“I think financially speaking, that was really hard for me,” Lowry, 32, exclusively told Us Weekly when looking back on her decision to leave the franchise after 11 years. “I needed the mental break. But that being said, I realized at [that] point, my podcast was financially more successful than Teen Mom. I was like, ‘It’s time for me to go.’”

After realizing her podcasts — including her original “Coffee Convos” show — were financially successful, Lowry said she had to take a leap of faith and put her priorities elsewhere. “There was only one producer who reached out to me and was like, ‘I knew that this was gonna be good for you and I believed in you,’ and I believed him when he said that,” she said. “That was a really, really cool realization.” In May 2022, Lowry announced she was leaving Teen Mom 2. At the time, she told Dr. Drew Pinsky and Nessa that it was time to “move on” and expressed her desire to “do my own thing.”

“Truthfully, I had toyed with the idea for a long time, probably a good two years,” Lowry explained to Us. “I talked to Chelsea [Houska], who had already left the show. It was just like, ‘What do I do?’ And she said to me, ‘It is going to be the scariest decision you make because you’re not sure. You have your foot in the door in other places, but can you propel yourself from those points?’ I think that was kind of eye-opening for me when she said that because I saw how successful she was and how she grew and flourished as a person after she left.”

Her decision appears to have paid off. In addition to hosting “Coffee Convos” with Lindsie Chrisley, “Baby Mamas No Drama” with Vee Rivera and “Barely Famous” by herself, Lowry is booked and busy as she speaks to listeners on a weekly basis.

Her success also helped launch the KILLR Podcast Network, which aims to grow the next generation of KILLR podcasters. “It’s definitely an unfiltered look at my life, and I can be myself and I don’t have a four-minute time window where things have to be edited a certain way and presented a certain way,” Lowry told Us when discussing her favorite part of podcasting. “I can say whatever I want whenever I want.” She also can connect with fans in a whole new way. Starting September 17, Lowry will kick off a podcast tour in Columbus, Ohio. She will also appear in Texas and Pennsylvania during the fall with special guests.