Overview of Self-Help Guru Creates Wellness Company For Women To Receive “Orgasm Massages” By Trained Men
This Rotten Mango episode (hosted by Stephanie Soo) investigates OneTaste — the Silicon Valley–born wellness company founded by Nicole Daedone — and its flagship practice, “Orgasmic Meditation” (OM). The episode traces OM’s rise from an idea marketed as female empowerment and meditation to a multimillion-dollar wellness business with conferences, celebrity endorsements, a tiered sales funnel, communal living, and — according to multiple allegations — cult-like dynamics, sexual coercion, and criminal investigations. The episode opens with an attention-grabbing kidnapping/birthday anecdote about a wealthy tech founder and then unpacks OneTaste’s practices, customer base, marketing tactics, and red flags that led to legal scrutiny and Daedone’s imprisonment.
Episode narrative — what happens in the episode
- Opening anecdote: A dramatic story about Reese Jones (a wealthy SF tech founder) being kidnapped and subjected to an elaborate “seven deadly sins” experience as an expensive birthday stunt; this frames the level of wealth + eccentric culture surrounding some OneTaste circles.
- Background on self-help crossovers: Tim Ferriss (4-Hour Workweek / 4-Hour Body) and other influencers (Tony Robbins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Khloé Kardashian) helped expose or mainstream OneTaste and Nicole Daedone.
- Introduction to Nicole Daedone and OneTaste:
- Daedone (corrected spelling) developed Orgasmic Meditation (OM) / “Aum” as a 15-minute practice where a trained, clothed practitioner (usually a man called a “stroker”) manually stimulates a woman’s genitals in a clinical/meditative setting.
- Sessions emphasize neutrality, ritual (organic coconut lubricant, organic cotton blankets), a precise 15-minute format (13 minutes stimulation + 2 minutes grounding), neutral narration by the stroker, and strict consent rules.
- What OM marketed as: empowerment, increased energy, better relationships, meditation-like healing of female sexuality and trauma; headline testimonials at conferences and promotional events.
- The OneTaste conference and culture:
- Large, high-ticket events (e.g., a 1,400-person OM conference), branded merchandise (“powered by orgasm”), live demos, and staged “nests” where people pair up with strangers for 15-minute OMs.
- Celebrity and business world speakers participated; many tech founders and executives attended.
- Monetization and sales funnel:
- Low-barrier events ($10 mixers) → $200 day courses → $3,000 weekend → $16,000 week → $60,000 master-coach programs; aggressive upselling and “hot seat” tactics used to collect people’s vulnerabilities and convert them into high-ticket customers.
- Clientele and power dynamics:
- Core paying customers included wealthy tech men who wanted to learn or experience OM; vulnerable young women (including sexual-assault survivors) were often recruited as participants/staff.
- OneTaste reportedly fostered communal living (“the warehouse”), intensive coaching, and transactions that blurred boundaries between coaching, sex work, and religion-like practice.
- Red flags, alleged abuse, and criminal fallout:
- The episode flags cult-like control, manipulative sales techniques, sexual coercion, targeting of vulnerable women, and allegations that victims were pressured to reenact trauma under the guise of healing.
- Nicole Daedone is reported to be incarcerated (MDC Brooklyn mentioned) and the episode teases a second part that will deep-dive into coercion and trafficking allegations.
- Tone and reporting notes: The host warns that part two will include explicit accounts of sexual assault, re-traumatization, and coercion; quotes and statements in the episode were condensed for brevity and drawn from public sources.
Key takeaways and main themes
- What OM is: a marketed 15-minute practice called orgasmic meditation where trained strokers manually stimulate a woman to create a meditative/energetic experience.
- Appeal and marketing: OneTaste positioned OM as female empowerment, therapy, and a mainstreamable wellness routine — helped by endorsements and mainstream exposure.
- Business model: A classic funnel that leverages low-cost entry points and emotionally intense experiences to upsell costly programs and coaching.
- Power imbalances and vulnerability: The model created strong potential for abuse — wealthy paying clients, vulnerable young women, communal living, and control over members’ narratives and finances.
- Cult-like indicators: communal living, charismatic founder, rituals and sacralized language, high control over members’ choices and finances, emotional manipulation, and aggressive recruitment/upsell tactics.
- Legal and ethical risk: The episode signals ongoing criminal investigation(s) and legal consequences tied to coercion and trafficking allegations; Daedone’s incarceration is noted.
Notable quotes, terms, and concepts mentioned
- “Orgasmic Meditation” / OM / Aum: The practice’s multiple names and their framing as meditation, not sex.
- “Stroker”: A trained (usually male) practitioner who performs the 15-minute OM.
- “Crotch sneeze”: Nicole Daedone’s dismissive description of orgasm as a small blip compared to the OM experience.
- Productized ritual items: organic coconut lubricant, 100% organic cotton blankets — presented as necessary tools for authenticity/ritual.
- Pricing ladder examples: $10 mixer → $200 day pass → $3,000 weekend → $16,000 week → $60,000 master coaching.
- Marketing slogans and imagery: “powered by orgasm” T‑shirts, large conference stages, celebrity guests.
- “Hot seat”: group technique used to surface vulnerabilities and produce leads for high-ticket sales.
Red flags and critical observations highlighted by the episode
- Emotional intensity used as conversion leverage: participants describe “drug-like” highs and subsequent crashes that can drive repeat purchases.
- Lack of professional safeguards: ceremonies and sexual contact presented as “clinical” despite limited training for some strokers (many learned in 24 hours at conferences).
- Targeting and exploitation patterns: wealthy men as paying customers, recruitment of financially and emotionally vulnerable women as staff/participants, and pressure to escalate purchases or to perform/teach.
- Language normalizing sexual recomposition: framing sexual trauma re-enactment as healing (the episode warns this is a major and dangerous claim).
- Conflicting messaging: espoused “female empowerment” vs. practices that commodify women’s bodies and create systems of dependency.
Trigger warnings and content notes
- This episode contains detailed discussion of sexual acts, sexual abuse, trauma, and allegations of coercion and trafficking. The host explicitly warns listeners and advises self-care or skipping the episode if these topics are distressing.
What to watch for in Part 2 (teased)
- In-depth survivor accounts and allegations that members were pressured or coerced into recreating past sexual assaults as “healing.”
- More detail on OneTaste’s internal operations, recruitment tactics, and how young women were allegedly exploited.
- Legal developments and specific criminal charges or testimony.
Practical advice / next steps for listeners
- If you or someone you know has been harmed or coerced in a wellness/spiritual/sexual context:
- Seek immediate safety and support — local crisis lines, sexual-assault hotlines, and trusted medical or mental-health professionals.
- Document interactions, communications, payments, and any evidence you feel safe retaining.
- Consider contacting local law enforcement or a legal aid organization experienced with trafficking/sexual-coercion cases.
- If evaluating wellness programs:
- Watch for high-pressure sales funnels, escalating costs, secrecy, communal-pressure tactics, or requests to perform intimate acts under the guise of healing.
- Verify practitioner credentials, professional boundaries, and whether sexual contact is appropriate/legal within the therapeutic frame in your jurisdiction.
Episode credits: host Stephanie Soo; produced as part of Rotten Mango. Full show notes were referenced as available on the podcast’s site.