About Our Podcast

This origin story begins with pizza, as most good things do. Amanda and Kyle were out on an impromptu date night in 2023 when they began discussing their need for a couple hobby. Kyle's hobby is dirt bikes, which Amanda supports from a safe distance, and Amanda's hobby is work, which Kyle does not understand but tries really hard to support.

They had been kicking around the idea of a podcast of some kind for a year or two, and Amanda jokingly made the comment, "Well, we could do a podcast about me growing up in a cult and talk about all that trauma" followed by an "I'm totally kidding" laugh.

Kyle, however, jumped at the idea. He thought the parts of Amanda's story he knew about would resonate with people, and there was a whole lot about her upbringing in the IBLP cult, as well as her biological family, that he still didn't know.

"It'll be great," he said. "I think people will find it really interesting."

"What? Why?" Amanda asked. "It's super weird and there's crazy stuff like burning Cabbage Patch Kid dolls."

They had to scrap that first recording, though. Amanda realized she kept referencing names, dates, and places that only made sense to people who were also in the the IBLP cult. So, she outlined the first three episodes to provide some context for the stories she would tell. Then, they sat back down at the table with their one microphone propped up between them and started over. 

With time, they got a more professional setup with two mics and began connecting with listeners all over the world. Kyle found out why Amanda had to burn her toys as a kid, along with a whole lot of other cult teachings and stories about what she experienced growing up. 

Amanda and Kyle continue to find joy in spending time together working on the podcast and trying to think of stories and topics their listeners will find entertaining, educational, and encouraging. They love the community they are building and the conversations they have with listeners over social media, through this website, and on Spotify episode comments. 

As for people finding Amanda's stories interesting, let the record state that Kyle was right and Amanda was...not right. It turns out people find them pretty interesting after all.