It starts as self-improvement. A promise of breakthroughs, freedom, and wealth from someone who calls themselves a “business coach.”

But behind the inspirational quotes and high-energy Zoom calls, a disturbing pattern emerges

The Cult Playbook — Rewritten for Profit

The business coaching industry is booming, largely unregulated, and ripe for exploitation. This creates a perfect hunting ground for operators who borrow straight from high-control group tactics to lock people in emotionally, mentally, and financially. While the trappings look modern — slick branding, curated Instagram feeds, and luxury retreats — the underlying psychology is the same as the MLMs, pseudo-religious movements, and scam ecosystems we’ve unmasked before.

One of the most seductive techniques is love bombing — that instant, overwhelming wave of praise and belonging. The moment you pay for the first program, your name is blasted into the private group, your picture tagged, your inbox flooded with “You’re exactly the kind of action-taker who wins big here!”. It’s intoxicating, and it’s calculated. Psychologists call this reciprocity bias — once you’ve been “given” so much emotional approval, it feels almost rude not to give back with your loyalty… and your credit card.

Then comes the Us vs. Them divide. Good coaches welcome open dialogue. Predatory ones do not. You’ll hear mantras about cutting out “negativity” and warnings that outsiders just “don’t get our level of success.” Anyone who leaves is quietly reframed as weak or uncommitted. This is pure groupthink, the same pressure that keeps members in toxic organisations silent even when doubts creep in.

From there, information control tightens its grip. You’re encouraged to stop consuming free resources, unfollow any critics, and limit conversations to people “aligned with your vision.” Coaches rebrand isolation as “protecting your energy,” but it’s really about narrowing your perspective until their version of the truth is the only one you hear.

And finally, the steel cage disguised as opportunity — financial binding. The $5,000 program is just the warm-up; the “real transformation” happens in the $25,000 mastermind. Suddenly, walking away means “wasting your investment” — a textbook play on the sunk cost fallacy. The more you’ve poured in, the harder it becomes to admit it isn’t working.

The Psychology That Makes It Work

It’s tempting to think only the naive fall for this. In reality, smart, educated, successful people get caught because these tactics prey on universal human needs: belonging, recognition, and progress. Incremental commitments creep up until you’re too invested to see the pattern. Vulnerability — during career changes, personal crises, or financial instability — makes the perfect opening for a charismatic figure to present themselves as the only answer.

By blurring the line between empowerment and control, predatory coaches mask coercion as “mentorship” and indoctrination as “accountability.” It’s the same formula we’ve seen in MLMs and “success cults,” just dressed in business casual.

The Red Flags You Can’t Ignore

If you’re discouraged from seeking outside opinions, if dissent in the group disappears overnight, if every “next level” is locked behind another urgent payment — those aren’t quirks, they’re control mechanisms. When praise turns to guilt, when community turns to conformity, when mentoring turns to monitoring, you’re not in a coaching program anymore. You’re in someone else’s power structure.

Protecting Yourself Before You Get Hooked

Before you sign a single contract, do your homework. Search their name with words like “scam” and “lawsuit,” dig through archived websites for résumé changes, and speak to ex-clients — not just the glowing testimonials on their landing page. Watch how they handle a free consultation; ethical coaches will tell you who shouldn’t work with them, not try to close you at all costs. Spend time in their free community to see if criticism is tolerated. If prices and payment structures are hidden until after an emotional breakthrough, that’s not strategy — that’s manipulation.

Most importantly, slow down. The fastest way to regain your power is to refuse urgency. Take 24 hours before making a high-ticket decision, verify every claim in writing, and walk away if healthy skepticism gets punished. Genuine coaching can be transformative. Predatory coaching can be devastating. Knowing the difference might save you years of wasted time, tens of thousands of dollars, and your own sense of agency.

Share Your Story

Every story shared peels back the curtain for someone else who hasn’t seen what you now see.

The predatory side of the coaching industry thrives in the shadows — in shame, in secrecy, in the reluctance of former clients to speak up for fear of looking foolish. But here’s the truth: there’s nothing foolish about being targeted by a skilled manipulator. The only foolish thing is letting them keep doing it to others without challenge.

If you’ve been in a program that ticked these boxes — if you’ve felt that creeping unease as the “mentorship” morphed into monitoring, as empowerment eroded into obedience — your experience matters. Tell it. Name the behaviour. Strip away the gloss so others see the machinery underneath.

Drop your account in the comments. Send it to us privately if you prefer. Forward this article to anyone considering a coaching program so they can step in with their eyes open. The more we name these tactics, the less power they hold.

Dehek.com exists to expose, educate, and empower — and today, you’ve got the microphone. Let’s make sure the so-called “business coaches” running cult playbooks know the spotlight is coming for them next.

By Beth Gibbons (Queen of Karma)

Beth Gibbons, known publicly as Queen of Karma, is a whistleblower and anti-MLM advocate who shares her personal experiences of being manipulated and financially harmed by multi-level marketing schemes. She writes and speaks candidly about the emotional and psychological toll these so-called “business opportunities” take on vulnerable individuals, especially women. Beth positions herself as a survivor-turned-activist, exposing MLMs as commercial cults and highlighting the cult-like tactics used to recruit, control, and silence members.

She has contributed blogs and participated in video interviews under the name Queen of Karma, often blending personal storytelling with direct confrontation of scammy business models. Her work aligns closely with scam awareness efforts, and she’s part of a growing community of voices pushing back against MLM exploitation, gaslighting, and financial abuse.