discovered the show along the way, we appreciate you spending time with us each week. Here's to another season of thoughtful conversations, remarkable plants, and beats that help us slow down and reconnect. Until next season—peace, blessings, and keep growing. Mentioned in this episode: Joe Bean Roasters Coffee that lifts everyone. joebeanroasters.com
This week on Plants & Beats, we're doing something a little different. Rob (@byrobbell) sits down with German producer and DJ Cuezy. (@cuezy._) to celebrate the release of the six-track EP, Endless Summer by Aloefi (@al0efi) and Cuezy. More than a collection of beats, Endless Summer is a concept album designed to capture the feeling of a perfect summer day. Throughout the episode, Rob and Cuezy discuss their individual musical journeys, how a friendship across continents turned into a creative partnership, and insights behind every song on the project. Before each track, they share the inspiration, production process, and memories that shaped the music you'll hear. This week's featured plant is basil—a fragrant herb that flourishes with regular care and brings people together around the table. Like the collaboration between Aloefi and Cuezy, basil reminds us that the best things in life are cultivated with patience, consistency, and shared intention. Every song featured in this episode comes directly from Endless Summer, making this a behind-the-scenes listening experience unlike any other episode of Plants & Beats. Featured Guest Cuezy Producer • DJ • Collaborator on Endless Summer Plant of the Week Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Listen to Endless Summer Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4xOmatomfD3l3qujnNyxTN?si=7M1t0988QmyHoJQ_8mQemA Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/endless-summer-ep/6783602514
On this episode of Plants & Beats, Rob Bell (@byrobbell) sits down with photographer Nick Koch, better known as @rocstreetphoto. Nick shares his journey from leaving high school early to building a career in the same industry for decades, where he became a Zamboni expert while continuing to pursue photography as a creative outlet. He also opens up about living with chronic pain caused by a medical condition and how cultivating cannabis became part of his personal healing journey. This week's featured plant is the Cannabis Sativa. While often surrounded by debate, cannabis has a long history as both a medicinal and agricultural plant. Like growing tomatoes, cultivating healthy cannabis requires attention to light, water, nutrients, and timing. As always, the conversation is anchored by a lo-fi soundtrack produced and mixed by Aloefi (@al0efi). Featured Guest Nick Koch Photographer • Zamboni Expert • Hobbyist Cannabis Grower Plant of the Week Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) Featured Plant Care Guide If you’ve been listening to the show and want to go a little deeper, I’d love for you to join the Plants & Beats Patreon. The plant care guide is free to view, so you can tap in to learn more about the plant of the week and keep growing with us between episodes. https://linkly.link/2m6L9 There are also other cool features available through different membership tiers, including columns from Rob Bell, unedited interviews, minute meditations, secret mixtapes, DJ sets, access to the Plants & Beats group chat, and more. Plants & Beats has always been about slowing down, finding peace, and building a community rooted in music, wellness, and growth. Come join the garden. Tell Us About Yourself Take the Plants & Beats Listener Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwnaae3QK2xFWy5nS_cYiwrjAjXfGc8GHBp_lr9E-RGuv7xg/viewform?usp=header Listen to More Aloefi Best of Aloefi (Apple Music): https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/best-of-aloefi/pl.u-vxy68aYC8X3dpR Best of Aloefi (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2IlQUrBY5eqcYkZQzRw7Mo?si=T0v930l5Ts6rSz-OqYnkyg Plants & Beats is hosted by Rob Bell, produced in partnership with the Lunchador Podcast Network (@lunchadorpodcasts), and features original music mixed and produced by Aloefi. No matter how difficult the season, keep growing. Peace and blessings. Mentioned in this episode: Joe Bean Roasters Coffee that lifts everyone. joebeanroasters.com
On this episode of Plants & Beats, Rob Bell (@byrobbell) sits down with his brother, Mike Patterson, a gun-violence-prevention and disability advocate, founder of the Rochester nonprofit MPP 360, and voice for community change. Together, they explore the complex relationship between Black Americans and Juneteenth, reflecting on what the holiday means today. The conversation also dives into fatherhood, the influence of rap music, and Mike's commitment to serving the Rochester community through advocacy, mentorship, and lived experience. This week's featured plant is hemp—one of humanity's oldest cultivated plants. Known for its remarkable versatility, hemp has been used for thousands of years to create clothing, rope, paper, food, and countless other essentials. As always, the episode is woven together with a lo-fi soundtrack produced and mixed by Aloefi (@al0efi). Featured Guest Mike Patterson Founder, MPP 360 Gun Violence & Disability Advocate Plant of the Week Hemp (Cannabis sativa) Featured Plant Care Guide https://linkly.link/2lICT Tell Us About Yourself Take the Plants & Beats Listener Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwnaae3QK2xFWy5nS_cYiwrjAjXfGc8GHBp_lr9E-RGuv7xg/viewform?usp=header Listen to More Aloefi Best of Aloefi (Apple Music): https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/best-of-aloefi/pl.u-vxy68aYC8X3dpR Best of Aloefi (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2IlQUrBY5eqcYkZQzRw7Mo?si=T0v930l5Ts6rSz-OqYnkyg Plants & Beats is hosted by Rob Bell, produced in partnership with the Lunchador Podcast Network (@lunchadorpodcasts), and features original music mixed and produced by Aloefi. No matter how difficult the season, keep growing. Peace and blessings. Mentioned in this episode: Joe Bean Roasters Coffee that lifts everyone. joebeanroasters.com