Shows
Growth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastThe CMO’s Role in an AI-Driven Market: Customers, Competition, and Change with Carol MeyersAI is transforming B2B marketing - but for today’s CMOs, the real challenge isn’t just adopting new tools. It’s leading marketing strategy, marketing planning, and go-to-market decisions in a rapidly changing market.In this episode of Growth Activated, Mandy Walker sits down with Carol Meyers—former Chief Marketing Officer and VP of Sales, now venture advisor and operating partner—to unpack what marketing leadership looks like in an AI-driven world. Drawing on decades of experience building and scaling venture-backed B2B companies, Carol shares how CMOs can elevate their role from tactical execution to strateg...
2026-01-1334 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastHow B2B Marketing Leaders Decide What to Keep In-House, What to Outsource, and When to Go Fractional#35: Struggling to decide whether to hire a marketing agency, add in-house headcount, or bring in fractional support? You’re not alone — and the answer is changing fast in 2025.In this special episode, Mandy switches seats and joins Kayla Bryant, General Manager at Two Trees PPC and host of The Marketing Chatroom, for a candid and practical conversation about how to resource your marketing team in an AI-driven world.You’ll hear Mandy’s perspective from 15+ years leading marketing inside large service orgs, startups, and agencies — plus her experience today as a fractional CMO supporting multiple companies...
2025-12-0929 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastGo-to-Market Science: How Sarah Renner Turns B2B Marketing into an Experimentation EngineWhat if your marketing org operated like a science lab—with clear hypotheses, clean data, and experiments that actually change how you invest your budget?In this episode of Growth Activated, I’m joined by Sarah Renner, VP of Marketing Strategy & Analytics at MarketBridge and one of the sharpest go-to-market “truth seekers” in B2B. Sarah has spent 20+ years at the intersection of strategy, analytics, and experimentation, helping companies move from opinion-driven decisions to evidence-based growth models that scale.Sarah breaks down what she calls Go-To-Market Science—a data-backed, hypothesis-driven, reproducible approach to marketing—and shows how an...
2025-12-0250 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastAI-Powered Rebrand in 6 Weeks: How CMO Dana Gagnon Relaunched Her Brand & Website with a Tiny TeamWhat if you could pull off a full rebrand and ship a new website in six weeks—without a big agency, giant budget, or in-house dev team?In this episode of Growth Activated, CMO Dana Gagnon (Every, ex-Pluralsight) breaks down how she used AI to lead one of the fastest, most modern B2B brand relaunches I’ve seen. She shares the exact playbook she used to reposition the company, refresh the visual identity, and write 13 core pages of web copy in an afternoon—while still protecting quality and brand voice.We cover:When i...
2025-11-2551 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastA Little Life Update Before the Next Big ChapterIt’s been a full season - from wedding planning and family celebrations to prepping new episodes for the podcast. In this short update, Mandy shares what’s been happening behind the scenes, why the feed’s been quieter, and what listeners can look forward to when Growth Activated returns in mid-November.Lead Like a CMO - Group Coaching Lab: Join the Waitlist Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!Loved this episode? Connect with me for more insights on B2B marketing leadership and strategies to grow your business. 🌐 Visi...
2025-10-2901 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastThe Pipeline Black Box: Why Your GTM Factory Stalls (and How to Fix It)#31 – What’s really happening inside your GTM engine before opportunities are created? That hidden stretch - what today’s guest calls the pipeline black box - may be the single biggest blind spot in B2B growth.Four-time marketing leader Carolyn Dilks (ex–VP Marketing, now Co-Founder at Passetto and co-host of GTM Live) joins host Mandy Walker to unpack how revenue teams can finally see what’s working, what’s wasting resources, and how to engineer predictable pipeline.You’ll learn:The Pipeline Black Box: Why it matters and what most teams miss bef...
2025-09-1647 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastBrand vs. Demand, Pipeline Pressure, and GTM Essentials: A Live Coaching Session with Bryna Dilman#30 - In this episode of Growth Activated, Mandy Walker sits down with Bryna Dilman—a seasoned Growth & Demand Gen leader—for our very first live coaching session on the show.We tackle four questions many B2B marketing leader are wrestling with right now - and break down practical, real-world strategies you can take straight back to your team.Inside, we cover:Evolving roles in the AI era - are generalists making a comeback, or do specialists still win?Digital marketing in a noisy world - how to break through over...
