To his fanatics, he's an inspiring businessman, marketing guru, tough-love motivational speaker, and blue-collar-masculine embodiment of the American Dream; but, to his critics, he's just a bro-y blowhard—a grandstanding motormouth whom Fortune Magazine once called a "snake oil salesman." We're talking about Gary Vaynerchuck, aka Gary Vee, a serial entrepreneur whose multi-pronged "empire" and cult of personality scream god complex... but is this guy dangerous, obnoxious, or actually kind of inspiring? These are the questions Amanda and Isa are aiming to answer on this week's episode of Sounds Like A Cult. Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @isaamedinaa @amanda_montell To check out Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, click here! Thank you to our sponsors! Go to thefarmersdog.com/cult to get 50% off your first box. Go to BEISTRAVEL.com/CULT for 15% off your first purchase. Hatch is offering $20 off your purchase of a Hatch Restore 2 and free shipping at hatch.co/cult. Go to betterhelp.com/cult to get 10% off your first month.

Why does it seem like certain "life coaches" are exactly the kinda folks who shouldn't be giving life advice? The unregulated life coaching industry is perfectly set up to turn culty: It's rife with New Age quacks charging thousands to tell others how to live, but also... hiring a brainstorming partner to help you work through sh*t during times of uncertainty *does* sound beneficial? Tricky!! This week, Amanda and Isa are joined by comedian and host of the Self-Helpless podcast Kelsey Cook to unpack how much of a "cult" the life coach space has really become. Click here to get tickets to Isa's NYC comedy show September 22nd or to tell her where to perform next! To check out Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, click here! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @isaamedinaa @amanda_montell Thank you to our sponsors! Go to RocketMoney.com/SLAC to cancel unwanted subscriptions! Go to BEISTRAVEL.com/CULT for 15% off your first purchase. The Cotton collection and more are available now at SKIMS.com.

Strap on your steampunk lewks and get ready to blast off to the dusty, glittery, and undeniably culty alternate universe that is Burning Man—an event explicitly inspired by the New Age fringe religions of the 1970s. ~Join us~ for Amanda and Isa's lol-worthy chat with Em and Christine, hosts of the paranormal-true crime podcast And That's Why We Drink. We're unpacking the countercultural carnival's eccentric (sometimes deadly) rituals, us vs. them dynamics, major controversies, and undeniable allure. What do youuuu think is the cultiest thing about Burning Man?? And do you think it's a Live Your Life, a Watch Your Back, or a GTFO-level cult? Click here to get tickets to Isa's NYC comedy show September 22nd or to tell her where to perform next!  To check out Amanda's new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, click here! Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @isaamedinaa @amanda_montell Thank you to our sponsors! Dipsea is offering our listeners a 30 day free trial when you go to dipseastories.com/cult Go to Zocdoc.com/CULT and download the Zocdoc app for FREE.  Go to JULIECARE.CO/CULT to get $10 off your online purchase for a limited time!

Before we return with regularly structured episodes next week (stay tuned for the "cult" of Burning Man!), here's another ad-free bonus episode featuring a rerun of our most-listened to episode of all time, The Cult of Disney Adults. Re-listen and/or skip to the 52-minute mark for a bonus Q&A with your hosts, Amanda and Isa! Get Tickets to Isa's comedy show in NYC September 22nd - Get Tix here!  To support Sounds Like A Cult, keep up with our live show dates, see Isa's live comedy, buy a copy of Amanda's book Cultish, or visit our website, click here! Or follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @isaamedinaa @amanda_montell

A heavily controlled, totally isolated group of women who worship one "charismatic” male figure and aren’t allowed to read magazines, watch TV, or speak to their families… is this a cult or the most popular reality dating show in history? This week, we’re re-airing one of our fave Season 1 episodes with a new, updated intro. It’s the “cult” of The Bachelor Franchise, featuring special guest, former contestant, Kendall Long! We got the juicy inside scoop on how culty The Bachelor *really* is to try and figure out whether this objectively bizarre pop culture phenomenon is a Live Your Life, a Watch Your Back, or a Get the Fuck Out-level “cult.” 🌹  To support Sounds Like A Cult, keep up with our live show dates, see Isa's live comedy, buy a copy of Amanda's book Cultish, or visit our website, click here! Or follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod @isaamedinaa @amanda_montell