Burn It Down & Begin Again

Erica Gil

Hosted by Erica, Burn It Down & Begin Again is a raw, soul-baring podcast about what happens when the life you built burns to the ground — and the woman who rises from the ashes stronger than ever. This is more than a story of survival. It’s a journey of truth-telling, healing, and radical reinvention. Erica opens with her own chapters of addiction, abuse, betrayal, and breakdowns — not to dwell on the past, but to light the way forward. From there, the podcast shifts into rebuilding and manifesting the life you want, surviving and healing from codependency and narcissism, reclaiming your voice, and learning how to stand in your power as the woman you were always meant to be. Each episode unpacks a piece of the path back to wholeness: untangling toxic relationships, setting boundaries, rewriting old narratives, and creating a life filled with strength, purpose, and joy. Erica doesn’t sugarcoat the pain — but she shows how to use it as fuel. If you’ve ever felt silenced, isolated, or like no one could possibly understand what you’ve been through — this podcast is for you. This is about remembering your worth. Reclaiming your voice. And rebuilding a life that feels like truth. Part of the Chickology™ podcast collective — real women telling real stories to break cycles, rise in power, and reclaim what was stolen.

  1. Jul 14

    Chapter 42 - THE WOUNDS THAT NEVER FULLY HEAL (AND MAYBE THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO)

    THE WOUNDS THAT NEVER FULLY HEAL (AND MAYBE THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO) Can emotional wounds ever fully heal, or do we simply learn to live with them? In this deeply personal episode of Burn It Down and Begin Again, Erica explores one of the hardest questions on every healing journey: Do old scars ever truly disappear? After rediscovering old family home videos and reflecting on childhood trauma, marriage, betrayal, addiction, and recovery, Erica shares how unexpected moments can reopen wounds we thought we'd already healed—and why that doesn't mean we've failed. In this episode, you'll discover:  Why healing isn't always linear  How trauma can resurface years later  The difference between healing and pretending you're "over it"  Why old memories still trigger powerful emotions  How childhood experiences, betrayal, and loss shape adulthood  The role of forgiveness without forgetting  Learning to rebuild your identity after heartbreak  Why survival can become purpose  How to stop judging yourself for scars that remain If you've ever wondered why certain memories still hurt despite years of personal growth, this episode offers compassion, perspective, and hope. Healing isn't about becoming who you were before—it’s about becoming someone stronger because of what you've survived. If this conversation resonates with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs the reminder that healing doesn't have to be perfect to be real. Burn It Down and Begin Again is part of the Chickology Podcast Network, where real women share real stories of resilience, transformation, and rebuilding after life's hardest seasons. 🌸 About Chickology™ Chickology™ is more than a podcast brand — it’s a collective of strong, real women telling real stories. Together, we’re reclaiming our narratives, breaking cycles, and lifting one another up through truth, laughter, and raw conversations. Every show under the Chickology™ umbrella is created by women, for women, with love. ✨ Join the Movement We’re always looking for bold voices and powerful stories. If you’re a woman ready to share your truth or host your own podcast with us, reach out! One honest truth at a time, we’re helping one isolated woman at a time feel less alone. 📍 Find Us Explore all Chickology™ podcasts at [Buzzsprout Podcast Directory link or Chickology website]Email us at: ChickologyPodcasts@gmail.com 💫 Because when women rise together, we change the world.

  2. Jul 7

    Chapter 41 - The last 20 pounds - why I'm not chasing skinny at 56

    The last 20 pounds - why I'm not chasing skinny at 56 Stop Chasing Skinny: Why Women Over 50 Need Muscle, Not a Smaller Number on the Scale What if the biggest mistake women over 50 make isn't eating too much—but chasing the wrong goal? In this eye-opening episode of Burn It Down and Begin Again, Erica shares how a serious illness changed the way she thinks about health, fitness, and aging. After spending 49 days recovering from pneumonia, she returned to the exact same weight—but with less muscle, more body fat, and a completely different body composition. It became the wake-up call that transformed her approach to wellness. This episode explores why muscle—not simply weight loss—is one of the greatest predictors of long-term health, energy, independence, and longevity. Erica breaks down the science behind metabolism, body composition, sarcopenia, protein intake, resistance training, sleep, cortisol, and why women over 50 should stop obsessing over the scale and start focusing on building strength. She also shares her personal 16-week plan to lose her final 20 pounds, rebuild muscle, recover from illness, and create a healthier future—not by starving herself, but by fueling her body with purpose. If you're tired of losing the same weight over and over, frustrated by changing hormones, or wondering why what worked in your 30s no longer works today, this episode will give you a completely different perspective on aging well. Because after 50, the goal isn't to be the smallest version of yourself. It's to become the strongest, healthiest, and most vibrant version of the woman you're still becoming. 🌸 About Chickology™ Chickology™ is more than a podcast brand — it’s a collective of strong, real women telling real stories. Together, we’re reclaiming our narratives, breaking cycles, and lifting one another up through truth, laughter, and raw conversations. Every show under the Chickology™ umbrella is created by women, for women, with love. ✨ Join the Movement We’re always looking for bold voices and powerful stories. If you’re a woman ready to share your truth or host your own podcast with us, reach out! One honest truth at a time, we’re helping one isolated woman at a time feel less alone. 📍 Find Us Explore all Chickology™ podcasts at [Buzzsprout Podcast Directory link or Chickology website]Email us at: ChickologyPodcasts@gmail.com 💫 Because when women rise together, we change the world.

  3. Jun 30

    Chapter 40 - NOT ENOUGH - The Story At the Root of Every Addiction

    Addiction Isn't the Problem—It's the Symptom What if addiction doesn't begin with alcohol, drugs, food, or any other substance? What if it begins with a single belief: "I'm not enough." In this deeply personal episode of Burn It Down and Begin Again, Erica shares her own journey through addiction, recovery, and the emotional work that ultimately saved her life. Rather than focusing on the substance itself, she explores the hidden wounds underneath addiction—childhood experiences, low self-worth, victim mentality, unresolved trauma, and the stories we unknowingly tell ourselves for years. Inspired by a recent experience with someone she loves who is struggling with addiction, Erica opens up about the heartbreak of watching someone refuse help, the difficult boundaries that recovery sometimes requires, and why no one can heal until they're ready to face themselves. Drawing from psychology, shadow work, and her own recovery, she explains why addiction is rarely about the drink or the drug—it's about escaping the pain of believing you're unworthy, unloved, or broken. If you or someone you love is battling addiction, this episode offers compassion, hope, and a different way of understanding recovery. Because lasting healing doesn't come from simply removing the addiction—it comes from healing the person who believed they needed it in the first place. Because you are not your addiction. You are not your past. And the moment you begin rewriting the story you tell yourself… everything can change.  🌸 About Chickology™ Chickology™ is more than a podcast brand — it’s a collective of strong, real women telling real stories. Together, we’re reclaiming our narratives, breaking cycles, and lifting one another up through truth, laughter, and raw conversations. Every show under the Chickology™ umbrella is created by women, for women, with love. ✨ Join the Movement We’re always looking for bold voices and powerful stories. If you’re a woman ready to share your truth or host your own podcast with us, reach out! One honest truth at a time, we’re helping one isolated woman at a time feel less alone. 📍 Find Us Explore all Chickology™ podcasts at [Buzzsprout Podcast Directory link or Chickology website]Email us at: ChickologyPodcasts@gmail.com 💫 Because when women rise together, we change the world.

  4. Jun 25

    Chapter 39 - Why Are Women So Mean to Each Other? It's Time We Talk About It.

    Why Are Women So Mean to Each Other? It's Time We Talk About It. Women have fought for generations to earn respect, equality, and a seat at the table. So why are so many of us still tearing each other down instead of lifting each other up? In this heartfelt episode of Burn It Down and Begin Again, Erica tackles one of the most painful realities of modern life—female bullying, online cruelty, and the silent competition that too often exists between women. Inspired by a real-life social media incident, she explores why insecurity, comparison, and unresolved wounds can cause women to attack the very people who should be their greatest allies. Drawing from psychology, personal experience, and powerful real-world stories, Erica discusses the Queen Bee Syndrome, social comparison, cyberbullying, body shaming, and why another woman's success is never a threat to your own. She also shares why kindness is a choice, how small moments shape who we become, and what it truly means to be a "girl's girl." If you've ever been judged, bullied, compared yourself to another woman, or wondered why women sometimes struggle to support one another, this episode is an invitation to choose a different path. Because another woman's light doesn't dim yours. It simply proves that there's enough room for all of us to shine.  🌸 About Chickology™ Chickology™ is more than a podcast brand — it’s a collective of strong, real women telling real stories. Together, we’re reclaiming our narratives, breaking cycles, and lifting one another up through truth, laughter, and raw conversations. Every show under the Chickology™ umbrella is created by women, for women, with love. ✨ Join the Movement We’re always looking for bold voices and powerful stories. If you’re a woman ready to share your truth or host your own podcast with us, reach out! One honest truth at a time, we’re helping one isolated woman at a time feel less alone. 📍 Find Us Explore all Chickology™ podcasts at [Buzzsprout Podcast Directory link or Chickology website]Email us at: ChickologyPodcasts@gmail.com 💫 Because when women rise together, we change the world.

  5. Jun 17

    Chapter 38 - You Are Not Cursed - You're Conditioned

    You Are Not Cursed: The Script You Didn’t Know You Were Following What if bad luck isn’t bad luck at all? In this thought-provoking episode of Burn It Down and Begin Again, Erica explores a powerful question: Why do some people seem trapped in the same painful patterns over and over again? Is it bad luck, a curse, fate—or something much deeper? Drawing from neuroscience, quantum theory, psychology, manifestation, and personal experience, Erica examines how our beliefs shape our reality and how the stories we inherited in childhood often become the scripts we unconsciously live out as adults. From the Reticular Activating System and the Observer Effect to the teachings of Bruce Lipton, Joe Dispenza, and the controversial Seth Material, this episode challenges listeners to rethink everything they believe about destiny, healing, and personal power. Erica also shares her own journey through addiction, recovery, trauma, illness, and transformation, revealing how changing her identity and beliefs ultimately changed the trajectory of her life. If you've ever wondered why the same problems keep showing up, why some people seem stuck in cycles of struggle, or whether it's truly possible to create a different future, this episode offers a powerful new perspective. Because you are not cursed. You are not broken. And the story you're living today doesn't have to be the story you keep telling tomorrow.  🌸 About Chickology™ Chickology™ is more than a podcast brand — it’s a collective of strong, real women telling real stories. Together, we’re reclaiming our narratives, breaking cycles, and lifting one another up through truth, laughter, and raw conversations. Every show under the Chickology™ umbrella is created by women, for women, with love. ✨ Join the Movement We’re always looking for bold voices and powerful stories. If you’re a woman ready to share your truth or host your own podcast with us, reach out! One honest truth at a time, we’re helping one isolated woman at a time feel less alone. 📍 Find Us Explore all Chickology™ podcasts at [Buzzsprout Podcast Directory link or Chickology website]Email us at: ChickologyPodcasts@gmail.com 💫 Because when women rise together, we change the world.

  6. Jun 10

    Chapter 37 - THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP- Having One True Friend Can Change Your Life

    THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP- Having One True Friend Can Change Your Life From Rock Bottom to Reinvention: The Power of Friendship, Healing, and Showing Up for Yourself In this special episode of Burn It Down and Begin Again, Erica welcomes her very first guest—her best friend Elise—for an honest, heartfelt conversation about friendship, resilience, healing, and the unexpected paths that can completely change your life. Together, they share the story of how they met during some of the darkest seasons of their lives, the struggles they overcame, and the powerful friendship that helped them both rebuild from the ground up. From addiction recovery, trauma, loss, and depression to motherhood, entrepreneurship, manifestation, personal growth, and creating a life they genuinely love, this episode is a testament to what can happen when you refuse to give up on yourself. Erica and Elise discuss the importance of having people who believe in you when you can't believe in yourself, the lessons they've learned through hardship, and why showing up for yourself—one day at a time—can completely transform your future. They also introduce their exciting new venture, Take Us With You Official, a travel and lifestyle project built around friendship, adventure, experiences, and creating a life by design. If you've ever felt stuck, lost, broken, or uncertain about what's next, this episode is proof that your story isn't over. Sometimes, the people who walk into your life at exactly the right moment help you become the person you were always meant to be. Because healing is powerful.  Friendship is transformative.  And your next chapter may be closer than you think. 🌸 About Chickology™ Chickology™ is more than a podcast brand — it’s a collective of strong, real women telling real stories. Together, we’re reclaiming our narratives, breaking cycles, and lifting one another up through truth, laughter, and raw conversations. Every show under the Chickology™ umbrella is created by women, for women, with love. ✨ Join the Movement We’re always looking for bold voices and powerful stories. If you’re a woman ready to share your truth or host your own podcast with us, reach out! One honest truth at a time, we’re helping one isolated woman at a time feel less alone. 📍 Find Us Explore all Chickology™ podcasts at [Buzzsprout Podcast Directory link or Chickology website]Email us at: ChickologyPodcasts@gmail.com 💫 Because when women rise together, we change the world.

  7. Jun 2

    Chapter 36 - What If Your Worst Trait Is Actually Your Greatest Gift?

    What If Your Worst Trait Is Actually Your Greatest Gift? The Wound Is the Door: How Your Greatest Weakness Becomes Your Greatest Strength What if the thing you've spent years hiding, apologizing for, or trying to overcome was never actually the problem? In this powerful episode of Burn It Down and Begin Again, Erica explores one of the most transformative ideas in personal growth: the possibility that your greatest weakness may actually be your greatest source of strength. Drawing from her own journey through alcoholism, depression, divorce, healing, and reinvention, she shares how the very experiences that once filled her with shame became the foundation for her purpose, resilience, and ability to help others. Through the wisdom of Carl Jung, Brené Brown, Rumi, post-traumatic growth research, and real-life examples, Erica breaks down why our deepest wounds often contain our greatest gifts. From people-pleasing and sensitivity to isolation, overgiving, and emotional pain, she reveals how the traits we often criticize in ourselves can become our superpowers when we learn to understand and direct them. If you've ever felt broken, damaged, too much, or not enough, this episode will challenge the story you've been telling yourself and offer a new perspective on your healing journey. Because the goal isn't to erase your scars. It's to discover the strength they created.  🌸 About Chickology™ Chickology™ is more than a podcast brand — it’s a collective of strong, real women telling real stories. Together, we’re reclaiming our narratives, breaking cycles, and lifting one another up through truth, laughter, and raw conversations. Every show under the Chickology™ umbrella is created by women, for women, with love. ✨ Join the Movement We’re always looking for bold voices and powerful stories. If you’re a woman ready to share your truth or host your own podcast with us, reach out! One honest truth at a time, we’re helping one isolated woman at a time feel less alone. 📍 Find Us Explore all Chickology™ podcasts at [Buzzsprout Podcast Directory link or Chickology website]Email us at: ChickologyPodcasts@gmail.com 💫 Because when women rise together, we change the world.

  8. May 28

    Chapter 35 - Built to last until you aren’t. - the hidden cost of being the one who never stops.

    Built to last until you aren’t. -  the hidden cost of being the one who never stops. Your body keeps score — even when you pretend everything is fine. In this deeply personal and eye-opening episode of Burn It Down and Begin Again, Erica shares the terrifying health journey that forced her to finally stop pushing through exhaustion and start listening to her body. What began as “just bronchitis” spiraled into walking pneumonia, a fungal lung infection, multiple misdiagnoses, and weeks of physical collapse — all while navigating a broken medical system that repeatedly dismissed her symptoms. But this episode is about far more than illness. It’s about what happens when chronic stress, emotional suppression, overwork, and survival mode quietly accumulate in the body for years. Erica dives into the science behind cortisol, immune suppression, nervous system burnout, stored trauma, and the connection between emotional stress and physical disease. Through raw storytelling and powerful insight, she explores why so many women are conditioned to ignore their own needs until the body finally forces them to stop. If you’ve been running on empty, ignoring the whispers your body has been sending, or carrying more than anyone realizes, this episode will hit hard. Because your body is always communicating with you.  The question is: are you listening before it starts screaming?  🌸 About Chickology™ Chickology™ is more than a podcast brand — it’s a collective of strong, real women telling real stories. Together, we’re reclaiming our narratives, breaking cycles, and lifting one another up through truth, laughter, and raw conversations. Every show under the Chickology™ umbrella is created by women, for women, with love. ✨ Join the Movement We’re always looking for bold voices and powerful stories. If you’re a woman ready to share your truth or host your own podcast with us, reach out! One honest truth at a time, we’re helping one isolated woman at a time feel less alone. 📍 Find Us Explore all Chickology™ podcasts at [Buzzsprout Podcast Directory link or Chickology website]Email us at: ChickologyPodcasts@gmail.com 💫 Because when women rise together, we change the world.

See All (42)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Hosted by Erica, Burn It Down & Begin Again is a raw, soul-baring podcast about what happens when the life you built burns to the ground — and the woman who rises from the ashes stronger than ever. This is more than a story of survival. It’s a journey of truth-telling, healing, and radical reinvention. Erica opens with her own chapters of addiction, abuse, betrayal, and breakdowns — not to dwell on the past, but to light the way forward. From there, the podcast shifts into rebuilding and manifesting the life you want, surviving and healing from codependency and narcissism, reclaiming your voice, and learning how to stand in your power as the woman you were always meant to be. Each episode unpacks a piece of the path back to wholeness: untangling toxic relationships, setting boundaries, rewriting old narratives, and creating a life filled with strength, purpose, and joy. Erica doesn’t sugarcoat the pain — but she shows how to use it as fuel. If you’ve ever felt silenced, isolated, or like no one could possibly understand what you’ve been through — this podcast is for you. This is about remembering your worth. Reclaiming your voice. And rebuilding a life that feels like truth. Part of the Chickology™ podcast collective — real women telling real stories to break cycles, rise in power, and reclaim what was stolen.

Information

  • Creator
    Erica Gil
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Burn It Down & Begin Again
  • Show Website
    Burn It Down & Begin Again