Raw and inspiring, Unapologetically Glorious is the memoir of a woman breaking free from the past and societal-imposed standards on her own terms and in her own way. Above all, this is a love letter to the woman Kelly Thiel was, the woman she is, and the woman she is becoming.
In 2017, while much of the country watched the press unveil the inner workings of NXIVM, Kelly Thiel was grappling with what this revelation meant about herself. As an unsuspecting, ancillary piece to the NXIVM puzzle she often thought: how could I have been so naïve? How could I have enrolled so many people? How could I have not seen the red flags? Kelly’s unashamed and unapologetic questioning of herself reveals how simple it is to become enmeshed in a cult, to be faced with hard truths, and how to fight like hell to take back control of her destiny.
The process Kelly describes is purposeful and calculated and preys on the desire all of us have: a place to feel at home, a place to call home. In her search for home, Kelly shows how cults look like a friendly hand saving you from drowning, when really, they’re what’s holding you underwater. You alienate yourself of the identity you’ve built, scramble to recruit others to survive, and retrain your brain to explain away the incongruities. Kelly’s is a story that is uniquely hers, even as it is one that many women and survivors of trauma can call their own.
I help people rediscover their GLORIOUSNESS
Kelly Thiel is an accomplished voice actress, author, speaker, consultant, and the driving force behind Be Glorious, a platform that is devoted to creating a space where people can have candid, real conversations with themselves on their path to finding their own brand of glorious.
Kelly has also been featured in a series of interviews about the downfall of the now notorious NXIVM cult, in the critically acclaimed documentary “Seduced” currently streaming on Starz. As an unsuspecting, ancillary piece to the NXIVM puzzle, Kelly was faced with the hard truth that she needed to fight like hell to take back control of her destiny. This experience proved how truly vulnerable we are as humans and how easy it is to give one’s power away unintentionally.
The compass of Kelly’s intentions has always been spiritually focused. She has had a private audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and has worked with spiritual healers around the world on her personal path towards enlightenment. Kelly’s spiritual awakening has served in conquering her own trauma and in turn, helping others conquer theirs.
Kelly is set to release her first book this year, “Unapologetically Glorious”, inspiring others to be their own guru and to take ownership, take action, and take back control, on their way to becoming perfectly glorious.
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Once I started reading Kelly’s memoir, I couldn’t put it down. Such bravery, authenticity, and heart-felt emotion. Plus, invaluable insights on cult dynamics – recruitment, indoctrination, psychological manipulation. Read this book and you will never again wonder how intelligent, successful, and engaging women can end up in a cult.”
Dr. Janja Lalich, PhD, Professor Emerita of Sociology at International Authority on Cults
Coercion Author, Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships