Podcast
Culture Changers with Allison Hare
Hosted by Allison Hare · EN
Culture Changers is where we pour gasoline on fiery topics like power, politics, religion, and relationships (thoughtfully) and find a better way through. I've interviewed people like Seth Godin, Mariel Hemingway, and Jesse Itzler among other notable world-changers. And of course, we are talking cults, trad wives, microtrends, money, faith, and what it actually means to be human right now. Listen, it's time to get up and do something. We've got a world to change!
34episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
DEI Is Gone. Now What? With HR Insider Kevin Calhoun
2w ago00:42:21Tap to summarizeKevin 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. Notable Timestamps (verify against final audio before publishing) 03:03 — Kevin reads from his article "James Crow and Visa, Everywhere You Want to Be" — the line that stopped Allison cold 04:37 — How corporate culture shifted from servant leadership to "we're going in a different direction" 07:40 — The grief nobody talks about: losing your corporate identity in a 30-minute meeting 09:05 — The stats: DEI fell 98% in Fortune 100 communications; Black unemployment now twice white unemployment 11:47 — Performative DEI vs. real DEI — how to tell the difference 13:49 — Costco held the line against 19 attorney generals. Why some companies stay and others fold. 15:15 — What Kevin learned about not seeking validation from your organization 17:15 — The pendulum: why organizations that hold their values win long-term 20:38 — Jim Crow vs. James Crow — Kevin defines the difference 28:15 — Code switching, agency, and choosing when to show up fully as yourself 33:24 — How to find your way forward when the system has failed you 36:56 — "No company loves you." What Kevin knows that he wishes more people understood 38:58 — If you know the rules of the game before you start playing, you can't be mad if you don't win Rather watch on YouTube? https://youtu.be/ixqV4X5EqJ8 Resources & Links Mentioned Kevin's article: "James Crow and Visa, Everywhere You Want to Be" - available on Substack and Medium Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-calhoun-0808882/ Kevin's email: jkevin.calhoun@gmail.com Book a free podcast clarity call with Allison: allisonhare.com/freecall Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com
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The Matriarchy
3w ago00:23:44Tap to summarizeMy 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 this episode: The real history of the matriarchy — and why it matters that it existed before the patriarchy How watching a parent die dismantles the story you've been living What hypermasculine burnout actually looks like from the inside What her last six months looked like — and why she was happier than she'd been in decades What "being enough" feels like when someone you love shows you it's true Timestamps: 00:00 — Dedication and why this episode exists 02:44 — The matriarchy: history, power, and what we lost 05:05 — Who my mother was 09:53 — What her life became my cautionary tale 12:16 — The hypermasculine drive and the burnout 14:37 — Her last six months and the miracle in them 17:05 — The room where she died 20:36 — What the matriarchy is asking of us now Links and Resources: Episode 3 with Kelly Knight on the Age of Aquarius: [link to episode 3] Free podcast strategy call: https://allisonhare.com/freecall Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com
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Inside a hit comedy podcast with The Commercial Break
4w ago00:49:23Tap to summarizeBryan 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: The mindset shift that separates podcasters who last from the ones who quit at episode twelve A simple way to choose a co-host that actually works — it has nothing to do with who makes you laugh The full, ridiculous, endearing origin story of Frankie B and why Bryan thinks he might be the secret engine of the whole show Why chasing trends, polish, and strategy is exactly backwards The 20/80 rule for showing up on days when you have nothing Notable Timestamps: 07:07 — Bryan on the "big fuck this" moments every podcaster hits and why you keep going anyway 09:59 — "Perfection is the enemy of consistency" — the line that will stick with you 13:06 — Why Bryan doesn't care if you think his podcast has too many ums 15:42 — The 20/80 rule: what to do when you walk in with nothing 17:29 — The Apple review that finally told Bryan what his show actually was 25:52 — The full Frankie B origin story (12 views, Ruby Tuesday's, and a text from Jason) 35:52 — The line Bryan won't cross, even when something is funny 37:26 — His read on the Manosphere and why most of those guys are running a grift 43:46 — The whole strategy, summed up in one sentence Links and Resources: The Commercial Break: thecommercialbreak.com Bryan Green on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bryanwgreen Frankie B on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frankbennardo6063 Book a free clarity call with Allison: allisonhare.com/freecall Prefer to watch on YouTube? Voila! https://youtu.be/kFmVtTnBsjw Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com
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The Guru Era is Dead. What comes next? with Dr. Liz Bucar
