Today’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Jaime Mahler, MS, LMHC, is a New York-based psychotherapist and mental health educator who recently published her book TOXIC RELATIONSHIP RECOVERY: Your Guide to Identifying Toxic Partners, Leaving Unhealthy Dynamics, and Healing Emotional Wounds After A Breakup. She’s also the powerhouse behind the explosively popular social media brand, Recollected. Her podcast, ‘Unlearned,’ helps people of all sexual orientations and genders to heal from relationship trauma, narcissism, and beyond…certainly a lot of the BS we find ourselves tackling on this podcast.  But today, in episode one of this two-parter, we’re focusing somewhat on Mahler’s past, which involved growing up with a self-described “cult-like version of Catholicism.” She revists the types of shame and guilt she experienced within religious surroundings, despite their being a shade less extreme than others we’ve encountered on this show. Even Jaime’s OCD played a role in her religious fervor by tricking her brain into believing one is either purely good or purely evil—wholy faithful or 100% a sinner—eventually leading to semi-neurotic level praying on a daily basis.  Ultimately, Jaime's odyssey of self-discovery and faith, coupled with her distinguished therapeutic training, makes her our favorite type of guest: a badass individual who has directly encountered some culty shit, complemented by a sophisticated educational background that not only helped her understand her own experiences, but those of others, too.    Find Recollected Self on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit their website   Purchase Toxic Relationship Recovery: Your Guide to Identifying Toxic Partners, Leaving Unhealthy Dynamics, and Healing Emotional Wounds after a Breakup on Amazon   Also…   Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…   The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.   OTHER LINKS: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Writer: Mathias Rosenzweig Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin  

Today’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.  Jane Marie is the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning journalist, author, and producer of This American Life. Now, she’s hosting the hit investigative podcast The Dream where she’s examined pyramid schemes and culty, late-stage, self-care capitalism. In season 3, she gives the side-eye to all the gurus and life coaches that promise new and improved secrets to living our best lives as they empty the pockets of working class people. Check out this podcaster-insider convo on the culty dynamics of selling the American dream via prosperity gospel.   If you missed ALBC’s shows on MLMs, check ‘em out:  Emily Lynn Paulson describes suburban mom-squad MLMs;  Douglas Brooks represents victims of MLM schemers;  and trainer Roberta Blevins testified against LuLaRoe.    NOTES Jane Marie and her partner – former Modest Mouse guitarist Dann Gallucci – started Little Everywhere, a podcast production house and recording studio renowned for Michelle Obama’s The Light Podcast and The Dream. Jane Marie’s forthcoming book Selling the Dream exposes the scourge of multilevel marketing schemes and how they have profited off the evisceration of the American working class. It’s available for preorder at www.Jane-Marie.com.   Find Jane on social media: Twitter, Instagram & TikTok.   Also…   Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…   The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.   OTHER LINKS:   Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS:    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Writer: Holly Zadra Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin  

This is a short preview of an episode Sarah & Nippy recorded for the A Little Bit Culty Patreon. If you want to hear the whole thing, plus get bonus to ad-free episodes and other exclusive content, sign up at: www.patreon.com/alittlebitculty

Today’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.  Julie Bogart homeschooled her five children for seventeen years and participated in a Cincinnati homeschool co-op of 100 families with over 300 youngsters. But it wasn’t merely homeschoolers that were a little bit culty in her life. With experiences of missionary evangelical Christianity, the New Thought movement, Scientology, and four years as an  e s t  devotee, Julie Bogart’s got some culty notches in her belt. Now she’s helping cult-proof parents and their kids by teaching families to think well. In this episode, Julie shares insight into susceptibilities for cult-jumping, our perceptions of “trusted” authority/expertise, and the power of wonder and curiosity. We’re also reminded of the parental golden rule: seek therapy yourselves before subjecting your kiddos to any kind of psychotherapy. For a deep dive into those waters, rewind to our episode with Meg Appelgate who navigated the Troubled Teen Industry firsthand. NOTES: Julie Bogart has devoted her life to the triumvirate of writing, kids, and parents and is known for her common sense parenting and education advice on how to raise critical thinkers. She created Brave Writer, an online writing and language arts program that coaches folks to discover their own original thoughts. She has scores of professional writing credentials including a weekly column for United Press International, Brave Writer's Home Study Courses, and two books, The Brave Learner and Raising Critical Thinkers. Mother of five and grandmother to three, Julie lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.   You can find her on Twitter  and Instagram.   Also…   Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…   The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.   OTHER LINKS: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Writer: Holly Zadra Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

