Born and Razed in a Cult: Beth Granger on Surviving Grenville Christian College (Part 1)

A Little Bit Culty – What happens when you find a sense of identity, and belonging, and maybe even something approximately like love within a group that is in fact a violent and racist extremist organization? And if by chance you wake up to what's inherently terrible about it, and manage to escape that thinking, how do you then seek redemption? In 2017, Samantha Freedom was the top ranking woman leader in Identity Evropa, the white nationalist organization behind the violent Charlottesville, Virginia ‘Unite the Right’ rally that resulted in the death of 20 year old Heather Heyer. That event was when Samantha’s descent into white supremacy, something she’s described as a ‘fever dream,’ finally began to break. Samantha joins Sarah and Nippy for a frank and sometimes painful conversation about her journey in and out of the alt-right, and why she’s nowhere near done when it comes to making things right. Don’t get it twisted: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30 CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

26 Apr 20211h 4min

A Little Bit Culty – Is everything more culty than ever right now? Has yoga always been this dicey? WTF is the deal with the flood of culty headlines? With so much happening at rapidfire pace in the culti-verse, A Little Bit Culty lit up the Bat signal and Matthew Remski of the Conspirituality podcast answered. He’s an author, an investigative journalist, and a dad who also happens to be a two-time survivor of yoga-related cults. And if you know the Conspirituality podcast, you know that he and his co-hosts offer a weekly master class on a whole venn diagram of cults, conspiracy theories, new age charlatans, and the darkest fringes of the spiritual marketplace.  Matthew joins Sarah and Nippy for an episode that delves into his journey from cult survivor to expert, and his advice for navigating the strange position of doing cult recovery on the world stage. They also cover cultic abuse in the digital age, toxic Kundalini gurus, and why it’s high time for a few phrases related to cult discourse to be updated for 2021. They also share a few things that really chap their asses about traumatizing narcissists like Keith Raniere.  Don’t get it twisted: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Matthew Remski: http://matthewremski.com/Conspirituality Official Podcast Site: https://conspirituality.net A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30 CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

19 Apr 20211h 24min

A Little Bit Culty – It’s been a minute since Sarah and Nippy had a date night, or a chance to catch their breath and talk about all the feedback, questions, and responses they’re getting from the A Little Bit Culty audience. In this episode, they answer questions from listeners, cover what’s trending in the cultiverse, and what chaps their asses about Yoga, passive aggressive emails, and the oppressive positivity in faux-happy songs. They also talk about dream guests, the audiobooks and songs that are burning up their playlist and even read some the most pointedly not-so-great reviews that the pod has been getting.  They also say ‘allegedly’ a few more times than usual. Because the thing is, they really want you to know that the views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. And also they want you to know that any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30 CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

12 Apr 202137min

A Little Bit Culty – If you’ve ever lost a friendship or a small fortune to a multi-level marketing organization,  this episode of “A Little Bit Culty” is here to help un-gaslight you. Douglas Brooks, an attorney who represents victims of deceptive schemes, knows that getting caught up in one can be devastating. For the better part of 3 decades, he’s dedicated a significant portion of his practice to representing the victims of deceptive MLM schemes, including cases such as Webster v. Omnitrition International, Rhodes v. Consumers' Buyline, Inc., and Jacobs v. Herbalife International. He’s interviewed or deposed hundreds of participants in MLM schemes, reviewed tens of thousands of documents which were produced by MLM firms subject to confidentiality orders, and studied the compensation plans of scores of MLM companies.  Which is basically to say: He knows his shit. He’s also worked pro bono for a number of non-profit organizations involved in the effort to educate and protect consumers from deceptive and fraudulent MLM schemes, including Pyramid Scheme Alert (www.pyramidschemealert.org), the Consumer Awareness Institute (www.MLM-thetruth.com),  In this episode, Sarah, Nippy, and Doug do a deep dive on all things MLMs and pyramid schemes - and Sarah shares her pre-NXIVM experience with an MLM organization that nearly destroyed a close friendship.They also cover why Nippy won’t be coming to your essential oils class anytime soon. A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org Doug Brooks will be speaking at the upcoming Multi Level Marketing Marketing; the Consumer Protection Challenge Hosted by The College of New Jersey School of Business https://www.mlmconference.com/ For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30 CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

5 Apr 20211h 16min

A Little Bit Culty– If you’ve followed the story of the rise and fall of NXIVM, you know Susan Dones as the one-woman wrecking crew who served as her own legal representation in a series of court battles after she left the organization. But if you don’t know her story, just know this: She was way ahead of the curve on calling bullshit Keith Raniere and his flying monkeys. She also paid dearly for it.  In this episode, Sarah and Nippy reconnect with Susan to talk in-depth about her role as one of the original “NXIVM 9,” what her healing process looks like these days, and why she torched her proctor sashes. They cover the joy in seeing justice served, the murky cross-border dealings of Keith’s inner circle, and Susan spills some surprising tea with a few revelations for Sarah and Nippy. A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30 CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

29 Mars 20211h 14min

A Little Bit Culty – Dr. Janja Lalich’s book about the cult recovery process was a game changer for Sarah and Nippy when they first began unpacking their NXIVM experiences. It still is. As Nippy says: “She's someone who has been through (her own) heavy duty cult indoctrination, woken up, gotten her way out. She's kept on going. She's dedicated her life to helping other people understand how cults operate and how to come back from them.” In this episode, Sarah and Nippy reconnect with Dr. Lalich for a conversation about her journey from cult member to author-expert, and her insights on NXIVM’s now incarcerated founder, Keth Raniere. They also explore what leads people into abusive dynamics, what can pull them back in, and tools for getting back on track.  About Dr. Lalich: Janja Lalich, Ph.D. is a researcher, author, and educator specializing in cults and extremist groups, with a particular focus on charismatic relationships, political and other social movements, ideology and social control, and issues of gender and sexuality. Dr. Lalich has written and lectured extensively, and her most recent book is Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships (Bay Tree Publishing, 2006), which is a  fully-revised and expanded edition of her first book, Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, which has been the number-one book used by former cult members and their friends and families to better understand cult experiences and their consequences. A former Fulbright scholar, Dr. Lalich is Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University, Chico. Learn more about her work at: cultresearch.org A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30 CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

22 Mars 20211h 12min

A Little Bit Culty – Sometimes you just have to call it. Mike Rinder was born and raised in Scientology and rose to the very top of the church’s worldwide hierarchy to become its international spokesperson and head of Special Affairs for over 20 years. But when he escaped the organization in 2007, he cut his losses; leaving with only a briefcase and the clothes on his back. In this episode, Mike joins Sarah and Nippy to talk about the trail he blazed out of Scientology, the ongoing work of whistleblowing, and what it’s like to be a dissident when you’re going up against a monolith. They also do a deep dive on Scientology dogma, the next-level mindfuckery in the L. Ron Hubbard and Keith Raniere playbooks, and the joys of post-cult living.  About Mike Rinder: Mike’s unique voice and perspective has inspired people around the world. As a well-known whistleblower exposing abuses in Scientology, he’s teamed up with Leah Remini for the groundbreaking, Emmy-winning A&E series Scientology and the Aftermath, and the Scientology: Fair Game podcast. Mike is also an ambassador and on the board of Child USA, a non-profit working to bring justice for victims of child sexual abuse and is a founding board member of the Aftermath Foundation dedicated to helping people escape from scientology. Learn more about Mike at: mikerindersblog.org A Little Bit Culty is proud to support the # IGOTOUT project, which empowers survivors of cultic abuse to share their stories online as a catalyst for education, prevention, and healing. Learn more at igotout.org For more information on A Little Bit Culty and co-hosts Sarah Edmondson and Nippy “Anthony” Ames, visit our official website at alittlebitculty.com. OFFERS: Scarred: How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson with Kristine Gasbarre, is available for 30% off at ChronicleBooks.com Use promo code: CULT30 CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram Follow Mike: Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

15 Mars 20211h 23min

A Little Bit Culty: What’s it like to break up with a powerful, hyper-litigious religious organization while the whole world watches? What’s life like for a fiery changemaker, post-Aftermath? On this episode of A Little Bit Culty, Sarah and Nippy welcome truth teller Leah Remini for a conversation about her headline-making break with the Church of Scientology and her ongoing work to expose the truth about the organization. They chat about the Fair Game doctrine, the parallels between their escape stories, and what they’ve learned so far about what it takes to heal that shit. About Leah Remini: As creator and executive producer of A&E Network’s hit nonfiction docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology & The Aftermath, she’s investigated the truth behind the Church of Scientology with the kind of unapologetic gutsiness that helped her forge a enduring and successful career in Hollywood.  The Emmy Winning actress, producer and author of the New York Times Best Seller Troublemaker chronicles her remarkable journey out of Scientology and toward emotional and spiritual freedom, both for herself and for her family.  Her new podcast with Mike Rinder, Scientology: Fair Game takes listeners behind the facade and exposes the terrible truth about the Fair Game doctrine the organization has used for 5 decades to destroy anyone they label an enemy. A Little Bit Culty is a proud community partner of the #iGotOut Project. Learn more and find helpful resources for healing, education and prevention at igotout.org. CREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Citizens of Sound  Producer: Will Retherford Associate Producer: Jess Tardy Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin Additional Music Scores by Will Retherford Follow A Little Bit Culty: Website Instagram Follow Sarah Edmondson: Instagram Buy Her Book Linktr.ee Follow Anthony "Nippy" Ames: Instagram Follow Leah Remini: Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

8 Mars 20211h 9min