How the Manson Family Became a Dark Masterclass in Identity & Influence

Dear CultMakers,

Be honest. Are you the kind of person that you truly want to be?

It’s not about logic. People don’t develop their identity with logic. They follow because you make them feel something—something that aligns with who they believe they are, or want to be.

San Francisco used to be different. Today it seems like grey dystopian tech-death. San Francisco in 1967, especially the Haight-Asbury district, conjures up scenes washed in a warm golden hue. Maybe it’s the LSD, but nonetheless, it's beautiful.

Things were simpler back then. There were only a few identities to choose from. Hippy, Beatnik, Activist, Square, Cop... am I missing anything?

What happened to the people didn’t align with any of them?

A group of people, lost, confused, feeling powerless. Imagine the joy when someone arrives who promises not just answers, but a new way to be. This was exactly what Charles Manson did.

Manson didn’t just create a following; he built a family—an identity, out of nothing. He gave them exactly what they craved: belonging, love, control… a sense of feeling alive in a world that felt dead.

He didn’t sell products. He sold a new self.

Now, listen to me closely: Don’t be like Charles Manson. We will never advocate for harm to others. That’s not what we’re here to do.

As CultMakers, we manipulate minds as we would oil paints on a canvas. We influence to provide value through our Craft. As twisted and wrong as Charles Manson’s values were, he is not our enemy.

Our enemy is The Sleepless.

You know them: the hustle preachers, fake gurus pushing endless grind over real alignment. They sell burnout as success.

We’re not here to build unsustainable brands.

We’re here to establish our Craft.

Manson was able to achieve this with a fraction of the resources we have today… imagine what would have happened if he was let loose on social media.

Let’s break it down.

Manson didn’t offer anything tangible. The desert commune, the hippie lifestyle, the promise of revolution—it was all a vision of who his followers could become. He gave them a dream, not a product.

The Sleepless sell you products, grind, hustle. But your Craft is about offering an escape. What is your audience longing for? What freedom are they chasing? When you offer them the escape they crave, they’ll follow you anywhere.

Lesson 2: Craft The Bond

A study by the Pew Research Center found that 84% of people say belonging to a community improves their well-being and sense of purpose.

The Manson Family wasn’t just a group—it was an identity. His followers felt they belonged to something larger. The Sleepless grind to create customers, while we build our circle. They build fleeting followings, but we’re building movements.

Your Craft should make people feel like they’ve found their tribe. When your audience feels like they belong to something bigger than themselves, that’s where true loyalty is born. The Sleepless jump from crypto to NFTs to AI, hoping to catch a wave. As have I—but I made a promise to something bigger: to lack sleep no more.

Lesson 3: Write the Reality

A study from Accenture found that 83% of millennials prefer brands that align with their values and beliefs.

Manson didn’t just share the vision—he controlled it. He crafted every part of the story his followers believed. The Sleepless let trends, hustle culture, and fleeting goals control their narrative.

The truth: you write the reality of your Craft, or someone else will.

You define what your Craft stands for. You shape how your circle sees themselves in relation to your Craft. The Sleepless are focused on quick wins, but we’re creating timeless loyalty by writing the reality.

Lesson 4: Create the Codes

A Havas Group study found that 77% of consumers buy from brands that resonate with their identity and values through symbols and rituals.

Manson’s followers didn’t just listen to him; they lived by his symbols and rituals. The X carved into their foreheads, secret meetings, cryptic language—all of it created an inner circle. The Sleepless think logos are enough, but they miss the power of the codes that create a deeper connection.

Your Craft needs these elements too. We’re not here to sell hollow promises or hype—we’re here to create something lasting. Make your Craft feel like a secret society—something the Sleepless will never understand because they’re too busy chasing quick success.

Influence is a tool, and like any tool, it’s all about how you wield it.

We’re not here to grind mindlessly like The Sleepless. We’re here to master our Craft, to build something timeless, something people will follow—not because they have to, but because they feel it in their core.

Thanks for reading. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. Please let me know!

Subscribe to Cultfluence and let’s forge a movement that stands the test of time. Because your Craft deserves more than quick wins—it deserves loyalty.

Join the circle. Craft the Bond. Create the Codes.

You write the reality.