This is a replay of an episode Sarah & Nippy recorded for the A Little Bit Culty Patreon. If you want to access to all of our content bonuses, ad-free episodes and other goodies, sign up at: www.patreon.com/alittlebitculty

Today’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.  Yasmine Mohammed attended Islamic schools and wore a hijab starting at the age of nine, all while living in Vancouver, BC. In this episode, she invites us into her childhood to get a taste of what it was like to live in two different worlds – the West and extreme fundamentalist Islam – while fitting into neither. She pulls back the curtain on the culty dynamics, indoctrination, and dehumanization characteristic of both worlds. We learn a little about her forced marriage to a member of Al-Qaeda at the age of 19. And she illuminates a Bill Maher moment with Ben Affleck that she believes exemplifies the West’s deeply problematic approach to radical Islam.   Check it out.   NOTES: Yasmine Mohammed is founder and President of Free Hearts Free Minds – an organization devoted to those free thinkers in Muslim-majority countries whose lives are at risk for who they love or the words they utter. She’s a courageous and eloquent writer, podcaster, and human rights advocate as unafraid to criticize conversation police as she is to speak up against radical Islam. Yasmine is the author of Unveiled: How Western Liberals Empower Radical Islam, a memoir/polemic that explores her own history and how Western liberalism gets in the way of actualizing liberation. She’s host of the podcast Forgotten Feminists that features inspirational women from restrictive religious backgrounds. And she speaks on Islamophobia and the Canadian motion against it to universities, organizations and major news agencies.   Find her on these medes: Twitter , YouTube   Also… Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…   The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.   OTHER LINKS: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Writer: Holly Zadra Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

This is a short preview of an episode Sarah & Nippy recorded for the A Little Bit Culty Patreon. If you want to hear the whole thing, plus get bonus to ad-free episodes and other exclusive content, sign up at: www.patreon.com/alittlebitculty

Today’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.  The self-help book industry alone is expected to grow from $10.5 billion annually to $15 billion by 2025. Of course, with that kinda dough floating around, a raging demand for personal growth has led to a plethora of tools aimed at achieving it. Unfortunately, there are people that seek to take advantage of this, leading to dangerous—or even deadly—consequences.  When Kirby Brown was only 38 years old, a man named James Arthur Ray pushed her to stick out an incredibly hot sweat lodge session in Sedona, Arizona. A self-proclaimed “guru,” Ray allegedly urged participants to disregard their physical discomfort, even ignoring their pleas for help. Tragically, Brown and two other individuals lost their lives during the hellish experience.  On today’s episode, we’re joined by two guests: Jean Brown, who is Kirby’s sister and the co-author of This Sweet Life: How we lived after Kirby died, a memoir she wrote with her mother about what happened to Kirby and its larger implications for the self-help industry. Joining her is Dr. Glenn Patrick Doyle, a psychologist who has teamed up with Jean and the SEEK SAFELY non-profit org and podcast. Founded by George and Ginny Brown, Kirby and Jean’s parents, SEEK SAFELY is aimed at passing legislation within the self-help industry to prevent abuse in the future.    You can follow Dr. Doyle on Instagram, Facebook, and X.   You can follow Jean Brown on Instagram and X.   You can follow SEEK SAFELY on Instagram, Facebook, and X.    NOTES: Dr. Glenn Patrick Doyle is a licensed psychologist who works with people struggling with complex trauma and dissociative disorders, including survivors of coercive control, cult abuse, medical trauma, clergy abuse, religious trauma, and childhood abuse and neglect.  Jean is a writer and work-from-home-mom to two young children. She has Bachelor's degrees in political science and writing from Loyola University Maryland, and a Master’s in Public Policy and Public Administration from Concordia University in Montreal. She is active in creating content for SEEK Safely Inc.’s website, social media, brand outreach, and legislative effort. Jean lived in Thailand and has traveled extensively, including treasured memories of traveling with her sister Kirby. She grew up in the US but has been in Canada since 2007.   Also… Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that… The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.   OTHER LINKS: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Senior Writer: Holly Zadra Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin  

This is a short preview of an episode Sarah & Nippy recorded for the A Little Bit Culty Patreon. If you want to hear the whole thing, plus get bonus to ad-free episodes and other exclusive content, sign up at: www.patreon.com/alittlebitculty

