CNN is re-airing their special on the rise of Christian nationalism — and I'm re-releasing this conversation with Tia Levings because it is more relevant now than when it first aired. Tia will be featured in the CNN special, and her book A Well-Trained Wife went viral on YouTube after this episode first dropped (with "wife spanking" landing in the top four search terms — yes, really).

If you prefer to watch on YouTube, here you go: https://youtu.be/aU6CcgskrUE

Tia Levings is the New York Times bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife, a memoir of her escape from Christian patriarchy. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, Salon, Huffington Post, Newsweek, and the Amazon docu-series Shiny Happy People.

In this conversation, we go deep on:

Timestamps:

Tia Levings' links:

Tia's book: A Well Trained Wife: https://amzn.to/4uffTVN

Pre-order Tia's new book: I Belong To Me: https://amzn.to/46D7jWH

Tia Levings Writer: Instagram | Substack  

Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.

Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.

• Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!
• Sign up for the free weekly email
• AllisonHare.com
• Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
• DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording today
• Reb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.
• Feedback and Contact:: [email protected]

Are you as fascinated as I am with the intersection of faith and influence(rs)? In this episode of Culture Changers, I sit down with debut novelist Alli Hoff Kosik, author of the buzzworthy Too Blessed to Stress, for a way deeper conversation that I thought. We are talking Christian megachurches, influencer culture, and the razor-thin line between faith and performance.

If you’re fascinated (or horrified) by fundamentalist Christianity, religious trauma, sought-after belonging, social media collectives, or how women shape culture from the back pew and the algorithm, let me tell you, this episode is for you. We dig into Allie’s process researching evangelical culture, what it’s like growing up on the religious outside, and how she crafted four female protagonists who are as complex, messy, and relatable as your own group chat. Plus, we get real about performative faith, power dynamics for women in church, and why changing your mind in public can cost you everything.

Whether you’re a church kid, a proud skeptic, or just obsessed with pop culture, this is a smart, bold, and oddly comforting conversation about spirituality, social identity, and what true community really looks like. You’ll walk away with big questions, fresh empathy, and a new favorite novel to bring to your book club.

We talk about:

Timestamps:

—---------------------------------------------------------

To Connect With Alli:

To Connect With Me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allison__hare

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonhare/

Website: https://allisonhare.com

Book a free podcast clarity call with Allison: 

https://allisonhare.com/freecall

Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.

• Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!
• Sign up for the free weekly email
• AllisonHare.com
• Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
• DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording today
• Reb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.
• Feedback and Contact:: [email protected]

Who’s really shaping political change? It’s not who you think! In this episode of Culture Changers, I sit down with political strategist and digital organizer, Liz Minnella, the powerhouse who coined the term "The Katies," apolitical lifestyle influencers quietly leading a revolution in persuasion and cultural change.

How do suburban moms sharing sourdough recipes and get ready with me videos are actually shifting election outcomes and outpacing traditional political voices?. Liz Minnella, founder of Connect Forward, breaks down the real impact of micro-influencers, why culture always outruns policy, and how lifestyle creators are three times more persuasive than political talking heads (yes, there’s Harvard and Columbia research to prove it).

We get into everything: influencer culture, viral political shifts, the genius behind the Katies, Charlie Kirk, the ripple effect of TikTok and Instagram organizing, and why genuine, unexpected voices are winning America’s messaging war. We dive into the power of permission structures, the psychology of changing your mind, and why dunking on people who are waking up is the fastest way to lose.

If you care about politics, influence, pop culture, or just want to know the real levers of power today, this episode will change how you see everything. Come for the smart strategies, stay for the spicy, irreverent insights.

We talk about:

• Influence of apolitical lifestyle influencers (“The Katies”)
• Power shift: social media vs. traditional politics
• Emotional toll and resilience in activism
• The culture war’s effect on political shifts
• The persuasive power of non-political creators
• Importance of cultural narratives and imagery
• Bridging divides and the value of empathy

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Taking Action Through Personal Skills
• 06:19 Culture Drives Political Change
• 14:52 Charlie Kirk's Influence
• 19:04 Morality, Visuals, and Mindset Shift
• 26:51 Authenticity vs. Influencer Constraints
• 38:47 Reflecting on Politics and Relationships
• 44:39 Tribalism vs. Globalization Power Play
• 48:43 Cultural Clash and Political Strategy
• 52:01 Cultural War: Obamas vs Trumps

—---------------------------------------------------------

To Connect With Liz:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizaminnella/

Substack: https://substack.com/@lizaminnella

To Connect With Me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allison__hare

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonhare/

Website: https://allisonhare.com

Book a free podcast clarity call with Allison: https://allisonhare.com/freecall

Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.

• Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!
• Sign up for the free weekly email
• AllisonHare.com
• Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
• DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording today
• Reb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.
• Feedback and Contact:: [email protected]

Should women demand employers to pay MORE to cover their beauty costs? Women are paying out of pocket to be seen as credible, competent, and professional at work. Hair. Skin. Clothes. Time. Money. Face lifts. All of it. Not to mention the societal expectation that women should remain youthful, polished, and "camera-ready" especially when in a visible position whether it's in leadership, on stage, or otherwise. Spicy, right?

In this episode, I sit down with Eleanor Beaton, powerhouse CEO and founder of Safi Media, to talk about why these costs are not vapid vanity, but part of the infrastructure of expectation and what is required to stay relevant, and why pretending otherwise keeps women underpaid and exhausted.

Listen, I pushed back HARD on how outrageous this idea is - but also, WHAT IF it could be a way forward for us as women? We chat about the economics of beauty standards, ageism in the workplace, and why professional women are stuck absorbing costs, financial and emotional, just to appear relevant and polished.

Eleanor peels back the curtain on why grooming, wardrobe upgrades, and even the ruthless battle against gray hair aren’t just personal choices, they’re part of a larger social infrastructure expected from women in high-visibility roles. We get real about the financial toll (think: $20,000+ a year!) and the invisible expectations that men just don’t face. If you’re an entrepreneur, founder, or ambitious woman in a corporate setting, you’ll learn why it’s time to stop treating these “upkeep” expenses as shameful and start seeing them as legitimate business investments.

We also talk about negotiating for the true cost of visibility, dismantling patriarchal narratives, finding the right communities for support and strategic advice, and why transparency and discernment are superpowers for the next generation of female leaders. This episode isn’t just a conversation, it’s an invitation to step up, get strategic, and redefine what it means to show up powerfully in a culture that’s overdue for a change.

We talk about:

• The hidden costs of female professional visibility
• Societal beauty standards and aging
• The gender wage gap and structural imbalances
• Negotiating compensation as infrastructure
• Emotional impact of relevance and confidence
• The power of networks and access to information
• Discernment in choosing professional communities

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Choosing Gray: A Personal Choice
• 03:11 Blind Spots and Relevance
• 08:16 Beauty Expenses and Tax Challenges
• 10:32 Accounting for Appearance Costs
• 13:03 Gender Stereotypes and Ageism Debate
• 19:07 Negotiating Workplace Costs
• 20:47 Negotiation Tips for Employment Logistics
• 26:24 Confident Women in Daily Life
• 29:36 Empowering Women Entrepreneurs
• 33:29 Structuring Success for Entrepreneurs
• 35:18 Discernment and Evolving Standards

Prefer watching on YouTube? https://youtu.be/crrVBwgUfSo

—---------------------------------------------------------

To Connect With Eleanor:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanorbeaton/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eleanorbeaton/

Website: https://eleanorbeaton.com/

To Connect With Me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allison__hare

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonhare/

Website: https://allisonhare.com

Book a free clarity call with Allison: https://allisonhare.com/freecall

Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.

• Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!
• Sign up for the free weekly email
• AllisonHare.com
• Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
• DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording today
• Reb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.
• Feedback and Contact:: [email protected]

Ever wonder what really goes down behind the scenes in American journalism, and what it costs to speak your truth? Recently I sat down with powerhouse journalist THE AMAZING Brooke Baldwin: Emmy-nominated former CNN anchor, bestselling author, and creator of the viral Substack, Unraveling. Together, we get straight into the seismic shifts ripping through newsrooms and society right now, from the headline-grabbing arrest of Don Lemon (she goes OFF on this!) and the future of independent journalism, to the toxic aftermath of power dynamics in the media.

Brooke brings her signature compassion and grit, sharing unfiltered stories about healing after her unceremonious CNN exit, reclaiming her voice, and what it actually means to cover humanity at the breakneck pace of breaking news. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the daily news cycle, struggled to find trustworthy sources, or wondered how to make a difference when it feels risky, this episode is for you. We talk about nervous system overload, why media literacy matters, and the messy, beautiful process of personal and cultural unraveling. This conversation isn’t afraid to call out BS, laugh through the chaos, and empower you to find connection in the middle of it all.

We talk about:

• Don Lemon’s Arrest and Freedom of the Press
• The Evolution and Future of News Networks
• Humanity-Centered Storytelling in Breaking News
• Misogyny and Power Dynamics in Media
• Personal Identity, Rebirth, and Healing
• Navigating Media Trust and Misinformation
• Self-Compassion, Resilience, and Connection

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Don Lemon Arrested
• 04:28 Rebuilding and Rediscovering Purpose
• 07:49 Humanity in Fast-Paced Journalism
• 12:31 Defining Moment: Finding My Voice
• 14:07 Destined for Greater Purpose
• 18:04 Kaitlin Collins: journalism
• 21:46 Lessons from Leaving CNN
• 24:03 Trust, Safety, and Politics
• 27:34 Social Media: Break or Stay?
• 34:42 Balancing News and Wellbeing
• 41:23 Listening to Your Higher Self
• 44:50 Gratitude for Vulnerability and Connection

Rather watch on YouTube? https://youtu.be/jKCFj70dUgU

—---------------------------------------------------------

To Connect With Brooke:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooke_baldwin/?hl=en

Substack: https://unravelingwithbrooke.substack.com/

To Connect With Me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allison__hare

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonhare/

Website: https://allisonhare.com

Free Clarity Call with Allison: https://allisonhare.com/freecall

Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.

• Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!
• Sign up for the free weekly email
• AllisonHare.com
• Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
• DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording today
• Reb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.
• Feedback and Contact:: [email protected]

Ever wish you could flip your anxiety, stress, or even full-on rage into superpowers? That’s exactly what we’re unpacking in this episode of Culture Changers with the wildly insightful Josh Pais, actor, New York Times bestselling author of Lose Your Mind: The Path to Creative Invincibility, and the guy who literally played Raphael in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

I get vulnerable about what it feels like to live with a fried nervous system and nagging self-doubt, and Josh takes us on a journey to transform those so-called bad emotions into fuel for creativity, confidence, and genuine presence. We talk about why the self-help industry’s obsession with feeling better often keeps us stuck (spoiler: your mind can be a real asshole), and how welcoming every messy feeling, no matter how uncomfortable, can be your gateway to creative invincibility.

Josh shares radical, body-centered strategies you can use on the spot, including his four access points to shift from mental drama to full-body aliveness. If you’re over toxic positivity, exhausted by faking it, or just want to stop fighting yourself, this one’s for you. We get vulnerable, irreverent, and, dare I say, pretty damn actionable.

