We grow up believing desire is supposed to arrive on its own — instant, spontaneous, the way it looks in the movies. So when it doesn't, we quietly wonder what's wrong with us.
This week, I sit down with Rachel Baker, founder of the Australian sexual wellness brand LBDO, to take that myth apart. Rachel started LBDO after a fluorescent-lit sex-shop experience left her thinking there has to be a better way — and after losing her mother and leaving a career at L'Oréal, she built it.
We get into the difference between spontaneous and responsive desire (and why "I'm never in the mood" almost never means something is broken), the brakes and accelerators that quietly run your libido, and why the "I'm addicted to my vibrator" fear is a myth. We also talk honestly about libido in pregnancy and grief, how to actually talk to a partner about sex, the censorship battles facing women's pleasure online, and why the most beautiful thing you can do is stop hiding it in a drawer.
Whether your desire has gone quiet or you just want to understand your body better, this one will leave you feeling a lot less alone — and a lot less broken.
Explore LBDO at lbdo.com — use code LUST15 for 15% off.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:40 Why sex shops are built to embarrass you
01:20 The first-vibrator story that sparked a brand
03:46 Fear-based vs pleasure-based sex education
06:41 Losing her mom & building a "safe space"
07:17 How to actually talk to kids about sex
09:29 The L'Oréal insight behind LBDO
10:46 Launching a sexual wellness brand in lockdown
16:18 Who's really buying (teens to women in their 70s)
17:15 The customer review that brought Rachel to tears
18:14 Why communication is lubrication
19:17 Where does libido go in pregnancy?
20:17 Responsive vs spontaneous desire (you're not broken)
21:35 Brakes & accelerators: the dual control model
23:50 Turn-ons, turn-offs & why stress kills desire
26:20 The clitoris, anatomy & designing for pleasure
27:52 Why Rush took 3 years to design
29:09 The hotel housekeeping story
30:32 Will a suction toy desensitize you?
32:02 The "vibrator addiction" myth, debunked
33:57 Vibrator vs suction toy: the real difference
35:50 Bringing toys into a relationship
37:30 Selfridges, Bloomingdale's & pinch-me moments
39:11 The censorship war on women's pleasure
41:27 Viagra is fine, but "clitoris" gets flagged?
42:40 Keeping desire alive while working with your husband
45:33 Pregnancy, pelvic floor & getting honest
47:05 An orgasm a day: the health benefits of pleasure
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Lust in Translation Podcast
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