iilluminaughtii
Welcome to iilluminaughtii, the podcast that is all about debunking bad business. Whether it's a pyramid scheme or a charity stealing money, everything (and anything) business-related is on the table. Blair Zoń is ready to dig into the underbelly of the business world to find out where your money and time really goes. Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss any of episodes delivered fresh every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
1
The Questionable Legalities of Sports Betting |...
15 min
2
Lemongrass: A "Clean" Company With Dirty Secret...
Lemongrass claims to be different, unique: they’re a clean, sustainable makeup line with an opportunity for women to make money.
13 min
3
Is Your Makeup Killing You? | Corporate Casket
It’s common knowledge that at this point: makeup contains toxic chemicals. But how harmful are they really?
14 min
4
WakeUpNow was Put to Bed | Multi Level Mondays
21 min
5
Is Jenny Craig a Classic Scam? | Corporate Casket
Jenny Craig, yet another dieting company has a long history of misleading advertising. Are their products effective at all? Have they really earned their place as a popular weight loss product?
25 min
6
Monetizing Natural Disasters | Corporate Casket
When natural disasters strike, charitable people leap into action, giving what they can to those in need. But how do you know you’re giving to the right people?
25 min
7
Cosmetic Surgery...for Dogs? | Corporate Casket
Plastic surgery for animals can be necessary; some dogs have been bred to genuinely need them. But what about cosmetic surgery? Is this ever appropriate?
20 min
8
The Toxic Ozempic Trend | Corporate Casket
Ozempic, in recent years, has been touted as a miracle drug for weight loss. But not only is it far from a miracle, but it may lead to a lot of harm for those who use it
21 min
9
The Nine Husbands and Nine Lives of Jill Coit |...
Jill Coit was married 11 times—her ninth husband was murdered. Despite no physical evidence connecting her to the crime, she was convicted of his death. How?
19 min
10
How Deal Dash Makes Money Off You | Corporate C...
DealDash is the epitome of ‘if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.’ We all know that you can’t really get iPads and brand-new TVs for pennies, but then how is DealDash still around? And how do they make mone
20 min
11
Burgerim was overdone and oversold | Multi Leve...
Burgerim was supposed to be the latest, greatest, and healthiest in fast food chains. Unfortunately, not only did it fall short of expectations, but the franchisees that were eager for a new opportunity found themselves broke and in debt. Burgerim wasn't just difficult to operate, but destined to fail.
21 min
12
What is the Power of Persuasion? | Dark Dives
Persuasion is a powerful tool; it monetizes our beliefs and effectively sells them to the highest bidder. But how does persuasion and brainwashing work across different industries? How is a cult different than politics?
24 min
13
Russell Brand: Comedian or Predator? | Corporat...
From comedic genius to a figure embroiled in controversy, Russell Brand's story is anything but ordinary.
27 min
14
Hospice Care Drains the Dying | Corporate Casket
Half of Americans, year on year, die in hospice care. When done right, this can be a way for patients to spend time with their loved ones and say goodbye on their own terms. When done wrong, this has become little more than end of life abuse
27 min
15
Real Rednecks aren't boot lickers | Dark Dives
When you hear the term ‘redneck’, you probably think of a patriotic southerner. Maybe even a MAGA follower. But redneck used to mean something very different.
28 min
16
Ron Destroyed Florida, is the Country Next? | C...
Ron DeSantis has been seen as a younger Trump, but without the personal controversies. Is that true, or could he possibly be even worse?
28 min
17
How MLMs Monetize Motivation | Multi Level Mondays
You’ve definitely heard it before: those flowery ‘you can do it’ sentiments from MLMs that encourage distributors to keep trying. They may be hollow and meaningless, but people believe in them all too often. But why? As it turns out, those motivational tapes, books, and speakers are part of the scam itself.
29 min
18
Sears Didn't Die, It was Murdered | Corporate C...
Sears was once one of the biggest names in retail, but they started to flounder until—a few years ago—they’re all but dead. What happened to them?
22 min
19
The OG Dracula: No Sparkles, Just Blood | Dark ...
Vlad Dracula is seen as one of the most evil, sadistic men ever to walk the earth... But is he really? Or has that been exaggerated as history wears on?
25 min
20
Why GameStop Won't Stop Failing | Corporate Casket
Gamestop was an icon in the 90s, it was seen as the place to shop for the latest and greatest consoles and games. But what keeps them alive today?
22 min
21
Another Reason MLM Shouldn't Sell Insurance: WF...
World Financial Group was founded by a former Primerica salesman; pyramid schemes breed more pyramid schemes, this is hardly a surprise. But, like father like son, this MLM has quite a few scam-shaped issues.
27 min
22
Hershey's Dark Chocolate Secrets | Corporate Ca...
Hershey’s is one of the largest chocolate companies out there. But have they earned that title? Are they delicious or a monopoly?
25 min
23
Preying on the Parents of Missing Kids: Sylvia ...
Sylvia Browne was famous for being a psychic that helped locate missing children. Which is ironic because, to this day, she seemed to have hurt far more cases than helped.
23 min
24
Trump Isn't Charitable. In Other News: Water is...
The Trump Foundation was formed by (of course) Trump himself and was originally meant to be a tax-exempt foundation where Trump could give a portion of his money to charity. Yet, the Donald J. Trump Foundation ended up becoming an organization meant to hide his shady exchanges and deals, a place where Trump helped himself—not charity.
25 min
25
Figure Skating's Not-so-Graceful Dark Side | Co...
Beneath all the glitz, the beautiful costumes and mesmerizing routines, figure skating has a dark side.
23 min