Together, Rachael and Dr. Hanks unpack the rise and fallout of Jodi Hildebrandt’s coaching empire, her influence over Ruby Franke, and how coercive control, made-up certifications, and “train-the-trainer” coaching models created a high-control group that resulted in real harm. Dr. Hanks also explains how mental health terminology like trauma, truth, distortion, and healing was weaponized, why the lack of coaching regulation matters, and how vulnerable people are targeted through shame, urgency, and spiritual authority. 

Key Takeaways:

– Coaching ≠ Credibility. Many online “mentors” sell success they’ve never achieved themselves.

– MLM Mindset in Disguise. The pressure to “keep investing” and recruit others mimics multi-level marketing tactics.

– The Shame Factor. Both victims and former coaches often stay quiet out of embarrassment, allowing the cycle to continue.

– Receipts Over Reels. Income claims are easily faked. ALWAYS verify testimonials and timelines.

– Ethics Over Aesthetics. The real flex isn’t flaunting wealth—it’s transparency, discernment, and doing the actual work.

About the Guest: 

Danielle Ryan is a Vancouver-based content creator, UGC producer, and YouTuber whose channel dives into online business scams, coaching culture, and influencer ethics. A former yoga teacher turned digital entrepreneur, she uses her platform to share the realities of self-employment, call out exploitative industry practices, and empower creators to build businesses rooted in authenticity instead of manipulation.

Resources mentioned:– Danielle’s YouTube: @itsdanielleryan – TikTok: @itsdanielleryan

Key Takeaways:

– Niching works, as long as you make sure it still serves the audience you set out to help.– Viral growth can change who finds you; guard your original mission as you scale.– Vet coaches by outcomes, references, and realism; avoid “X clients in X days” promises.– Protect audience trust: be selective with brand deals and avoid unvetted supplements.– You don’t have to live on social: products, trade shows, and partnerships are valid growth paths.

About Rachael: Rachael Wonderlin is a dementia care consultant and gerontologist. She founded her consultancy, Dementia By Day, in 2014. She is the author of When Someone You Know is Living in a Dementia Care Community, Creative Engagement, and The Caregiver’s Guide to Memory Care and Dementia Communities.

Find out more at www.rachaelwonderlin.com and Instagram.com/dementiabydayFollow along with I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This anywhere you get your podcasts or on YouTube at YouTube.com/rachaelwonderlin

Kara Wonderlin and Shaddy Mzeghet met in Miami in 2020 and, shortly after they began dating, started running businesses together. Be it Amazon, drop-shipping, Airbnb, vending machines, or more, they know about it and they've run it.

Tune in for insights like, "Passive income just isn't real the way the Internet makes it seem like it is" and "You're going to deal with difficult people no matter what you do!"

Follow along with I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This anywhere you get your podcasts or on YouTube at YouTube.com/rachaelwonderlin

Connie is a mom of six kids and she started Cookie Cookie Ice Cream to find a place for her daughter with Down's Syndrome—now 26 years old—to work. "We couldn't find a place that worked with her in the way that she needed to train, so we decided to start something that would take time out of the equation for learning. We realized that there were a lot of people in our area who needed the same thing."

Connie's team works with 10 schools in the area to teach their students how to work with others and grow in a service role. Their cookies (and ice cream!) are phenomenal (we checked the store out after this episode) and Connie was kind enough to bring us cookies to taste.

Learn more on https://cookiecookieicecream.com

Follow our podcast, I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This, anywhere you get your podcasts or on YouTube at YouTube.com/rachaelwonderlin

Rachael Wonderlin started Dementia By Day as a blog in 2014 and turned it into a consulting business in 2016 after being laid off from her 9-to-5 role. "I think in order to start a business, you have to want to deal with the difficulties of starting a business. You have to be willing to wade around in the muck for a while before you can be successful."

This episode is all about the ups and downs of Rachael's start in entrepreneurship and how the road to business ownership has changed since 2016. Rachael started this podcast in early 2025 and is now finished with the first draft of her fourth book—this one about consulting!—and is on the lookout for an agent.

Find Rachael on Instagram at DementiaByDay or Can't_HustlePodcast or visit her site at rachaelwonderlin.com and dementiabyday.com

Follow our podcast, I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This, anywhere you get your podcasts or on YouTube at YouTube.com/rachaelwonderlin

Amanda Nowak and Rachael met years ago when Amanda owned a successful, 7-figure senior living-based design business.

From the outside, everything looked perfect, but on the inside, Amanda was suffering. "I was ashamed of how I felt about my business," she says.

Amanda is now the founder and owner of Element Eight: https://element-8.com and on LinkedIn under Amanda Nowak. "Now I help people in transition periods like when they fall out of love with their business and need to either restructure or pivot, or when they're in corporate and have that entrepreneur itch. Very much a 'what the hell am I doing with me life, I know I want something else and it's not this.'"

Follow our podcast, I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This, anywhere you get your podcasts or on YouTube under YouTube.com/rachaelwonderlin

To learn more or get onboard, visit www.burghbus.com.

