Welcome to Compassiviste Dialogues. I'm Ali, your host, and my mission with this podcast is to shed light on critical social and environmental issues worldwide, exploring avenues for positive change.

And today, we’re honored to share the incredible journey of Daniella Mestyanek Young.

Raised in the notorious Children of God cult, Daniella escaped and transformed her life, ultimately becoming a U.S. Army captain and intelligence officer on the frontlines in Afghanistan. Her bestselling memoir, praised for its powerful storytelling, has been compared to Educated and The Glass Castle.

In this episode, we’ll dive into Daniella’s path to success, her insights into the complexities of group behavior, and her work in leadership and organizational psychology. Daniella now shares her expertise as a TEDx speaker and Harvard graduate, exploring the fine line between culture and cults and the impact of powerful leaders on society.

Stay tuned as we discuss Daniella’s mission to educate, her work on breaking free from the past, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. Let’s get started!

ABOUT GUEST:

Daniella was born a third-generation member of the infamous Children of God religious cult, and grew up being trafficked around the world, before escaping that life and moving to America at age 15. She put herself through high school and graduated as college valedictorian before commissioning into the US Army as an intelligence officer. That’s where she really started to think about group behavior…and seeing it, well, everywhere.

Daniella deployed twice to Afghanistan (2011, 2014) and became a member of one of the Army’s first Female Engagement teams (an experiment that put women into deliberate ground combat for the first time in Army history, and eventually led to the repeal of the sexist combat ban and the gender desegregation of the entire US military).

She is a proud daughter of the 101st, (that's the unit in Band of Brothers), a recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (from Obama, y'all), and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology at the Harvard Extension School (she focuses her research on group behavior, social norms, culture, extremism, leadership demagoguery and cults).

KEY NOTES:

The Cult of Work: Is it Exploitation or Empowerment? The Dream Sellers: How Manipulation Drives Modern Exploitation Exploitation as a Profitable Model: The Business of Control A System of Justice for the Wealthy and Punishment for the Poor From Religious Zeal to Celebrity Worship: Why We Keep Chasing Illusions

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Episode Trailer 01:24 - Intro 03:16 - The Cult of Labor: Work or Exploitation? 11:55 - Selling the Dream: How Manipulation Fuels Modern Exploitation 17:14 - Exploitation as a Business Model 22:33 - Justice for the Rich, Punishment for the Poor: The Flawed System 28:39 - From Religion to Celebrity Culture: How We Keep Buying the Same Illusions 37:00 - How Societies Keep Women Fighting Each Other 43:47 - Why Instagram Is More Dangerous Than Nukes 47:47 - Feminism as a Path to a Sustainable Future 54:40 - Can the Publishing Industry Embrace Ethics Without Sacrificing Success? 01:04:20 - Healing or Hiding? The Truth Behind Overcoming Trauma 01:12:17 - Turning Pain Into Purpose: The Key to True Healing 01:19:56 - How to Turn Pain into Power 01:28:35 - The Dangers of Blind Faith: How to Avoid Cult Mentalities 01:37:23 - Rebuilding Life After Wealth 01:44:23 - Outro

THINGS MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST:

Daniella's Website: https://uncultureyourself.com/ Daniella's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DMestyanekYoung Daniella's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniellamyoung_/ Daniella's Youtube: @KnittingCultLady

TO LEARN MORE AND STAY CONNECTED:

🌐 Visit our website: https://compassivistedialogues.com/ 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qt8cYHeIcDmDV8zPKNxMw 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/compassiviste-dialogues/id1735926709

CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Compassiviste/61555898333856/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compassiviste/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@compassiviste Twitter: https://twitter.com/compassiviste LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/compassiviste/

Tune in, follow, and embark on this insightful journey with us. Your vision's transformation begins now. 🚀🌟