This is a vulnerable episode for us. Tristan and Lauren have felt a pull to speak frankly about coercive, cult-y dynamics in the coaching, wellness, and "self-improvement" industries (and beyond), especially since mind control tactics commonly deployed in these spaces not only cause incredible harm, but contribute to upholding capitalism, white supremacy, cis-hetero-patriarchy, and other toxic systems.

Our friend Tatum Fjerstad (she/her) joined us for this nuanced conversation, and was so generous with sharing about her recovery from spiritual abuse, multi-level marketing companies (MLMs), and how, in her words, "We are all capable of harm and we are all capable of being harmed."

Tune in to hear us talk about...

The spectrum of cult-y behavior (whether a group is a "cult" isn't as black-and-white as we've been taught)

How coercive control works, and how pervasive it is

How MLMs deploy cult-y tactics to exploit members and teach them to exploit others for profit

The common threads between Tatum's Christian upbringing and the spaces she found herself in as an adult

How her anti-racism practice supported Tatum's awakening to the toxicity of other spaces

The complexities of recovering from coercive control and other forms of abuse, particularly when we carry shame for having been conditioned to harm others

How we're each healing, practicing self-compassion, and making amends

…and more!

Connect with Tatum:

Tatum's Instagram

Get Tatum's newsletter

Upcoming move sit write workshops with Tatum

Book acupuncture with Tatum (Minneapolis)

People and organizations mentioned in this episode:

Tatum's open letter to Elena Brower

Conspirituality podcast about doTERRA and Elena Brower

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism

A Little Bit Culty Podcast

Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control

The Cult of Multi-Level Marketing (Sounds Like a Cult Podcast)

Reclamation Collective

Layla Saad

Jacoby Ballard

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Here’s where you can view a transcript of this episode of ALL THE F*CK IN.

Thanks to Son of Nun and DJ Mentos for the music. You can find their work at sonofnun.bandcamp.com and djmentos.com.