We Can Do Hard Things
157. CULTS: How NXIVM Controlled Women & How Sarah Edmondson Helped Take It Down
06 Dec 2022
1. How attending a personal development training at a Holiday Inn led to Sarah being branded in a sex "secret sisterhood" initiation ceremony. 2. Her path from top recruiter to the whistleblower who helped take down the cult and its leader Keith Ranieri. 3. Why we’re all susceptible to cult culture – the need for belonging, the temptation of simplification, and how we’re trained to deny our gut instincts. CW: Discussion of cult culture and sexual coercion About Sarah: Sarah Edmondson is an actor, podcaster, author, and cult-recovery advocate. Sarah has starred in a number of TV series, yet she is most recently known for her real-life saga escaping the multi-level marketing company NXIVM – and DOS, a “secret sisterhood” within NXIVM – which can also be seen on HBO’s The Vow. Sarah’s memoir Scarred shares her true story from the moment she joined NXIVM, to her harrowing fight to get out and bring its founder to justice. Sarah co-hosts the podcast A Little Bit Culty with her husband Anthony ‘Nippy’ Ames, and lives in Atlanta with her husband and two sons. TW: @sarahjedmondson IG: @sarahedmondson Sarah’s resource page: https://www.sarahedmondson.com/resources Steven Hassan’s BITE model: https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other episodes from We Can Do Hard Things
Transcribed and ready to explore now
Glennon and Abby on Finding Family Success, from IMO
18 May 2025
We Can Do Hard Things
How to Spot a Narcissist with Caroline Strawson (Best Of)
17 May 2025
We Can Do Hard Things
Introducing: What We Spend
16 May 2025
We Can Do Hard Things
Inside Trump’s Personal Profits: His Abuse of Power for Private Deals & Who is Paying the Price | Jessica Yellin & Amanda
15 May 2025
We Can Do Hard Things
Are You a Cynic, Optimist, or Skeptic? Dr. Jamil Zaki Shares Which Type is Happiest
13 May 2025
We Can Do Hard Things
Mothers & Sons with Ocean Vuong (and Chase Melton) (Best Of)
11 May 2025
We Can Do Hard Things