Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe: Episode Summary

Episode Title: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Cast Zodiac Signs, MLMs, and Mormon Internet Fame
Release Date: May 26, 2025
Host: Coco Mocoe

1. Introduction and Personal Updates

In this final episode before her summer hiatus, Coco Mocoe shares significant personal and professional updates. Coco announces her upcoming engagements, including speaking at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City for the second consecutive year and her participation as an official Cannes Lion creator. She expresses excitement about rejoining Cannes with her talent agency and highlights notable creators like Colin and Samir and Amelia Dimms, emphasizing her honor in being part of this esteemed roster.

Coco also discusses her imminent travels across Europe with her sister and friend. Reflecting on her Substack journey, she celebrates reaching 10,000 subscribers and becoming a bestseller through consistent weekly episodes and trend reports. She attributes much of her resilience to her recent Saturn Return experience—a significant astrological event impacting personal growth and challenges.

Notable Quote:

"I have grown so much in a year on here. I'm so grateful. What started as a social experiment to see what I could do turned into 10,000 subscribers. Me becoming a bestseller. So thank you guys so much for that." [02:45]

2. Navigating the Saturn Return

Coco delves into her personal struggles during her Saturn Return, an astrological period typically occurring around ages 27-28, lasting approximately three years. She metaphorically describes it as being submerged in a pool, hindering her ability to achieve goals with clarity and speed.

Notable Quote:

"I felt like before I was running on grass... Saturn Return happens. It starts slowly, but it's like you get put into a pool of water... you're yelling for help, but when you're underwater, no one can hear you." [04:30]

Despite enduring betrayals and emotional turmoil, Coco credits her supportive friends and the discipline of maintaining her Substack as pivotal in overcoming these hardships. Her experience has also prompted her to pivot from pop culture commentary to creating a new show, Middle Row with CocoMocoe, which she has been diligently filming.

Notable Quote:

"Substack was the one thing that kept me grounded and I had to stay on a schedule... you guys are my boss. Like, I'm going to give them an episode every Monday unless there was like, a holiday." [07:15]

3. The Role of Mormonism in Mommy Influencing

Transitioning to the episode's core focus, Coco explores the prominence of Mormon women in the mommy influencer space. She observes a significant pattern where many leading mommy bloggers and influencers possess Mormon or Mormon-adjacent backgrounds.

Notable Quote:

"Once you notice that the major mommy influencers from Instagram in its early days to YouTube to TikTok are mostly Mormon or ex-Mormon, you can't unsee it." [15:20]

Coco emphasizes her neutral stance on Mormonism, clarifying that her analysis is not rooted in judgment but in recognizing observable trends and patterns within the influencer landscape.

4. Prominent Mormon Influencers

Coco highlights several notable Mormon influencers, both within and outside the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Hulu show:

• Hannah Nealman (Ballerina Farm): Raised in a devout Mormon family, Hannah transitioned from a ballet pursuit at Juilliard to managing a large farm with her husband in Utah, sharing her lifestyle with millions on social media.

• Nara Smith: Although not raised Mormon, Nara married Lucky Bluesmith, a Mormon, and has cultivated a significant online presence centered around traditional homemaking and family life. She actively distances herself from promoting any religious agenda.

• Ruby Franke: A controversial figure, Ruby Franke was a prominent mommy vlogger who faced severe legal issues for child abuse, leading to her arrest and imprisonment. Coco expresses deep emotional distress discussing this case, underscoring its gravity and impact.

Notable Quote:

"Ruby Franke is a devout member of the LDS Church, and while she doesn't represent an entire religion, the LDS Church still has yet to excommunicate her, despite these crimes." [23:50]

Coco underscores that outside of Ruby Franke’s case, many Mormon or Mormon-adjacent influencers achieve significant online fame, suggesting a non-coincidental trend.

5. MLMs, LDS Church, and Social Media Algorithms

A significant portion of the episode examines the intersection between Mormonism, Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) schemes, and the success of Mormon women as influencers on social media platforms.

Key Points:

• High Concentration of MLMs in Utah: Utah, home to the LDS Church, boasts the highest concentration of MLM companies per capita in the United States.

• Cultural Alignment: The LDS Church’s emphasis on traditional roles, extensive social networks, and missionary training synergizes with the strategies employed by MLMs and the demands of social media algorithms.

• Algorithmic Rewards: Content deemed "safe for advertisers"—such as homemaking, cooking, and beauty—aligns with the types of content Mormon women commonly produce, facilitating higher engagement and reach.

• Missionary Skills: The LDS Church’s focus on recruitment and outreach equips Mormon women with skills beneficial for both MLM success and growing a social media following.

Notable Quote:

"The missionary training of Mormons really makes them great at recruiting for MLMs and great at growing on social media like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube." [34:10]

Coco also explores theories suggesting that the LDS Church may indirectly support influencer activities to promote the religion, such as funding travel and events for influencers, thereby enhancing their online presence without direct financial transactions that could conflict with church doctrines.

6. Virality Through Leaving the LDS Church

Coco discusses how publicly leaving the LDS Church can significantly boost an individual's virality and online following. This phenomenon stems from the intrigue surrounding the insular and secretive nature of the LDS Church, making stories of ex-members particularly compelling to a broad audience.

Notable Quote:

"There is this kind of wave of support and intrigue that can come online once a Mormon mom leaves the LDS Church and begins speaking about it." [41:25]

She notes that such narratives not only attract viewers but also provide a deeper, more authentic layer to the influencer's story, differentiating them from other content creators.

7. Analyzing The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Reality TV Comparisons

Coco transitions to a brief overview of the Hulu show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, highlighting its unique approach compared to traditional reality TV franchises like Bravo’s Real Housewives. She teases an in-depth analysis of the cast’s zodiac signs and a comparison of Hulu’s production style with Bravo’s, promising these insights in exclusive content for paying subscribers.

Notable Quote:

"I want to dive into all of their zodiac signs... the first thing I have to look up when I'm watching any new reality show." [48:00]

Coco posits that Hulu's portrayal offers a refreshing perspective on Mormon womanhood, contrasting with the often dramatized and sensationalist narratives typical of long-established reality TV shows.

8. Conclusion and Subscription Information

In wrapping up, Coco reiterates her upcoming break, reassuring subscribers that their memberships will not be charged during her hiatus. She expresses heartfelt gratitude towards her audience, referring to them affectionately as "coconuts," and emphasizes her commitment to returning with renewed energy and fresh content after her travels.

Notable Quote:

"Love you guys. Love you coconuts. Thank you for a year of listening to my Substack and this podcast." [55:40]

Coco invites listeners to continue following her journey through her social media channels and encourages support by becoming paying members to access extended episodes and exclusive content.

Final Thoughts

In this comprehensive episode, Coco Mocoe adeptly intertwines her personal journey with an incisive analysis of the role Mormonism plays in shaping the landscape of mommy influencers and their success on social media. By exploring the cultural, religious, and algorithmic factors that contribute to this phenomenon, Coco provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of how faith and modern digital practices intersect to produce some of the internet's most prominent voices.