2025-09-0950 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastLessons from a 4× CMO: AI, Brand Voice, and Annual Planning in B2B Marketing (with Ruth Zive)#29 - AI is reshaping B2B marketing - but what does that actually look like inside a CMO’s org, plan, and P&L? Four-time CMO Ruth Zive (Voices; ex-Ada, LivePerson) joins host Mandy Walker to share practical plays marketing leaders can use right now across customer experience, brand, content, and go-to-market - without losing the human edge.You’ll learn:AI in CX & Brand: Why voice is the next brand asset (like your logo) and how leading brands license voices ethically and at scale.Marketing Team + AI: Where AI accelerates content, rese...
2025-09-0257 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership Podcast7 Mistakes Marketing Leaders Make When Proving ROI to the C-Suite (and How to Avoid Them)#28 - Few conversations are more high-stakes for a B2B marketing leader than proving ROI to the C-Suite. Nail it, and you win trust, credibility, and budget. Miss the mark, and you risk being seen as a cost center instead of a growth driver.In this episode of Growth Activated, host Mandy Walker shares seven mistakes marketing leaders make when proving marketing ROI to executives — and exactly how to avoid them. Drawing on her experience leading teams from $1M to $750M in revenue, Mandy reveals the pitfalls that derail even seasoned CMOs and VPs, and how to re...
2025-08-1915 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastYour First 90 Days as CMO: How to Align, Unite, and Win Fast#27 – The first 90 days in a new marketing leadership role can make or break your long-term success.You’re learning a new company, navigating personalities and politics, absorbing new systems—and all eyes are on you to make an impact fast.In this solo episode of Growth Activated, Mandy Walker is sharing the 3 priorities she focuses on in every new CMO role—priorities that help her align with the business, unite her team, and deliver quick wins without burning out.Inside, we cover:How to prioritize alignment with the C-Suite so you’re f...
2025-08-1217 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastLinkedIn Strategy That Works: 5 Steps B2B Marketing Leaders Can Use to Activate Sales#26 - In this episode of Growth Activated, Mandy Walker sits down with Morgan J. Ingram — LinkedIn strategist, content creator, and founder of AMP Creative — to talk all things LinkedIn marketing, social selling, and building a personal and brand presence that actually drives results.Morgan breaks down the five key components of a high-impact social selling strategy, the role of marketing leadership in enabling sales teams on LinkedIn, and how modern B2B marketing leaders can create alignment across sales, marketing, and customer success.Whether you're just starting to explore social media as a B2B chann...
2025-08-0555 min
K-12 ConfidentialEpisode 1. Intro to the Messes: K-12 Education is BIZARRE!The inaugural episode of the K 12 Confidential podcast dives into the complex and pressing issues plaguing the American K-12 education system. Host Trina English discusses with her sister Mandy Walker the alarming states of literacy and sexual violence in schools, the opaque and ineffective governance structures, and the exploitative practices of for-profit educational corporations. The episode sets the stage for a series of investigative discussions aimed at unveiling the root causes and proposing solutions through a petition for the creation of a national K-12 educator governing board.00:00 Welcome to K-12 Confidential00:19 Introduction to the Podcast...
2025-08-0446 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastFrom Vision to Velocity: 9 Ways to Empower Your Team and Get Out of Their Way#25 - You can’t move fast if your team doesn’t know where they’re going - or if they’re stuck waiting on you to decide everything. In this episode of Growth Activated, marketing leader and Fractional CMO Mandy Walker shares one of her most revisited leadership lessons: the importance of “laying the tracks” so your team can run.Drawing on a powerful metaphor from a former CEO - and lessons from leading B2B marketing teams and planning her own wedding - Mandy explores how effective marketing leadership starts with clarity and ends with trust.You'll...
2025-07-2917 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastEmpathy Without Avoidance: 4 Hard Calls Every CMO Must Make to Build High-Trust Teams#24 - Welcome to a special summer mini-series on Growth Activated, where we’re keeping things short, actionable, and full of value for marketing leaders looking to elevate their impact.In this kickoff episode, Mandy Walker shares one of the most memorable leadership lessons she’s ever received - something that changed the way she thinks about empathy, accountability, and what it really means to lead a high-performing team.If you’ve ever wrestled with whether to keep an underperformer, dealt with a toxic team member, or struggled to let go of someone who “used to be great...
2025-07-1510 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastContent Strategy 2.0: How Top B2B Brands Win on LinkedIn, YouTube & Podcasts#23 - What does it take to build a content strategy that actually drives brand, trust, and pipeline in today’s B2B landscape?In this episode of Growth Activated, I’m joined by Erik Jacobson—founder of Hatch.fm, host of the 95% Content podcast, and content partner to B2B leaders like Chris Walker and Dave Gerhardt.We break down what Content Strategy 2.0 really looks like—and how top B2B brands are using podcasts, LinkedIn, and YouTube to build lasting influence and stay top of mind with future buyers.Inside, we cover:How to...
