Surviving x Zo

Amy’s journey involved surgeries, medications, hormone treatments, chronic pain, and concerns about fertility. One of the most frightening episodes came when she experienced excruciating pain and repeatedly sought emergency care. Doctors initially attributed it to endometriosis, but eventually discovered that a large ovarian cyst had ruptured and she was bleeding internally, requiring emergency surgery.

Our guest today, Jodi Pavlock, is an author, certified Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Coach, whose life took an unexpected turn after years in a covert narcissistic relationship that slowly stripped away her sense of self.

What appeared normal on the outside was, behind closed doors, a cycle of emotional abuse, trauma bonding, and manipulation that took years to break free from. After finally choosing herself and walking away, Jodi transformed her pain into purpose—writing her memoir Jekyll Can’t Hyde in just 30 days and dedicating her life to helping others recognize the signs of narcissistic abuse and find the strength to leave.

Today, she supports survivors around the world, guiding them through healing, rebuilding their identity, and reclaiming their power after abuse. 

Rose Marie is a salon owner & speaker who is deeply committed to helping women feel confident & seen. Rose was adopted at birth due to her biological parents’ struggles with addiction & later experienced a heartbreaking loss when her adoptive mother passed away from cancer when she was just nine.Growing up, she faced grief, abandonment & not feeling like she fully belonged- but she still pushed forward. What started as beauty school became something much deeper. Behind the chair, she discovered her gift for helping women rebuild confidence to see themselves differently, which led her to a salon rooted in community & support. Now stepping into a role as a panelist at Fashion Week, she’s expanding her impact & advocating for foster youth- which is one of her greatest passions- giving back.

Dena Paduano is an intuitive life coach, spiritual guide, and advocate for mind-body healing. Originally from Southern California and now based in Abruzzo, Italy, Dena helps individuals gain emotional clarity and reconnect with their inner resilience through intuitive practices and personal growth work.Her journey is deeply personal — having endured 34 surgeries and living with four autoimmune conditions, Dena understands firsthand the profound connection between trauma, the nervous system, and physical health. Through her readings, coaching, and online presence, she empowers others to navigate adversity with grace, awareness, and spiritual grounding.Today, she joins us to explore healing, intuition, trauma, and the sacred relationship between the body and the soul.

Our Guest today Barry Adkins, is a father whose life changed forever after the tragic loss of his 18-year-old son, Kevin, who died from alcohol poisoning on the very day he moved out on his own. In the midst of unimaginable grief, Barry embarked on an extraordinary journey—carrying Kevin’s ashes in his backpack while walking a monumental 1400 miles from Arizona to Montana, sharing his son’s story along the way at schools, churches,& treatment centers. Since then, he has spoken to over 400,000 students & parents, using Kevin’s story to spark powerful conversations about choices, addiction, parenting, forgiveness, faith & resilience. Through heartbreak & healing, Barry’s mission is to transform loss into a message that helps others make life-saving decisions & warn about the dangers of binge drinking.

What does it take to break generational cycles & rediscover who you truly are? In this episode, spiritual counselor, energy healer & psychic medium Chris Wasko shares her powerful journey of surviving narcissistic abuse, healing deep trauma, & finding purpose through spiritual awakening. Together, we explore inner child healing, nervous system regulation, the experience of being the "black sheep," & how reconnecting with yourself can become the greatest act of healing-for you & future generations.

Our guest today Amanda Quick is the author of her own best selling story of survival “A sex traffickers wife” & currently also has a documentary “The Sex Trafficker’s Wife” airing right now in Sweden & Norway. She is also a TedX speaker & the creator of Sacred Unmuting, Amanda helps high-performing women break free from the silence that shrinks them. Amanda joins us today to talk about what it really takes to unmute your life: the cost of silence, the unexpected gifts buried in our darkest chapters, & why the most dangerous thing a woman can do is finally tell the truth about who she is.

At 18, Le-an survived Category 5 Typhoon Haiyan, when she realized that as she was about to drown in her childhood home, she decided to detach from the expectations of her family which was to become a lawyer and work abroad, to focus on building her remote career.Le-an Lai Lacaba is a serial entrepreneur, international keynote speaker, author, and certified AI consultant. Her entrepreneurial journey began at 15 as a ghostwriter. She chose to pursue a remote career and published her first books. By 20 she became a CEO, and at 23 co-founded 2xYou with a mission to create remote opportunities for 1 million Filipinos and help 10,000 entrepreneurs grow their companies.Named one of the Top 15 Most Influential Filipinos on LinkedIn (2024 & 2025) and a Business Woman of the Year finalist (2023), Le-an is a global speaker on entrepreneurship, AI delegation, and the future of remote work. She also hosts the Scale You podcast and is the author of Scale You.

Max Nijst is a Coach, Motivational Speaker, Published Author, and Podcast Host dedicated to helping individuals overcome life’s greatest challenges and step into what he calls a life of “Fearless Happyness.”As a recovering addict with 20 years of sobriety, Max brings powerful lived experience to his work, demonstrating how trauma, addiction, and adversity can become the very doorway to purpose. Through his coaching, writing, and podcast, he highlights stories of resilience and transformation — amplifying voices of those who have turned pain into power.Today, he joins us to explore addiction recovery, PTSD, mental health, and what it truly means to live fearlessly.

In this episode of Surviving x Zo, Zo sits down with LisaBeth “LB” Thomas, who opens up about losing everything after divorce and financial collapse -and how she rebuilt her life from the ground up.Now a speaker, author, and nonprofit founder, LB empowers women to turn trauma into strength, reclaim their confidence, and take bold action. She also shares her mission to protect children online and uplift women through education and community.A powerful reminder: your lowest moment can become your greatest turning point.