Culture Changers with Allison Hare

Content note: This episode discusses childhood abuse, sexual assault and family estrangement. If you or someone you know needs support, resources are at the bottom of these notes.
Church is always supposed to be the safest place you could possibly go, right? Today I sit down with Stella McCormick, author of Deliver Us From Mother: Faith, Fear, and the Family Cult That Broke Me, to talk about growing up in what Stella calls an evangelical, fundamentalist, Christian single-family cult led by her mother.
Stella explains a single-family cult. A cult doesn't need a compound or a famous leader. It can be one family, even one couple, held together by coercive control, isolation, financial control and thought control. She walks through what that looked like in her home as one of nine children, homeschooled, parentified, and raised on mandatory obedience in the orbit of the Duggars and Bill Gothard's IBLP.
She talks about leaving at 20 by joining the Navy, why she first saw the world outside as "the ultimate test of my faith," and how a boot-camp friendship started to crack the story she'd been told. After an assault in the service and a trial that ended in a not-guilty verdict, therapy in Kuwait helped her name what she'd lived through, with her older sister doing the same work from home.
Stella then describes calling Child Protective Services on her own parents, how her family told the story afterward, what happened for the children involved, and why she now says: "I did not destroy my family. I simply told somebody about it." They close with going no contact, healing that never fully ends, and the freedom of life after deconstruction.
This is one of the bravest conversations I’ve had on this show. I can’t wait for you to hear it.
KEY TOPICS
- Why Stella plans not to take future children to church until they can think critically
- What a single-family cult is, and how it differs from a compound or congregation
- The Duggars, IBLP, Bill Gothard and "head of household" teaching
- Mandatory obedience, parentification and growing up in a very large homeschool family
- James Dobson's "strong-willed child" and being told you were born with more sin
- The sinner's prayer on repeat: what religious guilt does to a child
- Leaving physically vs. leaving psychologically
- Learning from people you were taught to fear
- Victim-blaming, and the kind of parent Stella wants to be
- Therapy, the word "abused," and the sister who walked the path with her
- The pregnancy rumor and the fear that your mother is all-powerful
- Calling CPS, the court outcome, and the family's version of events
- Allison's seven characteristics of cult dynamics (charismatic authoritarian leader, coercive control, a family narrative, forced conformity, intense secrecy, manipulation through guilt and fear, limited contact with the outside world)
- No contact, healing and untangling truth from "perceived truth"
FIND STELLA McCORMICK
- Book: Deliver Us From Mother: https://link.amazon/B0dEjexg0
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stella_mccormick
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellamc_author/
WORK WITH ME
I'm a podcast and brand strategist. If you want to use your voice as a force for good and a podcast is your platform, or you already have one that isn't doing what you want, book a free clarity call at https://AllisonHare.com/freecall
RESOURCES (U.S.)
- RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE (4673), free, confidential, 24/7; chat at hotline.rainn.org
- Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988
- Outside the U.S., contact your local emergency or crisis services.
Stella's story is her own account of her experience. Opinions expressed by guests are their own.


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I just walked out of two of the buzziest documentaries around, You Can See Everything (Elizabeth Holmes, co-directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim) and the Musk documentary, and I can't stop thinking about them. Is it required to blur the lines of reality and fiction to be a successful innovator? This one has spoilers, so use the timestamps below to skip ahead.
IN THIS EPISODE
• Why a comedian known for blurring reality and fiction was the surprising choice to film Elizabeth Holmes
• The Theranos story and the 2% funding gap for female founders
• "It's not fraud. It failed. All inventors fail." Where that argument holds and where it breaks
• Why we love the "crazy until it works" hero, from Holmes to Musk
• The Amanda Seyfried twist and why this film may change what a documentary is
• My verdict: 100% worth the hype


*SPOILER GUIDE*
Light spoilers throughout. Bigger ones at 11:15 (Musk), 22:26, 23:25, 26:33 and 30:52.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
You Can See Everything (Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim) · the Musk documentary · Theranos · The Dropout (Amanda Seyfried) · Nathan for You · Don't Look Up (Adam McKay) · Jerrod Carmichael's Rothaniel · Bo Burnham's Inside · Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First" · Bell Labs · Bryan Johnson

PULL QUOTES
"Is it required to blur the lines of reality and fiction in order to be a successful innovator?" (0:00)
"You're crazy until it works." (4:05)
"It's not fraud. It failed. All inventors fail." (14:39)

WORK WITH ME
I'm a podcast and brand strategist. If you want to use your voice as a force for good, book a free podcast clarity call with me: https://AllisonHare.com/freecall
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Do inventors have to be delusional?
0:30 Welcome to Culture Changers (and the Elizabeth Holmes turtleneck)
1:14 You Can See Everything: Nathan Fielder's genre-bending documentary
2:20 Pushing the genre: Don't Look Up, Jerrod Carmichael, Bo Burnham
3:20 Elizabeth Holmes vs. Elon Musk: "crazy until it works"
4:13 The Theranos story: the pinprick test, the fraud, the 11 years
5:44 A 19-year-old founder and the 2% funding gap
7:03 Holmes asks Nathan Fielder to film her last 34 days
7:27 Why Nathan Fielder? From Nathan for You to this
9:09 Will the Musk documentary even come out? (it's four hours)
9:49 Elon's bravado and the sleight of hand
10:39 Why we love the "crazy until it works" hero
11:15 Musk's self-driving promise and its cost (spoiler)
12:30 "I didn't do anything wrong": Holmes vs. Fielder
13:44 Why I left sympathetic: "It's not fraud, it failed"
14:51 Nathan Fielder as our stand-in (and Who's on First)
16:00 Smoke and mirrors: why investors bought in
16:39 Locking eyes: Holmes on love, truth and "nothing to hide"
17:43 Her parents, Billy Evans and Sunny Balwani: where did it go wrong?
20:31 Billy Evans, two years later: who controls the narrative?
22:26 The twist: Amanda Seyfried joins the documentary (spoilers)
23:25 Who profits from Holmes's story? (major spoilers)
26:33 Amanda Seyfried as the audience's stand-in (spoilers)
27:53 Watching it with a theater full of Nathan Fielder fans
28:29 Am I rooting for her because I'm a feminist?
29:09 Does a "different brain" get a pass? Holmes, Musk, Bryan Johnson
30:24 Will this change documentaries? Truth vs. bias
30:52 My verdict: 100% worth the hype (ending twist: spoiler)
31:43 Oscar buzz and final thoughts
32:34 Work with Allison: free podcast clarity call

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Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!
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AllisonHare.com
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Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com

Eric Jorgenson wrote The Book of Elon, built entirely from Elon Musk’s own words. Allison asks the question everyone argues about: is Elon the greatest entrepreneur who ever lived? Eric thinks so, with an asterisk. They get into risk, speed, fear, the “boss from hell” question, and why Eric believes 99.9% of organizations err on the side of too slow or too soft. They also cover Elon’s politics and critics, what people get wrong about him, and why Eric gives the book away for free.
Key takeaways
Eric’s biggest surprise was how much risk Elon takes. Elon rarely covers his downside and usually swings for the fences.
Eric reframes the “boss from hell” label as empathy at the level of the mission, not the individual.
Elon treats time as the one true currency. Moving a milestone up compounds for years.
Elon reads military history and biographies, not business books. Eric says he operates like a field general.
On fear, Elon says he feels it. He does it anyway if the mission is important enough.
Eric says the odds of Tesla and SpaceX succeeding were each under 10%. Together that’s about 1%, and Elon put in everything he had to save both.
Elon attacks the biggest problem first. He meets on it daily and cancels the meeting once it’s solved.
Go to the problem in person. Eric calls it “much easier to ignore somebody on the phone than in person.”
Politics has made Elon a lightning rod. Eric says it’s hard to find solid factual ground to stand on and invites people to look past the headline level.
Quotes
“If the mission is important enough, you feel the fear and you do it anyway.” (Eric, quoting Elon)
“SpaceX specializes in turning the impossible into the merely late.” (Eric, quoting Elon)
“It’s empathy at the level of the mission or the organization, not empathy at the level of the individual.” (Eric)
“I’m grateful to live in America through the age of Elon.” (Eric)
Mentioned in this episode
The Book of Elon by Eric Jorgenson: free digital copy at https://elonmuskbook.org
Eric’s site and podcast: ejorgenson.com
Connect: Eric on X at @ericjorgenson.
Allison’s free call: https://www.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!
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AllisonHare.com
Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
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Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com

Political midterms are fun, aren't they? You can’t escape the TV ads that dominate your favorite streaming shows on Hulu and Max. Your FB looks like your old high school buddies are in a keyboard war with each other. And your nervous system is 100% fried eggs. I mean, do these ads work? What is it like to work in politics when the entire world seems to be on fire and shouting for attention from every angle?
Michelle Coyle told me those ads are the single most effective tool a campaign has. Michelle runs the Political Business Institute, coaching the consultants who build the campaigns flooding your feed right now, and she's spent years inside both parties. We get into why negative ads actually move votes, how influencer marketing became a bigger campaign weapon than a TV ad buy, why corporate money in politics is messier than either side wants to admit, and how an AI can legally put words in a candidate's mouth they never said in a tone they never used. Seven weeks out from the midterms, send this to your group chat.
Notable timestamps:
02:44 Meet Michelle Coyle
05:58 Why negative ads work, and why the industry calls them "contrast"
07:07 Where campaign ad money is actually moving
09:47 What a political consultant does, and who hires Michelle
11:06 Seven weeks to Election Day, then everything stops cold
21:37 The loudest people online don't represent how people actually vote
23:11 Is Elon Musk buying the midterms
26:33 Never discount a pissed off populace
39:57 AI can legally put words in a candidate's mouth
45:12 What Republicans really say about Trump behind closed doors
Links and resources:
Website: www.politicalbusinessinstitute.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/michelletoscale
Delusional! podcast | YouTube
Delusional! Movement community: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1dbLBtVS39/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!
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AllisonHare.com
Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
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Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com

Mica Miller told her friends that if she died by suicide, it wasn't her. It was JP. Netflix gave Death of the Pastor's Wife three episodes, and my repeat guest Jennie Gage watched her own marriage play out on screen. She spent 24 years as the wife of a Mormon church leader, survived her own suicide attempt, and has a theory about what really happened to Mica. This one is harrowing. Trigger warnings on this one: suicide, abuse, and religious coercion. If you're struggling, call or text 988 (US).
Notable timestamps
00:00 "He makes JP Miller look kind of mild"
03:44 Born Mormon in 1974: the wifey immersion program
11:27 "Why can't she just be Mica?"
13:05 Trained to be a pet, and the second earring
17:54 "He picked me"
23:22 Spiritual warfare: when abuse gets blamed on Satan
27:47 Trauma bonded to Jesus
35:19 The timeline of Mica's final day
39:37 Was it suicide? "Yes and no"
54:43 What Jennie would have said to Mica
Rather watch this on YouTube? https://youtu.be/rhndF2WJkps
Jennie Gage:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lifetaketwo7662
Substack: https://lifetaketwo.substack.com
Jennie's first Culture Changers episode: https://youtu.be/y7Hz_ui5Kx0
Allison
Free 90-Second Podcast Audit: https://allisonhare.com/pod90
Free Podcast Clarity Call: https://allisonhare.com/freecall
Instagram: https://instagram.com/allison__hare
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/allisonhare

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:: allison@allisonhare.com