Today’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.  Let’s admit it. Despite the billions of people on earth, the world can be a friggin lonely place. And for the VIP-lonely among us, Jeff and Shaleia charge a mere $8888 for all the answers to life’s big love questions. If you’re seeking a first-person narrative about what it’s like to pay to play in Twin Flames Universe, check out Keely Griffin on ALBC.  For this show, we features Alice Hines – the Emmy-award winning investigative journalist and executive producer of Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe, a new docuseries chronicling the two kooky, creepy founders Jeff – a real Keto Keith Raniere – and his partner Shaleia as they go from run-of-the-mill influencers to building what Vice has called a ‘cult empire’.  Hines dives right into her curiosity around the creepy repercussions of internet culture on IRL relationships and how that led her to explore, report on, and be invited into Jeff and Shaleia’s home where she filmed the duo. You can watch that footage in the docuseries.  For now, take a listen for the inside scoop on the culty couple.   NOTES  Alice Hines is a writer, documentary film producer, and news correspondent that speaks truth to power and sheds light on unseen subcultures. She’s contributed to The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and New York Magazine, among others. She introduced the term “Chads” – the ideal, buff, white, manly man at the heart of incels’ standards of attractiveness. And she won a News Emmy for her work on-camera for a Vice News series. Based on her reporting for Vanity Fair, Alice executive-produced the Amazon Prime docuseries, Desperately Seeking Soulmate. Alice grew up in South Carolina, got her writing creds at Brown University, and even worked as an editor at the sartorial Vestoj, a research vessel with fascinating pieces that explore the bridge between fashion theory and sales – that is, why we wear what we wear.   If you really want to go down the word salad rabbit hole and you’re armed with many grains of salt, you can read Jeff and Shaleia’s response to Alice’s Vanity Fair exposé.    Here’s Alice’s website, her Instagram, and her Tik Tok.   Also…   Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…   The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.   Other Links: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Senior Writer: Holly Zadra Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin  

This is a short preview of an episode Sarah & Nippy recorded for the A Little Bit Culty Patreon. If you want to hear the whole thing, plus get bonus to ad-free episodes and other exclusive content, sign up at: www.patreon.com/alittlebitculty

Today’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.    Just before Netflix premiered its sensational docuseries “Bad Vegan,” Sarma Melngailis spoke exclusively with ALBC about all the shit she endured with culty conman Mr. So-called Fox. Go back and check out that episode for the grisly details and now foreboding hope that Netflix would shed light – not shade – on the confounding circumstances that led to the demise of Sarma’s brand One Lucky Duck and her beloved restaurant Pure Food and Wine. If you didn’t already know it, Pure Food and Wine was hip, sexy, nutritious, and delicious. It was raw vegan food with style in Gramercy Park. Manhattan where, on any given night, you could run into Janet Jackson, Bill Clinton, Stevie Wonder, or Alec Baldwin. It was the shit. Until it wasn’t.    Netflix was ready.   Through all the pomp and circumstance, we at ALBC can’t help but look into the dark side of cult survivor narratives turned entertainment. Now that the trauma-coaster of “Bad Vegan” has slowed, we thought it important to let Sarma set the record straight.    Check it out. NOTES:Sarma Melngailis is brilliant. She grew up in Newton, MA, graduated with two economics degrees including one from the Wharton School. She rocked the financial world at Bear Stearns and Bain Capital. And she dabbled in high-yield investment funds before realizing finance in late-stage capitalism fuckin sucks so she left to get a degree in feeding people from the French Culinary Institute. Thus began her life in the world of food. Upon discovering raw vegan food, she decided – with a partner – to open Pure Food and Wine; chronicled her transition from eating whatever/everything to eating only raw vegan food in Raw Food Real World; and then wrote Living Raw Food. Now, she lives in Harlem with her rescue dog, Leon. We love ‘em both dearly. You can find Sarma on Twitter, Instagram, and her own official website. Also…   Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…   The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.   Other Links: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Senior Writer: Holly Zadra Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin  

This is a replay of an episode Sarah & Nippy recorded for the A Little Bit Culty Patreon. If you want to access to all of our content bonuses, ad-free episodes and other goodies, sign up at: www.patreon.com/alittlebitculty

