X‑Files | Kate Assaraf, DIP, and the Quiet Rebellion Against Unconscious Living
Jan 19
By Ian Primmer — CommonX Host
Sometimes the most important conversations don’t feel like interviews at all. They feel like alignment. That’s exactly what happened when Kate Assaraf joined us on the CommonX Podcast. No hype. No guru energy. No hard sell. Just a grounded, curious, deeply human conversation about consciousness, consumption, power, and what it means to live intentionally inside systems we didn’t design—but still have to navigate.
Why This Conversation Mattered
Gen-X didn’t grow up being told to “manifest” or “optimize.” We grew up learning how to endure. We were taught to walk it off, show up, and keep moving—often at the cost of our health, attention, and inner clarity. Kate’s work doesn’t reject that toughness. It refines it. What struck us most wasn’t a philosophy—it was her discipline around awareness. Kate doesn’t argue against success, ambition, or building things at scale. She questions what happens when scale outpaces humanity—and why that distinction matters.
Consciousness Without the Costume
Kate Assaraf isn’t interested in labels like “minimalist,” or “Anti-Capitalist".” What she practices—and teaches—is conscious choice. Less autopilot. More intention. That philosophy shows up in how she lives, how she builds, and how she formulates DIP—a product designed not to stimulate, spike, or hijack your nervous system, but to support clarity and presence.
We used DIP the morning of the recording. What surprised me most was that I felt like I already understood who Kate Assaraf truly is before I ever used the product. As I opened the simple, unpretentious box, something clicked almost immediately—longevity, conservation, and a personality larger than life.
DIP Products, quality handmade in the US raising environmental awareness.
Reading the back, it became clear I wasn’t just using a “soap product.” I was continuing a rebellious Gen-X lifestyle—the same one my life has always been framed by. I felt it immediately: the quiet peace of mind that comes from honoring a personal agreement with the karma of the world—not burning through plastic bottles, not feeding a system that treats convenience as disposable.
We’re not big on corporate gimmicks here at CommonX, and that’s not what this was. What Kate Assaraf gave us was something far more personal—an experience that unexpectedly sent me back in time.
I was a kid again, riding my bike to Minder’s Meats in Bremerton, Washington, the cool clatter of baseball cards in the spokes, a dollar in my pocket—maybe. Garbage Pail Kids. Pop Rocks. That first taste of the gum that came with the cards. Childhood. A time when life was simple, happiness was easy, and it didn’t matter how much money I made or what clothes I wore.
In that moment, I realized I wasn’t just using a product—I was aligning with a movement I genuinely believe in.
Actual DIP Garbage Fail Kids card included with Product.
DIP: A Product That Matches the Philosophy
Here’s the part we don’t say lightly: we believe in DIP, and we believe in Kate’s genuine mission to create a product that is hand-crafted, cruelty-free, and plastic-free. Not because it was pitched. Not because it’s trendy. But because it aligns with the exact values we talk about on CommonX:
Intentional inputs
Nervous-system awareness
Sustainable energy over artificial urgency
Products that respect the human behind the habit
DIP isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing better—and doing it responsibly.
The Cultural Undercurrent: Scale vs. Humanity
During the conversation, we didn’t talk about tearing systems down—we talked about scale, and what gets lost when it grows too large. For Gen-X, this isn’t a new tension. We watched local mom-and-pop shops disappear, convenience replace craftsmanship, and one-click solutions slowly reshape how we interact with the world.
This wasn’t framed as an attack on Amazon or modern logistics. It was an honest look at the trade-offs—how efficiency can quietly distance us from people, places, and responsibility.
Kate doesn’t argue against progress. She asks a more grounded question: how do we build and participate in systems that reduce waste, respect the planet, and keep human intention at the center? Refill centers, conscious consumption, and smaller-scale solutions aren’t about nostalgia—they’re about sustainability, accountability, and choosing not to outsource our values.
The real question isn’t convenience versus conscience. It’s whether we’re still paying attention. And that’s why refill is the new record store.
Transparent “Dip” logo including direct link to dipalready.com
Final Thought
CommonX tribute to Kate Assaraf and rebelling against the disposable.
We meet a lot of cool people and have had some incredible guests over the years. Some guests come on to promote. Others come on to connect. Kate Assaraf did the latter.
And for those listening—Gen-X builders, skeptics, parents, veterans, entrepreneurs—this episode wasn’t about believing everything. It was about asking better questions.
We’re humbled to have met such an incredible, grounded, and genuinely thoughtful human. We encourage you to explore DIP Premium Hair Care and learn more about Kate’s Renegade Honesty approach—her passion for intentional living, responsible products, and protecting smaller, mom-and-pop businesses that prioritize environmental awareness without defaulting to one-click convenience.
🎧 This episode is coming soon. Clips and production updates will be shared in the weeks ahead.
🔗 Explore DIP and Kate Assaraf’s work. Choose intention over autopilot.
— CommonX
— CommonX
Kate Assaraf, Founder & CEO of DIP
