I liked the information in this podcast. I thought the hosts were endearing and likable. I watched the NXIVM documentary and liked them even more, and wanted to support them. But since their episode on “nutrition” where they interview their RFK Jr-loving friend, I can’t listen or support anymore. They’ve traded one cult for another. I hope they’ll actually learn to think critically someday. Until then, I’ll stick with the Trust Me podcast for my cult interest.

Your interviews with Laura Richards were very informative and I agree with what she had to say about most of the cases except for the Baldoni and Lively case. There is a lot of evidence that Reynolds and Lively were very manipulative to the point where the movie was totally changed and that at the premiere Baldoni, his friends and family were shoved to the basement when Lively and Reynolds friends and family were able to enjoy the spotlight. They had more star power which made that possible. I feel power dynamics can really cause problems when it comes to coercive control. I’m not saying anyone has to agree with me but I did research too and Lively is not the only one with receipts. But I still love this podcast and you guys are freaking awesome.😊

Helpful, insightful

Sarah and Nippy do such a good service with this podcast. I have never been in a cult but I have almost been recruited to many (unfortunately I don’t have enough money for those people) but listening to these episodes allows me, and I’m sure others, to be able to see the tactics that these groups use to lure you in. I’m glad I’ve found you two because I feel strong in saying no to people asking me to join their weird groups who “have the way…” f that. Thank you!

I like this podcast and think the hosts are incredibly insightful and brave. But I wish they or their producers had tighter boundaries around guests and topics, as some feel like excuses to interview their friends and don’t seem to have a clear tie-in to the premise of the show. So… it ends up diluting the quality overall and diminishing their credibility, in a space where trust is everything. Friend guests or off-topic content maybe could be relegated to bonus content for Patreon?

I really appreciate the work that these hosts put into teaching the world about controlling groups. The podcast is informative and entertaining.

I have been a long time fan of this show. This season they decided to split each episode into two episodes for some reason. I have stopped listening. I don’t need two episodes per story so I can hear more ads.

I have lived in the town where the Community of Jesus is located for years, and I have long felt that there is something unsettling about this place. I am eager to read Beth’s book to deepen my understanding and explore my concerns further. In my opinion, the presence of this community is a troubling mark on the town of Orleans, particularly along our cherished shoreline.

Sarah - I liked some of your early episodes, but you no longer seem to believe in science. Why are you promoting such flat-earth ideology? Why do you allow guest to overtly lie about facts? Nippy - your anti-woke (racist), misogynistic white man act is stale. I can get that from Joe Rogan. You come across as incredibly pompous yet uneducated; it’s gotten progressively worse to the point that I think Sarah should get the kids away from you before you turn them into mini-racist-misogynists. I’m done listening to this pod, but I do thank you for exposing Keith - The Vow helped at least thousands of humans avoid other predators.

I want to like this podcast more because the subject matter is so impactful, but you really have to take the guests and interviews with a grain of salt. It’s entertainment, not information. Some of the interviews include misinformation and get a little Joe Rogan-y.

Sarah's ignorance is on full display when she announces the widely accepted concept of parental alienation was made up by some "whack job" as the guest chuckled in delight. Suspicious of Dr C, I found her book you all are touting on behalf of your pal Dr Ramani, and sure enough, the forward is by Tina Swithin. Sarah/Nippy stop interviewing psychic mediums and "experts" and DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!!!! You will quickly figure out who are the true whack jobs. Don't get sucked in. Again.

I’ve really enjoyed this podcast in the past and would have rated it five stars, but the episode on nutrition with Wade Lightheart really soured me. I feel like they really showed their true colors with this episode. They say in the beginning “we’re gonna get some flack with this one” but I didn’t think it would be because they’re platforming anti science beliefs (at one point he blames fluoride in drinking water for widespread hormone imbalances) Joe Rogan style with no pushback. I dunno I just feel like I can’t trust them anymore. They disclose that Wade is their dear friend so they likely don’t care about my opinion but.

Wow, eye opening. Your law needs to be in every state. We also need to help navigate this as a family, community and country.

I appreciate what you both have done and what you are doing with this podcast. I have been binging, taking a break and then binging again. I did a term paper in the early 80’s when I was as in High School. I wish I kept it and could see what my young self wrote. I also remember about 1984 while in college someone I knew talking about some type of session he attended. I do remember it was EST. I told him it sounded interesting but as soon as he invited me for a cost I said no thanks. One I had no money and two something felt wrong. Enough that this many years later I still remember. I appreciate the Little Bit Culty because we have all been there. Keep up the great work!