May 2800:56:32Tap to summarizeHow 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: Why the guru era is collapsing and what a good teacher actually looks like versus a predatory one The hidden Orientalism behind Deepak Chopra and Jay Shetty's appeal — and the latent racism nobody's talking about How a 19th century minister literally named after the Graham cracker gave us our food guilt Why a single question from a tarot card reader reversed years of orthorexia when therapy and church couldn't touch it What happened when a straight-edge religious studies professor did ayahuasca three times a day for three days in an Oregon yurt — and what it broke open about death, grief, and living well What sangha means and why real community requires you to be inconvenienced Prefer to watch on YouTube? https://youtu.be/5kXU5Cf2heE Resources & Links: ORDER Beyond Wellness book: https://amzn.to/4wQJypx Liz's website: https://www.lizbucar.com/books Liz's Substack (Religion, Reimagined): https://lizbucar.substack.com/ Liz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizbucar/ Liz on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lizbucar Work with Allison: https://allisonhare.com/freecall NOTABLE TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Intro: Prophet to profit. The guru era is over. 02:25 — Welcome Dr. Liz Bucar 03:25 — Is the guru era over? Jay Shetty, Deepak Chopra, and what cracked 07:35 — The halo effect: how platform-built gurus get their power 09:23 — Red flags of a bad spiritual teacher 10:57 — What a good teacher actually looks like 11:47 — The Orientalism and latent racism behind the wellness guru industry 13:43 — What is wellness — and why it's too low of a bar 15:05 — Women, optimization, and the anemic version of human life we've been sold 16:22 — What if dying well is part of living well? 17:56 — What a "none" borrows from religion without belonging to it 21:21 — Religion's PR problem and who's controlling the narrative 24:01 — Safety, belonging, and the search for somewhere to land 25:24 — Disordered eating, orthorexia, and the tarot reading that reversed it 30:01 — How bad theology gave us food moralizing (the Graham cracker guy) 34:26 — Ayahuasca: the plan Liz did NOT have 36:58 — Santo Daime, the sacrament of Daime, and a legal ayahuasca church in the US 39:12 — Why the religious container was everything 41:53 — Confronting her father's death in an Oregon yurt 43:18 — Death doulas, dying well, and the epiphany that changed everything 44:01 — Sangha: what community actually means 45:23 — Hope vs. optimism — and why the difference matters right now 48:20 — Rage has good intel. Embrace the ugly parts. 49:05 — Why individualism has done us dirty 50:33 — Biohacking, hustle culture, and inviting friction back in 51:06 — Real community requires showing up, not just extracting 52:46 — Where to find Liz and preorder Beyond Wellness Allison's Offer: Schedule a free podcast clarity call: https://allisonhare.com/freecall Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com
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Ex-Mormon, Ex-MAGA, Ex-Tradwife: How Lesbians Broke the Spell with Jennie Gage
May 2101:08:36Tap to summarizeShe 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: How Mormon indoctrination works and why it's different from "just going to church on Sundays" What "a man is not a plan" really means and how Jennie learned it the hard way The tradwife pipeline that cracked 44 years of belief wide open Why the lesbians were always the canary in the coal mine What "shield maidens" are in white supremacist movements and where Erica Kirk fits in Why Turning Point USA is essentially running a Mormon missionary program on college campuses How cults use fear and inspiration to change behavior — and why it always wears off What identity collapse actually feels like when you leave a high-demand religion Where Jennie finds spirituality, hope, and her own voice as an atheist Why she calls herself an activist, not a content creator Jennie's Resources and Links: Jennie Gage on YouTube: Life Take Two: https://www.youtube.com/@lifetaketwo7662 Jennie on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/lifetaketwo Jennie's Substack: Mormon Wife's Secret Life: https://lifetaketwo.substack.com/p/a-mormon-wifes-secret-life Jennie on IG: https://www.instagram.com/lifetaketwojennie/ Allison's Resource: Book a free clarity call with Allison: allisonhare.com/freecall Trigger warnings: This episode covers suicide, sexual assault, domestic abuse, child marriage, and religious coercion. Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com
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Culture Changers Turns 7 TODAY! Big announcement
May 1400:01:43Tap to summarizeCulture 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. YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Definitely NOT Twitter/X 👎🏼). I can't thank you enough for being part of this global conversation. xo, Allison Hare Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com
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Healing from Religious Trauma, Silence Culture, and Modern Politics with Tia Levings
May 701:03:49Tap to summarizeLearn 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: The mechanics of silence culture and why it protects abusers How to identify when you're in a high-control group (it's rarely obvious) Why women brought into patriarchal power structures become scapegoats What healing actually looks like (not spiritual bypassing, not "I'm grateful it happened") The healing modalities that work for complex PTSD after religious trauma How modern politics is the scaled-up version of the family systems she lived in This is a warm, grounded conversation about one of the most urgent cultural issues we're not talking about clearly enough. Books mentioned: A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy (https://amzn.to/4tTCvug) I Belong to Me: A Survivor's Guide to Recovery and Hope After Religious Trauma — released May 5, 2026 (https://amzn.to/4epEiCy) Find Tia: Website: https://tialevings.com/ Substack: https://tialevings.substack.com/ Social: @TiaLevingsWriter Viral first appearance on Culture Changers Podcast "What Christian Patriarchy Doesn't Want You To Know" - https://youtu.be/aU6CcgskrUE Rather watch on YouTube? https://youtu.be/tCeYbmwcnXA Ready for your own megaphone for change - the podcast that grows? Schedule a free clarity call with me here: https://allisonhare.com/freecall Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com
