A chapter from Jane Marie’s forthcoming book. Preorder at jane-marie.com.

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The Dream listeners called in to share their own experiences with life coaches: the good, the bad and the absurd.

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Jennifer Rajala got sucked into the MLM-to-coaching pipeline. A social worker from northern Michigan, Jennifer rose quickly through the Arbonne ranks. She earned the right to lease an Arbonne branded Mercedes. But she still wasn’t making any real money. Then Jenn discovered Rankmakers, the life coaching program that promised to truly maximize her potential.

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Despite regular therapy, Jane is in a funk. She and Dann discuss what's happened to them, and what she hopes (and fears) life coaching might do for her — or teach her to do for herself. Jane embarks on a hunt for a professional life coach of her own.

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What's it like to hand your life over to someone who claims they’ll make it better? Jessie Lee Ward, the self-proclaimed “#1 network marketer in the world,” charges her coaching clients thousands of dollars for a trip to Colombia that's described like a work retreat. The reality is more like a brutal 15 hour hike, with late night hypothermia. Is this what it takes to be successful in life and business?

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From Little Everywhere and Pushkin Industries, and hosted by Jane Marie, comes the third season of The Dream. Past seasons of this award-winning investigative podcast looked at pyramid schemes and the world of wellness. This season we're getting to know the gurus and life coaches who claim they know the secret to living our best lives. Is it all in our mindset? Or our privilege? Or are we all under a spell? Find out this September.

If you want to binge the entire season early and ad-free starting September 13, sign up for Pushkin+ on our Apple Show page or at pushkin.fm/plus now.

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Who do you trust in a world with little information?

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How a few bad seeds became a movement.

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These Shills and Sugar Pills will make you feel better.

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Influencing a new generation of wellness.

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The road to wellness is paved with particles and protons.

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Welcome to one of the cutest cults of wellness.

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Sarah Edmonson publicly left NXIVM, a life coaching MLM made famous by the HBO documentary, The Vow, in 2017 shortly after being branded with the founder's initials. Jane and Sarah sit down to discuss the fine line between coaching and culting. Sarah and her husband, Nippy Ames, host the podcast A Little Bit Culty.

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What happens when no one is looking out for you?

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Can powders, pills and juices deliver on the promise to live longer and look younger?

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Opportunity might still be knocking… we’ll be back with new episodes in January.

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Take a walk and find a crystal. Who knows, it might just heal you.

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Products and cures you can’t find at the doctor might just be the medicine you want.

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Oils, crystals, juices and more have been said to bring us eternal happiness and health- but how much of that is based in truth? Who benefits and loses from the wellness industry as a whole? We’ll be talking to some familiar voices and new ones about broader questions like these in Season 2 of the Dream- premiering December 9th.

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Leaving an MLM can be the hardest part of the business.

This is 4 of 4 bonus episodes we’re releasing as additional reporting from season 1.

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There’s no better way to build a loyal downline than with a magnetic atmosphere and a magnetic leader. Creating devotion to the cause is one technique that keeps the recruits flowing and the pipeline growing.

This is 3 of 4 bonus episodes we’re releasing as additional reporting from season 1.

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The unbelievable origin story of LulaRoe.

This is 2 of 4 bonus episodes we’re releasing as additional reporting from season 1.

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What happened when LulaRoe tried to save their business by operating less like an MLM? Exactly what you think if you’ve been listening long enough. Although this time, there are people in power that are mad, like file-a-lawsuit mad.

This is 1 of 4 bonus episodes we’re releasing as additional reporting from season 1.

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Days after the debut of this season, Jessie Lee Ward, who was featured in episodes one and nine, passed away after a short battle with cancer. Jane reconnects with Erin Bies to discuss her former friend’s legacy and talks with Death Coach, Megan Carmichael, about what to make of death when you had a complicated relationship with the person who has passed on. 

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When a job becomes a hobby.

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The dream of our founders is alive.

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A wise woman once said, “You need to go.”

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The road to success is paved with convention tickets.

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What’s holding you back from reaching your full potential?

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Be careful what you wish for, unless it's debt.

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Friends are the family you choose to add to your downline.

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If you dream it, you can (probably?) achieve it.

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The fortune you seek can be yours for just $169 down.

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When opportunity knocks, open the front door.

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To our surprise, the OG coach Jessie Lee Ward agrees to an interview. She seems surprised to find out that Jane is not a fan of her work. It turns out that the feeling goes both ways. After ugly exchanges with Jessie Lee, Jane checks back in with her coach and with Dann. Has Jane actually improved as a person? Is she better or worse after six months of self-improvement?

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There’s nothing as intoxicating as piles of money, unless the Feds are watching you count it.

