Culture Changers with Allison Hare

Matt Grace grew up with a chef, a housekeeper, and a father who paid for his first prostitute, and by 29 he'd spent a hundred and fifty thousand dollars on sex workers and burned through every drug you can name. Matt spent his career as an interventionist for some of the wealthiest addicts in the country and just released his book, God Doesn't Relapse. We get into the therapist who diagnosed him with an Oedipus complex at nine, the house that became the neighborhood's drug den, the mother who finally changed the locks on him, and a moment where Matt...

JP Miller preached a full sermon less than 24 hours after his wife died - allegedly by suicide - without taking a single question about it. Netflix gave "Death of the Pastor's Wife" three episodes but still left out a lot: the earlier conviction, the first wife whose stories echoed Mica's experience, the third wife already leading worship beside him. I watched the whole thing, went deep into the rabbit hole - and am reporting back here as I noticed some notable patterns that are showing up right now in trad wife culture too. This is a harrowing story whose...

Are you as obsessed as I am with the dumbest headlines of the week? Well, you're in luck! I've got comedian and pop culture whisperer Rachel LaForce on to break down what Spencer Pratt's mayoral run, the $250 Trump bill, and trad wife content filmed at Home Goods actually say about the rest of us. Rachel got sober by accident, spent decades masking her neurodivergence, and built her whole show around one idea: comedy gets you to the truth faster than seriousness does. This is a fast, sharp, occasionally unhinged hour that somehow keeps landing on self-belief.

Notable...

I grew up thinking if I did everything right, negotiated hard enough, leaned in enough, the outcome would eventually match the effort. Y'all, that was a big old fat lie. Stefanie O'Connell spent years digging into the research for her new book, The Ambition Penalty, and the data is downright shocking. We get into girlboss culture and tradwife culture, and why they're actually selling the same lie in different outfits. We talk about what happens to women who out earn their male partners, and I promise, you're going to be picking your jaw up off the floor. Fair warning...

The women who built Lilith Fair were called "angry," "hysterical," "emotional," and dismissed as "a bunch of lesbians" back in the 90s. Turns out Sarah McLachlan and her all-female lineup were way ahead of their time, running the highest grossing tour of 1997. Now the concept is back, and leading the charge is Olivia Rodrigo, using her platform to advocate for women's rights. This is a fun, fascinating, and timely look at how right those women were, and why the fight just picked up way more steam.

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Are you as obsessed as I am about how we are being manipulated by social media, ads, propaganda, politics, and what's real and what's not? Well, you're in luck! I've got ad sleuth Emily Rask from the hit show Lies We Bought podcast on to break it down for us! This is a fun and fascinating exploration into the sinister truth of advertising.

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My father died last week. He was 97. What a gangster, making it that far.

Milad Rizk survived World War Two as a kid in Lebanon, immigrated to America with nothing but a Lebanese passport and a plan, raised six kids across two marriages, and spent his whole career as an auditor jumping from Iraq to Saudi Arabia to Chicago to New York. He had dementia for the last several years of his life. Toward the end he couldn't really talk to us anymore.

Then I remembered something. Fifteen years ago, before I had a podcast...

As a woman who deeply cares about women's rights, I am obsessed with a show that is totally problematic. America's Sweethearts Season 3 just dropped on Netflix. I grabbed fellow DCC-obsessed Mara Davis, an Atlanta radio legend who has been watching the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders since the 1970s, sat through all 17 seasons on CMT, and has opinions about every single cheerleader, judge, and PR move in that building. We get into Reece's early retirement and the trad wife speculation swirling on Reddit, Faith's breakout season and the ponytail situation, whether the coordinated cheerleader solidarity online is real or engineered, what...

Kevin Calhoun spent years doing HR and DEI work from inside some of the biggest corporations in the world. He watched those programs get built. Then he watched them get dismantled — and found himself displaced in the process. In this conversation, recorded in honor of Juneteenth, Kevin introduces the concept of James Crow: Jim Crow's more dangerous, more invisible cousin. The one with a hiring algorithm instead of a shotgun.

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My mother died on June 11th, five years ago. This is the episode I recorded right after she passed. It's episode 300, and it's dedicated to her.

What I didn't expect was what her last six months would teach me. About the matriarchy. About worthiness. About the hypermasculine drive that so many of us — myself very much included — run on until we can't anymore. And about what happens when you finally let yourself receive love instead of earn it.

If you still have your mother here, you will want to call her after this one.

In...

