We also highlighted the 10 elements of the rotten tree. To review: 

1. Prosperity gospel and the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" myth of meritocracy
2. Mastermind relationships and being "in the room" where it happens with powerful leaders
3. JV partnerships
4. Affiliate marketing
5. Tabloid / clickbait / pain point / shame-based marketing
6. Gaming the system
7. Propaganda, mind control, and hypnosis
8. Cross-pollinating audiences
9. Personal branding and “If I did it, you can, too”
10.  And finally, the idea that you don’t have to cite your sources, fuck your sources. So that the web becomes so tangled, no one knows where any of this came from.

But now, hopefully, you do know.

And our hope is that this series has helped you become a more informed consumer, a more ethical marketer, and that you feel seen and less alone in this jungle of the Online Business Industrial Complex.

To understand marketing history is to understand ourselves and our culture — marketing is the fuel for the engine of capitalism.

But now that we’ve taken this trip through time, it’s time to talk about what to do next and how do we build a better future…

Lisa Robbin Young has 30 years of business experience as a coach and creative entrepreneur: she is an award-winning speaker, best-selling author, and accomplished musician with multiple albums to her credit. You may even recognize her from the Disney+ show “Encore.” She is also the host of the “Creative Freedom” show — I highly recommend her music video parodies. Check out “There are worse things I could do” for a Marie Forleo crossover with Awkward Marketing. She specializes in helping creative entrepreneurs build a business that works for how you’re wired to work.