In this episode we get into:

• Embracing all emotions without judgment
• Transforming anxiety and stress into creative fuel
• The harm of suppressing feelings
• The self-help industry's narrative
• The myth of good and bad emotions
• Authenticity and removing the emotional mask
• Playfulness and creativity as healing tools

Notable Quotables:

• “As the breath decreases, the shit talk increases.” (17:29)
• “Anxiety is just an energetic pattern.” (15:16)
• “Ride it, don’t hide it.” (30:41)
• “Everybody’s mind is mean.” (15:38)
• “When there’s truth, you can’t look away.” (39:24)

Timestamps:

• 0:00 Channeling emotional energy
• 4:00 Processing heavy moments in real time
• 11:00 Why emotions aren’t good or bad
• 15:00 Anxiety as energy
• 19:00 Feeling emotions in the body
• 24:00 Turning nervousness into fuel
• 30:00 Why suppression backfires
• 38:00 Truth, trust, and presence
• 45:00 Playfulness and creativity

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Lose Your Mind: The Path to Creative Invincibility by Josh Pais
• https://committedimpulse.com
• https://www.instagram.com/joshpais
• https://www.instagram.com/allison__hare
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonhare/
• https://allisonhare.com
• Book a free clarity call: https://allisonhare.com/freecall

Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.

• Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!
• Sign up for the free weekly email
• AllisonHare.com
• Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
• DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording today
• Reb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.
• Feedback and Contact:: [email protected]

Is everything a cult? Or are we just finally noticing how belief actually works?
This conversation cracked something open for me around why we get pulled into certain ideas, identities, and systems and why leaving them can feel way harder than joining. I’m sitting down with Amanda Montell, whose work sits at the intersection of cult psychology, language, and cultural influence. We talk about how words shape belief, how cognitive biases sneak into everyday life, and why so many of us are obsessed with cult stories right now. Fair warning: after this episode, you may start seeing cultish dynamics everywhere.

Amanda is a linguist, New York Times bestselling author, and the voice behind Sounds Like a Cult and Magical Overthinkers. She has a rare gift for making complex psychological ideas feel accessible, funny, and deeply human without making anyone feel stupid for falling for them.

In this episode, we talk about::

• Why we’re so captivated by cult stories and what we’re actually looking for
• How language influences belief systems more than facts do
• What “thought-terminating clichés” sound like in real life
• Why smart people stay in systems they’ve outgrown
• How the sunk cost fallacy shows up in careers, relationships, and identity
• When something crosses from harmless into “watch your back”
• Why pop culture, wellness, and even work can feel culty without looking extreme

Timestamps:

• 0:00 Is everything a cult?
• 2:45 Why we’re obsessed with cult stories
• 6:30 How language pulls us in
• 10:00 What cult psychology actually looks like
• 16:00 When the word ‘cult’ helps or hurts
• 26:30 Thought-terminating clichés explained
• 37:45 Sunk cost fallacy and reinvention
• 41:00 Lightning round: harmless vs culty
• 45:00 Final takeaways

Key Takeaways:

• Cult psychology relies more on language than logic
• Cognitive biases reward familiarity over truth
• Leaving a belief system is often harder than joining one and that’s normal

Dig Deeper into Amanda Montell's world:

• Podcasts: Sounds Like a Cult, Magical Overthinkers
• Books: Wordslut, Cultish, The Age of Magical Overthinking 
• Follow Amanda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_montell

Get into Allison Hare's world and be a culture changer:

Book a free podcast clarity call: https://allisonhare.com/freecall

For info on joining the podcast coaching cohort, send an email: [email protected]

Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.

• Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!
• Sign up for the free weekly email
• AllisonHare.com
• Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
• DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording today
• Reb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.
• Feedback and Contact:: [email protected]

Welcome back, Culture Changers! In this episode, I’m breaking down the runaway hit, "I've Had It" podcast, as part of a new series, Pod Phenom Playbook where I break down some of the top podcasts. If you’ve ever wondered why certain podcasts blow up and become cultural juggernauts seemingly overnight, this episode digs into the structure, psychology, and stickiness that make a show impossible to ignore.

