Divorce Conversations For Women

In this episode, Rhonda welcomes Amanda Singer. Amanda is Co-Owner of West Coast Family Mediation Center. She is a Licensed Attorney, Certified Mediator, and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. Amanda’s key area of practice is mediation.  According to Amanda, mediation is not going to work in all situations, but it does in a lot more than people realize. Some couples might agree on everything and they just might need more help with getting things done correctly. And there are those that agree on nothing. At least they have to both agree on mediation. Communication is not easy. Make sure you utilize the mediator’s expertise to help you through this process, especially if you have kids.  Here are some of Amanda’s recommendations about mediation and communication during the divorce process: Mediation is a voluntary process and both partners have to be willing to participate, compromise, and communicate.   Once you’re already in mediation, share your concerns with the mediator. Think about how you’re communicat

In this episode, Rhonda welcomes Gregg Murset, the CEO of BusyKid, which is the ultimate debit card and app that helps teach kids how to manage their own money. Gregg is a Certified Financial Planner and consultant who has become a great advocate for sound parenting. In this episode, Gregg shares the importance of teaching your kids the value of money and managing it. He gives us some good tips on how you could help your kids have a better future by teaching them about the financial aspects of life.  According to Gregg, it’s important to know the balanced financial approach to financial management which is what our kids need to learn. Who is a better teacher than you, right? His message for you today is: Teach you kids while they’re young.  Here are some of his tips: A balanced financial approach includes saving, sharing and spending. You need to teach your kids what these three things are and what they do to help us manage our money. It’s the reality of life and they should know this while they’re young. Pr

In today’s episode, Rhonda is joined by Bridget Potterton. Bridget is a Certified Divorce Real Estate Expert in the state of California. Today they discuss the things you should be considering before selling your home during your divorce. Selling your home could be a tough decision due to various reasons such as emotional attachment, but you must consider everything when making this big decision in your life.  Bridget reminds today’s listeners to be careful and consider everything in making your decision.   Here are some of the key points to the discussion that make this a worthy listen: The key is to take a deep breath and really think through the strategy before you make a decision of whether or not to either buy out a spouse, if that's possible, or whether you need to sell the home. Take a look at the numbers, options and data to make a good decision, not leaving the emotional part at the door but also not forgetting that there is some logic that goes along with the decision making as well.  Hire the righ

In today's episode, I sat down with David Iancu of Karp & Iancu, S.C. law firm in the state of Wisconsin, to debunk some of the myths surrounding divorce.  Disclaimer! The discussion that we had pertains specifically to the laws on divorce in the State of Wisconsin. What we discussed may not apply to you as each state has its own laws pertaining to this matter.  Nevertheless, I am encouraging you to listen to our discussion because there might be things that you didn't initially consider that could be touched upon here.    Right off the bat, David Iancu gives his most important advice to people considering divorce and it is this: Get as much intel or information as you can!  He notes that people often lack knowledge about the divorce process. Thus, he encourages you to look out for information to gain clarity about your situation.  Listen to this episode to learn the truth about myths in divorce.   Here are some of the myths that spouses believe:  Myth 1 - "We get to keep what we had before we got married

For today’s episode, Rhonda is joined by Nicole Cheri Oden. Nicole is an attorney licensed in the State of California for almost 10 years with her own virtual law practice. Today they will discuss the various options when going through a divorce. Litigation divorce isn't the only way and being aware of these options can help families minimize the emotional stress and costs during a difficult time. Taking a step back to review the emotional climate between the two parties can eventually help smoothen the journey through divorce.  Nicole sternly reminds today’s listeners that divorces don't necessarily need to be amicable to be successful but to be respectful. Here are some key points to the discussion that makes this a worthy listen: There is more than one way to get a divorce. Listen now to know what to consider when choosing between mediation, collaborative process, cooperative process, and limited scope representation.  Divorce is not free - It will cost time and money so choose wisely on how you spend it.

