Meet Zia Paola,

Your Favourite Bad Influence

Hi, I’m Paola. Former veterinary surgeon, current burnout survivor, chaos gardener, emotionally attached to chickens, and self-declared Zia to every millennial who’s ever wanted to quit life and move into a pasta bowl.

I started Zia’s Bad Influence as an antidote to the toxic productivity cult, the Pinterest-perfect wellness fantasy, and the idea that healing has to be silent, smooth, or sober. It doesn’t. Sometimes it looks like screaming into a sourdough starter or teaching your chickens Italian curse words.

What You’ll Find Here

Lazy Italian recipes for the perpetually overwhelmed

Printable grief kits (because life is grief sometimes)

Burnout recovery tools that don’t insult your intelligence

Self-sufficiency with sarcasm, not smugness

...And a growing collection of feral, healing digital products for the emotionally spicy and chronically exhausted

Still Here?

Good. You’ve probably found your people.

Browse the shop, read the blog, feed your chickens (or your inner child), and remember:
You’re not broken. You’re just done pretending.

Contact us

Got questions, chaos, or collab ideas?
Drop us a line — we don’t bite (unless we’re out of espresso).

Contact us here!