Episode 2

full
Published on:

16th Jun 2025

I Found Out I Was Abducted… On a Sidewalk in New Orleans

What happens when your whole life has been a lie?

At 15, Aria made the boldest decision a child could make—she left home to save herself from abuse. But what she didn't know was that her escape would eventually uncover a devastating truth:

She had been abducted as a child.


In this raw, gut-wrenching, and soul-shaking episode, Aria shares how a chance encounter on a random street in New Orleans unraveled 30 years of secrets, lies, and generational manipulation. From growing up in an abusive home to finding out her mother had erased her identity and kept her from her father’s entire side of the family—this is the kind of story that rips the rug out from under you.


But this isn’t just about trauma.


This is about radical ownership, self-preservation, and the power of choosing YOU—even when the odds are stacked against you.


🔥 In This Episode:


  • The moment Aria knew she had to leave home at 15
  • The terrifying truth she discovered decades later
  • How survival mode shaped her relationships and identity
  • The emotional weight of reconnecting with a family she never knew she lost
  • Trauma bonding, radical self-awareness, and choosing healin
  • Why self-reinvention is the most powerful form of revenge


🎧 Why You Need to Listen:

If you’ve ever questioned your upbringing, struggled with guilt for walking away, or felt like survival mode was your only option—this episode will hit hard.


Aria’s story is proof that even the most broken beginnings can lead to powerful, purpose-driven futures.


And that radical truth-telling is the first step toward liberation.

🗣️ Quotable Moments:


“The version of me at 15 was braver than I am now. She didn’t care what anyone thought—she just wanted to live.”
“My whole childhood was built on a lie. And on a sidewalk in New Orleans, I finally saw the truth.”
“People say I’m lucky for being so self-aware. I say it’s survival.”
“I didn't just escape abuse. I escaped an identity that was never mine to begin with.”


🔗 Resources & Links:


🙌 Connect with Leticia:

Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | TikTok | Website



Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Survival Mode Disrupted - The Podcast

About the Podcast

Survival Mode Disrupted - The Podcast
Disrupted Unapologetic Conversations about Survival Mode
Survival Mode Disrupted is not just a podcast. It's a rebellion.

A raw, unfiltered space where we finally stop pretending we're fine and start telling the truth—the truth about the trauma we've carried, the identities they had to wear to survive, and the radical decisions we made to break free.

Because here's the deal: survival mode isn’t just a season. It’s a damn identity. One that so many were forced to adopt just to get through life, to stay safe, to stay needed, to stay sane. But eventually, it starts costing you more than it protects. Your peace. Your purpose. Your power.

This podcast is for the disruptors—the people who were told to stay small, stay silent, stay grateful for crumbs… and said “hell no.”

Hosted by Leticia, The Survival Mode Disruptor herself—a trauma recovery mentor, speaker, and woman who has lived through the fires of abuse, betrayal, and breakdown and still chose to rise—this show dives deep into the unapologetic exits from survival mode that no one talks about.

You’ll hear from women (and a few brave men) who walked away from toxic relationships, soul-sucking careers, generational dysfunction, religious trauma, cultural expectations, and the lies they were taught to believe about themselves. Not because it was easy—but because staying would’ve killed something sacred inside of them.

These are the stories of bold pivots, quiet courage, and messy but miraculous rebirths.

Each episode is a conversation—a disruption—meant to wake something up in you. Whether it’s a guest sharing the moment they chose themselves for the first time, or Leticia dropping a truth bomb that makes you question everything you’ve normalized, this podcast is here to shake the foundation of your survival mode identity and replace it with something truer. Something freer.

We’re not here for surface-level self-care tips or fake empowerment slogans.

We’re here to talk about what it really takes to:

Reclaim your voice after being silenced.

Reinvent yourself after being broken down.

Rewrite your story when everyone else wants you to stay the same.

Release the guilt of choosing YOU.

This is for those who are done performing. Done pleasing. Done pretending.

It’s for the ones ready to exit survival mode—not slowly, not quietly, but disruptively and unapologetically.

You won’t leave this podcast the same.
You’ll cry. You’ll rage. You’ll laugh.
You’ll see yourself in every story.
And more importantly, you’ll remember who the hell you are.

Welcome to Survival Mode Disrupted.
It’s not just a podcast.
It’s a movement.
And your exit begins here.

About your host

Profile picture for Leticia Francis

Leticia Francis

I am not here to inspire you—I am here to activate you.

As a Survivor, Keynote Speaker, and Trauma Recovery Mentor, I know what it’s like to fight battles no one sees. I also know that breaking free is possible. My work is about disrupting survival mode, exposing trauma-driven success cycles, and giving women the blueprint to reclaim their lives.

🔹 200+ podcast features & speaking engagements
🔹 Global Women of Choice Award Winner 2022
🔹 Creator of the Survival Mode Exit Plan
🔹 Host of Survival Mode Disrupted Podcast