2025-07-0249 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastSearch Everywhere Optimization: How AI Is Changing the SEO Game#22: The rules of SEO are changing—and if you’re a B2B marketing leader still focused only on Google, it’s time to expand your playbook.In this episode of Growth Activated, I’m joined by Mark Goloboy, a fractional CMO and AI marketing strategist helping teams adapt to the new world of LLM Optimization—where tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity now shape how your brand shows up in search.We’ll explore what this shift means for modern B2B marketing teams, how AI is reshaping the way buyers research, and where marketing le...
2025-06-1737 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership Podcast2025 Marketing Salaries & Job Trends: What’s Hot, What’s Not#21: What does the 2025 marketing job market really look like—and how do you stay in demand as AI transforms the way B2B teams hire, operate, and grow?In this solo episode of Growth Activated, host Mandy Walker breaks down two must-read reports—the Taligence Q1 2025 Jobs Report and the Exit Five Salary Report—to uncover what’s happening beneath the surface of the B2B marketing world.We’ll cover:The highest-paying B2B marketing roles in 2025—and which ones are stalling or shrinkingHow AI is reshaping team structures, job responsibilities, and entry-level career paths...
2025-06-1028 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastThe CMO Scorecard: Benchmark Your Marketing Team, Close Gaps & Build a Revenue-Ready Org#20: Ever wonder how your B2B marketing team stacks up against others? Not just in headcount or budget—but in actual maturity, strategy, and execution?In this episode of Growth Activated, we’re diving into the Sales and Marketing Maturity Matrix—a powerful assessment designed to help marketing leaders benchmark their teams across 9 essential pillars of go-to-market success. Whether you're leading a small but mighty team or scaling a complex org, this framework reveals exactly where you stand—and how to grow from there.I’m joined by Jim Irving, creator of the Matrix and a veter...
2025-06-0441 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastTo Show Up or Stay Silent? Lessons in Building Brave, Authentic B2B Brands with Katie Martell#19: In a time when brand silence speaks volumes, how should B2B marketers show up?In this powerful episode of Growth Activated, host Mandy Walker sits down with Katie Martell—LinkedIn Top Voice, keynote speaker, and unapologetic marketing truth-teller—for a timely conversation on brand authenticity, performative allyship, and what it really means to lead with integrity as a B2B marketing leader.Whether you're navigating Pride Month messaging, facing internal resistance around DEI, or wondering how to protect your role while pushing for purpose-driven marketing, this episode is a must-listen.We dive into...
2025-05-2841 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastThought Leadership-Driven Growth: Rethinking Sales and Marketing for the Next Generation with Kelli Schutrop#18: In today's B2B world, the traditional divide between sales and marketing is holding companies back—and "growth at all costs" tactics are losing their edge.In this episode of Growth Activated, I’m joined by Kelli Schutrop, a sales and marketing leader who’s built her own playbook for modern B2B growth—rooted in strategic alignment, thought leadership, and expert visibility.We’ll dive into:Why sales and marketing alignment alone isn’t enough for today’s B2B marketing leadersHow leading companies use thought leadership to build brand AND pipelinePractical ways to map your bu...
2025-05-1355 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastThe One Hire That Will Transform Your Go-to-Market Strategy (Yet Most Teams Hire Too Late) — with Shirin Shahin#17: Most B2B marketing leaders think they have product marketing covered—until growth stalls, GTM alignment breaks down, and messaging misses the mark.In this episode of Growth Activated, I sit down with product marketing expert Shirin Shahin to unpack why product marketing is often the critical blind spot in marketing organizations—and how strategic leaders are closing the gap to drive faster, smarter growth.We’ll cover:What product marketing really is—and why it’s often misunderstood (even by seasoned CMOs)How to fix broken personas, positioning, and product launches before they derail you...
2025-05-0635 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastAdapt or Get Left Behind: AI Workflow Hacks and Automation Wins for B2B Marketing Teams with Nicole Leffer#16: AI is moving faster than most marketing teams can keep up—and the gap between early adopters and laggards is only getting wider.In this episode of Growth Activated, I sit down with AI strategist Nicole Leffer to break down what B2B marketing leaders must know right now to stay competitive, scale smarter, and lead with confidence in the AI era.We’ll cover:How the best B2B marketing teams are using AI for competitive intelligence, content, sales enablement, and moreThe 3 paths marketing teams are taking with AI—and why only one leads...
2025-04-2957 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastMastering Your Fractional Marketing Game: Lessons Learned from Top Fractional Leaders#15: Fractional leadership is rapidly reshaping the B2B marketing landscape, offering ambitious marketing leaders a powerful path to scale their impact, revenue, and influence—without burning out. But what separates a thriving Fractional CMO from those who struggle to gain traction?In this episode of Growth Activated, I’m revealing game-changing insights and hard-earned lessons from successful Fractional CMOs and other fractional marketing leaders who’ve mastered the art of building profitable, fulfilling careers on their own terms.We’ll dive deep into the three most effective fractional work models—Project-Based, Retainer, and Advisory—sharing the strategi...
2025-04-2232 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastFrom $50M to $750M: CMO Lessons to Reach the C-Suite (Without Burning Out)#14: In this special episode of Growth Activated, I’m sharing a conversation I had on the Tech Success Stories podcast, where I dove into my journey from scaling a B2B services company from $50M to $750M to launching Growth Activated.This episode is packed with actionable insights for B2B marketing leaders ready to elevate their marketing strategy, achieve executive alignment, and prove marketing ROI.We cover:✅ Overcoming burnout and finding clarity: What I learned when I shifted from marketing leadership to revenue leadership.✅ Lessons learned from scaling a B2B comp...
2025-04-1526 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastContent Strategy That Drives ROI: Lessons from Zoe Hawkins#13: As marketing leaders, one of our biggest challenges is understanding how all marketing functions—content strategy, SEO, paid media, events and more—contribute to the bigger picture of B2B marketing success. Too often, we evaluate these functions in isolation, missing their interconnected impact on growth and marketing ROI.Today, we’re diving into content strategy with Zoe Hawkins, Director of Content Marketing and Integrated Campaigns at Sumo Logic. Zoe is a pro at uniting content, product marketing, demand generation, and branding to drive real results.We cover: ✅ The evolving role of content strategy in high-g...
2025-04-0852 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastWin CFO Trust: The CMO Playbook for Budget, Buy-In & Board-Ready ROI (w/ Darko Socanski)#12: If you’ve ever been handed a lead goal without context—or struggled to make the case for brand, budget, or headcount—this is the episode you didn’t know you needed.In this Growth Activated C-Suite Series episode, I sit down with Darko Socanski, a veteran CFO who has helped early-stage companies raise hundreds of millions in capital and generate over $1.5B in enterprise value. He brings a clear, candid perspective on how marketing fits into the broader business strategy—and what it really takes to earn a seat at the executive table.We explore ho...
2025-04-0150 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastCTO Secrets for B2B CMOs: Product Marketing, Data Strategy, and Faster GTM with Milenko Beslic#11: What does a CTO really care about—and how can B2B marketing leaders build the kind of executive alignment that earns a lasting seat at the table?In this episode of Growth Activated, we continue our C-Suite Series with Milenko Beslic—a multi-time CTO, founder, and startup builder with 20+ years of experience leading product and engineering teams across high-growth companies. I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside Milenko at two different startups, and his business-first approach to technology is something every B2B marketing leader should understand.We dive into what CTOs really value...
2025-03-2553 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastCRO Mindset for Marketing Leaders: How CMOs Align on MQLs, Drive More Meetings, and Grow Revenue with Sloane Barbour#10: This episode is part of our C-Suite Series on Growth Activated, where we dive into the minds of the C-suite—helping B2B marketing leaders better understand, align with, and partner with executives to drive real business impact.Sales and marketing alignment has always been a challenge, but what if marketing leaders could see things through the eyes of a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)? Understanding the CRO mindset is the key to building a stronger CRO and CMO relationship, proving marketing’s value, and ensuring marketing is seen as a true growth driver—not just a cost center...
2025-03-1851 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastThe RevOps ROI Blueprint for CMOs: Multi-Touch Attribution, the 95/5 Rule & What to Report - with Jeff Ignacio#9: Is your marketing team struggling to prove ROI? Are attribution models, budget battles, and RevOps alignment making it harder to show your impact?You’re not alone. Every CEO and CFO wants to see marketing ROI, yet few can define it—and even fewer know how to measure it effectively. That’s where RevOps comes in.In this episode of Growth Activated, I sit down with RevOps powerhouse Jeff Ignacio to unpack the real way to measure marketing’s impact—beyond just lead generation. With a background in Financial Planning & Analysis at Google and Intel and over a...
