Sunday Nice Things: Uncover

Sunday Nice Things: Uncover

Author: Jo Piazza November 23, 2025 Duration: 47:01
You may think you know the NXIVM story. The secretive self-help empire. The sex cult headlines. The downfall of its leader, Keith Raniere. But the most famous woman at the center of the story has remained largely silent. Allison after NXIVM tells the story of Allison Mack: former Smallville actress, high-ranking NXIVM member, and convicted felon. With exclusive access following her release from prison, this series traces her astonishing path from Smallville fame to NXIVM’s inner circle—and her effort to rebuild a life in the wreckage. Through raw interviews with those who knew her before, during, and after NXIVM, the show dives deep into the gray zones of influence, accountability, and redemption. And how we as a society treat women who have done bad things, often fueled by social media. In this episode, Allison Mack heads to court to be sentenced. When the judge hands down his sentence—three years in federal prison—Allison must begin to unravel the beliefs she once evangelized, parsing what was true and what was manipulation.  You can find Allison After NXIVM here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Under the Influence with Jo Piazza, journalist and mother Jo Piazza pulls back the curtain on the multi-billion dollar world of social media influence. This isn't just another show about viral trends; it's a critical exploration of the aspirational marketing that haunts our feeds, where perfectly posed lives in spotless homes mask a complex economy. Jo examines how this ecosystem fundamentally reshapes our culture, our families, and our personal sense of self, especially for parents and kids navigating this curated reality. Each episode of this podcast digs into the forces that brought us here, asking what it means to live, parent, and consume under this constant, monetized influence. You'll hear specific stories and analysis that connect the dots between the content we scroll past and the larger societal machinery at work. The conversation naturally extends beyond the screen to question the real-world impact on our journals, our relationships, and our understanding of value. Under the Influence with Jo Piazza provides the context often missing from the comments section, offering a necessary perspective for anyone who has ever scrolled and wondered about the true cost of that airbrushed perfection.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Under the Influence with Jo Piazza
Podcast Episodes
Sleep Is Not Self-Care (It’s Survival) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:41
Sleep is not a luxury, a reward, or a wellness trend. It's a biological necessity. In this episode, writer and sleep coach Lindsay Scola shares her journey from high-functioning burnout to a late-in-life narcolepsy diagn…
Sunday Nice Things: Starter Marriage [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:59
Rain on your wedding day is supposed to mean good luck, but for Allison and John, it meant they were about to have the worst year of their lives. From John experiencing a life-changing set-back in his career, to Allison…
Can Plastic Surgery Keep Up With AI? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:30
What happens when filtered faces look more real than real ones? This episode dives into the strange collision of plastic surgery, social media, and AI. Why are celebrities suddenly confessing to nose jobs and boob lifts?…
Gwyneth Paltrow: First Influencer or MAHA Godmother? With Amy Odell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:23
What if the entire wellness internet—bee venom facials, jade eggs, raw dairy—could be traced back to one woman? Gwyneth Paltrow didn’t just win an Oscar and marry a rock star. She built Goop, turned luxury wellness into…
Sunday Nice Things:  LEAD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:22
So many of us are wondering why our government is not working for us today. Why our representatives are so ineffectual - simple bills that would protect so many vulnerable children from lead exposure like The Lead Paint…
All Your Perimenopause Questions Answered with Dr. Kim Einhorn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:51
If you’ve said the word perimenopause anywhere near your phone lately, you’re probably being served a firehose of hormone hackers, estrogen patch evangelists, and protein-powder miracle cures. I hate most of these influe…
The Italian Lady Assassins, Spies, and Couriers Who Fought the Nazis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:18
Today, we're diving into the untold history of four women who risked everything to fight fascism in WWII Italy. Author Suzanne Cope joins Jo to talk about her new book Women of War, which profiles badass resistance fight…
Sunday Nice Things: Unladylike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:38
Unladylike is an absolute delight. Host Cristen Conger dissects the myths, messes, and media shaping modern womanhood—and un-womanhood. From bisexual imposter syndrome to tall girl therapy, gun culture to birth control b…

«1...678910