Bryan Green and Krissy Hoadley of The Commercial Break built a #1 comedy podcast with over 50 million downloads and absolutely no plan. Over a thousand episodes in, they're finally spilling the behind-the-scenes. What makes a show last? What's the actual creative process? And who on earth is Frankie B? Fun fact, Bryan was in my very first podcast launch cohort in 2019 which is how this show began.

What listeners will take away:

How did we go from prophet to profit with Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Deepak Chopra... one by one, the curtain got lifted?  And we're left asking: who do we actually trust? Religious ethicist Dr. Liz Bucar has spent 25 years studying exactly that question. Her answers will surprise you.

What you'll learn in this episode:

She burned her Bible in the backyard. But that came years after leaving a marriage she was pressured into at 19, going homeless, losing her faith, and waking up from a coma. Jennie Gage has lived several lifetimes inside one — and she's using all of it to fight back.

What you'll get from this conversation:

Culture Changers Podcast is 7 TODAY!

Award-winning.

Globally ranked (top 1.5%)

Almost 300 episodes and a million downloads.

And to celebrate, I'm doing a ridiculous marathon livestream starting today at 1pm EST. 

And I might even go for SEVEN HOURS!

Join me LIVE (please comment and say hi - surprise guests, surprise announcements, spice level 1000. 

Definitely NOT Twitter/X 👎🏼).

I can't thank you enough for being part of this global conversation.

xo,

Allison Hare

Be sure...

Learn what healing looks like after 40 years of identity collapse in Christian patriarchy. Tia Levings is a New York Times bestselling author, featured in Amazon's "Shiny Happy People," who escaped Christian fundamentalism, recovered from religious trauma, and now decodes why patriarchal family structures mirror the theocratic policies taking shape in American government right now.

In this episode, Tia walks us through:

Have we biohacked our way to loneliness? We've over-optimized every aspect of our lives—Oura rings, trackers, endless connections on social media. We're fitter, more quantified, more tracked than ever. Yet we're the loneliest society that has ever existed. Suicide rates have never been higher. Somewhere along the way, we lost touch with each other and maybe even ourselves.

Chris Schembra makes the case that true fulfillment doesn't lie in adding more optimization. It lies in adding friction back. In this conversation, we break down why convenience is the enemy of connection, what earned intimacy actually requires, an...

We celebrate female empowerment while simultaneously destroying women who actually achieve it. This episode unpacks why we pile on female leaders—from Brené Brown to Mel Robbins to Gwyneth Paltrow—in ways we never do for men. Not to defend these women although some deserve critique. It's about understanding the line between legitimate critique and character assassination, and asking what happens when we redirect that energy toward systemic change instead of moral policing. Where is the line where you go from beloved to canceled?

You can watch two people look at the same video of the Minneapolis shooting and come to completely opposite conclusions about what happened. Why? Because their brains — literally — were looking at different parts of the screen. That's selective perception. And once Dr. Jay Van Bavel explained it to me, I couldn't stop seeing it everywhere. In my feed. In my family. In myself.

Jay is one of the top 1% of researchers in the world — not my words, that's Clarivate — and a professor of psychology and neuroscience at NYU. His research has been cited by the US Supreme Court, t...

How can we be so self-aware and so clueless about ourselves at the same time? Have you ever wondered why so many high-achieving, self-aware people still struggle to actually feel seen and healed? In this episode of Culture Changers, I’m inviting you behind the scenes of my fifth ceremonial psilocybin-assisted therapy journey to crack open the messy, nonlinear world of emotional healing, trauma recovery, and the radical power of self-discovery.

I ditch the filters (you know me) and share what magic mushrooms (psilocybin) revealed to me about my own deeply held fears, body trauma, perimenopause mood sw...

What is really happening to women’s bodies in pop culture right now? 

Today I’m tackle the challenging, layered, and sometimes contradictory truth about Hollywood’s obsession with ultra-thin bodies, the rise and risks of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, and the relentless cycle of shame, judgment, and pressure being placed on women, by the media, by society, and by ourselves.

I break down how award season 2026 brought shocking displays of celebrities: Demi Moore, Kelly Osbourne, Ariana Grande, Nicole Kidman, Rachel Zoe, and more! Showing off bodies so gaunt they sparked a fires...

Do you feel like the news cycle is a dumpster fire and you’re just trying to figure out where your voice belongs? In this week’s episode of Culture Changers, I sit down with Jamie Maglietta, veteran news producer (CNN, BET, Fox News… yeah, she’s the real deal) and founder of OnCamReady, who’s spent her career inside the media machine helping thought leaders and pros transform their expertise into stand-out content.

If you’re a thought leader, business owner, creator, or anyone desperately wondering: Should I be on YouTube? TikTok? LinkedIn? Or just take a nap?, this...