Today’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.    As a teen, Meg Appelgate was gooned – that is, legally kidnapped – from her home in the middle of the night and taken to a lockdown facility in Idaho, then shipped to Montana where isolation, chemical sedation, and brainwashing were the norm…for a day of underage drinking. She survived and went on to develop and recruit for similar organizations. Then she woke up and channeled her indignation toward making positive change.  Right now, anywhere from 120,000 to 200,000 or more young people are institutionalized as private equity firms rake in tens of billions of dollars from the “Troubled Teen Industry.” Meg Appelgate shares her story and how Unsilenced, the organization she founded, can help.    Note: Meg Appelgate is a survivor determined to empower other survivors of institutional child abuse. She’s founder and CEO of Unsilenced, a non-profit org serving victims caught in the web of the Troubled Teen Industry. She’s also VP, Trustee, and Managing Director of the Gochnauer Family Foundation that provides financial help for families and children. She serves on the boards of a domestic violence shelter and a therapeutic riding center. When she’s not funding and implementing new ideas to help people thrive, Meg loves to explore new places with her husband and four children.   You can find her on the medes: Personal Instagram, Unsilenced Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter.   And, for more on the Troubled Teen Industry, check out the Season 2 episode featuring Elizabeth Gilpin here.   Also…   Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…   The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.   Other Links: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Writer: Holly Zadra Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin  

This is a short preview of an episode Sarah & Nippy recorded for the A Little Bit Culty Patreon. If you want to hear the whole thing, plus get bonus to ad-free episodes and other exclusive content, sign up at: www.patreon.com/alittlebitculty

This episode is sponsored by Better Help.  Have you seen Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets on Prime yet? Ooooof! We have and it’s really, really good. Also hard to watch. Also a bit infuriating. In other words: A culty docuseries. If you’ve already followed the Duggars, the reality TV mega-family behind the hit show 19 Kids and Counting, you know it’s all a lot to process. Shiny Happy People gets deep into the weeds of the story behind their story: Chock-full of disturbing insights into their scandals, their demons, and the radical organization underpinning the whole shitshow. That would be the Institute in Basic Life Principles, an evangelical Christian ministry on steroids.  Lindsey Williams is featured in Shiny Happy People, and is here to talk with us in this episode about her experience as a former IBLP member, and her personal journey from dug in to “fuck this I’m out.” Our chat covers IBLP founder Bill Gothard and his deranged dogma, what it was like living in the orbit of the embattled Duggar clan, and how Lindsey is doing now that she’s a self-proclaimed Shiny Happy Warrior for cult awareness.  And just as a heads up, please know that this IBLP organization has some seriously shady philosophies on things like sexual abuse, so this episode may get into gritty territory. Listen with care.  Also… Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…   The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.   Other Links: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Writer: Mathias Rosenzweig Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin  

This is a replay of an episode Sarah & Nippy recorded for the A Little Bit Culty Patreon. If you want to access to all of our content bonuses, ad-free episodes and other goodies, sign up at: www.patreon.com/alittlebitculty

Today’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp and More Labs.  Dr. Shefali is a renowned authority on family dynamics and personal development who has published four books (three New York Times best-sellers) and teaches classes and seminars across the globe. She has all the makings of a guru, but is the first to say she doesn’t dig guru culture - and in fact has some pointed thoughts on the personal transformation space, the patriarchy, the way society mindfucks mothers, and navigating the self-help path without it going all to hell.  She’s not our typical guest but we like to mix things up, and we had so many questions for her. Like how do you know who is legit these days in the personal transformation world? If we’re wary of “thought leaders” but looking for inspiration, where do we look?  Learn more about her best selling books, courses, and the upcoming Evolve Summit at her website: http://drshefali.com   Notes:   You can register for Dr. Shefali Evolve 2023 Annual Summit, her 7th one, which will take place on October 6th-8th in Atlanta, Georgia.    You can follow Dr. Shefali on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube.    Purchase Dr. Shefali’s The Conscious Parent or Out of Control, here    Also…   Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…   The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.   Other Links:   Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS:    Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Senior Producer: Jess Tardy Writer: Mathias Rosenzweig Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin  

