Danielle grew up in a Duggar-family-style Christian cult. Leading a very sheltered childhood, she left to find her own independence as a teenager and ended up getting groomed into another “Christian” cult, by a narcissistic couple who sexually abused and financially exploited her. Danielle has a lot of self-awareness about exactly how this happened and also tells the story of her escape. She was later able to testify against her abuser in court and contributed to him going to prison. She is now happily engaged to a wonderful man and has truly moved on from her past experiences. 

Danielle is a lifelong entrepreneur who loves spending time with her life partner, her coaching clients, real estate business and more! She has overcome much, including extreme religious cults and wishes you to know that your past does not have to define your future. 

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My husband Jordan and I explore the complexities of men's relationships with sexual variety, happiness, and emotional fulfillment. Jordan talks about his past involvement with pickup artist culture and having sex with hundreds of women, sex addiction and BDSM, and sex work — and the pain that resulted from engaging with sex in this way. We also discuss outsourcing intimacy to pornography and why love is the most important thing in life. 

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In this episode, Lisa and I discuss our journeys from New Age to Christianity. Lisa tells the story of her mental breakdown and how it led her to Christ, including her deliverance and spiritual warfare. We talk about evil, the role of humans in stewarding nature, and what it looks like to surrender to God. We also discuss “coming out as Christian” and how our followers responded, artificial intelligence and if it’s compatible with Christianity, current politics, the overlap between New Age and Christian teachings, and sexuality. 

Lisa Hillyer has walked an inspiring path of transformation. Once a successful interior designer, Lisa battled with a drinking problem that led her to reevaluate her life. After choosing sobriety, she began a journey of deep self-healing and spiritual awakening. Transitioning into a life coach and yoga teacher, Lisa used her gifts to guide others in their healing processes. Her journey continued as she embraced the role of a priestess, leading sacred circles and retreats, empowering women to reclaim their divine feminine power. During her midlife crisis, Lisa experienced a tumultuous downfall that returned her to Christ with renewed purpose. Now, she serves as a beacon of wisdom, guiding others to heal, reconnect and live with radiant authenticity. She lives on the Sunshine Coast on five acres holding retreats & making tallow skincare products with her 2 rescue dogs, 5 ducks & thousands of bees.

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In this episode, Christina and I discuss the weird, funny, and sometimes healing world of yoga culture. We talk about her experience with Baptiste yoga teacher training, the aspects of that training that were very culty, and how emotional manipulation can show up in spiritual spaces. We also get into the ethics of coaching, question whether energy work is real, and talk about the power of belief in healing. I talk about my experience owning a yoga studio when I was younger, and how I used to identify as a witch, and we discuss returning to Christianity. This conversation went so many places — other topics include libertarianism, politics, veganism, the Amish, Mark Rippetoe and strength training, and Christina’s experience working as a first responder. There is a lot of laughter in this episode!

Christina is a paramedic first responder, nurse, and new mother of a 7-month-old boy. She spent many years deeply immersed in all things yoga, meditation, and Eastern medicine. Having lived in four states across both coasts and the Midwest, she has gained insight from her experiences in both traditional healthcare and New Age practices.

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My husband Jordan & I discuss midgets, suicide, Hitler, farts, and other things — like how humor helps us heal and the importance of being able to laugh about every topic.

Comedians we mention: Phil Hanley (Demetra’s favorite), Tom Segura, Andrew Shulz, John Mulaney, Louis CK, Dave Chappelle

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Kymberli tells us all about growing up Mormon, what Mormonism really means, and what it was like to decide to leave the community. She describes deciding she was lesbian and where that came from and her realization that she is straight after all. We discuss healthy masculinity and how that comes up when parenting her son, the rise of wokeism especially in schools, cults, and slowly starting to return to Christianity. 

Kymberli is a single mom to her almost 10 year son living in a small agricultural community in Northern California. She is leaning into a new identity after being raised in a multi-generational Mormon family and as an adult decades in queer leftist communities. She now considers both to be cults and is rebuilding her life from a foundation of truth and reality with sprinkles of magic and faith. She spends her time watching old 90's movies with her kid and their two cats, cooking, baking and taking long walks along the creek behind their apartment. 

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Jade joins me for this episode to discuss the lies we were sold about "sexual liberation" — from polyamory and BDSM to the way porn is impacting our society and why we now have porn-free relationships. We discuss our culture’s links to pedophilia, the way kink is used (and abused), and why not all desires are good. We also discuss women making money on OnlyFans, figures like Lily Phillips and Bonnie Blue, and the impact of selling sexuality online. Beyond that, we get very honest about abortion (including Jade’s personal experience), whether it should be legal, and even wonder about gay marriage. We discuss the woke mindset, why it’s impossible to reason with some people, and our journeys with faith, marriage, and motherhood.

Jennifer Jade Merrihue is a relationship coach, sexologist, & medicine woman. Her background is in philosophy, academia, neuropsych, CBT, Eastern & Western medicine and philosophies, Neotantra/Taoism, human sexuality, existential/ spiritual kink, alternative relationships and sacred sexuality, nutrition, relationships, trauma, Neurolinguistics, psychology… among many other things! You can connect with her on Instagram @jennifer.jade.merrihue or on her website merrihue.com. 

Bridget is a wild woman who has lived and worked on all 7 continents, traveling to over 80 countries and having BIG adventures (including coming face to face with polar bears, riding a reindeer into Siberia, skiing across Greenland, dancing with whales, playing with penguins, and being bitten by a lion).

In this episode, we dive into what she’s learned about resilience, why New Age spiritual communities often struggle with it, and how outdoor challenges shape our ability to handle life. We also explore her political awakening during Covid — when she realized politics actually matter and were not what she thought they were — and what it means to live from love instead of fear. We talk about climate change, why trusting the experts isn’t so simple, what really causes chronic illness, evolving technology, and why we feel excited instead of scared about the upcoming changes to our world. 

Bridget teaches survival training in Antarctica, lectures adventure and nature therapy at a university, and is an intimacy expert. But underneath it all she sings to nature and the leylines and offers retreats, courses and coaching that guides people to explore the edges of the earth and the depths of their soul. 

You can find her on Instagram at @adventuresofawildchild

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Dominique joins me for this conversation about raising kids with a strong sense of agency, avoiding resentment in marriage and motherhood, and having honest conversations about sex. We get into the ways resentment can build in relationships and how to approach family life in a way that keeps frustration from piling up. We also talk about feminism, its ties to capitalism, and how shifting ideas about women’s roles have shaped our culture. Dominique shares how she talks to her pre-teen daughters about sex, what she wishes she knew growing up, and why treating sex as something sacred and worth protecting is so important. Plus, we touch on family dynamics, shooting guns, and raising kids to follow their own path instead of just doing what their parents think they should.

Dominique Bain is a mother of two girls ages 9 and 12 and she has been married for 15 years. Marriage and motherhood have by far been the hardest and most rewarding things she has ever done. Dominique works as an energy consultant in the greater Denver metro area and holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Sustainable Solutions.

Books mentioned: The Case Against the Sexual Revolution by Louise Perry, Women's Work: the First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber

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An anonymous woman who worked in DEI in the corporate world joins me for this episode to discuss the negative impacts she felt it had on her company and how it got in the way of truly effective work being done. I tell the story of my time paying thousands of dollars for an anti-racist program and how terrible it was. We also talk about social programs like food banks and if they are effective, question our current obsession with victimhood, and discuss how people are afraid to speak up. 

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