Feeling overwhelmed by nonstop headlines, collective anxiety, and the wild world of pop culture? In this episode of Culture Changers, I dive into the phenomenon that is The Pitt the cult-favorite HBO medical drama that’s suddenly become the most patriotic show on TV (according to a New York Times opinion piece by Frank Bruni). If you’re obsessed with medical dramas, hosPittal lore, or just want to know why everyone’s talking about nepo baby actors, aging double standards (ahem, Noah Wyle), or the enigma of Nurse Dana’s accent, you’re in the right place.

I break do...

CNN is re-airing their special on the rise of Christian nationalism — and I'm re-releasing this conversation with Tia Levings because it is more relevant now than when it first aired. Tia will be featured in the CNN special, and her book A Well-Trained Wife went viral on YouTube after this episode first dropped (with "wife spanking" landing in the top four search terms — yes, really).

If you prefer to watch on YouTube, here you go: https://youtu.be/aU6CcgskrUE

Tia Levings is the New York Times bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife, a memoir of h...

Are you as fascinated as I am with the intersection of faith and influence(rs)? In this episode of Culture Changers, I sit down with debut novelist Alli Hoff Kosik, author of the buzzworthy Too Blessed to Stress, for a way deeper conversation that I thought. We are talking Christian megachurches, influencer culture, and the razor-thin line between faith and performance.

If you’re fascinated (or horrified) by fundamentalist Christianity, religious trauma, sought-after belonging, social media collectives, or how women shape culture from the back pew and the algorithm, let me tell you, this episode is for yo...

Who’s really shaping political change? It’s not who you think! In this episode of Culture Changers, I sit down with political strategist and digital organizer, Liz Minnella, the powerhouse who coined the term "The Katies," apolitical lifestyle influencers quietly leading a revolution in persuasion and cultural change.

How do suburban moms sharing sourdough recipes and get ready with me videos are actually shifting election outcomes and outpacing traditional political voices?. Liz Minnella, founder of Connect Forward, breaks down the real impact of micro-influencers, why culture always outruns policy, and how lifestyle creators are three times more...

Should women demand employers to pay MORE to cover their beauty costs? Women are paying out of pocket to be seen as credible, competent, and professional at work. Hair. Skin. Clothes. Time. Money. Face lifts. All of it. Not to mention the societal expectation that women should remain youthful, polished, and "camera-ready" especially when in a visible position whether it's in leadership, on stage, or otherwise. Spicy, right?

In this episode, I sit down with Eleanor Beaton, powerhouse CEO and founder of Safi Media, to talk about why these costs are not vapid vanity, but part of...

Ever wonder what really goes down behind the scenes in American journalism, and what it costs to speak your truth? Recently I sat down with powerhouse journalist THE AMAZING Brooke Baldwin: Emmy-nominated former CNN anchor, bestselling author, and creator of the viral Substack, Unraveling. Together, we get straight into the seismic shifts ripping through newsrooms and society right now, from the headline-grabbing arrest of Don Lemon (she goes OFF on this!) and the future of independent journalism, to the toxic aftermath of power dynamics in the media.

Brooke brings her signature compassion and grit, sharing unfiltered stories...

Ever wish you could flip your anxiety, stress, or even full-on rage into superpowers? That’s exactly what we’re unpacking in this episode of Culture Changers with the wildly insightful Josh Pais, actor, New York Times bestselling author of Lose Your Mind: The Path to Creative Invincibility, and the guy who literally played Raphael in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

I get vulnerable about what it feels like to live with a fried nervous system and nagging self-doubt, and Josh takes us on a journey to transform those so-called bad emotions into fuel for creativity, conf...

Is everything a cult? Or are we just finally noticing how belief actually works?
This conversation cracked something open for me around why we get pulled into certain ideas, identities, and systems and why leaving them can feel way harder than joining. I’m sitting down with Amanda Montell, whose work sits at the intersection of cult psychology, language, and cultural influence. We talk about how words shape belief, how cognitive biases sneak into everyday life, and why so many of us are obsessed with cult stories right now. Fair warning: after this episode, you may start seeing cu...

Welcome back, Culture Changers! In this episode, I’m breaking down the runaway hit, "I've Had It" podcast, as part of a new series, Pod Phenom Playbook where I break down some of the top podcasts. If you’ve ever wondered why certain podcasts blow up and become cultural juggernauts seemingly overnight, this episode digs into the structure, psychology, and stickiness that make a show impossible to ignore.

I break down how best friends Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan catapulted "I've Had It" to the top 0.01% of global podcasts with their unfiltered, outrageously funny, and profoundly politica...

Something big is shifting in how we get our news, and you can feel it in your body. You want to stay informed, but you also kind of want to throw your phone across the room. I asked a simple question on Facebook. Where do you get your news? What came back wasn’t a list of outlets. It was a list of survival strategies. And once I started digging into the data, it became very clear why so many smart, thoughtful people feel unsettled right now.

This episode is about where Americans get their news, why tr...

Something big is shifting.
You can feel it.

You want to stay informed and you also want to smash your phone.

I’m Allison Hare, a podcast strategist, and this is Culture Changers.

Here is where we talk with smarts and snark about all the stuff they say not to talk about: power, politics, religion, relationships through the lens of Pop culture. Of course we are talking cults and trad wives, too. 

If you’re wondering what to do with all of this, you might just be a culture changer.

...

Something big is shifting, and you can feel it. I’ve spent the last year stripping things down, walking away from what looked good on paper, and telling the truth about what actually works, what doesn’t, and what I refuse to carry into 2026. This episode is me coming back home to Culture Changers and explaining why I left, what broke, and what finally clicked. No polish. No performance. Just clarity, courage, and a mic. If you’ve ever felt like you outgrew something you built, this one’s for you.

In this episode, I talk about:

Christianity has taken on a totally different meaning these days.. It is in the oversized cross necklaces, the trad-wife hair, the school board fights, the subtle “illegal aliens vs immigrants” language, and the way a MAGA hat or a Pride flag can tell people your entire belief system before you say a word. In this episode, I pull together the data, the history, and my own messy spiritual story to ask whether we’re slipping into a full-blown religious dystopia or just finally seeing what was there all along. We’ll talk about why Christian fundamentalism feels more mainstream than eve...

Sometimes life sneaks up on you and you have no choice but to face the dark corners we wish we could avoid. My guest today, Christophe van Durme is facing an impossibly difficult challenge of brain cancer as a young father. When i met Chris and saw the way he was handling his prognosis and building a legacy for his family, I knew I had to bring him to you.

Christophe talks through fear, multiple surgeries, paralysis, future plans that shifted overnight, and the quiet moments he holds onto anyway. It’s steady, honest, and strangely clarifying. Th...

You're working so hard putting out podcast episodes week after week. You know it's good. People seem to like it. But it's not really fueling your business Why? I’m breaking down exactly what it takes to turn podcast listeners into clients without selling your soul, burning out, or morphing into a funnel bro.

Today I’m sharing how small but surgical changes can transform your show into a client-generating machine by talking to real-life client - lawyer turned life coach, Caroline de Posada of the Bliss'n Up Podcast. Not hustle and burning yourself out creating 8000 pieces of c...

NXIVM is back in the headlines after Allison Mack’s new podcast — but for survivors like Sarah Edmondson, the story never ended.
She was one of the faces of The Vow on HBO — the woman who blew the whistle on NXIVM’s “self-help” empire that turned into a full-blown notorious cult.
This episode is about what happened after the escape: healing from coercive control, rebuilding trust, and learning to believe your own voice again.

Sarah opens up about the psychological hangover of leaving NXIVM — how fear, shame, and identity unravel once the system is gone.
We unpack...

If you think you’d never fall for a cult, think again.
The NXIVM cult didn’t lure the weak — it attracted smart, curious, ambitious people looking for growth and belonging. People just like us.
And right in the middle of it was Sarah Edmondson, a high-ranking member who helped blow it wide open in The New York Times and HBO’s The Vow.
In this conversation, we unpack how something that looked like empowerment turned into manipulation — and how the need to belong can become a weapon.

Sarah shares what actually happened inside NXIVM, how...

You’ve probably thought about writing a memoir — that secret urge to turn your mess, your milestones, or your middle-of-the-night realizations into something real. Then the voices start: Who am I to write a book? My story isn’t big enough. I don’t have time. This episode is for every overthinker who’s stopped themselves mid-dream. Because the truth? The story you think is too ordinary might be the one that changes someone’s life.

Fan-favorite Cindy Robinson is back, and she’s living proof that writing a memoir isn’t about perfection — it’s about liberation. Her new...

What happens to mean girls when they grow up? Some get better at hiding it. Some run companies. And some of us realize we’ve carried those voices in our own heads.

In this episode, I sit down with Erin Gallagher — CEO and founder of Hype Women — who turned one viral post about Jamie Lee Curtis hyping Michelle Yeoh into a global movement. Her new book Hype Women dives head-first into the tangled mess of mean-girl culture, good-girl conditioning, and the patriarchy that benefits from keeping women small.

Erin and I get into the psychology of com...