About the Author
Author. Athlete. Former cult kid. Now: Mental MacGyver.
I’m Dr. Robyn Lynette, and I lived several lifetimes before I turned forty.
I mastered the art of making myself small—hyper-observant and self-sacrificing, always dimming the brightness of a naturally big personality. That’s what you do when survival depends on reading the room perfectly.
Having grown up in a cult, my father chose my first husband. After I escaped that marriage, with an assist from the cartel, I discovered competitive beach volleyball. For the first time, a glimmer of my true self started to show. (And looking back, I didn’t look half bad in that uniform either.)
Then I made my own mistake: I married a narcissistic, closeted bisexual. Zero out of five stars. Do not recommend.
While my personal life was in chaos, I started college at thirty-two. Six and a half years later, I had three degrees: an undergrad in clinical psychology, followed by a master’s and doctorate in business psychology with a concentration in high performance and sport. I was falling apart and rebuilding myself at the same time. One therapy session and textbook at a time.
Eventually, I got out of my second marriage. I started my own business. I met Russ, who is the perfect partner for me. Together we adopted Nebula, a little dog I teach to do circus tricks and who made it onto the cover of this book.
Today, I work as what one client dubbed a “Mental MacGyver.” I operate in the space between executive coach, therapist, and business strategist. When leaders face impossible situations, I help them improvise solutions with whatever tools we have on hand. I don’t just help people think differently; I help them rewire the patterns that keep them stuck. (Learn more at MentalMacGyver.com)
I wrote I’d Like to Thank the Cartel for Getting Me Out of a Cult because people have been asking me to for over a decade. Every time I shared my story, someone would say, “When’s the book coming out? Or better yet, the movie?” They couldn’t reconcile the put-together, successful woman in front of them with the chaos I’d survived—and somehow, thrived beyond.
This book is my answer. It’s raw, unpolished, and sometimes uncomfortably honest. I don’t just share the darkness; I share the specific tools and insights that helped me find my way into the light. The same ones I now use with my clients.
My past used to be something I hid. Now it’s my greatest credential.
Start reading for the story. Stay, and you just might find a roadmap out of your own chaos.