Dr Robyn Odegaard

Dr. Robyn Lynette was born in a cult, married off at eighteen in an arranged marriage, and escaped with the inadvertent help of a drug cartel. Her second husband—a narcissistic, closeted bisexual—was her own choice. Zero out of five stars.

Her memoir, I’d Like to Thank the Cartel for Getting Me Out of a Cult, chronicles what happens when you’ve only ever known control and then have to figure out who you are without it. It’s the story of becoming a competitive beach volleyball player while discovering herself, starting college at thirty-two as her life imploded, and the messy, unglamorous work of learning to trust herself when she was raised to believe her thoughts were dangerous.

Today, Dr. Lynette holds a doctorate in business psychology and works as what one client dubbed a “Mental MacGyver”—helping others break free from the patterns keeping them stuck. She’s a TEDx speaker, author of four books, and has spent over sixteen years guiding people through self-doubt, toxic control, and the hidden costs of survival.

Known for her dark humor and radical honesty, Dr. Robyn uses her extraordinary story of resilience to illuminate patterns of manipulation and how to break free. Her past used to be something she hid; now she helps others recognize they’re not alone.

Off the clock, she enjoys reading astrophysics for fun, biking, gardening, hiking with her husband Russ, and teaching their dog Nebula to do circus tricks.