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We’ve all got that friend or cousin who steadily hawks some overpriced miracle drink, leggings, or shampoo on social media. They aren’t just trying to sell you something, but would like to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime to achieve riches while working from home on your own terms. You’ve probably been too afraid, or too loving, or too reasonable to confront them. Not us. This season on The Dream we go inside the world of multi-level marketing to expose this pyramid-shaped business model for what it is. Join us on this bizarre journey filled with snake oil salesmen, shifty millionaires, struggling single moms, and a few sweet grandmas.

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Who does coaching work least well for? Turns out it’s the exact people who could benefit most from it, according to the industry. Dr. Sherman James and Dr. Arline Geronimus discuss the downsides of positive thinking, bootstrapping, and mindset culture. For some people, striving has negative impacts on health and happiness.

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Who becomes a life coach? Jane talks to Patrick Sheehan, a researcher who has found a surprising answer: many coaches couldn’t find success elsewhere. Why do people who can’t do teach? We also learn more about Jane’s life coach, her bona fides, and what sets her apart from the scammers.

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Neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP, is the communication technique used by coaches and cult leaders alike. John James Santangelo—a fan of Napoleon Hill— is an NLP expert who gives Jane a crash course. Jane is mesmerized, and according to Santangelo, might've even been hypnotized.

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Now a life coach herself, Jennifer Rajala is lauded at Rankmakers; she’s a hustler who can inspire others to buy coaching packages better than just about anyone else. That is, until she realizes she’s selling empty promises.

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Napoleon Hill, ever heard of him? He wrote "Think and Grow Rich," one of the favorite self-help handbooks of all time. His fans include Tony Robbins and life coaches of all stripes. But Napoleon Hill was not a genius of self-help. He was a scam artist who never practiced what he preached. Journalist Matt Novak tells Jane what he’s found (and what he hasn’t) about one of the biggest architects of modern coaching.

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"How is this legal?"

That question has been haunting host Jane Marie since the day she started researching Multi Level Marketing seven years ago. Since then, it feels like every company, industry or product she looks into is a scam. Let's be clear, they often are.

This week, she stares straight into the Ivy League Bro eyes of private equity, looking for an answer to that same simple question that's been pinballing around her brain for seven years.

Comic, writer, podcaster (and more!) Meredith Lynch has been following private equity money for years and this week she and Jane will try to untangle the mess this shady industry has made of pretty much everything it's touched. It's coming for all of us. We might as well try to understand what the hell it is.

Find Meredith at:

https://www.meredithlynch.com/

IG & TikTok: @meredithmlynch

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How do you rebuild your life after 13 years and 6 companies worth of Multi Level Marketing indoctrination? The Dream (we're back!) host Jane Marie talks to former MLM devotee and current anti MLM crusader, Erin Bies, about the state of the MLM industry and the work Erin is now doing to take it down. And you might just learn a little something about exogenous ketones along the way....

Find out more about the work Erin is doing:

https://www.erinbies.com/

TikTok: @erinbies

IG: @therealbiestmode

www.youtube.com/@ErinBies

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The Dream is back! Starting Monday, January 20th, we'll be releasing all new weekly episodes.

The Dream as a weekly interview podcast with guests and segments about.... whatever we want! We'll still be focused on the "American Dream" and all the assholes that make it infinitely harder to achieve. We'll just have a bit more freedom in how we present it.

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Dream fans....WE ARE BACK!

We're reimagining The Dream as a weekly interview podcast with guests and segments about, I don't know.... whatever we want? Don't worry! We'll still be focused on the "American Dream" and all the assholes that make it infinitely harder to achieve. We'll just have a bit more freedom in how we present it.

Also, today we're bringing you an episode of a podcast I've been producing about abortion, called "Outlawed":

Join two OB-Gyns as they explain the science and stories of abortion in the US. Misinformation is unfortunately everywhere. Listening to this podcast will give you the knowledge and tools you need to help navigate these difficult conversations with family and friends at the dining room table. Throughout the season we will interview physicians, researchers, advocates and experts, as we navigate this contentious topic and make sense of the reality of abortion care in the US.

And DO NOT forget to check back in a few weeks for new episodes of The Dream!

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This past year Charlotte Isenberg, a once-popular teen anti-abortion activist, found herself switching sides in this national debate. What happened to her next is unprecedented and a warning for parents and kids alike.

Find Charlotte on Tik Tok here:

@blueridgejewess

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Five years ago, in season two of this show, we invited Mother Jones senior editor Anna Merlan on to talk about the rise of dangerous health conspiracies in the U.S. and now that a famous anti-vaxxer, RFK Jr., has been confirmed as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, we've sat down again to discuss what... like, WHAT?

You can find more from Anna Merlan here:

X: @annamerlan

Bluesky: @annamerlan.bsky.social

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