Duped: The Dark Side of Online Business

It's halftime, and the online business industry is still running the same plays. This season, we watched old grifts make a comeback, influencers continue replacing experts, and tired tactics get dressed up as innovation. So for our season finale, we're stepping back to look at the big picture: who's still running the grift, what plays they're using, and where all of this is heading next. Topics Di...

Celebrity entrepreneurship didn't disappear. It just got a rebrand. The flashy gurus may be gone, but the playbook is alive and well…now it's just wrapped up in personal brands, creator businesses, and AI offers. In this episode, we're revisiting celebrity entrepreneurship in 2026, exploring how it's evolved, why it still works, and what business owners need to understand to avoid getting caught u...

It's 2026, and people are still selling the fantasy that you can throw up a course, membership, or low-ticket offer and make easy money online.  What do they leave out? If you don't already have an audience, none of it works — and building one now is harder than ever. Back in 2023, we called out the audience growth grift. Three years later, the lie is still the same, so in this episode, we're expl...

Suddenly, everyone online is having their "biggest month ever." More money. Less effort. Faster results. And somehow, this flood of income claims is happening at the exact moment the economy feels shakier than ever. So what's really going on? In this episode, we're unpacking why income claims are everywhere right now, how they shape what you believe is possible, and what to watch for in an AI-fuel...

Why are we taking advice from people we've never actually vetted? They feel familiar. They feel trustworthy. And that's exactly the problem!  Inspired by Michelle's TEDx talk, this episode dives into why confident influencers often win over actual experts and what that's costing you. We're breaking down the psychology behind it, and how to stop getting duped. Topics discussed: Why we trust influen...

What happens when a money manifestation coach tries to sell her beliefs to an audience that doesn't already buy in? When Amanda Frances stepped onto The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the response wasn't admiration…it was scrutiny. And suddenly, the usual messaging didn't hold up the same way. In this episode, we're breaking down the worship of wealth, how it's packaged as empowerment, and why...

2025 didn't end the grifting….it exposed it. This was the year accountability was rebranded as "mean girl marketing," trust became a trendy talking point instead of a lived practice, and expertise became whatever played best with the algorithm. Today, we're unpacking what actually went down, what it signals for 2026, and why there's still something worth believing in beneath the noise. Topics disc...

There's a new kind of online business drama in town, and it's not girlbossing. It's "Mean Girl Marketing." Is "mean girl marketing" actually a problem? Where did it come from? And why is it suddenly everywhere? That's what we're exploring in this episode.  Topics discussed in this episode: What Mean Girl Marketing really is (and what it isn't). How exclusivity, shame, and status get weaponized in...

AI "experts" are multiplying faster than the tech itself — but most of them are just three prompts ahead of you. And when AI touches your data, your clients, and your entire business infrastructure, bad advice isn't just annoying…it's risky. In this episode, we break down what's real, what's hype, and how to spot who actually knows their stuff. Topics discussed in this episode: The rise of fake "A...

Everywhere you look in online business, someone's promising the moon — a 6-figure month, a personality overhaul, maybe even a cellular glow-up. But here's the real question: are these programs actually delivering or just selling hype? In this episode, we break down how program promises went from helpful clarity to manipulative fantasy — and how to spot the difference before you buy (or sell). Topi...

Scroll your feed, watch the news, open your inbox — and you'll see why we're in the middle of a Trust Recession.  Everyone's performing honesty, but few are actually telling the truth. In this episode, we're breaking down what you need to know about the current Trust Recession.  Topics discussed in this episode:  What is the Trust Recession (and why is everyone talking about it)? Why "authenticity...

Have you seen a "certainty in uncertain times" coach or a web celeb selling the "only strategy that still works in 2025"? That's not just cringe, it's a warning sign. The grift isn't dying. It's mutating. We're in the era of peak grift, and that doesn't mean scammers are going away. It means they're getting smarter, sneakier, and more desperate. Welcome to The Doubt Economy—where the audience stop...

Ever been captivated by a coach who seemed too good to be true—magnetic, inspiring, and totally authentic—only to find yourself questioning how you ended up spending thousands, still feeling like you're not enough?  You're not the only one. In this episode, we're diving into the darker side of online business, exploring how some leaders use cult-like tactics to build trust, manipulate your decisio...

Ever felt weird reading someone's sales email—like you just got trauma-dumped by a stranger? You're not imagining it. Vulnerability has become a marketing currency, and now everyone is oversharing in the name of sales. If you've ever felt weird, guilty, or just plain uncomfortable reading a sales pitch wrapped in trauma, welcome to the cult of oversharing. In this episode, we're discussing how vul...

Online business may keep rebranding itself, but the tropes?  They never die—they just get slicker.  In this episode, we're walking down memory lane and revisiting The Very Tired Tropes of Online Business to see how the same old tactics have evolved in 2025.  Spoiler: they're back, sneakier than ever.  Topics discussed in this episode: Definition of tropes in online business Sales tropes that are s...

Have you ever noticed how people online teach others to do the exact thing they have just learned? Coaches coaching coaches. Creators teaching creators. Influencers teaching influencing. It's not innovation—it's online business inception In this episode, we're exploring three tell-tale signs of Online Business inception, the online business inception pyramid scheme, and how to protect yourself. To...

What do MLMs, cults, and online coaches have in common? A whole lot of manipulation. In this episode of Duped, we sit down with author and marketing critic Dr. Mara Einstein to unpack how cult tactics are being repackaged as "business strategy" in the online world. From collapsed marketing funnels to parasocial influencers and toxic coaching circles, we dig into the psychology behind it all. If yo...

Remember when the internet felt fun, helpful—even inspiring? Yeah, us too. But lately? It's feeling more like a digital junk drawer.  In this episode of Duped, we're talking about enshittification—what it is, how it shows up in your feed, and how AI is making it worse. From AI-generated garbage content to platforms prioritizing profits over people, we're breaking down how it all got so bad—and wha...

She cries on camera. Wears hoodies. Says she's just like you, right before pitching her five-figure course. She's the BFF Next Door. And in 2025, she's not just relatable; she's a finely-tuned marketing machine. In this episode, we're diving into one of the most deceptively dangerous archetypes in the online business world: the BFF Next Door. We discuss: Introduction to the BFF Next Door Archetype...

2024 was a wild ride and, for many, incredibly economically challenging. So, what exactly went down this year?  In this episode of Duped, we're diving in for a 2024 year-end recap, breaking down the year that was and talking about what's headed our way for 2025. We discuss: Why 2024 was rough economically for many businesses. How some businesses went all in on creative rebranding. How the pyramid...

Passive income! Life-changing results! Freedom! And all for a limited time only.  These are just a few typical tropes online businesses use to reel you in.  Big promises that sound great on paper, and even though you're maybe a little hesitant, you decide to give it a go.  Unfortunately, in many cases, the dream we're being sold quickly turns into a nightmare.   So, how is an online business reall...

Robert Cialdini's book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion has become ubiquitous in the online business community. But are the principles Cialdini set forth being used in good faith Spoiler alert: in many cases, nope, not at all. In this episode, we get into part two of exploring Robert Cialidini and his code of ethics for anyone who uses his work. We examine the final four weapons of influenc...

Do you know what book is one of the most used—and abused—in online business? Many celebrity entrepreneurs and top marketers cite it as influential…which makes sense given its title.   It's Robert Cialdini's Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. While we have referenced this book many times on the pod, we have never actually done a deep dive to get into the nitty-gritty of it all.   In this epis...

Masterminds are often sold as life-changing experiences that will help boost your business, increase revenue, and connect with like-minded people. But how often have you seen masterminds that turn out to be expensive group coaching sessions run by unqualified "experts"?  Or even worse—joined one yourself and found out too late that it's nothing like what you were promised? In this episode, we're p...

Have you ever seen an offer on social media claiming you can make big bucks in no time at all if you sell something created by someone else? Welcome to the world of Master Resell Rights, where you allegedly can get rich from doing little to no work at all. But like everything else in online business, it's too good to be true and the house of cards is quickly tumbling.   In this episode of Duped, w...