In this episode, Rhonda welcomes Ariel Kopac, the founder and owner of Harness Your Hindrance. They talk about money and the mindsets that keep us stuck. We all experience fears around money, and that fear is heightened when there is a significant life change, especially divorce. Knowing that you can call out the fear, face it, and not be manipulated by it, you embrace the power you have. We can be manipulated by fear, or we can manipulate our fear. The choice is ours. Women going through divorce need to know that they have the power to choose. Ariel’s message to you today is: Whatever you decide, know that your greatest limitations are always those that you place upon yourself.  Listen to this episode and learn about some of the strategies that may impact your mindset around money.  Here are some of them: Whenever you focus on what you do not want, you are keeping your focus there instead of on what you do want.  Our associations are powerful and can be helpful or hurtful. Reframe money as a tool that you u

In this episode, Rhonda welcomes Elizabeth Kay, the Morning Show host on 99.1 The Mix and podcast host of “50 Shades of Kay”. Elizabeth talks about her divorce process, the things she did, and the things she wished she did differently. She also talks about her life after divorce. According to her, you are going to have tough days, even after the divorce, because you need the time to mourn your relationship. Elizabeth also shares about her life in a blended family and gives some excellent co-parenting tips. She highly recommends the book The Happy Stepmother by Rachelle Katz, which is very helpful and easy to read.     Elizabeth’s message to the women going through the divorce is: Put your needs first and do not apologize for it, even if there are kids involved in the divorce. If you do not take care of yourself, and put your oxygen mask on first, you are going to suffer the consequences of that down the road, and ultimately, so will your children.  Here are some of her recommendations: You are in the stage o

In this episode, Rhonda welcomes Amee Quiriconi. Amee is an advocate, business consultant, speaker, author, and the owner of Activity Girl, LLC. Amee has been divorced twice and has learned valuable lessons from each experience. According to Amee, divorce is emotional. We have to find space in our divorce process to breathe, to calm down, and to come back to the really hard decisions that we have to make when we are not amplified, and elevated, stressed down, and depressed. Here are some of her thoughts and recommendations: Support system is invaluable. It is hard to do this on your own, especially in a high-conflict situation. We have to figure out where can we get resources of people that are not in the swirl, in the perimeter of the hurricane, but are sitting safely and calmly in the middle. Divorce is hard. And if you haven’t done therapy or counseling for the duration of your divorce, I highly recommend finding somebody who can help you with that because divorce is triggering a lot of things in us. Pivo

In this episode, Rhonda welcomes Attorney Dan Exner, Family Law and Divorce Lawyer, and the Founder of Exner Legal, LLC. They talk about mediation. There are some misperceptions about mediation. Mediation is not an alternative to the divorce process. And mediator is not an attorney that’s there to advise people. Mediators are not supposed to give you any kind of direction - their role is either to find the middle ground or to figure out where there is none.  The one thing Dan wants you to know is: You need to be empowered with as much information as possible before you go down this path, whatever path you take. There are many good things you can learn from their conversation, and here are some of them: Internet is a great source of information. But be careful what you read online. Law changes from state to state, but procedures can change county by county, or even judge to judge. Even be careful who you are talking to because people can have completely different experiences than you. You are going to have to

In this episode, Rhonda welcomes Ilyssa Panitz, a Divorce Journalist and Columnist. According to Ilyssa, too many times women act on emotions, and then when faced with a barrage of questions about money, finances, marital residence, and expenses, they come up short by not having any of the answers. It is crucial, vital, and imperative that women do their homework before serving their husbands with divorce papers. Ilyssa’s message for you today is: You are going to be OK. You are going to land on your feet. You are going to survive and thrive. Here are some of her recommendations: Preparation is everything. Keep your emotions in check. It is a very big transaction and you have to treat it as such. You have to know your facts. Investigate, investigate, investigate. Set a new email address, your own bank account, get your own credit card, check your vehicle for a tracking device, get off your social media, do not put anything regarding your matter on social media, get Life360 app for your children… Put a team t