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Has biohacking made us lonely? with Chris Schembra
Apr 3001:11:37Tap to summarizeHave 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, and how the serenity prayer—tattooed on Chris's arm from early sobriety—reveals the wisdom we're desperately seeking. What You'll Learn: Why "biohacking" and optimization have backfired on human connection The difference between weak ties (what social platforms designed for) and deep relationships (what we actually need) What "earned intimacy" means and why it requires inconvenience and repeatability The League of Gentlemen: how a village of 100 friends grew from three people having breakfast together Why we're outsourcing our emotions to chatbots instead of sitting in our own thoughts The serenity prayer as a practical life design tool—not spiritual advice The discernment crisis: why judgment and taste are the most valuable skills of tomorrow How to reclaim your life from algorithms and convenience Rather watch on YouTube? https://youtu.be/8xxiRxRR24E Resources & Links: Chris Schembra on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/chrisschembra Reach out: chris@chrisschembra.com 7:47 Gratitude Experience: https://747club.org EP79of CC: A new twist on gratitude: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0V49SVlsXGMmcH8Af2aGnO?si=3f708350572a4b01 EP101: BDSM and the Boardroom: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4cBTAzKRV27qa3wSOwpsQV?si=be9222f7e2104674 EP157: Ketamine psychedelic therapy: Chris Schembra's story: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0V49SVlsXGMmcH8Af2aGnO?si=3f708350572a4b01 Key Timestamps: 00:00 — Intro: Have we biohacked our way to loneliness? 00:41 — Mother Teresa on the poverty of the soul 02:23 — Allison pushes back on the framing 03:40 — The distinction between "too easy" and "too optimized" 04:09 — Why tech companies call us "users" 05:56 — The convenience trap: clicking vs. calling 06:51 — Outsourcing emotions to chatbots and streaming services 54:26 — Building true intimacy vs. collecting weak ties 55:27 — The Strength of Weak Ties study and social media's backfire 56:25 — The breakfast story: how a village of 100 friends was born 58:26 — Walking through seasons of life together 59:13 — The League of Gentlemen and being held when you show up messy 01:01:14 — The serenity prayer tattoo and the three pillars 01:03:40 — Wisdom to know the difference: the discernment crisis 01:04:40 — The beauty of inconvenient choices and earned connection Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com
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White Women Villains: Brené, Mel & the Wellness Grifter Blame Game
Apr 2300:57:33Tap to summarizeWe 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? Timestamps: 0:00 Intro: The White Women Villain Pattern 2:18 We're at an Inflection Point 4:42 The Brené Brown Takedown (Threads, Reddit, Appropriation Claims) 7:04 Appropriating Black Feminist Theory 9:23 The Mendoza Line: Where Does Deserving Cancellation Begin? 12:45 Why Thought Leaders Stay Silent (Fear of Judgment) 15:20 The Grifter Accusation (Mel Robbins, Gwyneth, Reese) 18:00 Cult Leaders, Wellness Culture & False Profits 21:30 The Poet Cassie & Mel Robbins' Poem 25:15 Accountability vs. Character Assassination 28:40 The Over-Optimization Backlash 31:00 We're All Learning (Both/And Complexity) 34:20 Toxicity & Beloved-by-Millions Syndrome 37:15 It's Envy and Gender, Not Ethics 40:30 I Want to See People Win 43:00 Don't Die with Your Song Unsung 45:15 Systemic Change Happens in Community 48:30 These Women Are Mirrors, Not Heroes or Villains 51:32 We Can't Dismantle Patriarchy by Policing Women 53:55 Little Drops of Water Matter 56:14 Your Message Needs to Be Heard Be sure to share this one. Subscribe/follow/leave a review. Do all the things. It means the world to me. Prefer to watch on YouTube? Voila! https://youtu.be/9qKRgKekea4 Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com
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Psychology Behind Political Polarization w/ Dr. Jay Van Bavel
Apr 1600:54:04Tap to summarizeYou 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, the Senate, and the World Health Organization. And in this conversation, he did not let me off the hook. Neither will you. We went deep on why our brains are not built for social media, how AI is becoming a full-time confirmation bias machine, what's actually happening to democracy right now, and — I promise there's a reason to keep listening — one genuinely hopeful hack backed by hard data that can lower your polarization by 25%. In this episode, you'll learn: Why two people can watch the exact same video and reach opposite conclusions — and it's not about intelligence or bad faith How AI chatbots are 50% more sycophantic than actual humans — and what that's doing to your relationships and your politics What the research actually says about Trump's approval drop and the role of "apolitical" influencers in shifting minds The one social media move backed by a clinical study that can reduce your polarization by 25% in a single month — and keep it lower for a full year Rather watch on YouTube? https://youtu.be/-upTCa6s7oc Resources & Links Mentioned: Dr. Jay Van Bavel's Substack: The Power of Us NYU Center for Conflict and Cooperation: nyu.edu The Power of Us (book) by Jay Van Bavel & Dominic Packer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allison__hare LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonhare/ Website: https://allisonhare.com Book a free podcast clarity call: https://allisonhare.com/freecall Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com
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