Recovery, Reinvention & Why It's Never Too Late with Jen Pastiloff

SHE RECOVERS Foundation co-founder Dawn Nickel sits down with author, speaker, and visual artist Jen Pastiloff to talk about living openly, deafness, leaving a marriage, finding a partner, parenting through recovery, and why "the school of whatever works" matters more than any single path to healing. In this episode, Jen shares her own honest, unfiltered story of getting sober eighteen months ago after decades of denial and resistance to change. And dives into her latest book *Proof of Life: Let Go, Let Love, and Stop Looking for Permission to Live Your Life*.    This conversation is funny, raw, and full of permission giving! **IN THIS EPISODE** - How Dawn and Jen first connected ahead of the (twice-postponed) SHE RECOVERS in MIAMI conference - Living openly as a deaf woman, and why Jen now leads with what used to cause her shame - Jen's path from NYU and a 14-year-summer-job waitressing, through yoga teacher training, to writing and painting - The Jenisms: You get to have this, I've done love, imaginary time gods, heart sight, and may I remember - The unfiltered truth about getting sober: the night she sat in a hotel bar before giving a recovery keynote - Why twelve-step meetings work for millions, and why they were never the right fit for Jen - "The school of whatever works" — non-alcoholic wine, individualized pathways, and zero judgment - Dissociation, eating disorder patterns, and how addiction can shift forms over a lifetime - Parenting her son Charlie through her sobriety, and what's changed in her marriage and relationships - Jen’s retreats in Ojai, California and Tuscany, Italy, her Substack and book club, and how she connected SHE RECOVERS to its own future Italy retreat venue **ABOUT JEN:** Jennifer Pastiloff is the author of the bestselling books Proof of Life and On Being Human*.* Jennifer travels the globe as a public speaker, one-of-a-kind workshop facilitator, and retreat host.   Author of the popular Substack, also called *Proof of Life*, she teaches writing and creativity classes and workshops when she isn’t painting and selling her art.  Pastiloff has been featured on *Good Morning America* and *Katie Couric*, and in *New York*, *People*, *Shape*, and *Health* magazines. She is known for her authenticity and unique voice. Jennifer is deaf, reads lips, and mishears almost everything, but what she hears is usually funnier (at least she thinks so).  **EPISODE RESOURCES:** - **Website —** jenniferpastiloff.com - ***Proof of Life with Jen Pastiloff* —** proofoflifewithjen.substack.com - **Instagram —** @jenpastiloff **&** @jenpastiloff\_art **SHE RECOVERS® Foundation** is a non-profit public charity and a global grassroots movement serving more than 325,000 women and non-binary individuals in or seeking recovery from life challenges, including mental health issues, trauma, and substance use. SHE RECOVERS is dedicated to redefining recovery, inspiring hope, ending stigma, and empowering women to increase their recovery capital, heal themselves, and help other women to do the same. If you found this conversation helpful, please consider donating to our lifeline organization or sharing it with others who may benefit. We would love to also receive your rating and review of the SHE RECOVERS Podcast on your favorite platform. Visit sherecovers.org to donate today.