From Brokenness to Compassion: Gina Economopoulos on Grief, Faith, and Finding Purpose

🗓️ Episode Summary:
In this deeply moving episode of Walk With Me, host Stephanie Bloom speaks with Gina Economopoulos—author, end-of-life doula, and former Catholic nun—about how life's deepest wounds can cultivate our greatest compassion. Gina shares her journey through chronic illness, profound grief, religious trauma, addiction, and recovery, and how these trials ultimately equipped her to serve others at the threshold of death.

Her story, told with unflinching honesty and fierce grace, invites listeners to reflect on how pain doesn't disqualify us—it prepares us to walk with others through theirs.

📚 Gina is the author of Shake the Dust Off Your Feet and Walk, a memoir of loss, love, and liberation.

💡 Key Topics Covered:

• Growing up with illness and internalizing unworthiness
• Seeking belonging through people-pleasing and performance
• Joining—and being expelled from—a religious order after 12 years of service
• Losing her fiancé to alcoholism a month before their wedding
• Discovering her own alcoholism and beginning the healing journey at 49
• Becoming an end-of-life doula and rediscovering purpose through presence
• What it means to help others die with dignity
• How trauma, grief, and spiritual surrender shaped her story of transformation

📌 Notable Quotes:

“I got so used to bad things happening that it became normal. But healing meant choosing not to expect pain as my identity.”

“I don't fear death. I see Jesus in those I sit beside in their final hours.”

“If nobody told you they love you today—I do.”

📖 Resources & Links:

• 📕 Shake the Dust Off Your Feet and Walk – Available on Amazon
• 🌐 Visit Gina’s website: www.ginaecon.com
• Learn more about end-of-life doula work: INELDA.org

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Here's how you can support the show:

✅ Subscribe to Walk With Me on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

💬 Leave a review—your feedback helps us grow and reach more listeners who need these stories of transformation.

☕ Support my work by donating via Venmo

🔗 Share this episode with someone who is grieving, healing, or searching for meaning. You never know whose life it might change.

🎙️ Episode Title: Between Beauty and Pain: Navigating Love, Loss, and the Aftermath of Suicide
🎧 Guest: Paula DiMarco
🎤 Host: Stephanie Bloom
Podcast: Walk With Me

Episode Summary:
In this powerful and emotionally charged episode, visual artist and writer Paula DiMarco opens up about surviving childhood dysfunction, loving someone with PTSD, and ultimately processing the tragic suicide of her partner, Alex. From her upbringing in Argentina to her creative healing journey in Canada, Paula shares the raw reality of trauma, the double-edged sword of hyper-adaptability, and how writing and art helped her make sense of the unimaginable. Together with host Stephanie Bloom, they discuss the rarely acknowledged trauma experienced by those who are left behind when someone threatens or dies by suicide.

Key Themes:

• The unseen trauma of suicide threats
• Loving someone with PTSD and depression
• Grieving someone whose truth you never fully knew
• Emotional abuse vs. mental illness—holding both truths
• The role of art and writing in healing and identity reclamation
• What the system gets wrong about crisis support
• Setting boundaries when your survival is on the line

Quotable Moments:
🖤 “Hyper-adaptability helped me survive, but it also made me tolerant of environments I should have never stayed in.”
🖋️ “Writing became my lifeline—the only place where I could unpack everything without censoring or sugarcoating.”
💬 “Being the one someone threatens suicide to is a trauma all its own.”
🌊 “Art was how I stayed connected to myself while everything around me was falling apart.”

Resources & Mentions:

• Paula’s blog and forthcoming book on surviving suicide loss
• Suicide Prevention Resources (e.g., Talk Suicide Canada, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)

🎙️ Walk With Me Podcast
Episode Title: Healing the Root: Tammy Cox on Breaking Cycles, Reclaiming Self, and Transforming Love
Host: Stephanie Bloom
Guest: Tammy Cox – Relationship Coach, Host of Behind the Veil Podcast

Episode Summary:
In this raw and illuminating conversation, Tammy Cox shares her journey from a traumatic childhood marked by abuse and religious control to becoming a transformational relationship coach. Tammy walks us through how she unraveled her own inherited wounds, recognized destructive patterns, and rebuilt her life through deep emotional work and spiritual clarity. Now, she helps other women uncover the subconscious beliefs keeping them stuck—especially in love—and walks with them toward genuine healing.

Tammy’s story is not just one of personal evolution; it’s a blueprint for stopping generational trauma and choosing emotional freedom over inherited pain. This episode explores the connection between inner healing and outer relationships, the limitations of talk therapy, the power of somatic release, and why motherhood became her wake-up call to finally heal.

What We Talk About:

• The trauma of being raised in a controlling and abusive environment
• Losing her father to AIDS at 11 and the psychological aftermath
• The internal conflict of grieving someone who hurt you
• How unresolved trauma shows up in motherhood and relationships
• Why traditional therapy didn’t go deep enough
• The belief that ruled her life: “I am unlovable”
• What actually works to heal core wounds
• The importance of finding the root pattern and subconscious belief
• Releasing fear-based religion and embracing spirituality
• Creating a new legacy for her children by modeling emotional freedom
• The power of being fully present, even during conflict
• How she works with clients to guide them through deep transformation
• Why healing isn’t quick—but it is possible

Quotable Insights:

“If I don’t heal me, she is going to become me.”
“Talk therapy was just a band-aid. I needed to go deeper—into the body, into the belief.”
“You can’t pass on what you haven’t practiced. That includes peace.”
“Every traumatic event comes with a belief. And that belief is creating your entire life experience.”
“You’re not just healing for yourself. You’re healing for your lineage.”

Connect with Tammy Cox:

• Website & Coaching: Tammy's Linktree
• Podcast: Behind the Veil: Anonymous Transformations

Trending Topics Covered:
mentalhealth • healingjourney • traumahealing • emotionalintelligence • selflove • innerchildhealing • somatichealing • mindfulness • resilience • relationshiprepair

Subscribe & Share:
If this episode spoke to you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone walking a similar path. Your support helps amplify these stories of transformation and hope.

👤 Guest:

Michael Blair – Therapist, Coach, Author, and Creator of the Spin Method

📝 Episode Summary:

In this powerful episode, host Stephanie Bloom sits down with Michael Blair, a veteran therapist and passionate grandfather who introduces us to a life-changing emotional regulation tool: When in Doubt, Spin It Out. Drawing from over 34 years of clinical experience, Michael shares how his "Spin" method helps individuals rapidly release emotional pain, process trauma, and reclaim mental clarity — often in under 10 minutes.

From suicidal ideation to anxiety, marriage conflict to chronic stress, Michael offers real-life examples where people found healing faster than they ever imagined. His approach isn't just therapeutic — it's transformational and accessible to anyone, even children. Through his book and free coaching demos, Michael is on a mission to bring this tool into 100,000 homes by 2025.

🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why traditional talk therapy may not be enough for deep emotional healing
• How the Spin method works to “uninstall” negative emotions
• Real-world stories of trauma being resolved in minutes
• How to use this technique with children, partners, and yourself
• The surprising role of self-forgiveness in long-term emotional regulation
• Ways this process can support crisis intervention and suicide prevention
• Michael’s vision for making healing scalable, fast, and freely available

📘 Resources Mentioned:

• Michael’s book: When in Doubt, Spin It Out
• Website: www.whenindoubtspinitout.com
• QR code in the book links to $299 worth of free training sessions
• Expanded therapeutic model: Trauma Conversion Therapy (TCT)

💬 Memorable Quote:

“When in doubt, spin it out. You don’t have to carry your pain forever.” – Michael Blair

🎧 Listen Now On:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | WalkWithMeConversations.com

📲 Connect with Us:

• Learn more about upcoming guests and resources at WalkWithMeConversations.com

🔹 Podcast Show Notes:

