2025 didn't end the grifting….it exposed it.

This was the year accountability was rebranded as "mean girl marketing," trust became a trendy talking point instead of a lived practice, and expertise became whatever played best with the algorithm.

Today, we're unpacking what actually went down, what it signals for 2026, and why there's still something worth believing in beneath the noise.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Why 2025 wasn't the end of the grift.

• How "trust," AI, and urgency became cover for bad behavior.

• Why critique was reframed as harm, and who that protects?

• What we think actually gets worse in 2026 (and why).

• Where real hope still lives: discernment, reputation, and asking better questions.

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online.

For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.

There's a new kind of online business drama in town, and it's not girlbossing. It's "Mean Girl Marketing."

Is "mean girl marketing" actually a problem? Where did it come from? And why is it suddenly everywhere? That's what we're exploring in this episode.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• What Mean Girl Marketing really is (and what it isn't).

• How exclusivity, shame, and status get weaponized in sales.

• Why these tactics work and how they manipulate belonging.

• The biggest red flags to spot before you get pulled in.

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online.

For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.

AI "experts" are multiplying faster than the tech itself — but most of them are just three prompts ahead of you.

And when AI touches your data, your clients, and your entire business infrastructure, bad advice isn't just annoying…it's risky.

In this episode, we break down what's real, what's hype, and how to spot who actually knows their stuff.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The rise of fake "AI experts" who are only three prompts ahead.

• The real risks bad AI advice creates for your business.

• How the hype cycle pushes people into tools they don't need.

• Red flags that your AI guru isn't legit.

• The questions that reveal who actually knows their shit.

For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online.

For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon.