From Bartender to Nun: Gina’s Journey of Faith and Redemption

Sponsored by Window Depot of Baltimore

In this heartfelt episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Rich sits down with Gina Economopoulos, an author, former nun, and end-of-life doula, to explore her extraordinary journey of faith, resilience, and redemption. From her days as a bartender to her transformative experiences in a convent, Gina shares how loss, self-discovery, and sobriety have shaped her life and inspired her to help others find peace in their final moments. Gina’s story is one of hope, healing, and the power of faith to guide us through life's most challenging chapters.

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Transcript

Rich Bennett 0:00
Thanks for joining the conversation where we explore the stories and experiences shape our world. I'm your host, Rich Bennett. Today, I'm excited to welcome Gina. Coming up, 

Gina is an author, a former nun, and an end of life doula whose incredible journey is shared in her memoir, Shake the Dust Off Your Feet and Walk. Remember that book? And as you're listening to this, go to Amazon and shake the dust off your feet and walk. From our early days as a bartender to her 12 years in a convent. Gina's story is one of resilience, faith and redemption. She is faced and overcome challenges like alcoholism, loss and self-discovery, and now dedicates her life to helping others navigate their final chapters with compassion. So join me as we dive into her powerful story of hope and healing. And Gina, I gotta be honest with you. I've had a doula on before, but never and end of life Doula. So this was a I don't know, what would you call that beginning of a life to birth. 

Gina Economopoulos 1:13
A birth to. 

Rich Bennett 1:14
Birth doula. Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 1:16
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 1:17
Which when she came on, I had no idea what a birth doula was either. So. But anyways, welcome to the show. How you doing? 

Gina Economopoulos 1:24
Thanks, Rich. What an honor to be here. 

Rich Bennett 1:27
Oh, it's it's we were talking before the podcast, those of you listening before we started recording. And I feel no pun intended, but I feel like I'm talking to my long lost sister. 

It's just I can sit there and talk to you all day. I don't know if it's an East Coast thing or what. 

Gina Economopoulos 1:50
Same here. It's just. It's just natural. It's just comfortable. 

Rich Bennett 1:55
So I want to talk before we get into everything, because you correct me if I'm wrong, but you're is it you're from the Bronx. Are you from Jersey? 

Gina Economopoulos 2:03
I'm originally a Long Island Girl 

Rich Bennett 2:05
Okay. Long Island. 

Gina Economopoulos 2:06
York. 

Rich Bennett 2:06
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 2:07
I'm. 

Rich Bennett 2:08
So what was it like growing up, growing up in Long Island? 

Gina Economopoulos 2:13
Oh, I loved it. I came from a family of eight kids, the seventh child. 

Rich Bennett 2:18
Wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 2:19
Like I shared with you earlier, my parents. My mother was Italian and my father was Greek. 

Rich Bennett 2:24
Mm hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 2:24
And. And there was just so much love in the household. And there was a lot of family 

teachings. I mean, all I know is that by the time I was 18 years old. Or I should say not 18. But prior to that, my dream was to get married at 18 and have eight kids by the time I turned 25 

Rich Bennett 2:48
Wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 2:48
because 

Rich Bennett 2:48
What's. 

Gina Economopoulos 2:48
because I just saw how my parents, they would you know, my father was a hard working mother, raised the kids, and that was just the surroundings. Like, you know what? I want to be a mom and I want to have a kids and I want to get married because being Catholic, you get married first. 

Rich Bennett 3:03
Well, yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 3:03
And so that was that was my program. That was my desire. That was my dream of wanting to do that because of just my family. I lived the family. I was like, because of my family and living on New York, Long Island. 

Rich Bennett 3:18
Mm hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 3:18
Yes. I mean, I'm glad I lived there, but I'm glad I don't. 84 And and I just lived in an era where I just we were very simple, like a simple attitude was raised simply. We weren't we weren't rich and we weren't poor, but we 

Rich Bennett 3:38
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 3:38
were like middle class with morals. Like my parents taught us with that, and that's what I liked it. And so 

Rich Bennett 3:46
Well, obviously, you did not get married at 18 and have a kids before you turned 25. 

Gina Economopoulos 3:52
I 

Rich Bennett 3:52
So what was it that 

Gina Economopoulos 3:53
think. 

Rich Bennett 3:53
you did when you turned 18? 

Gina Economopoulos 3:55
When I turned 18, I went to college. 

Rich Bennett 3:58
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 3:58
So because that's where I thought I would find my husband, because I would. I mean, in my family, I'm the the fifth. Like I said, I was the seventh child 

Rich Bennett 4:09
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 4:09
and I was the fifth girl. So what to. 

Rich Bennett 4:12
Oh. 

Gina Economopoulos 4:12
Five girls and a boy. Now, mind you, Rich, my mom, which I didn't share with as my mom had my brother Stephen, when she was 49 years old. 

Rich Bennett 4:22
Whoa. 

Gina Economopoulos 4:23
And the oldest, you know, at that time was out, out and about. He probably was at Woodstock all. I've been around that error. But. But there's a 20 year gap. So. 

Rich Bennett 4:36
Wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 4:37
So. But anyhow, we we went. I went to college and I. And once again, my dad being a hard working father husband, that he put all eight of us through college. He didn't want nothing from us. And, and in back then I mean it was it was expensive but yet he this is what his goal was. And I remember when he wrote the last cheque for Steven for his tuition, he says, I could say I put everyone through college and I mean and he had his story and he had some rough times in his business. He owned a business, but he did it. And 

Rich Bennett 5:08
But. 

Gina Economopoulos 5:08
so I did. Yeah. And also he what not only he wanted to pay the college you want wanted to go away. He didn't want us to stay home. Just. 

Rich Bennett 5:16
Well, it's a lot of mouths to feed in the house. 

Gina Economopoulos 5:19
Well, in his mind, he wanted us to have that experience. 

Rich Bennett 5:22
Yeah, 

Gina Economopoulos 5:23
Be away to be away. And and I do recall I remember when I this brings up was when I when I graduated from high school, my father was having some difficulties in finance. And I was kind of worried. And I said, you know, Dad, I said, I don't need to go to school. I could stay home and go to Nassau Local and he said, Nope, you're going away. And you go to eastern Connecticut, because I chose that school because my sisters were there and and they and I would visit them when I was young, you know, 

Rich Bennett 5:54
right. 

Gina Economopoulos 5:54
younger. And they all they were having fun. They were drinking. So I was like, I want to go to a drinking school to have fun. And so. 

Rich Bennett 6:03
Those of you listening. See, even back then, that was a thing. 

Gina Economopoulos 6:07
It was. And the funny thing is, all my classmates, because I went to a good school, very good education 

Rich Bennett 6:14
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 6:15
at high school. And they they all went to Ivy League schools and they'll say, Oh, do you know where you going to school? Well, I'm looking for a small school to have fun and to find my man. So I did. I went. I graduated it. I guess I did. I don't remember. But I did it away. I don't even have my degree or diploma in it or. 

Rich Bennett 6:35
Well, Gina, I don't know if you know this. I don't think they actually offer a degree in college to find a man. 

Gina Economopoulos 6:42
I know. But that's because well before my all my my older two sisters, they did it. They found there. So I'm like, okay, this is my my role. Following their path and and yeah, but of course I didn't. I didn't find a man. 

I found more drinking. I found more of the alcohol, the party scene. Because, you know, I'll back up because growing up. Granted, I had a loving family. 

Rich Bennett 7:11
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 7:11
But there was one problem. Gina did not love herself. I felt like I was in an era that I had to fit in, not in my family, but with, you know, with friends, 

Rich Bennett 7:24
Ranjit. 