🎙 Episode Title: Resilience Reset with Dr. Lynn Banas: Navigating Grief, Identity, and Rebirth

🎧 Summary:
In this powerful conversation, Dr. Lynn Banas shares her journey through profound loss, personal transformation, and her mission to guide others through grief. After losing her mother, brother, and husband within a short span, Lynn used her background in psychology, coaching, and change leadership to rebuild her life—and help others do the same. From the fog of early grief to redefining purpose in later life, this episode is a testament to resilience, flow, and the power of choosing a new identity.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• The difference between moving on and moving forward
• How grief rewires the brain—and how to support that process
• Why isolation can feel physically painful
• How to help someone who’s grieving (hint: don’t avoid their name)
• Why grief mentorship must go beyond the first year

📘 Resources Mentioned:
👉 Dr. Lynn Banas’ free guide: Five Answers to the Tricky Question: “How Are You?”
👉 Book recommendation: Healthy Grief by Dr. Karen Kramer

🔗 Connect with Dr. Banas:
Visit Discovery Point Coaching
Download her free grief guide (link provided in episode description)

Episode Title: Building Something Brick by Brick: The Journey of Nick Barrett

Guest: Nick Barrett, Founder of Cord Brick LLC

Episode Overview: In today’s episode, we hear from Nick Barrett, the founder of Cord Brick LLC, as he shares his remarkable story of transformation—from overcoming addiction to launching a successful entrepreneurial venture. Nick’s journey is one of resilience, creativity, and growth. Through his candid conversation, he highlights the power of community, the importance of personal growth, and how his experiences in recovery led to the creation of his innovative product.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Nick’s Early Life and Struggles: Growing up as a sports-loving 90s kid in Northern Virginia and later Philadelphia, Nick shares his childhood experiences and how insecurity led him to alcoholism as a way to cope.
• The Turning Point: How hitting rock bottom—through job loss, relationship breakdowns, and multiple DUIs—pushed Nick to confront his addiction and find sobriety.
• The Role of AA in His Recovery: Nick reflects on the importance of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and how the support and community in AA gave him the strength to rebuild his life.
• From Sobriety to Entrepreneurship: After getting sober, Nick transitioned into the entrepreneurial world, creating Cord Brick—an innovative product to solve the problem of tangled phone cords. Nick discusses the challenges and triumphs of building his business from the ground up.
• Building a Balanced Life: The importance of physical, mental, and emotional balance in both sobriety and entrepreneurship. Nick shares how he learned to prioritize self-care and discipline, leading to his success as a business owner.
• Mentorship and Giving Back: Nick’s commitment to mentoring others and sharing his journey with aspiring entrepreneurs. He emphasizes how helping others has been a crucial part of his success.
• The Power of Personal Growth: How Nick’s focus on personal development, overcoming obstacles, and staying disciplined in both recovery and business has led to sustainable success.

Key Quotes:

• "Building something, whether it’s a product or a life, is all about doing it brick by brick."
• "The real power in recovery wasn’t in the state-mandated programs, it was in the community I found through AA."
• "Every step in life is a chance to improve. Even when you’re struggling, every new version of yourself is an opportunity to get better."
• "Sobriety taught me to manage risk, but being an entrepreneur taught me to embrace calculated risks and follow through."

Where to Find Nick:

• Website: Cord Brick
• Amazon: Cord Brick on Amazon
• Social Media:
• • Instagram: @cordbrick
  • LinkedIn: Nick Barrett

Resources:

• AA – Alcoholics Anonymous
• Florida Gulf Coast University Entrepreneurship Program

Subscribe and Review: If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review! Your support helps us continue bringing inspiring stories like Nick’s to the forefront.

Episode Overview: In this powerful episode of the "Walk With Me" podcast, Joe Rosado shares his incredible journey of resilience, self-healing, and growth. From childhood trauma and loss to overcoming addiction and embracing holistic healing, Joe’s story is a testament to the power of transformation. Join us as Joe reflects on his life’s challenges, the lessons learned, and how he now helps others through his work in medical cannabis and addiction recovery.

