From ashes to ascension

Every Phoenix story begins the same way — with fire.In this very first episode of From Ashes to Ascension, Channing Phoenix Lacey is joined by her new co-host, Jen, as they introduce the heart, purpose, and vision behind the podcast. This episode isn’t polished, scripted, or filtered. It’s raw, real, and exactly what this show is meant to be: honest conversations about life, survival, transformation, and the messy road to becoming who you were meant to be.Channing  and Jen created From Ashes to Ascension as a space where the stories most people are afraid to tell finally get a voice. Stories about addiction, prison, trauma, motherhood, survival, healing, and rising again when the world tries to bury you. This podcast is about the moments that break you… and the moments you decide you’re not staying broken.In this introductory episode, Channing and Jen sit down to talk about why this podcast exists, what listeners can expect from future episodes, and the deeper mission behind the Phoenix movement that Channing has been building through her books, writing, and advocacy work.They discuss the reality of rebuilding your life after chaos, the emotional weight of living through addiction and the criminal justice system, and how personal transformation isn’t always pretty — but it is powerful.This episode sets the tone for what From Ashes to Ascension will become: a place where nothing is off limits. Future episodes will dive into real stories from people who have lived through the darkness — addiction recovery journeys, incarceration experiences, survival stories, mental health struggles, single motherhood, systemic failures, and the courage it takes to rebuild a life piece by piece.Channing and Jen also talk about the Phoenix philosophy — the idea that some people are forged through fire. That the very experiences meant to destroy them become the fuel that helps them rise. This podcast isn’t about pretending life is perfect. It’s about showing that even when life burns down, something powerful can rise from the ashes.Listeners can expect deep conversations, personal storytelling, difficult truths, humor in unexpected places, and moments of inspiration that remind us all that transformation is possible.If you’ve ever felt like life knocked you down harder than most… If you’ve had to rebuild yourself from nothing…If you believe that your past doesn’t get to decide your future…Then you’re already part of this Phoenix story.This is only the beginning.Welcome to From Ashes to Ascension.