Gina Economopoulos 7:24
with with school, with, you know, I was friends with the jocks, you name it. You know, I was trying to find out. I'm trying to be the center of attention. My siblings were all athletic. They they played basketball, MVP. You know, they did very well to excel in, you know, in athletic sports where I was born with the hit. I mean, I was born with a lot of health problems. I had a lot of surgeries. So growing up, I kind of I compared myself, you know, I couldn't run. But you were talking about running in the Sahara Desert of that goodbye. You know, because I can't run. I have limited physical limitation 

Rich Bennett 8:02
Wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 8:02
and I've had other surgeries and I was and I was born with this extra bone, whatever tumors that my father had. And it's like, okay, out of all the children, Gina was born with it, you know? And so my motto growing up, I, I had a great smile because I didn't want to disappoint my parents because. 

Rich Bennett 8:22
Mm hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 8:23
You know, to me they were God. But at the same time, like, I was like, you know, so I was just sickness inside. I had a low self-esteem. I thought I was ugly. I'm short my my sister's a tall blond. You know, they play basketball. I can't run. I wish people would make fun of me running. You know? I was like, and I wasn't popular. I was only popular is when I would drink or get into the crowd that, you know, I was sort of like an individual, a unique individual that I came, you know, I did. And so I but I thought that was everybody, you know, in, you know, peer pressure. I mean, I know peer pressures around, but I just thought that was everybody. But at the same time, I had this great smile. 

Rich Bennett 9:04
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 9:05
Everyone called me Gina Lollobrigida. I mean, my parents loved me unconditionally, and. And I thank God for their love. Because if I came from. I mean, we do I know there's so many dysfunctional families out there with parents, alcoholics or whatever. Not they're absent. I mean, if I had a parent like that, I don't know where I would be today, you know, because it was like I just kept pushing myself along because of their love for me. And they were always there in the hospital. I mean, I would be in a car accident with five people and I'd be the one going out on the gurney. You know what I mean? Was. 

Rich Bennett 9:39
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 9:40
Things like that. So my mind was like, Poor me, poor me, Look at me. Did you ever hear that? Get the commercial, Mikey. Like. 

Rich Bennett 9:48
Mikey likes. 

Gina Economopoulos 9:49
Mikey. 

Rich Bennett 9:50
Mikey. 

Gina Economopoulos 9:51
Yeah. Mikey. 

Rich Bennett 9:51
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 9:51
And he'll eat it. And I always felt like. Like, oh, suffering. Give it to Gina and she'll suffer. Give it to Gina, You know, like, she doesn't need to be happy. She does. So I really had I built up this persona or this whatever, this identity within myself that I was happy on the inside, but I wasn't happy on the outside. So when I went to college, I was free from my parents. So I did a lot of the drinking and I and I became a famous pool shark. I'm a bartender, you know, pool shark. So I would. 

Rich Bennett 10:24
Really? 

Gina Economopoulos 10:24
Table. Oh, yeah. The table two for the town is for the college kids. You know, I would. I mean, I was loved in that way because I had a beer in one hand and a stick in the other. So 

Rich Bennett 10:36
Wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 10:36
I was. I mean, everyone loved me. And that was like an of course, like I said, by the end of college, I did graduate and I did walk down and and I was totally lost, you know, really afterwards, because it's like I you know, I didn't know what to do in my life. You know, I didn't have a boyfriend or anything. And at this point, my parents retired from Long Island and they moved to Pennsylvania because one. 

Rich Bennett 11:04
Oh. 

Gina Economopoulos 11:04
Buildings in Harrisburg, Area one. 

Rich Bennett 11:07
Right? 

Gina Economopoulos 11:08
One of my siblings moved out there and at the same time, they you know, they they at the same time they had my brother Stephen at the age of 12, you know, Stephen was 12 years old, so 

Rich Bennett 11:20
Mm 

Gina Economopoulos 11:20
they 

Rich Bennett 11:20
hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 11:20
couldn't do a full retirement. And so I went to go live with them. And that's where, you know, I'm living back with my parents. I really can't party like I did in college. 

Rich Bennett 11:30
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 11:31
So what did I do? I became a bartender. So that's how I. 

Rich Bennett 11:35
How. 

Gina Economopoulos 11:36
Bartending. I got a social work degree, so it's like, Yeah, I'm trying. 

Rich Bennett 11:40
You really? 

Gina Economopoulos 11:41
Oh, yeah, I did. But I don't know where the paper is to. Did you know to say? I may get the transcripts, but I don't know if I could get that real, like in the frame. Which is okay with me. It's been like since 89. But anyhow. So. So I bartended and I realized, hey, I could be a social worker as you know. You listen, you could 

Rich Bennett 12:06
One 

Gina Economopoulos 12:06
share. 

Rich Bennett 12:06
of the main things about tending bar. 

Gina Economopoulos 12:09
Talk, share, give an advice, but say all. Just listen. Listen. You take that money goodbye 

Rich Bennett 12:17
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 12:18
and you don't have to deal with the government. You don't have to do a paperwork, you know? And that's what I've learned. So I was like, Huh? Either be a professional bartender. But that never happened either. So at this point, I'm not a professional bartender. I don't have a husband. And I didn't have any kids at the time. 

Rich Bennett 12:38
So how long were you tending bar for? 

Gina Economopoulos 12:41
I would say about four years. 

Rich Bennett 12:42
Four years. And correct me if I'm wrong, but you went from working at the bar to the convent, right? 

Gina Economopoulos 12:51
Yes, yes. 

Rich Bennett 12:53
I. 

Gina Economopoulos 12:53
Yes, I. 

Rich Bennett 12:54
Playing that. What was it that triggered in your mind to said this thing for me? I need to become a non. 

Gina Economopoulos 13:02
So during my bartending times, like I said, I was living with my parents and back in 1991, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. 

Rich Bennett 13:10
Oh, God. 

Gina Economopoulos 13:11
And so now, once again, you would think at the age of 22, 23, you would have self esteem and security. But I'm like, why me? Why me? You know, why is this happening to me? Because the six oldest siblings are out about having kids working. And my younger brother went off to college. So I'm home. Could I leave now? And at that time, I was right before my mom was diagnosed. I was filling out applications to be a cruise director. Julie McCoy on the Love Boat. So. 

Rich Bennett 13:43
Wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 13:45
I'm like, This is it. But then, of course, with my mom being diagnosed and then she was given 4 to 6 months to live, I'm like. 

Once again, put that aside and I'll take care of my mom along with my dad, you 

Rich Bennett 13:57
Right? 

Gina Economopoulos 13:57
know, And that's what I did as well as bartending. So was bartending taking care of my mom for those five months because she died in the beginning of January of 1992. So when she died, I was I literally die. I was 

Rich Bennett 14:13
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 14:13
23 years old. I was you know, at this point, I you know, I was raised Catholic. We see all the sacraments. But, of course, college bartending, like, you know, was in the way, did not I didn't go. I stopped going to church. Not that I didn't believe, but I just, you know, didn't go to church. That 

Rich Bennett 14:30
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 14:30
was it. You know, nothing and nothing against it. Did not go to church. And then, of course, when my mom was sick, you know, when we found this out, I didn't know what dying is all about, really, to 

Rich Bennett 14:40
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 14:40
be honest. And and I'm like and of course, when you're 23, you want your mom to be alive. So I did everything I did. Okay. I'm going to pray. I'm going to go to church. I'm going to kneel. God, God, you're going to give God this. I was like, I look back now was like bargaining to God. And at that. 

Rich Bennett 14:57
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 14:57
And really have a faith to say, you know, it's God's will or God's plan or anything. And meanwhile, my mother pulled out the rosary. They were very devout. They would go to you know, mass every day during Lent. You know, they 

Rich Bennett 15:10
Mm 

Gina Economopoulos 15:10
they 

Rich Bennett 15:10
hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 15:10
you know, they were very devout, both of my parents. So we bring the rosary out. We get Padre PIO, we get all these people out that I didn't know. These are saints, you know, 

Rich Bennett 15:20
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 15:20
just so you know, And and so I've just started praying. And then I'm like, okay, mom, this is not working because she had bone cancer. So it was right from the get go and this was going on, you know, 92. So I'm like, no, no, you're going to die. You're going to live, you're going to live. We're going to do this. And I and I remember writing a little journal about her and she's like, What are you doing there, Gina? And I was like, I'm writing this journal so that when you, you know, when you dancing on the table, like I'd say, look, you know, and because I really thought, I really thought that. Now, meanwhile, my mother never complained. 

Rich Bennett 15:54
Mm hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 15:54
You would always concern about everybody else. So you would tell me that there's a cobweb in the corner. I'd be like, let it be. You know, I have to be like, make sure you write a thank you notes this birthday coming up. And she was in total pain, you know, for those six, four or five months, you know, And at the end, she was a morphine. And then at the end, At the end. Now hospice comes in. Now, this is a little. 

Rich Bennett 16:16
Oh. 

Gina Economopoulos 16:17
A receipt. Planet Hospice comes in, takes me aside and says, You know what, Gina? You're the one to give permission to your mom to go. I guess I said go Well, over my dead body. She's got she's not going anywhere. She's staying here. And now, meanwhile, my siblings, they were helping coming in and out. 

Rich Bennett 16:36
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 16:37
They're 24 seven like my dad and I were. So we saw her at her worst, but I never saw my mom at her worse. 

Rich Bennett 16:44
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 16:44
You always had a beauty in her eyes. And I can't explain it. And I don't know why, but that kept me going. You know that beauty in her eyes. And so, needless to say, yes. You know, the hospice worker was right because I was the last one to tell my mom to go without realizing it. 

Rich Bennett 17:01
Now is this home hospice. 

Gina Economopoulos 17:03
Home hospice. 

Rich Bennett 17:04
Okay? 

Gina Economopoulos 17:04
Home. My dad was taking my younger brother off just to college 

Rich Bennett 17:09
Mm hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 17:09
because he started college the day after she was diagnosed and he went off to college back to his winter session. My my siblings were not. They were home, but they they talked to my mom. You know, they were in 

Rich Bennett 17:23
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 17:23
and out. And then at the end, after my my father says to my mom, before I'm going to take Steven to Shippensburg and said, hey, you know, goodbye. My parents says, I'll come back. And my mom looked at him, said goodbye, my friends, you know. And then she looked at me and I'm at the foot of her bed and she says, Gina, I want to go home because prior to that she kept saying to me and I kept saying, You are home. You are home. She says, Gina, I want I want to go home. And I said, Yes. Then I realized what I was saying. 

Rich Bennett 17:55
Right? 

Gina Economopoulos 17:55
Slipped into a coma and then two days later, she never regained consciousness. And two days later, she died. With. With me, my dad. And I'm five, four, five, five siblings by her bedside. One reading the Bible, one doing reading, playing a guitar, one you know, everyone's acting in a different way, but I was 

Rich Bennett 18:15
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 18:16
by my mom. I never left her side. And so when she died and my brother saw a light that my mother took her last grasp, she had a beautiful death. But back then I didn't think so. 

Rich Bennett 18:28
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 18:28
Oh, my God. So? So when she did die, I. I died to, too, you know, And to make a real long story short, because you'll find this in my memoir that I had a event, you know, that's where I came back to my Catholic roots. 

Rich Bennett 18:43
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 18:43
Totally lost. I stopped bartending. I mean, this is where my mind was at. So you would know that the day that my mother, you know, she was dying. Hospice comes in and hospice says, Oh, your mother has a few hours to live, you know? And I'm like, okay. I had to bartend that night. So I called my manager to say, Hey, Mark, I'm not sure if I'm coming in tonight because my mom may die, may not die, but I'll let you know. That's where my mind was. 

Rich Bennett 19:16
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 19:17
You know, instead of like 

Rich Bennett 19:19
Yeah, 

Gina Economopoulos 19:19
course. 

Rich Bennett 19:19
because you don't want to accept that. You don't want to accept that. 

Gina Economopoulos 19:22
No, no. It was far from it. 

Rich Bennett 19:24
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 19:25
And of course, I didn't go to work, you know, I couldn't know because he said to me, Stay home. Stay. 

Rich Bennett 19:29
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 19:30
And I was like, okay, I'll stay home, but you know, I'll come if you need me, you know, and. But, you know, in hindsight, yes, it was because I didn't accept it. I didn't have a faith. I had I mean, I didn't have any hope. I didn't know what heaven was all about or or a blissful place, you know, I didn't you know, I didn't know it. I really did not know. Yes, you would hear, but I never knew it in my heart. So after my mom's death, you know, with my Italian cousins, they were so very devout into their church and they would bring me to church. And then at the wake, everyone would say, your mom is with God. I'm like, Get up, You know, she's with you. That would make. 

Rich Bennett 20:12
There. 

Gina Economopoulos 20:13
So, you know, I went back into the Catholic Church and I says, you know what? God, they say, you hear I don't want to talk to you. I want to talk to my mom. Leave me alone. And now and that was in the beginning of my spiritual journey, one would say. 

Rich Bennett 20:25
Yeah, 

Gina Economopoulos 20:26
That that bought me, you know, I don't know, I, I was such an I have a great morning, a great griever. I mourned for a few months more months, years, you know, with my mom's death. And and then and then eventually I had gone in an alignment is because I went on a pilgrimage. That's a difference that's a story in my book. But I 

Rich Bennett 20:46
right. 

Gina Economopoulos 20:46
went to a place imaginary place magical tree in Croatia, where allegedly the Blessed Mother is appearing. But but other than that, I got in. I came back to my Catholic roots. That's what I would say. 

Rich Bennett 21:00
The pilgrimage. I take it you were in the convent at that time. 

Gina Economopoulos 21:03
No. 

Rich Bennett 21:04
Not white. 

Gina Economopoulos 21:05
No, not at all. I was I was a layperson. How did I. 

I was searching a deep, dark place. 

Rich Bennett 21:17
Huh? 

Gina Economopoulos 21:18
And and this my like I said, my cousins were very active in the church with young people. And we're having I don't know, I was somewhere with them. And one girl says, hey, you know, I would like to do a pilgrimage to Italy and to this place called Magic Guru, which I never heard of Magic. 

Rich Bennett 21:35
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 21:36
I was like, Oh, my mom's Italian. I'll go, That's that. That's how I went on this. I didn't even know what a pilgrimage was. 

Rich Bennett 21:46
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 21:47
I said, I just want to go and find my mom. She's Italian. I want to go to Italy. I said, I'll go to Magic. Go wherever this place is now, mind you. When I went to Magic Gorey, it was in 1993, and I don't know if you remember, there was the biggest the big war between Croatia. Go there like that. Walk. My friend and I, we want we got there with two people on the plane in the midst of of the shooting in the war in 

Rich Bennett 22:16
G. 

Gina Economopoulos 22:16
this Magic Goree area where it was a very special place. So. Yep. And that's where my. 

Rich Bennett 22:23
Wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 22:24
John wakening came up. So then then I still wanted to get married and have kids, but that never happened. And then I got connected with these with these Franciscan sisters and friars. And I was like, Oh, I saw young people loving God. So I'm like, having this chance. I stopped bartending or I was kind of partying, but I'm like, This is not the right thing to do, you know? Like this, you know, here had. 

Rich Bennett 22:50
Right? 

Gina Economopoulos 22:51
I had a newbie late. You are like a resurrection and you're like a St Paul's conversion. Like, oh, you know, like everyone's going to hell, you know, or whatever. But, but so that and that's where I went on that journey, which brought me to being a sister. So it was like in 1997. So the death of my mom was 92 to 97. So those five years I was searching 

Rich Bennett 23:14
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 23:14
my whole life, I was searching. I was searching my whole life. 

Rich Bennett 23:18
I think I think we're always searching in a way. 

Gina Economopoulos 23:22
It's so true. But, you know, when I look back with me searching and running, it was because I was in so much pain inside. I was like I was looking for some relief without even realizing how much pain and suffering I was. Experience of a soul sickness with inside myself. If that makes sense. 

Rich Bennett 23:42
Yeah. So now you're right. Now you're going to the convent. And I know, I know a lot of this is covered in the books, so I don't want to. I don't want you to give too much away. Were you still drinking at the time, too? 

