This US company, which offers global courses on self-development and money-making, promises great results, but has a dark side, according to those involved: young people become so dedicated that they give up jobs, education and even their relationships with family and friends. For many, what starts as a quest for success ends in an obsessive devotion that tears families apart.
The podcast, created by journalist Lies Jansen and podcast maker Renée van Heteren, explores why young people go to such lengths in their devotion and how IM Mastery Academy affects them. Since November 2024, the company has been operating under the name IYOVIA, but the podcast uses the old name.
An important scientific contribution in the podcast comes from Claudia Gross, a researcher at the Faculty of Management Sciences. Gross has been researching companies like IM Mastery Academy for years and explains in several episodes how the business model of such organisations works. In episode 2, she explains that IM Mastery Academy's business model ensures that only a few achieve real success. Her scientific insights help to better understand the impact of these companies on young people and their families. In addition to Gross, the makers also speak with investigative journalist Joppe Nuyts, who went undercover inside IM Mastery Academy, and discuss videos of leaders urging young people to be fully committed.
‘The Insane Promise’ is an in-depth examination of the impact of such companies and the mechanisms they use. All episodes can be listened to here.