Illusion of Hope: Douglas Brooks On MLMs
A Little Bit Culty
Sarah Edmondson & Anthony “Nippy” Ames
4.6 • 3K Ratings
🗓️ 5 April 2021
⏱️ 77 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi everyone, I'm Sarah Edminson and I'm here with... |
| 0:12.5 | Hi, I'm Anthony Ames, Sarah's husband, aka Nippie. |
| 0:15.6 | And we're here to talk about things that are a little bit called Tee. |
| 0:20.0 | Speaking of, we were in a cult and we woke up, thank goodness, and we have a lot to say. |
| 0:25.5 | And a lot to ask. |
| 0:27.6 | This podcast is going to be a deep dive into everything from the red flags to the narcissism, |
| 0:32.4 | the manipulation, the resiliency, the recovery process, and everything in between. |
| 0:37.2 | Also, we want to share some of the good we got out of it so you can get all the nuggets without |
| 0:41.2 | having to join a cult. |
| 0:42.7 | If you haven't already, because there are a lot of things out there that are just a little |
| 0:46.4 | bit culty. |
| 0:47.6 | Welcome to a little bit culty, a podcast about the FADS, beliefs, and trends that blur the line |
| 0:52.8 | between healthy and a little bit culty. |
| 0:55.4 | Please subscribe so you don't miss an episode and find us on Instagram if you have any |
| 0:59.2 | suggestions for things you have found to be a little bit culty. |
| 1:23.8 | Well, let's get into this. |
| 1:27.8 | Let's get into it. |
| 1:28.6 | I'm so excited. |
| 1:29.8 | It's a big day. |
| 1:31.6 | It is a big day. |
| 1:32.4 | It's a big day. |
| 1:33.6 | Everything's coming full circle since our last recording, we've had a child turn two. |
... |
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