This podcast is their way of processing what they both went through in their experience. They dedicate their lives now to helping others share stories of “culty” situations, and make you reconsider moments in life that you may have been controlled by a predatory system or person. This isn’t just about cults, it’s about family, love, friendship, and abuse. I hope they continue this work and help many others.

I have been listening to Sarah and Nippy since the beginning, but now that Mike Rinder is gone, the importance of what they do has been elevated. Of course, Leah and many others in the cult space will keep working as well, but the significance of those who were THE whistle blowers of their groups has grown into exponentially more influence and responsibility too. I have no doubt that they will live up to that. Thanks to them for honoring Mike as well. In addition, the format of the podcast is clearly intentional and so useful for people who are getting out of culty experiences, but also to those of us who were or are escaping cults of one and desperately need a roadmap for understanding and finding the way to empathy, caring, validation, good mental health, and just plain normalcy. Thanks Nippy and Sarah for bringing understanding to so many, as well as inspiration! You’re also funny and relatable and just enjoyable to listen to. This podcast is always at the top of my queue!

Their aim has changed. So sick of each guest’s teaser promising some real insight or a compelling narrative only to provide a surface level oversight with Sarah or Airquotes “Nippy” directing the listener to find out more by reading the book because they don’t want to spoil it week after week is certainly becoming a huge waste of time. It’s only driving sales and I’m SURE there’s a kickback for both of them. Nippy already has an off-putting personality in that he comes across assuming he’s smarter than everyone in the proverbial room & she goes right along with it. Don’t get sucked into their book recommendation podcast moonlighting as something for the greater good. It’s a little bit culty. UNFOLLOW.

As much as I enjoyed and found helpful the testimonies of those who left cults, the “Medium” episode ruined it for me. It was terrible listening to someone speak like a cult leader to the hosts, and get no feedback. The amount of tricks and manipulation JM used in the episode and for the host to ignore them made me lose trust in most of the podcast. Even in the same episode JM said he doesn’t lead people on in the names he pulls from “the beyond” and then the hosts start saying names of people before the medium even prompts them.

I deeply appreciate the work of A Little Bit Culty! Their deep dives into coercion, narcissism, and cult-like environments have been incredibly enlightening and transformative for me. The clarity and empathy they bring to complex topics have been invaluable in my deconstruction and healing journey. That said, I do wish for more diversity in the perspectives shared, particularly when it comes to critiques of secularism and modern ideologies. While the insights from guests opposing Christian patriarchy are valid and thought-provoking, it sometimes feels repetitive. I’d love to see conversations with individuals who can offer a balanced view, speaking to the value of tradition and religion, especially given how secularism can create its own challenges. This broader dialogue would enrich the podcast and resonate with listeners who see value in navigating the gray areas between orthodoxy and extreme progressivism. Thank you for providing such a crucial space for education and support—it’s been a lifeline for me and many others!

Sarah and Nippy seem to have really lost the thread lately. I used to find listening to this podcast so interesting, as they interviewed guests who were speaking from experience and/or expertise, to inform and educate on the perils of getting sucked in to any of the many culty traps, and how to recognize and avoid them. But it feels like recently they have started to creep into featuring some of the exact people they used to warn against. The episode with the so-called medium was the final straw for me. Big time ick! So this former fan is sadly bowing out from any further listening. Be well and be careful, S&N!

Working with a medium to speak with the dead seems a bit odd.

I’m so torn but had to comment. I watched the vow, I rooted for them, and I still do. But as I’ve watched this podcast evolve, there have been a few too many culty guests. The same things that get people into cults are now being featured. Eckhardt Tolle , the female “guru”, the psychic. I’m out. I’m sad but the original focus of the pod is gone and there are SO MANY cults to be exposed. Listening to Jonathan Mark spout information clearly gathered from the internet or docs or public domain and have Sarah and Nippy fall for it just kills me.

Listen if you want to learn a bunch!! Nippy and Sarah are so lovely and honest, and MOST of the guests are fantastic! If you’ve ever been a part of anything remotely culty, this podcast WILL help you heal.

ALBC is informative in one major way. They remind me with each story how easy it is to fall under control of ideas not your own. how easy it is to fall into groups that monetize and try to take your lives over. They never stop reminding their listeners to treat each other “kindly.” To ask questions and to listen. You don’t need to agree with everything. They don’t expect it. They just ask that you listen. The last episode with John Ramsey, a man who has had his life turned upside down by the lack of professionalism of the Colorado police force attending to his daughter’s murder was incredible. Sarah and Nippy treated him with respect and kindness and showed how easy it can be to fall into a mob mentality. We need more truth telling to power. Keep going!