In this episode Rhonda welcomes Dr. Elizabeth Cohen, a clinical psychologist and the Divorce Doctor. She is the author of the book Light on the Other Side of Divorce. In this episode, Dr. Cohen shares about the trauma of divorce and healing from that trauma, and she gives some really good tips on how to process the anger. According to Dr. Elizabeth, your experience matters. And the only person you can change is you. Her message for you today is: You are immensely brave, you are immensely courageous, you are strong beyond measure. Here are some of her tips: Watch and notice the thoughts you use. And instead of saying: “My marriage is over, the relationship did not work”, consider saying: “My relationship came to its perfect conclusion. It gave me and my partner everything it was meant to, and now it is time to release it”. To process anger, allow your body to move through anger by listening to music. Do not talk smack about the other parent. You have the right to be angry, but your child should never be part

In this episode Rhonda introduces Rebecca Stern Kaufman, Founder of Pearl Mediation Group, LLC. Rebecca is a divorce mediator that specializes in working with families that have children with special needs, and she is also a special education advocate for those parents. According to Rebecca, whether you’re experiencing a divorce, separation, or you have a child with any kind of behavioral, developmental or educational issue, it’s a crisis, it is something you did not expect. In that moment of crisis, you’re not going to make the best decisions. You need a team of professionals, people who can help you to answer all those questions and teach you to ask the right questions. Rebecca’s message to you is: You are not alone, and we are going to build the team together that’s going to help give you all the information you need to move forward and in more empowered way. Here are some of her recommendations: Having the right team is important to provide you with right information. If you have a special needs child, y

In this episode Rhonda welcomes Jasmin Caviezel, Personal Trainer and Menstrual Cycle Coach. They talk about the four cycle phases and what happens during the phases with hormones and energy changes. Jasmin’s message for you today is: Listening to your body is always the best thing to do. Keep track your changes. Journaling is great way to start for anyone that is new to this. The My Flow App may help you track your cycle and gives you some useful tips. Here are some of Jasmin’s tips: Women in menopause still can feel those changes in their body happening. Those cycle changes are still applicable even though the hormones are declining. It is powerful to work out with your cycle. Getting to know your body and those changes you go through brings the awareness and understanding and more love for yourself. We need to take care of ourselves. We want to make sure that we prioritize ourselves and our wellbeing especially during challenging times. All the stress that come with it can impact our hormone system. Cont

In this episode Rhonda welcomes Kristin Belkofer, a mental health professional, and a Founder and Clinical Director of CLARA Healing Institute. They talk about the parenting aspect of the divorce process and therapeutic strategies for working with children. According to Kristin, if communication and healthy confrontation is a problem in marriage, it is going to be a problem in the coparenting relationship. Her message to you today is: This is just a chapter of not only your story but of your family’s story. And remember that kids are extremely resilient. Here are some of Kristin’s counsels: It is important for both parents to feel that they can have some space for transitioning and coping from stressful situations. Kids are resilient but they need support – the earlier, the better – even if it seems that the child handles it well. Because sometimes they don’t even know what to ask, or what to say. There are some great tools for families for better day-to-day communication, like Talking Parents, and My Family

In this episode Rhonda welcomes Jessica Coenen, Founder and CEO of La Belle Creative. Jess shares her story of being divorced twice, left almost homeless, without an income, and full of questions like: Who am I? And then starting over, answering those questions and building the new story for herself.    Here are some of her encouragements: This is you new life and fresh start. And that is scary as hell because you don’t know what’s around the corner.  What do you fantasize about? What are your biggest dreams?   Even if you have to go to work at Starbucks, or somewhere, be thinking about what your dreams are and you’re passionate about, and could you market that, could you sell that.  When new information enters the equation, you get to make different decisions. You can only start with where you are. We cannot forecast our future so we have to do what we can in the present with the information we have. And trust ourselves enough that when we have a new information, we are ready.  Contact Information and Ot

On this episode Rhonda welcomes Christine Bannister, a Courage Coach, mom of two, and a full-time Dispatch Supervisor for 911 center. Christine shares about her own experience of raising children as a single mom, building her career in emergency services, and PTSD as a result of being overloaded and not dealing with the trauma of divorce. Christine’s message for those who are going through divorce is: This is not the end of you. There is hope. As you progress, and move through the trauma, and start dealing with things, you continue to find yourself and discover who you are. Here are some of her thoughts: In all the moments when you feel exhausted and overwhelmed, and you feel like you can’t take care of yourself, stop everything you’re doing, and rest, or go for a walk, or choose a better food item that can nourish your body or your brain in a different way. Because ‘someday’ takes a really long time to get here. We all have trauma, but we just ignore it. It is really critical to know and understand that tra

In this episode Rhonda welcomes her friend Jessica Lucchesi  Moylan, health and wellness expert, a mom of three daughters and recently divorced after 25 years of marriage. Jessica shares her insight and encouragement with you, and her message for you today is: Tack your head, your heart and your gut in the alignment. According to Jessica, divorce is like a bad dream, but she’d rather be alone than lonely with somebody else. Here are some of Jessica’s suggestions for those women contemplating divorce: Start to journal – What do I want? What do I want out of life, what do I want in a relationship? It is a really personal decision. You have to choose your hard - because, it is going to be hard. There will be things you have to go through whether you stay or whether you leave. Keep your side of the street clean. And be absolutely resolute and sound in your decision. Contact Information and Other Resources Our guest today was Jessica Moylan, Wellness & fitness lover, make-up artist, leader and Arbonne consul

In this episode Rhonda talks to Lisa Mack, an independent senior sales director, and a Cadillac driver. Lisa shares about her experience when she was going through divorce after four years of marriage, starting her business and building credit ratings. For a long time, she found comfort in her favorite Bible verse from Jeremiah 29:11, and it proved true in her life. According to Lisa, the overall thing is: You can do it. You can make it through. You really can come through on the other side even better than you could’ve even imagine. Here are some of Lisa’s suggestions for women going through divorce: It may seem like the worst thing in the world. Take a minute at a time, if you cannot do a day or an hour. Anger and grief – It is too easy to cover it up with a band aid, but you have to get through it. Sit in it, and feel it and go through it (the hurt, the emotion….) before you can move on in a healthy way for yourself and your family. Talk to a trained professional. Hire a quality attorney who is well verse

In this special episode Rhonda welcomes her friend Leslie who shares her own experience with divorce.  ____________________ Our host of Divorce Conversations for Women Podcast is Rhonda Noordyk, CFEI, CDFA® Rhonda Noordyk's relentless pursuit of financial justice for women going through divorce drove her to leave the financial industry in 2014 to open The Women's Financial Wellness Center. She was in search of a better way. She used her knowledge, passion, and experience to build a leading-edge business model. The intention was to create a business that provided a safe place for women - especially those in a vulnerable position - to find their paths, find their voices and find the financial confidence they need to lift themselves out of seemingly hopeless situations. Since starting the Women’s Financial Wellness Center, after a 10+ year career in the financial industry, she has helped alleviate financial vulnerability for thousands of women. In addition to being the CEO of The Women’s Financial Wellness Cente

In this special episode Rhonda welcomes Kim Reuf, the owner of TRUE Tax & Accounting. Rhonda and Kim discuss Tax concerns issues, such as the extended filing date, child tax credits, the filing married versus single, how to handle an uncooperative spouse and claiming Head of household. According to Kim, the key is to be educated. Contact Information Kim Rauf Website | LinkedIn | (608) 218-6547 kim@trueconsultingllc.net ____________________ Our host of Divorce Conversations for Women Podcast is Rhonda Noordyk, CFEI, CDFA® Rhonda Noordyk's relentless pursuit of financial justice for women going through divorce drove her to leave the financial industry in 2014 to open The Women's Financial Wellness Center. She was in search of a better way. She used her knowledge, passion, and experience to build a leading-edge business model. The intention was to create a business that provided a safe place for women - especially those in a vulnerable position - to find their paths, find their voices and find the financial