Bonus 2: Caller Episode
The Dream listeners called in to share their own experiences with life coaches: the good, the bad and the absurd.
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 has 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?
Most Recent Episode
Bonus 2: Caller Episode
The Dream listeners called in to share their own experiences with life coaches: the good, the bad and the absurd.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
S3 E2: What Ever Happened to Happy Jane?
Despite regular therapy, Jane is in a funk. She and Dann discuss what's happened to them, and what she hopes (and fears) life coaching might do for her — or…
S3 E1: Becoming a #Boss
What's it like to hand your life over to someone who claims they’ll make it better? Jessie Lee Ward, the self-proclaimed “#1 network marketer in the world,” charges her coaching…
Coming Soon…The Dream Season 3
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…
S2 E3: Magic Little Pills
Can powders, pills and juices deliver on the promise to live longer and look younger?
S2 E1: What’s Your Frequency?
Products and cures you can’t find at the doctor might just be the medicine you want.
S1 E1: Wanna Swim in Cash?
There’s nothing as intoxicating as piles of money, unless the Feds are watching you count it.
The Host
Jane Marie
Jane Marie is a Peabody and Emmy Award–winning journalist, a former producer of This American Life, and the host of podcasts The Dream and DTR. Her writing has appeared in…