Why can't America come to terms with what really happened to JonBenet Ramsey? John Ramsey doing one last - we got away with it - tour is appalling. Don't listen to podcasts, don't watch documentaries. The police files, interviews with all the family and their housekeeper and their friends, DNA results, photos of the reality of what happened is all available. Even the medical exams by 10 different and unbiased doctors done on JonBenet post mortem show that 9/10 all agree she was suffering from long term sexual abuse prior to her death - and the 1 agrees there was some but can't determine how long. Go right to the source of the recorded evidence and documents that have nothing to do with the media or "group think". Ignore propaganda. John Ramsey is a liar and is on record lying over and over and over.

ALBC is fun to listen to and informative of all the messed up ways humans treat others! The guests are interesting and the interviews are easy to listen to while walking or playing disc golf! I always learn so much! And yes, I have been in a cult (well, if you count the MLM….more than one!) and have a loved one in one as well! So, the content is relevant and helpful for me! Thanks for all you do to inform us, Sarah and Nippy!

Great show!! Amanda Knox ! Wow. Y’all are doing great things. Never been in a cult (uh that I know of), but I am fascinated listening to y’all and others that do the work. Thanks for taking one for the team! Bad joke but true. Love you guys! And yes I’m from the south. Thanks y’all !

Really enjoyed your episodes with Andrea Dunlop of the “Nobody Should Believe Me” podcast. She’s very passionate and eloquent, and your comments to her and questions were very insightful. Especially enjoyed your examination of cultural beliefs about motherhood that lead us to overlook MSbP, and the observation that a MSbP’s taking accountability may be a performance. Such important topics. Thank you, Sarah and Nippy!

Andrea Dunlop interview was great! So much important information.

Happened upon the podcast and decided to first listen to the episode with their friend Wade. Will never listen again. They let him go on praising RFK and criticizing vaccines and flouride with ZERO pushback. These views have brought back diseases that should have been eradicated decades ago. They simply let him talk without requiring any scientific data to back those views up, and they provided no counter arguments to defend technologies that have saved countless lives. How can they be enlightening people about cults and thinking for oneself when they simply accept at face value what this guy says? When someone says something “out there,” the burden of proof is absolutely on that person and the way they simply let it slide shows they’re not good models of critical thinkers. No good reason to listen further.

This podcast has been a huge education for me. It is extremely brave to take on these topics and to name these individuals and organizations. What you are doing is so brave and selfless. Keep it up!

The shorter episodes now have way too many “words from our sponsors” and make the episodes choppy and unfulfilling to listen to. Would much prefer less episodes that are at least an hour. I get you need sponsors but more sponsors have somehow made this podcast much more difficult to listen to and get into.

I love this podcast! It’s interesting and informative. Sarah and Nippy turned their cult experience into cult awareness for the rest of us.

I read Sarah’s book and also the one by Catherine Oxenberg. Sarah and Nippy do a great job tackling these subjects and doing interviews.

I learned about Sarah’s story when it was first reported by MSN. These Podcasts are informative and can help anyone who may be concerned or confused. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

I wanted to like this podcast because I love podcasts that focus on and analyze high control groups and the social psychology of cults. But the first few episodes were so off-putting for me. The hosts assume you already know who they are, what cult they were in, their activism, and you have already watched The Vow. They assume you know who Keith Raniere is and the dynamics of the cult they were in. I had none of this context so I didn’t know what was going on. They don’t even mention NXIVM until like halfway through their first episode. This continued in their second episode as well, so I quit listening. It just felt like this podcast was only designed for existing fans who had closely followed their story. They also host some questionable guests who are also current or former sponsors of the show.

The recent episode featuring Sarah and Nippy’s friend Wade T. Lightheart has made me unsubscribe from the podcast. I’ve been around since S1 and although I haven’t listened to every episode, I have watched The Vow, bought and read Sarah’s book, and been a supporter of Sarah and Nippy’s exit from NXIVM from afar. I still am. And even though, parasocially, it doesn’t hold much weight for me to be disappointed in their friend’s viewpoint, I was extremely turned off by the episode. It’s dangerous to posture an individual who speaks so assertively (and positively) about RFK and being careful about “trusting experts” when Wade himself may not be qualified to discuss those topics on a podcast broadcasted to tens of thousands of listeners. Personal closeness does not legitimize a guest’s ability to present a nuanced and informed narrative that branches so many topics. This wasn’t an episode about health and wellness, it was an episode about Wade. I didn’t enjoy it. And now a seed of distrust has been planted in me about what Sarah and Nippy themselves support and believe, therefore I no longer wish to subscribe. I’m still glad they foster a space to explore cults and their negative influences. It has ultimately been a positive experience for me.