This epiosde is sponsored by Better Help. Hey Listener, you asked for a greatest hits medley of all our NXIVM related guests in one or two meaty episodes.And hear ye, hear ye we have delivered. This is our second NXIVM extravaganza, and we hope you dig it. We’ll be back soon with all new episodes, and until then you can always hang out with us on Patreon at patreon.com/alittlebitculty if you can’t get enough of our culty, culty content.  But now…let’s dig into the main course shall we? Keith Raniere’s trial was at the center of The Vow Season 2 – and this episode is taking you even further into the courtroom circus.   We’re featuring insights from three people who had as close a look as one could get.   First, you’ll hear from Moira Kim Penza – the prosecutor who brought Keith Raniere to justice. Her accomplishments are mighty: Like Keith’s conviction on all counts including racketeering and sex trafficking and a brisk 120 year sentence. Moira’s groundbreaking approach to the case has been credited with paving the way for other sex trafficking prosecutions against powerful individuals. In other words: She’s a total badass. In this episode, Moira sits down with Sarah and Nippy to talk about what it’s like to take on a world-class dirtbag (our wording, not hers) and what really chaps her ass about NXIVM’s Voldemort. More about today’s guest: Moira is now in private practice as a litigator, and a partner at Wilkinson Stekloff. Crain’s New York business named her in the 40 under 40 list, she’s been ranked as one of Bloomberg Law’s 40 under 40, and her legal analysis has been featured in The NY Times, CNN, ABC, NPR and Daily Beast.    Next you’ll hear from Robert Gavin. Robert  has been a news reporter for 28 years, having also worked for two years as an editor. Originally from Staten Island, Gavin began his career by covering the New York City police and fire departments, the NYS Capitol, State and Federal Courts, various murder trials, and cases involving terrorism, the mafia, street gangs, and political corruption. And eventually, Robert’s role in the NXIVM trials and their coverage would play a crucial part in bringing down Keith Raniere.   Finally, you’ll hear from  Vanessa Grigoriadis, who is an award-winning longform journalist and podcaster, having published profiles on the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Lady Gaga, and Arianna Huffington. So how did she get tied up in NXIVM’s bullshit while also reporting on the cult? Well, the short answer is: anyone and everyone is susceptible to coercive control and persuasion, even members of the press. The long answer? Well, you’ll just have to listen to find out.    Without further adieu. Here’s our NXIVM medley part two. Also… Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that… The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad. Other Links: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Senior Producer: Jess Tardy Writer: Holly Zadra Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin  

This episode is sponsored by Better Help.  Well hello there, A Little Bit Culty listener. How’d your summer go? What’s the haps? This is actually our out of office greeting talking to you, because we’re away from the studio right now investigating some kickass episodes for our new season. But we didn’t want to leave you hanging…so we went through the archives to make you a veritable Dairy Queen Blizzard of culty goodness from some of our fan favorites. We’ll be back soon with all new episodes, but until then you can also find us each week on Patreon where we’re serving up fresh episodes and content on the regular. So today’s episode is…well…in our wheelhouse. If you’re a listener of this particular show, you’re already familiar with NXIVM – but on today’s episode we are taking a closer look at the cult featured in the HBO series, The Vow, starring yours truly. (Whose got four thumbs and once helped bring NXIVM down? THESE GUYS). Joining us are 4 people who understand the inner workings of NXIVM  better than almost anyone else. First up is Mark Vicente. He’s The Vow’s Stone cold silver fox, a film-maker turned whistleblower, and an internationally renowned sweetheart. He’s the guy who originally recruited me, and the guy who raised hell to help bring it all down.  Also, he’s the lucky husband of the one and only Bonnie Piesse, aka, Bonfire. Next is India Oxenberg, who went through hell and back in NXIVM’s darkest chapter: DOS. From forced starvation, and sleep deprivation, to multiple forms of mental and sexual abuse, to a devastating years-long separation from her family. God damn we’re glad she got out and that she’s THRIVING now. .    Ater India, we’ve got Susan Dones….The one-woman wrecking crew who served as her own legal representation in a series of court battles after she left the organization. Susan was way ahead of the curve on calling bullshit Keith Raniere and his flying monkeys. She also paid dearly for it.    And finally, is Karen Unterreiner, who at only 18-years-old,  became romantically intertwined with Keith Raniere. Over the next 40 years, she’d go on to become a top level NXIVM trainer, a key figure of the Executive Success Programs’ leadership committee, and an overseer of administration (bookkeeping) and IT.  Which is all to say: There is much tea to spill. So much tea. So if you’re sick of hearing us talk about NXIVM, you better turn around now. You’ve been warned. Everybody else? Let’s rock. Also… Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that… The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad. Other Links: Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources   CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound Producer: Will Retherford Senior Producer: Jess Tardy Writer: Holly Zadra Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin