The Dream

Pushkin Industries & Little Everywhere

From Little Everywhere and Pushkin Industries, and hosted by Jane Marie, comes the third season of The Dream. Past seasons of this award-winning investigative podcast looked at pyramid schemes and the world of wellness. This season we're getting to know the gurus and life coaches who claim they know the secret to living our best lives. Is it all in our mindset? Or our privilege? Or are we all under a spell? Find out this September.

  • 27 minutes 45 seconds
    Selling the Dream

    A chapter from Jane Marie’s forthcoming book. Preorder at jane-marie.com.

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    7 March 2024, 8:05 pm
  • 44 minutes 2 seconds
    Bonus 2: Caller Episode

    The Dream listeners called in to share their own experiences with life coaches: the good, the bad and the absurd.

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    13 December 2023, 5:01 am
  • 28 minutes 12 seconds
    Bonus 1: Coaching or Culting?

    Sarah Edmonson publicly left NXIVM, a life coaching MLM made famous by the HBO documentary, The Vow, in 2017 shortly after being branded with the founder's initials. Jane and Sarah sit down to discuss the fine line between coaching and culting. Sarah and her husband, Nippy Ames, host the podcast A Little Bit Culty.

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    6 December 2023, 5:00 am
  • 37 minutes 25 seconds
    S3 E10: We Die The Way We Lived

    Days after the debut of this season, Jessie Lee Ward, who was featured in episodes one and nine, passed away after a short battle with cancer. Jane reconnects with Erin Bies to discuss her former friend’s legacy and talks with Death Coach, Megan Carmichael, about what to make of death when you had a complicated relationship with the person who has passed on. 

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    1 November 2023, 4:15 am
  • 32 minutes 31 seconds
    S3 E9: Coaching the Uncoachable

    To our surprise, the OG coach Jessie Lee Ward agrees to an interview. She seems surprised to find out that Jane is not a fan of her work. It turns out that the feeling goes both ways. After ugly exchanges with Jessie Lee, Jane checks back in with her coach and with Dann. Has Jane actually improved as a person? Is she better or worse after six months of self-improvement?

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    1 November 2023, 4:00 am
  • 37 minutes 16 seconds
    S3 E8: Striving Is Bad for Your Health

    Who does coaching work least well for? Turns out it’s the exact people who could benefit most from it, according to the industry. Dr. Sherman James and Dr. Arline Geronimus discuss the downsides of positive thinking, bootstrapping, and mindset culture. For some people, striving has negative impacts on health and happiness.

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    25 October 2023, 4:00 am
  • 31 minutes 26 seconds
    S3 E7: The Inmates Running the Asylum

    Who becomes a life coach? Jane talks to Patrick Sheehan, a researcher who has found a surprising answer: many coaches couldn’t find success elsewhere. Why do people who can’t do teach? We also learn more about Jane’s life coach, her bona fides, and what sets her apart from the scammers.

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    18 October 2023, 4:00 am
  • 28 minutes 36 seconds
    S3 E6: The MVP of NLP

    Neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP, is the communication technique used by coaches and cult leaders alike. John James Santangelo—a fan of Napoleon Hill— is an NLP expert who gives Jane a crash course. Jane is mesmerized, and according to Santangelo, might've even been hypnotized.

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    11 October 2023, 4:00 am
  • 34 minutes 25 seconds
    S3 E5: I Never Said Hate

    Now a life coach herself, Jennifer Rajala is lauded at Rankmakers; she’s a hustler who can inspire others to buy coaching packages better than just about anyone else. That is, until she realizes she’s selling empty promises.

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    4 October 2023, 4:00 am
  • 32 minutes 53 seconds
    S3 E4: Think and Grow Duped

    Napoleon Hill, ever heard of him? He wrote "Think and Grow Rich," one of the favorite self-help handbooks of all time. His fans include Tony Robbins and life coaches of all stripes. But Napoleon Hill was not a genius of self-help. He was a scam artist who never practiced what he preached. Journalist Matt Novak tells Jane what he’s found (and what he hasn’t) about one of the biggest architects of modern coaching.

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    27 September 2023, 4:00 am
  • 42 minutes 14 seconds
    S3 E3: The MLM-to-coaching pipeline

    Jennifer Rajala got sucked into the MLM-to-coaching pipeline. A social worker from northern Michigan, Jennifer rose quickly through the Arbonne ranks. She earned the right to lease an Arbonne branded Mercedes. But she still wasn’t making any real money. Then Jenn discovered Rankmakers, the life coaching program that promised to truly maximize her potential.

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    20 September 2023, 4:00 am
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