Having the bravery to leave NXIVM and pull back the curtain on cults.
Sarah Edmondson gives the inside look on how she was drawn into the self help world of NXIVM and came to the realization that this was a dangerous cult and how her world has changed over the last few years after helping bring the group to a close and sending the founder to prison for 120 years. Her life has now been redirected at educating and helping people identify and leave cults.
About the speaker
January's theme is 'FREE' and we're excited to host actor, voice artist, author, and NXIVM whistleblower Sarah Edmondson.
Edmondson is a Canadian actress well known for roles in the CBS series Salvation, more than 12 Hallmark and Lifetime films, and popular voice-over roles in Transformers: Cybertron and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
In 2005, when NXIVM, a personal and professional development company, promised to provide the tools and insight Sarah needed to reach her potential, she was intrigued. Over her twelve-year tenure, she went from student to coach and eventually operated her own NXIVM center in Vancouver. Questions kept coming up about the organizationâs rules and practices, which came to a head in 2017 when she accepted an invitation from her best friend to join DOS, a âsecret sisterhoodâ within NXIVM. In 2019, Sarah published Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life, with Kristine Gasbarre. In this tell-all memoir, she shares her story from the moment she takes her first seminar to her harrowing fight to get out of NXIVM, collaborate with the FBI, help others, and heal. Sarahâs full story as a whistleblower is featured in the CBC podcast Uncover: Escaping NXIVM (downloaded over 25 million times) and The Vow, the critically acclaimed HBO documentary series on NXIVM.
Now with the launch of her own podcast, âA Little Bit Culty,â Sarah is keeping the conversation going by exploring the fads, beliefs, and trends that blur the line between devotion and dysfunction. Co-hosted by her husband and fellow NXIVM whistleblower Anthony âNippyâ Ames, the podcast is part conversational coffee date and part deep dive on everything from Lululemon to Waco. And while there was nothing small about Sarahâs cult experience, âA Little Bit Cultyâ is grounded in her mission to help people understand, heal from, and avoid abusive situations one little red flag at a time.
How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career?
For me, creativity is my personal state of creatingâproducing something new from nothing, or from fragmented ideas and feelings. Currently I am most creative with our podcast, taking the nuggets of our painful journey, combining it with cathartic conversations and creating wisdom for others to ingest and subsequently heal as well.
Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy?
Truthfully, I think best and most creatively with the help of âadult gummiesâ, a small does of THC, or micro-dosing mushrooms. I am able to de-stress, feel less anxious and access new ideas.
Whatâs one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish youâd known as a young person?
You are never wrong when you are being creative. And for me as an actor, I wish I had started producing earlier. To have my career more in my control. The tip would be to start now and make your own shit. Donât wait for your agent!
Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings?
Julia Cameron, Glennon Doyle, Bari Weiss, Margaret Singer, Anne Frank, JFK.
Whatâs the craziest thing youâve ever done?
Lived in Israel for 10 months and lived on a Kibbutz.
What are you reading these days?
Cult content only. LOL. (Prep for the podcast!)
What fact about you would surprise people?
Nothing, I think I am pretty much âout thereâ.
How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger?
My life is a fascinating combo of acting in Hallmark movies, parenting two wild boys and producing a podcast that helps people avoid, wake up from, and heal from cultic abuse.
What keeps you awake at night?
My To do list.
What are you proudest of in your life?
Helping to put Keith Raniere behind bars for120 years and freeing and saving so many people as a result!
If you could interview anyone living or dead, but not a celebrity, who would it be and why?
My grandma, Bubbi Juliette. I never met her and have so many questions for her! She was a revolutionaryâpolitically and in the childcare worldâstarting the first daycare in Regina. My other family members say I am a lot like her and I want to know why:) I want to understand my lineage!
If you could do anything now, what would you do?
Do a period piece film about a cult where I am also a consultant on the film.
Where was the last place you travelled?
Salt Lake City to speak to 1500 ex and questioning Mormons about cultic abuse and high demand groups!
What music are you listening to these days?
Raffi and Justin Bieber since my kids get to play DJ. If I have time to myself, I am listening to cult content!
What was the best surprise youâve experienced so far in life?
The joy of parenting!
Where is your favourite place to escape?
Hornby Island.
What was the best advice you were ever given?
Start using eye cream at a young age :joy::joy: Seriously though, when I first left NXIVM and I was at the height of the trauma/PTSD someone told me that it would get better and there was light at the end of the tunnel. Healing takes time⊠and he was right.
What books made a difference in your life and why?
The artistâs way by Julia Cameron. She has written a fabulous workbook for expanding my creativityâa template for permission to think outside the box and a resource to tap into the creative flow when stuck.
What practises, rituals, or habits contribute to your creative work?
As mentioned above, small doses of THC and mushrooms, walks in the woods, playing with my kids.
When you get stuck creatively, what is the first thing you do to get unstuck?
See above. And journaling.
If you had fifteen extra minutes each day, what would you do with them?
Meditate, scrapbook my kidsâ lives, and call friends.
Favorite quotes from this talk