Key Topics Covered:

• Joe's Early Life and Trauma: Joe begins by sharing his childhood in the Bronx, his experience with physical abuse, and the emotional scars that shaped his worldview. His traumatic experiences at a young age set the foundation for much of his emotional struggles later in life.
• Loss and Beliefs About Love: At the age of 11, Joe's father’s sudden death led to deep emotional beliefs about abandonment and loss, which impacted his future relationships and choices.
• The Healing Journey: Joe’s path to healing started in his early 40s when he took a deep dive into understanding his trauma, behaviors, and emotional struggles. Through therapy and personal reflection, he started to unravel the beliefs and patterns that shaped his life.
• Addiction and Recovery: Joe opens up about his struggles with alcohol, the moment he realized he needed help, and the crucial role that community support played in his recovery. His commitment to his own healing journey reflects his understanding of addiction’s complexities.
• Medical Career and Healing: With a lifelong dream of being a physician, Joe worked his way through various medical roles, from an orderly to a chiropractor, before becoming a medical doctor. He reflects on how his experiences as both a healthcare provider and a patient have shaped his approach to healing others.
• The Role of Medical Cannabis and Ketamine: Joe shares his work as a medical cannabis physician and his use of alternative treatments, including ketamine therapy for treatment-resistant depression and PTSD. His approach combines his clinical expertise and personal healing journey to help others overcome trauma, addiction, and mental health struggles.
• Empathy in Medicine: Through his personal experiences, Joe has gained a deep understanding of what it means to be a patient, allowing him to empathize with his own patients who are navigating addiction, mental health challenges, and recovery.

Quotable Insights:

• “Healing is a lifelong journey, and the most important step is the one we take to begin it.”
• “Resilience is key, but we don’t do it alone. It’s the people around us, the tribe, that helps us heal.”
• “The only difference between you and me is that you're sitting on that side of the desk and I'm sitting on this side.”
• “Cannabis is medicine. It has the power to help people heal, both physically and emotionally.”

Connect with Joe: https://josephrosadomd.com/meet-dr-joseph-rosado/

Episode Title: Rodney Miles: Embracing Dual Identities in Creativity and Professionalism

Episode Summary:
In this episode, we sit down with Rodney Miles, a man who beautifully navigates the balance between his professional career and creative passions. Rodney discusses how he adopted his full name, "Rodney Miles," as both his professional pen name and a symbol of his evolving identity. He shares valuable insights into how being a professional doesn't mean abandoning your creative soul, and how embracing both sides of yourself can lead to authentic success.

Rodney's journey offers inspiration for anyone struggling to balance their creative pursuits with professional demands, emphasizing the importance of persistence, authenticity, and surrounding yourself with a supportive community.

Key Takeaways:

• Dual Identity: Rodney explains how adopting his full name as a professional pen name allowed him to fuse his creativity with his career.
• Balancing Creativity and Professionalism: It's possible to excel in both realms by staying true to your creative soul while pursuing career success.
• The Power of Community: Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who support your growth is essential for success.
• Evolving as a Creative: The importance of continuing to learn, adapt, and evolve, both professionally and creatively.

Quotable Insights:

• "Being a professional doesn’t mean you have to leave your creative soul behind."
• "Surround yourself with people who understand your vision and will support your growth."
• "Stay true to yourself, continue learning, and don’t be afraid to evolve."

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Introduction to Rodney Miles and the episode’s theme
• 03:15 - Rodney’s story and the significance of his full name as a professional pen name
• 08:45 - How Rodney balances his creative passions with his professional career
• 14:30 - The importance of surrounding yourself with a supportive community
• 20:00 - Evolving as a creative and the value of continuous learning
• 25:30 - Final thoughts and advice for aspiring creatives and professionals

Connect with Rodney:

• Rodney Miles' Website: https://rodneymiles.com/
• Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006731687965
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebookdude

Join the Conversation:
We want to hear your thoughts! How do you balance your creative passions with your professional goals? Share with us on social media or send us a message!