This guy is a great salesman and expert in many ways. But like those he admonishes for not “staying in their lane” he should stay in his lane. It was compelling and interesting until he suddenly went from becoming a nutrition expert, to an epidemiologist. Does he have credentials for either??? I think Sarah and Nippy still have a lot of healing to do and are getting themselves lost in “try-hard” territory. The show seems to have lost its focus so I’m taking a break from it and will come back when it’s a little less about them and more about helping others.

I know it was just a guest, but anyone who espouses that nut job is not appropriate for any podcast I want to listen to.

Interviews are mostly book plugs and referrals to guest experiences with no real substance. What is the point of listening to the podcast if all we hear is “read the book”. Recommend you focus on detailed content rather than promoting other content that we were looking for here.

Sara and Nippy have been through so much and have done a real service educating the world about cults and putting Keith Raniere behind bars. I listened to many seasons and learned a ton. Lately I’ve grown less interested because it feels like the same dynamics are explored over and over again. I had to stop with the live episode about the sex cult involving children. It was just too much and felt unnecessary somehow. I wondered for the first time whether and when people can be sufficiently healed to move on? Or maybe the “healing journey” just keeps being extended by constantly rehashing and reliving people’s cult-related trauma. It’s starting to feel less like education and more like entertainment for people with a cult core addiction. I’m thankful for the lessons but I think that was my last show, which I couldn’t finish.

I listening to this podcast anytime I am in the car 🤍 Always so interesting and Sarah has the best guests always

I will be transparent. I was interviewed on ALBC as well. But even before that happened, I listened to nearly every episode. As a cult survivor, I know how dangerous culty thinking and behavior can be, as well as how easily susceptible we all are to extremist thinking. There is so much to learn, to help us be more critical thinkers and to, in my not so humble opinion at times, help the world stay safer from extremism. ALBC, and Sarah and Nippy, do a great job of allowing people to tell their stories, so that we can all listen and learn.

The show generally presents information that doesn’t highlights and focuses extensively on the negative aspects of organization. It comes across as relatively critical and skeptical regarding organizations that mostly exist to do good in the world. Of course there are organizations that are highlighted that are been corrupted but why people would want to spend time focused on them from a podcast or show perspective and why people would waste a lot of time listening to this, makes sense. Sure, this content can be entertaining just as the toxic new cycle is captivating, but is there any actual value to it. I would assert little. Would recommend people invest their listening time on generally positive and or educational content.

The Gentle Souls episode transformed my understanding of why I was so vulnerable to narcissistic manipulation. Thank you, Sarah & Nippy, for interviewing Esther Friedman!

Perfect podcast for the car, workout or rushing through the grocery store- like me LOL!

Sarah and Nippy, I absolutely love you both and you are incredible. This was the first podcast that I ever stuck with. I listened from the beginning and learned so much that helps me in my daily life! Understanding how cults (and culty things) work completely changes your worldview, so thank you for that. I thought that most of the ET episode was word salad, but that’s okay, just not my cup of tea. You have had so many fascinating guests and I love all the rest! However, seeing the names Jordan Peterson and Megyn Kelly were a deal-breaker. Using knowledge I learned from your own show, I can see that both Peterson and Kelly are extremely culty. How can you not see the red flags? They are both racist, privileged, sexist, ableist, discriminatory, hypocritical… the list goes on and on. I truly hope that this show wakes up and sees that someday. And I will absolutely come back when you do.

I was extorted in 2015. It happened much like the way a cult, leader, grooms, and shapes you. I lost over $400,000 in credit credit and they got around 30,000 in cash. I have often wondered how this has happened this podcast and it’s guest have shown me so many valuable resources. I recently recently signed up for landmark worldwide forum. I started reading about them because I did have a little red flag go off and that ceiling in my gut which I ignored same thing happened in 2015. Never ignore your gut it is your lifeline it is, your intuition telling you that something is wrong. I have much to learn thank you for this podcast.

Obviously a lot of work and research goes into this. Their influence and reach is growing - helping people in so many different situations.

I like this podcast even though I don’t have any connections personally to cults. My only “constructive criticism” is that Nippy is not a great host/podcaster. His vocal cadence ranges from bored to condescending to sometimes ridiculous/inappropriate. Sarah is amazing and I think she’d do better without him on the show. Sarah be careful I think Nippy is a little mean/culty himself. I wish he wasn’t on the podcast - when he says smash that subscribe button you know you want to -I cringe every time