Gina Economopoulos 23:59
Was I drinking in the car? In hindsight, because, of course, I never knew I was an alcoholic. 

Rich Bennett 24:04
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 24:04
Later on, as in the combat, In hindsight, the disease was there 

Rich Bennett 24:09
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 24:09
big time. Big time. And I'm talking about not only the drinking part of the hiding and everything like that. I'm talking about the manipulation, the fear, you know, all these symptoms that comes with any kind of addiction that that was there. 

Rich Bennett 24:24
All right, I said, now you're in the convent. How? Because it's to me, you would think from what you know, from what we see about convents, it's I don't know if it's like a monastery or what, but your base. It is. Okay, so you're. I guess you're taken out of all that social activity as a bartender and everything. How was the transformation there to that? To the convent? 

Gina Economopoulos 24:52
Well, at the same time, it wasn't that bad because. 

Rich Bennett 24:55
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 24:56
Was is that I'm I'm here. Like, I'm trying to fit to go to be where I belong in. 

Rich Bennett 25:02
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 25:03
Searching, searching, searching. So here I have a God experience and I'm with these people that, oh, my God, they're full of love. They're full of fun. That. Yeah. And they want me. I mean, how could you not want me? 

Rich Bennett 25:14
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 25:15
I have a personality. Plus that everybody loved me. Everybody loved Gene. Everybody loved Sister Regina. I was a very well known convent and sister, you know, back at the days I was on TV shows, EWTN, you know, different places. 

Rich Bennett 25:29
Oh, really? 

Gina Economopoulos 25:30
Yeah. And oh, yeah, they all love me. They all love me, you know? And so you know what? Someone loves you. You're like, Yeah, this is it. This is it. 

Rich Bennett 25:39
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 25:39
But I. 

Rich Bennett 25:40
You feel good? 

Gina Economopoulos 25:41
Yeah. You feel great. You feel good. Nobody says no to Sister Regina, you 

Rich Bennett 25:45
You 

Gina Economopoulos 25:45
know. 

Rich Bennett 25:46
feel important? 

Gina Economopoulos 25:47
Like. Yes, exactly. And the thing is, I always had a heart of service 

Rich Bennett 25:52
Mm hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 25:52
and I loved working and helping people as, you know, social work, bartending, you 

Rich Bennett 25:57
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 25:58
know, that was kind of service, caring, listening. And I always had that. And so I you know, that's where I flourished. But I did not flourish within the convent with my sisters. In a way, it was because it was a new community. They were still trying to figure things out. And here I'm a personality. Plus they want to go in this direction. And I and I just I was trying to fit in their cookie cutting direction, you know, which, you know, in hindsight, which was a very dysfunctional community at the time that I didn't realize it. 

Rich Bennett 26:34
If you don't mind me asking, how old were you when you went into the convent? 

Gina Economopoulos 26:38
29. So I didn't have any kids and I wasn't married. Forget about that. That was off the table by. 

Rich Bennett 26:43
So were you one of the youngest ones in the convent or. 

Gina Economopoulos 26:47
I was. No, I was. I was middle. I was. 

Rich Bennett 26:52
Okay? 

Gina Economopoulos 26:53
But but at the same time, when I joined the convent, they were very sisters with leaving left and right. And 

Rich Bennett 26:59
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 26:59
you'll hear this in the book. And and so I just kept, you know, and also, I've got to tell you, one one great defect of mine is I'm a people pleaser. You know, I like I wanted to please everyone. 

Rich Bennett 27:13
I wouldn't say that's a defect. 

Gina Economopoulos 27:16
Well back then, because you're trying to. 

Rich Bennett 27:18
It can be. 

Gina Economopoulos 27:19
Yeah yeah. People pleaser and everything and couldn't say anything and yeah. 

Rich Bennett 27:25
Hard to say no. 

Gina Economopoulos 27:26
It's hard to say no. Okay, I'll do it. I'll do it. And. 

Rich Bennett 27:29
Mm 

Gina Economopoulos 27:29
And and this and the community. Like I said earlier, there was there was a sickness that I, I, I see now. And even in the middle of like, even during it, I knew there was a sickness because 

Rich Bennett 27:42
hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 27:43
that's a long story in itself. And and I do share in my book and in even different situations that I would like, oh my God, I put I put up with this, which I didn't realize and and I did it for 12 years, but then yet I had a lot of blessings. Like, you know, I travel the world. I went to many Marian Apparition places. I got involved with youth people. You know, I, I love working with the gangs. I was a very good, you know, 

Rich Bennett 28:11
Really? 

Gina Economopoulos 28:12
gang member is I Yeah, that was that was my that's my problem was that I love other people except, you know, being in the convent, being in the sister. 

Rich Bennett 28:20
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 28:20
Like that. Like, yes, I have a good friend who's a blood. Well, I don't know where he is today, but what? He becomes rich and famous. He's going to look for me and buy me a house. He always says, Sister, I'm going to buy you as you did. So much for the, you know, executor. And and I was like, okay, I'm waiting. I'm still waiting. It's 20 years now, but I'm still waiting Where? I don't know where he's today, but but at that time and and at the time being with the dying grew like this. The seed that was like, you know, even though I only did it for my mom, 

Rich Bennett 28:53
Mm hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 28:53
but as a sister there was because I had this aha moment that, oh my God, there's a heaven. Aha, there's a better place than here. So when people were dying, it's like packing their bags, bringing them to Jesus, you know, today to whoever, wherever they're, they're blissful places, you know. 

Rich Bennett 29:13
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 29:13
Only knowing that there's a better place then than being here. So I did a lot of that in the convent and I loved it. But then at the end I would say the last two, three years and do it all like fear kept building up fear. I felt like I was walking on eggshells. I feel like everything I did, I did wrong. You know, I had it, you know, it was like, I didn't do this. I didn't do that. It was all exterior. They were always looking at the exterior part. 

Rich Bennett 29:41
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 29:42
Because I was in a traditional community, which means I had a full habit. 

Rich Bennett 29:47
Oh, 

Gina Economopoulos 29:47
That board. I you know, we took the vow of poverty, didn't have rugs, didn't have couches, didn't have TV, didn't have radios, didn't have phone, anything like whatever. You know, we 

Rich Bennett 29:58
wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 29:58
lived this very simple wooden life. I did, you know, for 12 years the Franciscan way, which, I mean, it's easy. I loved it. But at the same time, you know, it was just like I you know, I at the same time, you know, like I said, I the personality plus and everybody loved me. And that's why and I I'm not here to judge what they said or this was back then. This was my experience back then. But 

Rich Bennett 30:23
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 30:23
the last three years of the convent line, it got to a point where they they literally said, we need a break from you, you know, the like. And, and I was sent away and and. 

Rich Bennett 30:35
What do you mean? You were sent away? 

Gina Economopoulos 30:39
Yeah, that's what I meant. I was sent away. Yeah, I was sent. Yeah, I was sent to go get help. I like a religious facility. 

Rich Bennett 30:47
Really? 

Gina Economopoulos 30:48
Yeah. And that now, mind you, alcoholism wasn't even part of it. It 

Rich Bennett 30:53
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 30:53
was just that. It wasn't like I was a downright drunk all the time. Alcohol. But I do have to say, my. My last few years of of being there, the sister did say to me that I was drinking too much and I was like, not me. You know, it's like. 

Rich Bennett 31:09
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 31:09
And then, like, she's like, you only have one beer at a function, you know, at a festive time. And I'm like, Oh, okay. And I would have that one beer. But then I look back, I was sneaking the other beers, and that's what, you know, that's when you're have you're sneaking it and you can't stop. And you just you know, as an alcoholic or when you're active, it's like you want to you want to wipe away that pain, that sickness inside you. You know, you you're searching for something and you're in such pain that, okay, you know, this drank this alcohol, which it did, you know, 

Rich Bennett 31:42
Mm 

Gina Economopoulos 31:42
for 

Rich Bennett 31:42
hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 31:42
the minute. But then next minute, once it gets out of your system. Oh, my God. Gene is back again. You have that fear again. You have the manipulation of that anger and all these. All this stuff is still happening around you. Nothing has changed. Say, okay, let me have more. Let me disappear. You know, I don't want to feel. I don't want to feel. And that's, you know, from my personal experience as an addict or an alcoholic, that's my you know, I didn't want to feel I just wanted to get rid of my pain. I was running. I was running. I didn't want to see myself or things like that. And even as a nun. And so when you when I said I was sent away. Yes. I went for four months out in in Michigan to a place of where they would help out religious priest people, you know, counseling. 

Rich Bennett 32:28
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 32:28
I mean, I did therapy, group therapy counseling. I mean, you name it for four months. It was it's a three month program, but they didn't know what to do with me. So I stayed an extra month, you know, took me. 

Rich Bennett 32:40
Did it help? 

Gina Economopoulos 32:42
It did help. 

Rich Bennett 32:43
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 32:43
It helped because it was like, okay, my mind has changed 

Rich Bennett 32:47
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 32:47
my mind. You know, the thinking going from negative to positive. And I never realized that. And and in the long run, the the facility I went to at the end, their results was that I was fine. I was I was fine to fit in to the community. You know, they said I would thrive. You're very you there's nothing really major wrong with you, you know, to affect you could live that life. 

Rich Bennett 33:12
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 33:12
So, I mean, I'm mean, at that point I was in final vows, so I'm like, married. So of course I went back. But then it was the same old thing. That I just felt like, you know, they were nit picking. I go, you got to do you know, it it was just horrific. So then I went away again to a silence retreat, you know, a silence like, you know, you pray in silence. 

Rich Bennett 33:39
Like a monk. 

Gina Economopoulos 33:41
Like a monk. Yeah, but. 

Rich Bennett 33:42
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 33:43
It's a guided retreat. I 

Rich Bennett 33:44
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 33:44
went and I was gone for 30 days because I was still stuck in my heart. I knew there was I needed a spiritual healing, 

Rich Bennett 33:53
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 33:53
which I never knew. So when I went in the Silence retreat for the month, I was so much in pain that I end up staying for six more months and. 

Rich Bennett 34:03
Wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 34:05
Yeah. You 

Rich Bennett 34:07
Is that 

Gina Economopoulos 34:07
asked 

Rich Bennett 34:07
when 

Gina Economopoulos 34:07
me to 

Rich Bennett 34:07
your 

Gina Economopoulos 34:07
do 

Rich Bennett 34:07
sobriety 

Gina Economopoulos 34:07
that. 

Rich Bennett 34:08
started? 

Gina Economopoulos 34:09
No. 

Rich Bennett 34:12
What 

Gina Economopoulos 34:14
I wish it did, because I would have voided all this. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 34:18
are. 

Gina Economopoulos 34:18
I mean, it got to me a level in my heart that it was like I got peace. 

Rich Bennett 34:23
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 34:24
Randy and I got a relationship with God in 

Rich Bennett 34:27
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 34:28
my heart. So it was sort of like, okay. And and and I went back to the community thinking, Oh, my God, I had a real transformation in my heart. 

Rich Bennett 34:40
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 34:41
Well, little behold, the community did it. You know, they're still in their own way, in a way. And they were now open to my Oh, you got to do you you got to do this. This is what I want to share. I wasn't really allowed to share my joy or 

Rich Bennett 34:59
What? 

Gina Economopoulos 34:59
my. The new person. And so then about four months after that, and meanwhile, I got a new spiritual director, you know, and and I was doing everything I could, which to make it happen. Like in a marriage, you know, you do everything you could to keep your marriage. I did everything I could, but I kept getting knocked down, knocked down. And at this point, when I received that peace after being in silence, you know, it was staying with me. And then all of a sudden it was disappearing. And I said, I can't do this. So. So then at this point, the sister in the community who said to me, I belong there this whole time, said to me, Oh, you don't belong here anymore, 

okay? 

Rich Bennett 35:46
So. 

Gina Economopoulos 35:46
And then afterwards, she treated me for pizza sickness. But anyhow. 

Rich Bennett 35:51
So what would they do? Kick you out? 

Gina Economopoulos 35:54
Well, I. Yeah, they kick me out of slowly but surely. 

They kick me a bit like 

Rich Bennett 36:03
Wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 36:03
I'm going to go. When they had said to me two years before I actually left. When they said to me, We need a break from you, you know, you 

Rich Bennett 36:11
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 36:11
need to go away. I in my heart of hearts, at that moment, they didn't want me to be in the community. 

Rich Bennett 36:19
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 36:20
And so I had gone through a lot more pain, loss, isolation, rejection, you name it. Couldn't talk to anyone. I didn't realize. And at that point, could I have left on my own? Of course. Anyone you know, like a marriage. You could leave. I if I had left, I would have put myself in a in a psych ward, because that's how where my mentality, my spiritual, I was crushed by person. Everything was crushed. 

Rich Bennett 36:47
How did all of that affect your faith? 

Gina Economopoulos 36:50
Well, at first, you know, I just kept believing, you know, I just I didn't feel it, but I was like, okay, God, you got you know, I just kept looking at the cross of Jesus. 

Rich Bennett 36:59
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 37:00
Of his suffering that, you know, you look at the cross and I knew my faith really didn't. I was angry. I was confused. 

Rich Bennett 37:08
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 37:09
I was confused because then, you know, I'm thinking, you know, God, you called me here 12 years ago, giving my life to you, blood, sweat and tears and everything I did. And now I'm now I'm 42 years old. I'm in the world. You know, I didn't. I didn't know nothing. You know, I lost my 30, so to speak. 

Rich Bennett 37:28
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 37:29
And I and this was in the year from like I left the com in 2008 so you know the late nineties and that I don't know what was going on in the world. I didn't know anything, I didn't know what pop music or TV show or anything like that. So I was one, I was a confused, confused soul, confused pop. I would say 

Rich Bennett 37:49
And all 

Gina Economopoulos 37:49
when 

Rich Bennett 37:49
of this 

Gina Economopoulos 37:49
I was 

Rich Bennett 37:49
is 

Gina Economopoulos 37:49
very. 

Rich Bennett 37:49
covered in your book. 

Gina Economopoulos 37:51
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 37:53
I don't want to hear any more because. Now. 

Gina Economopoulos 37:55
Good. 

Rich Bennett 37:56
Now, you got me hooked. I. I want to read the book. I can. 

Gina Economopoulos 38:00
I hope. 

Rich Bennett 38:01
I cannot wait to read this. And actually, what made you decide to write the book? 

Gina Economopoulos 38:08
Well, okay, in hindsight, like it goes further because, you know, after I left the convent, I well, the reason why I wrote the book, I'm going to go ahead of time now. It was back in the summer of 

2013 

Rich Bennett 38:26
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 38:26
that I wrote the book because of March of 2013, three months prior. My at the time I had a fiancee. Now, because I'm unlike two years out, three years out of the convent, and I need Danny and I need Danny because I went back to bartending 

Rich Bennett 38:46
Oh, 

Gina Economopoulos 38:46
and and and I met him and I come to find out that he was an alcoholic. And that's where the alcoholism came, You know, the the lights started opening up 

Rich Bennett 38:58
right. 

Gina Economopoulos 38:58
in my mind, in my heart. But he was the alcoholic. And he into in March of 2013, he ultimately died of the disease. 

Rich Bennett 39:07
Oh, 

Gina Economopoulos 39:07
He 

Rich Bennett 39:07
my. 

Gina Economopoulos 39:07
died as of alcoholic at the age of 51. So now this is why I wrote the book, because after he died, I'm clueless about alcoholism. And once again, you know, praying for Danny, doing everything 

Rich Bennett 39:23
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 39:23
I can, going to Al-Anon, whatever, you know, like this, you know. God, why did you take Danny? And at this point, when you said, if I ever lost my faith, the sister at this point, not that I lost my faith, I know I might have did. My faith was I hated God. 

