Kailyn Lowry Says Ex Jo Rivera Has 'Been a Really Big Support System' amid Her Podcasting Journey

"Surprisingly enough, after everything we went through," Kailyn Lowry exclusively tells PEOPLE

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Kailyn Lowry has been able to lean on those around her as she works to build her podcast empire — even ex Jo Rivera.

Though the two haven't always been on the best of terms, Lowry exclusively tells PEOPLE that she considers Rivera among one of her greatest supporters.

"Surprisingly enough, after everything we went through, Jo has been a really big support system for me, especially now that I work with his wife in the podcasting space," Lowry, 30, shares. "He's cheering for both of us. So, it's been really, really nice."

Naming some others within her support system, Lowry says: "Kristen [Hook]. She's my best friend."

"I talk about her all the time. She's like an honorary podcast host at this point. She's my ride-or-die," she continues. "[My publicist] Alexa [Garcia] has been really great. They bring me down back to earth when my head gets too big, or I have too many ideas and I need to just focus."

Adds Lowry, "My kids have been huge for me."

Liz Martinez

Rivera was Lowry's high school boyfriend. The pair — who began dating in 2008 — eventually had a messy breakup and intense custody battle over their 13-year-old son, Isaac Elliott. However, they were able to get to a good place before Rivera's September 2018 wedding to Vee Torres, for which Lowry was in attendance.

Lowry has also established a strong friendship with Torres. Currently, the two co-host the Baby Mamas No Drama podcast.

The Teen Mom alum also hosts Coffee Convos with Lindsie Chrisley and Barely Famous through PodcastOne.

"Podcasting goes against everything that I was taught, especially from my previous agent. He basically told me that there was no money in podcasting and don't waste my time," she explains. "But Lindsie Chrisley had reached out to me via Twitter, and we kind of formed this friendship before we even met in person. She was like, 'Do you want to do a podcast?' I was like, 'I'm going to take a leap of faith here and say yes, even though it goes against everything that I know.' Then, I just fell in love with it. So, I kept going and I started more podcasts."

Liz Martinez

After finding success with her three podcasts, she launched the KILLR Podcast Network in September 2021 as a vertical within PodcastOne. The opportunity has allowed for her to "mentor up-and-coming podcasters" and "help them develop their niche in the podcast industry," she says.

"People don't take podcasting super seriously yet, and it is actually very cutthroat," she continues. "You either make it or you don't. So that's been a challenge with my own little mini-network is finding people that essentially make the cut and are interesting enough for other people to listen to."

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As for what she believes has enabled her to be a success story in the podcast space, Lowry says: "There's no holds barred when it comes to me and podcasting."

"People would make comments that I sold my soul to MTV. I literally sell my soul to my podcasting," she adds. "I will talk about anything, everything. I will interview anyone. I think that's what kind of sets me apart. I will literally talk about nitty-gritty details of life that no one wants to say out loud."