Mindy McHale had a "late in life career change," as she says. "When I got divorced, I realized I was in this very precarious situation financially. I took advantage of the time I had, though, and used my savings to become a personal trainer."

Join us on this episode of I Can't Hustle Any Harder Than This as we talk to Mindy McHale of StrongerNow Studio, a women's fitness studio based in Pittsburgh, PA. After becoming a personal trainer, and later, after March 2020, she realized that there was a need to own her own physical space.

https://www.strongernowstudio.com

https://www.instagram.com/strongernowstudio/

IG @strongernowstudio

FB @strongernow

Mindy McHale is a certified personal trainer and owner of StrongerNow, a business offering fitness services to women with a positive, not punitive, approach. Based on her own personal and professional experience, Mindy knows that women face unique challenges when it comes to exercise, and that exercise allows women to better navigate their life transitions. Mindy opened StrongerNow Studio in 2020 where women build strength, confidence, and long-term health — without the pressure of a traditional gym. What started as a one-woman business has grown into a thriving community of expert trainers and empowered clients, all benefiting from the safety and support of a women-focused fitness space.

Candice has been practicing law for almost 40 years exclusively in the family law area. She often represents individuals with complex financial and business matters. Candice has been a frequent lecturer on various family law issues throughout her career for family law organizations.

Being a stay-at-home mom is an enough of a full-time job, in and of itself. But if you've been sucked into a pyramid scheme, too?

Join us as we talk to Leah Peysha about her time as a SAHM and accidentally getting roped into an MLM!

When Matt was 22, he was a "glorified personable robot" Fortune 500 company doing telemarketing sales. Around that time, a friend approached him with the idea to start a silent disco company and Matt realized that this was a unique opportunity to do something new. 

"I called my leads within five minutes," he explains. "Speed to lead!"

Matt is incredibly experienced in sales and has come to realize that sales is about forming relationships and how great sales CAN be when done with the best intentions.

"When I was first introduced to sales, it was a very shady view of it. I was told, 'if you can't book them, just confuse them.'"

Find Matt on LinkedIn or on Instagram at matt_reiners Matt Reiners is a dynamic leader in the senior living industry, dedicated to driving innovation and technology transformation. As the Chief Growth Officer at Parasol Alliance, they help communities leverage cutting-edge solutions to enhance operations and improve residents' quality of life. With over a decade of entrepreneurial experience, they have developed solutions impacting over 100,000 individuals and generating more than $10 million in revenue. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, podcast host, and industry advocate, they are committed to shaping the future of senior living through education, collaboration, and technology.

Shortly after graduating college, Anna was offered a job with a "marketing company" who promised that, if she worked hard enough, she could one day become a BUSINESS OWNER!

We also talked about Sarah Edmondson's book, SCARRED, and everything she's done to get people out of NXIVM. Mike Rinder, rest in peace, was also mentioned, from his time in Scientology and trying to help people leave the cult.

As you may have guessed, that didn't exactly pan out. Join us as we hear more about Anna's wild ride.

As Leah says on her site, "I am a reformed stress addict, former insomniac, running a constant inner monologue of stress and distress. Exhausting was the defining word of my life." You can read more at https://www.searchingforserenity.co.uk/about-leah or on her Instagram at leahsteeleuk

We dive into why so many #business owners promote #marketing techniques that mislead their audiences, and why it's a slippery slope. Plus, we talk about how maxing and relaxing by the pool isn't so relaxing if you're photographing the whole thing for social media.

Join us as we talk to Anna Faila about her experience in a business cult, "DevilCorp," (real name changed, of course) during her early 20s. When Anna and I first started talking about entrepreneurship, I had no idea that our discussion would lead here, but I knew immediately we needed to bring her on the podcast.

This was the wildest interview we've done yet and we loved it so much, we're bringing Anna back for a second one! 

Kyle was inspired by #taylorswift and the #erastour when realized JUST HOW LONG Taylor has been hustling, creating, and growing her empire. After that concert, Kyle was inspired to finally start putting his dreams and ideas out into the world. Tune into this episode to find out what he's working on and how #AI is involved (and why we should perhaps be more scared of it than we currently are!)

Find Kyle at @audio412 on Instagram

Instead of throwing himself back into the job hunt the way we all do (sitting at a laptop for hours on end), Mike started sharing his progress—as a seasoned recruiter himself—on TikTok.

Mike's relatable content and smart tips quickly helped him amass a large following on the platform, along with success on Instagram and LinkedIn. Y

ou can find him on both platforms at @realisticrecruiting and on YouTube as  @RealisticRecruiting  , as well.

Join him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpeditto/ Follow our podcast at @cant_hustleanyharder on Instagram

Welcome to the first episode of I CAN'T HUSTLE ANY HARDER THAN THIS! 

On this episode, hosts Rachael Wonderlin (CEO of Dementia By Day) and Emily Naples (Corporately employed, but self-employment curious) interview Natalie De Paz (Operations Director at Dementia By Day) about "passive income" and "digital product downloads." We're often told that creating and selling digital downloads is easy and the key to building an online business...but is it really so simple?

You can find our guest, Natalie, at NatalieDePaz.com