Rich Bennett 39:41
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 39:42
I hate a guy with a passion and want nothing to do with them. After Danny. So I wrote, you know, of Danny's death then and what took place. Because his story, I will tell you, it's in the book. It's tragic, you know. And I wrote it. I wrote it all out and I wrote all the pain. Then all of a sudden, all the pain as the sister came up, all the all of my struggles, all of my what happened and my thoughts and my feelings. And it went and I wrote 180 pages of just handwritten of my feelings every day. 

Rich Bennett 40:16
Journal. 

Gina Economopoulos 40:16
Every day. 

Rich Bennett 40:17
Journaling is amazing therapy, isn't it? 

Gina Economopoulos 40:20
Yes, it is. 

Rich Bennett 40:21
Mm hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 40:21
Yes, it is. And then I so I had these 180 pages and people had said to me, even before I met Danny, when they heard about the sisterhood, 

Rich Bennett 40:29
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 40:29
they said, you should write a book. I said, I'm so angry. I can't write a book now. You know, and then and then all of a sudden, never realizing that I was going to meet Danny, never realized I was going to go through another dark time of my life. And now then he I'm writing and writing it. And I still couldn't write the book because I was so I was I was flatlined. 

Rich Bennett 40:48
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 40:48
I was totally flatlined. Like I always say, like, you know, when you were in the hospital and you go be. There was me be. 

Rich Bennett 40:56
Wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 40:57
Here I am. I was trying to press for help, and I didn't have any help. I was just flat lined and. And so. So I. All those 180 pages, I put it aside, and then I just continue to push myself forward through the pain, through my tears. I cried every day. Morning greeting. Questioning Why? Why? Why? And I didn't really write. And then somebody invited me to go to an AA meeting. I said, Why would I want to go to an AA meeting? You know, Danny was the alcoholic. I'm not like this. And then I say, Aha, I'm going to go find out why these people are sober and Danny's not. Why? Why? Why did this guy get sober? Has 20 years of sobriety. And this and Danny did not. So I went into the rooms and there's what they say. The tradition three say the desire not to pick up. So I never identify myself as an alcoholic. 

Rich Bennett 41:54
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 41:54
So I went in. I was so full of anger, which that if I could kill, they all would be dead. There would be no one at that meeting. You know, because I was so full of anger. I would be crying. I didn't want to hear it. But I kept going. I kept going. I kept saying, My name is Gina. The desire not to pick up. I was just so. Once again, so dead. I was like a zombie, whatever you want to call 

Rich Bennett 42:20
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 42:20
it. Simply existing. I was holding up the wall, you know, one would say, you know, ringing, crying and just so full of anger. And then I would hear some of these people sharing. And they would. They would be 20 years and they were assholes. And I'm excuse me, in my language, but I would be like, oh, my God, you're sober. You're a jerk. You know, like, I couldn't understand. 

Rich Bennett 42:41
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 42:42
I just couldn't understand why, Because Danny loved me. For me, 

Rich Bennett 42:45
Mm 

Gina Economopoulos 42:45
even 

Rich Bennett 42:45
hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 42:45
though of the alcohol wisdom I learned, I see now and I know the love was beyond the disease, but I was not. You know, I look back now. I was an alcoholic, too, in our relationship, not realizing it. So I. 

Rich Bennett 42:57
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 42:57
In recovery. I was in well, myself. So we couldn't, you know, they say to sickies don't make a well, you know. And so anyhow, so when I went to these meetings I just listened. I just listened. And then eventually I kind of opened up a while I was there and and it took me like nine months, nine months to realise because somebody took me aside. A good friend of mine said to me, Know, you come here every day, I don't know, you're not an alcoholic. You say you're not, but you come every day to these meetings. You listen. Yeah, I. What is your relationship with alcohol? 

What is my relationship with alcohol? And at that time, I was not drinking. And at that time I was not drinking because I was afraid to drink. Because I saw what it did to Dan. 

Rich Bennett 43:45
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 43:46
Once again, another confused pup, once again questioning life, questioning purpose, questioning everything. And so here I said to I said, is she she said, what's your relationship with alcohol? And I and I it was a good question. And I went back and I look back like, aha, you know, alcohol was my best friend. Aha. Who did I turn to. Alcohol. Aha. I needed alcohol to be part of a group, you know, I needed alcohol to be the centre of attention, I needed alcohol to be loved, I needed alcohol like I needed it and I couldn't stop and hide. Oh, here in college my friends thought I was an alcoholic and they said to me, I was like, No way. I'm not an alcoholic. I just like to drink, you know? I mean, and no, also I can't be an alcoholic is I'm an economopoulos. I'm a Greek, an Italian, you know what I mean? Oh, no, I was a nun. I couldn't be what you know, So all these things, you know, was questioning in my mind so and so as a as But then one day on April 2nd, 2015, I'm in a meeting and I would say, you know, my name is Gina. I, you know, I have the desire not to pick up that day. I said I'm an alcoholic and was like, Who the hell said that? 

Rich Bennett 45:00
Wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 45:02
Who the hell is that? I looked around and. Oh, my God, I joined the club here. You know, it's like I can't really go out and drink. And. And it it was the worst as well as the best day of my life. Because even that day when I said my name is Jean and I am an alcohol, and that to me was like the answer to all my whole life. My whole 

Rich Bennett 45:29
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 45:29
life. Because. My whole heart. Woman's body just opened up. The grief, the pain, the loneliness. You name it. You know, all the pain I was carrying that I was hiding and I was running from as a child throughout, even as a sister, throughout, you know, after, you know, with Danny and everything, that it just opened up and it's like, okay, now what are you going to do with this? Are you going to go drink? Or you get in an argument or you're going to go be miserable. Because I was a great I had a great I had a great self pity couch. I would invite everyone to be on my couch today. You know what I mean? Back then, like, yeah, feel sorry for me on the victim. Look at me, look at me, look at me. And. But then, yeah, when I said I was an alcoholic, I had to. It wasn't easy, you know? 

Rich Bennett 46:21
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 46:21
It wasn't like, Oh, yeah, okay, I'm an alcoholic and everything is great. It it was like, you know, doing the steps, doing with the program is suggested getting a sponsor and all that. One day at a time. Learning, listening, not picking up that first drink. And and that's where I have to say, which I experienced in the last nine years. I mean, even the beginning of my sobriety, maybe a year or two years later of my sobriety, that I really experience a real spiritual connection with my higher power. Today I do calls. I choose to call God like I never had this experience ever when I was a nun. I never had this kind of relationship or this. 

Rich Bennett 47:06
Hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 47:07
The freedom inside me, you know, like and that's what I've been searching for, is that freedom and acceptance inside me. And it took a lot of pain, a lot of suffering, a lot of pushing through. I don't know. People ask me, how did you do it? I couldn't tell you. Just, you know, I really don't know. Well, I know now it's because of God. Carry me or God's grace or or I know today everyone has a higher power or like I said, Buddha or whatever. It doesn't matter. There 

Rich Bennett 47:34
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 47:34
is. It's something power that's not Jeena. There's a power in you, you know, which that's not rich, You know there's a power in the all of us. That's not us. That, that if we, you know, that carries us and shows us and, and brings miracles in our lives. And so ever since then, you know, like I said, I'm nine and a half years sober. I've been working my program. I open up meetings, I lead meetings, I help another alcoholic. And and then in that, I became an end of a life. Do it, too. So but I mean, I think I there's a life I could share, but a lot of my recovery, too, is is in my book. It's not only the pain and the suffering, but it's my recovery and where I am today. 

Rich Bennett 48:15
And you just mention a miracle. Do you feel in a way that you mean Danny was a miracle and he saved your life? 

Gina Economopoulos 48:31
As much as I love Danny and I thank him, 

Rich Bennett 48:34
Yeah, 

Gina Economopoulos 48:34
and I have to say, in the beginning of my sobriety, I would share Danny's story because it is Danny's story 

Rich Bennett 48:42
right. 

Gina Economopoulos 48:42
that brought me into the rooms. But now I say yes, it's Danny's story brought into my wounds. But my story is that I am an alcoholic. It's not because, you know, Danny was the instrument then. And yes, I truly believe it was a miracle that our lives have crossed. I believe it's a miracle for him because, you know, he had a tragic accident even before he died. And I don't think he would have been able to I don't know what would have happened if he 

Rich Bennett 49:11
Right? 

Gina Economopoulos 49:11
did. Die was with me and everything. And and I am I am grateful and grateful for Danny and his life. And I'm grateful and grateful for his death. 

Rich Bennett 49:22
Yeah, 

Gina Economopoulos 49:22
Sad to say, I mean, I'm not I'm not giving more of it. But just from my personal experience and I also know Danny would never want to come back to this life, 

Rich Bennett 49:30
right. 

Gina Economopoulos 49:31
you know, be in and out. I mean, I don't think anyone, whether you're not dying with the disease or not. You don't want to come back to this. 

Rich Bennett 49:37
New. 

Gina Economopoulos 49:38
Know, and I. And I do. But I always see him smiling upon me. And then at the same time, he bought a nice guy in my life. Brian on his bench, I have a Danny's bench, which is in the book, too. You'll see the bench. It's on Belmar. It's on the boardwalk of. 

Rich Bennett 49:56
Oh, that's what that is on the cover. 

Gina Economopoulos 49:58
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 49:59
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 49:59
A picture of it inside at the end of like the last page of 

Rich Bennett 50:05
Oh. 

Gina Economopoulos 50:05
it. Of the of the actual front of Danny's bench 

Rich Bennett 50:09
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 50:09
and. 

Rich Bennett 50:10
Oh, there it is. Yes. 

Gina Economopoulos 50:12
Yeah, so. And I happened to be. 

Rich Bennett 50:14
Where heaven and earth meet. 

Gina Economopoulos 50:16
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 50:16
Oh, wow. 

Gina Economopoulos 50:17
And and I happen to meet Brian Bor, Danny on that bet. And ever since we've been together for the last eight years or so. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 50:25
Oh, 

Gina Economopoulos 50:25
And 

Rich Bennett 50:25
that's. 

Gina Economopoulos 50:26
he he's, you know, on his recovery and it's just I'm living like today, which know that's 

Rich Bennett 50:32
Actually who created 

Gina Economopoulos 50:33
the miracle. 

Rich Bennett 50:33
the cover. That's a beautiful cover 

Gina Economopoulos 50:35
But 

Rich Bennett 50:36
on the book. 

Gina Economopoulos 50:36
my my publishers did. And but at the same time, I gave them pictures. There's some actual photographs. That's a photograph of me. 

Rich Bennett 50:44
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 50:45
The bench, but the bench is really on the boardwalk. So they did they they combine all these different pictures together. 

Rich Bennett 50:52
Right. 

Gina Economopoulos 50:52
And made the cut and did the cover itself. But yeah, that that cover means a lot to me. You could tell it's a rainbow of colors. 

Rich Bennett 51:01
Yes. 

Gina Economopoulos 51:02
So that to me is God's love, 

Rich Bennett 51:03
Uh huh. 

Gina Economopoulos 51:04
rainbow of God's love. And where, you know, heaven and earth needs the sand, the footprints, the carrying. So 

Rich Bennett 51:12
For print. 

Gina Economopoulos 51:12
that that has a lot of symbolism, symbolism behind it all. 

Rich Bennett 51:16
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 51:17
For me when I see it. 

Rich Bennett 51:19
All right. So the. Oh, wait a minute. 

Oh, Gina. Gina. Gina. Gina. Gina. Then when you open up the book, you have a monarch butterfly in there. 

Gina Economopoulos 51:32
Yes. That's freedom. That's Danny. 

Rich Bennett 51:36
I don't know what it is, but those of you listening, we're recording this on October 23rd, which October, I believe, is migration month for monarchs. I have been seeing a ton of monarchs in my yard, which just it makes my day because they were on the brink of extinction. And they're asking. Yeah, they're asking people to like, put in these like, I guess pollinating gardeners and whatever, like with milkweed and 

there's a website called Save the Monarchs and I had somebody 

Gina Economopoulos 52:14
Really? 

Rich Bennett 52:14
on talk about it, but when I just opened it up, I saw the Monarchs. I'm like, like, yeah, this is meant to be so. 

Gina Economopoulos 52:20
You know. And butterflies and monarch butterflies remind me of Danny. The freedom. 

Rich Bennett 52:26
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 52:27
So whenever 

Rich Bennett 52:27
They're 

Gina Economopoulos 52:27
I. 

Rich Bennett 52:27
beautiful. They're beautiful. 

Gina Economopoulos 52:31
Yes, they are. 

Rich Bennett 52:32
So those of you listening, make sure you get it. Shake the dust off your feet and walk. Faith, Sobriety, Self-discovery and Healing by Gina Economopoulos. However, her website is not that. Why? 

Gina Economopoulos 52:50
My website. 

Rich Bennett 52:52
Yeah. Why? Why isn't it your full name? I think. 

Gina Economopoulos 52:54
Oh. 

Rich Bennett 52:55
I know why, but. 

Gina Economopoulos 52:57
It's just. Well, they used to call me econ for sure. 

Rich Bennett 53:00
Okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 53:01
Call it the econ. So it's Gina econ. Dot com. And you'll see the butterflies there too, as well. 

Rich Bennett 53:07
Uh huh. Yeah. So make sure you get actually you can go there and buy the purchased the book from there. And actually, what if somebody wants an autographed book? What do they do? Can 

Gina Economopoulos 53:16
That's 

Rich Bennett 53:16
they. 

Gina Economopoulos 53:16
a good question. Get in touch with me and we'll figure it out. I have no idea. 

Rich Bennett 53:22
Contact Gina. 

Gina Economopoulos 53:23
Contact me or I would do something I don't. 

Rich Bennett 53:26
She'll figure it out to get it all together. Any idea? Any plans on doing an audiobook version? 

Gina Economopoulos 53:33
No, I don't know that either. That's a good question. 

Rich Bennett 53:36
Who is this? Is this. 

Gina Economopoulos 53:37
It's all new to me. Rich, this. 

Rich Bennett 53:39
Oh, 

Gina Economopoulos 53:40
As you know, this was published in August. I did have publishers that publish Self-Publish. Now I'm doing it myself, so to speak, you know, 

Rich Bennett 53:49
okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 53:49
promoting and putting the word out there. Audio. I'm not I don't we didn't do it. Audio. I know it's on Kindle, which I thought that was audio, but it's not like you remember I was a nun for 12 years, so I. Even though I've been out for about 15 years, I've still like have that kind of mentality with laptop, whatever, you 

Rich Bennett 54:10
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 54:10
know. So it's one day at a time. So I'm trying to just really promote myself, trying to get on podcasts and just to spread my message and have everyone else to spread my message, because that is the desire, the passion of my heart. Yes. You know, go get the book and read it. But it's to tell everyone that you're not alone, you know, to keep going, that there is light. You know, I will. I know. And then maybe they don't realize or anyone who's listening don't realize it, but there's a light and a power and a strength within each one of us that's beyond all that will get us through, you know? And that's what I realize, that light within me that I. But it took me a lot of pain and suffering. I know I can, you know, wipe away people's pain or suffering. I can't have them escape it either. But yet at the same time, just to have hope and just to keep going forward, because there is there is that light that just and then when it comes out, oh my God. And then I also come to realize, Rich, that life still goes on. You know, it's like you still have challenges. 

Rich Bennett 55:12
Yeah, 

Gina Economopoulos 55:12
Today with challenges in life, the, you know, the good, the bad and the indifferent, the ugly, Whatever you say. Like, now I know who I am. You know, not only I'm an alcoholic that's in recovery, but I'm a I'm a child of God. You know that. I know who Jeana is. And I'm comfortable with Gina today. 

Rich Bennett 55:30
right. 

Gina Economopoulos 55:30
And I love Gina today, which I never did. You know, that was that was. And that's a lot of pain. When you don't love yourself, you don't realize it, you know? So but now I love myself. And and so that's why I want to spread that message of the hope and strength. 

Rich Bennett 55:45
Do you actually go out and speak to anybody, to any groups? 

Gina Economopoulos 55:49
I have not yet. I would love 

Rich Bennett 55:51
I 

Gina Economopoulos 55:51
to. 

Rich Bennett 55:51
love the fact that you said yet. 

Gina Economopoulos 55:54
I'm an inspirational speaker. I don't mind speaking as a nun. I spoke to whether. 

Rich Bennett 55:59
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 56:00
Thousand people to five people. You know, it's it all comes from my heart. 

Rich Bennett 56:05
Mm hmm. 

Gina Economopoulos 56:05
I don't need to I don't write things down. I just pray and to say, okay. And I would love to speak. I would love to go, you know what? Now we have Zoom and it's just now it's like, I don't even know how to get into that world of inspirational speaking. You know, I try to go to our local churches and, you know, I just leave it in God's hand. I. 

Rich Bennett 56:26
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 56:27
God's working behind the scenes. He's working behind the scenes. He's got a plan. He. It's his story. It's. 

Rich Bennett 56:32
He'll talk to you and let you know. 

Gina Economopoulos 56:35
Okay. But yeah, so I'm just I'm always open, honest, open and willing to do to go to any lengths to spread this message 

Rich Bennett 56:42
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 56:43
to people. Because, you know, this world is dark at times. So 

Rich Bennett 56:47
Well, 

Gina Economopoulos 56:47
life is 

Rich Bennett 56:48
if 

Gina Economopoulos 56:48
dark. 

Rich Bennett 56:48
you're doing one of the things that and I keep telling authors this all the time they need to do, and it's amazing how many authors don't do it. But you're you're getting on several different podcasts and it doesn't cost you anything to do that. It's one of the best marketing tools out there to get your book out. And you are in you are now, and what I like to say, an author preneur. And the whole idea is to get the message out there. And I have a funny feeling you're going to see this take off because I can think of a lot of groups, especially like recovery homes. I think your book would be perfect in there, 

so 

Gina Economopoulos 57:32
Yeah, 

Rich Bennett 57:33
get 

Gina Economopoulos 57:33
I'm 

Rich Bennett 57:33
ready. 

Gina Economopoulos 57:33
on. I Tick tock now. Can 

Rich Bennett 57:35
Oh, God. 

Gina Economopoulos 57:36
I know. I don't know where else to go. It's free. And I'm like, All right, this is Jade, I. 

Seconds. Hey, everyone, this is me. If you're in darkness like this, so I. That's. 

Rich Bennett 57:48
I'm still trying to get used to it. I've still. My son makes money from it. Yes. 

Gina Economopoulos 57:55
Don't even know how to go from. 

Rich Bennett 57:56
Yeah, it. 

Gina Economopoulos 57:57
It was a simple things. And then when I pressed the wrong button and these side effects got like, I don't want that hard. I don't want to put. It is like delete it all. Forget. 

Rich Bennett 58:07
Oh. Oh. 

Gina Economopoulos 58:09
I'm learning. 

Rich Bennett 58:10
So. 

Gina Economopoulos 58:11
To learn. 

Rich Bennett 58:12
Any plans of writing another book? 

Gina Economopoulos 58:14
Yeah, I am. 

Rich Bennett 58:16
Are you? You already started it. 

Gina Economopoulos 58:19
I'm you know what? I'm writing down my journey as an author right now. 

Rich Bennett 58:24
Oh. 

Gina Economopoulos 58:26
The journey because I. I thought I would be on Johnny Carson by now, but I'm not. You know? You know Johnny Carson. 

Rich Bennett 58:35
Yeah, but I don't think you could be on Johnny Carson. 

Gina Economopoulos 58:38
I know that's a joke. You know what I mean? But it was so funny. I said that to a lady, a girl in her thirties, and she goes, Who's 

Rich Bennett 58:45
It's 

Gina Economopoulos 58:45
Johnny 

Rich Bennett 58:45
like, who? 

Gina Economopoulos 58:45
Carson? I'm like, okay, I'm not on The Tonight Show, you know? I mean, 

Rich Bennett 58:49
One 

Gina Economopoulos 58:49
I. 

Rich Bennett 58:49
of the greatest talk shows of all time. 

Gina Economopoulos 58:54
Yes, 

Rich Bennett 58:54
All time. 

Gina Economopoulos 58:54
they. We should have more Johnny Carson. 

Rich Bennett 58:56
Yes. I love watching the old clips and especially whenever Don Rickles is. 

Gina Economopoulos 59:06
I 

Rich Bennett 59:06
Some of the younger people listening to Mr. like, who are the world? What are they 

Gina Economopoulos 59:10
world. 

Rich Bennett 59:10
talking about? 

Gina Economopoulos 59:12
Look them up. Google. 

Rich Bennett 59:14
Oh, it's funny because you are if you go to you, I like to call it YouTube University, but you watch some of these old clips of Johnny and see Don Rickles on there and one of the other ones that always had Johnny cracking up was Robin Williams. Always had him cracking up and which I think Robin Williams just had everybody cracking up because you never knew. Where his mind was. I don't think he ever knew where his mind was going. But he was quick at it. Oh, God. Anyways. 

Gina Economopoulos 59:48
No, but it's. But no, it is. So yes, I'm taking it. I'm writing and seeing where it goes. 

Rich Bennett 59:56
That means you're going to have to come on the podcast again. 

Gina Economopoulos 59:59
I would love to. Come on. Next I could talk about my end of life duel or the next time. 

Rich Bennett 1:00:03
You know what? Let's do that. Let's get that scheduled, because I do. And I want to try to get a hold of one of my other co-host because I would love to have them on as well to talk about that. Oh, Gina, you're going to be on more. You're going to be on a few more times. I have a feeling. 

Gina Economopoulos 1:00:20
I'm open. I'm ready. You know, my my email or bipod match, whatever that. 

Rich Bennett 1:00:27
So by less? Well, it's not really a question if you can close out with one of your either favorite quote, scripture, whatever. 

Gina Economopoulos 1:00:39
A. 

Rich Bennett 1:00:40
That way, everybody would understand and they'd be like, Oh, okay. 

Gina Economopoulos 1:00:48
I guess the first thing that comes to my mind is, well, two things, but things with God, all things are possible. Or you could fill in with Buddha. All things are possible, you know, with but with a power. 

Rich Bennett 1:01:03
Yeah. 

Gina Economopoulos 1:01:03
With power, all things are possible. And and then, of course, I my book to shake the dust off your feet and walk. You know, it's you got to keep moving, shake that dust. And that's the reason why the title. And it does come from a scripture book, but it's so applicable today because as I'm putting out flyers around, some people say no to me. So okay, I got to shake the dust and walk. Shake the dust and walk. I'm like you said, no, Regina, but that's okay. 

Rich Bennett 1:01:30
These news always lead the yeses, though. 

Gina Economopoulos 1:01:33
I never heard that. I like that. 

Rich Bennett 1:01:34
Keep. Keep your head up, keep a positive attitude, and you'll end up getting more yeses than you will lose 

Gina Economopoulos 1:01:41
Thank you. 

Rich Bennett 1:01:41
from. 

Gina Economopoulos 1:01:42
Thanks. It's such an honor. 

Rich Bennett 1:01:43
All. 

Gina Economopoulos 1:01:44
The service again is 

Rich Bennett 1:01:45
Of all, it was my honor. It was 

Gina Economopoulos 1:01:48
by 

Rich Bennett 1:01:48
an 

Gina Economopoulos 1:01:48
all. 

Rich Bennett 1:01:48
it was an honor having you on. I cannot wait to talk to you again, Gina. Thanks so much. Those of you listening after you read the book, make sure you leave a full review. 

Gina Economopoulos 1:01:59
Amen. Thank you.