I break down how best friends Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan catapulted "I've Had It" to the top 0.01% of global podcasts with their unfiltered, outrageously funny, and profoundly political take on modern grievances. This review explains how their bold, often shocking language, political savvy, and unique in-group vernacular have created a loyal, outspoken fanbase. You’ll learn about their meteoric rise, why their unapologetic progressive stance and visceral humor resonate in today’s media landscape, and how their approach can empower everyday listeners to find their own voice and point of view.

We discuss:

• Podcast Growth and Virality Factors
• Structure and Psychology of Popular Podcasts
• Outrage, Humor, and Political Commentary
• Point of View vs. Playing It Safe
• In-group Language and Stickiness
• Profanity, Nicknames, and Emotional Release
• Empowerment Through Honest Cultural Analysis

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Pod Phenom Playbook
• 06:45 Creating In-Group Language
• 08:37 Podcast Blending Politics and Community
• 11:40 Nicknames, Insults, and Impact
• 15:04 Media Overload and Frustration
• 19:34 Protesting and the 3.5% Rule
• 22:27 Understanding Divided Perspectives
• 24:34 The Power of Perspective
• 28:17 Breaking Status Quo Together

Rather watch on YouTube?

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• I’ve Had It Podcast
• IHIP News
• Kara Swisher podcast interview with Jennifer Welch
• Rolling Stone coverage
• New York Times feature on Jennifer Welch
• Culture Changers Podmail: culturechangerspodmail.com (submit your favorite pod shows for me to review)
• Want your podcast to be amazing? Book a free clarity call here: https://allisonhare.com/freecall

Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.

• Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!
• Sign up for the free weekly email
• AllisonHare.com
• Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
• DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording today
• Reb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.
• Feedback and Contact:: [email protected]

Something big is shifting in how we get our news, and you can feel it in your body. You want to stay informed, but you also kind of want to throw your phone across the room. I asked a simple question on Facebook. Where do you get your news? What came back wasn’t a list of outlets. It was a list of survival strategies. And once I started digging into the data, it became very clear why so many smart, thoughtful people feel unsettled right now.

This episode is about where Americans get their news, why trust feels so shaky, and what’s actually changing beneath the surface as we head into 2026.

We are talking about:

• Why almost no one trusts a single news source anymore
• How social media officially replaced TV as the main way Americans get news
• Why independent journalists and news influencers are exploding
• What’s really happening with political polarization and platform trust
• The influence of AI and Deepfakes
• How to stay informed without burning yourself out or getting duped

Key Timestamps:

• 0:38 Are you being radicalized by the news?
• 1:35 What people actually said when asked where they get news
• 3:51 Social media overtakes TV as the main news source
• 7:41 Why mainstream news feels like WWE
• 12:01 Personality trust vs platform trust
• 14:36 Video platforms as the new TV
• 18:58 The rise of independent journalists
• 22:35 Why newsletters and community matter
• 25:04 Why local news still has an edge
• 27:26 Political affiliation and platform behavior
• 28:29 Flooding the zone and source confusion
• 33:25 Why conversations change culture

Links and Resources:

Schedule a free podcast clarity call with me

Allison's IG: https://instagram.com/allison__hare

Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.

• Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!
• Sign up for the free weekly email
• AllisonHare.com
• Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
• DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording today
• Reb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.
• Feedback and Contact:: [email protected]

Something big is shifting.
You can feel it.

You want to stay informed and you also want to smash your phone.

I’m Allison Hare, a podcast strategist, and this is Culture Changers.

Here is where we talk with smarts and snark about all the stuff they say not to talk about: power, politics, religion, relationships through the lens of Pop culture. Of course we are talking cults and trad wives, too. 

If you’re wondering what to do with all of this, you might just be a culture changer.

Episodes released every Thursday on all platforms including YouTube.

Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.

• Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!
• Sign up for the free weekly email
• AllisonHare.com
• Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
• DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording today
• Reb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.
• Feedback and Contact:: [email protected]