2025-03-1147 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastC-Suite Series: The CEO’s Perspective on Growth, Profitability and Marketing – with Mark Feldman#8: Are you seen as a strategic business leader—or just the glorified head of lead gen? In this episode of Growth Activated, I sit down with Mark Feldman, CEO and Founder of RevenueBase, who made the leap from marketing executive to CEO. Mark shares key insights on aligning marketing with the C-suite and stepping up as a true business leader.We’ll cover:✅ The mindset shift from B2B marketing leader to CEO✅ How CEOs and boards view growth, investment, and profitability✅ Aligning marketing with Sales, Customer Success, and Product✅ Learnings, failings, and wins fro...
2025-02-1748 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership Podcast10 Proven Strategies CMOs Use to Win C-Suite Buy-In (and Influence Company Strategy)#7: You’re running a high-impact B2B marketing function, delivering real business results—but when it comes to strategic discussions with the C-suite, you’re still on the sidelines. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Many B2B marketing leaders, even at the VP and SVP level, struggle to be seen as business leaders within their organizations.In this episode of Growth Activated, I break down how to shift that perception and position yourself as a strategic marketing leader and growth partner—not just a marketer.We’ll cover:✅ How to align marketing with top business o...
2025-02-1143 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastFrom Marketer to CEO: How Leslie Vickrey Built a Thriving Agency, a Strong Brand, and an Unstoppable Culture#6: How do you go from being an in-house marketer to the CEO of a thriving agency? And how do you build a personal brand that fuels business growth while fostering a culture that attracts top talent? In this episode of Growth Activated, I sit down with Leslie Vickrey—entrepreneur, author, and founder of ClearEdge—to unpack her journey from marketing leader to agency CEO.Leslie shares how she made the leap into entrepreneurship without a business plan, the power of networking in building a personal brand, and why company culture is the key to long-term success. We also...
2025-02-0453 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastThe CMO Playbook: 5 Successful Exits, 1 Framework for Marketing Excellence with Scott Todaro#5: Are you ready to elevate your B2B marketing leadership? In this episode of Growth Activated, Mandy Walker welcomes Scott Todaro, a seasoned Chief Marketing Officer and co-founder of The Next CMO, to share the framework that has driven his five successful exits.Scott dives into the core principles every CMO needs to succeed, from selecting the right companies and roles to aligning with executive teams for long-term marketing impact. He also shares actionable strategies for connecting B2B marketing goals to business objectives and building a 90-day roadmap for success in any organization.Whether...
2025-01-2151 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastHow to Find Your Ideal Marketing Role: A 4-Part Framework for Smarter Career Moves in 2025#4: Feeling stuck in your B2B marketing career? Whether you’re debating between a fractional CMO role or a full-time marketing leadership position, this episode of Growth Activated is for you. Mandy Walker explores four key considerations for identifying your next big career move, including employment type, company stage, industry fit, and a company's marketing vision.Mandy shares personal stories from her own career journey—navigating layoffs, exploring fractional marketing jobs, and making industry transitions—to help you approach your next step with intention and confidence. If you’re ready to activate growth in your B2B marketin...
2025-01-1436 minGrowth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastBreaking Down Silos: Building a Customer-Centric Growth Engine Through Sales and Marketing Alignment#3: Feel like your B2B marketing and sales teams are speaking different languages? Or worse, do you find yourself caught in the inefficiencies and frustrations of misalignment? You’re not alone. Many B2B organizations struggle to unify their go-to-market teams, leading to wasted resources, missed opportunities, and a disjointed customer experience.In this episode of Growth Activated, Mandy Walker breaks down the 5 pillars of building a customer-centric growth engine through sales and marketing alignment. You’ll learn why alignment matters, what true alignment looks like, and actionable steps to align your goals, customer journey, pipeline planning, and...
2025-01-0331 min
Growth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership Podcast6 Steps to Building a Winning Marketing Plan that Drives Results#2: Feel like your marketing plan is more of a wish list than a roadmap? Or worse, do you find yourself ditching your plan within weeks—or not having one at all? You’re not alone. Many B2B marketing leaders struggle to create strategic plans that align with business goals, secure executive buy-in, and drive measurable results.In this episode of Growth Activated, we dive into the 6 essential steps to building a winning marketing plan. You’ll learn how to conduct a comprehensive landscape review, set achievable marketing goals, strategize effectively, and build a flexible execution blueprint that b...
2024-12-2731 min
Growth Activated | The B2B Marketing Leadership PodcastThe Future of Marketing Leadership: 4 Skills to Succeed in 2025#1: We’ve all seen the headlines: CMOs have the shortest tenure in the C-suite, and B2B marketing leaders are under more pressure than ever to deliver ROI. Marketing leadership is at a crossroads—but what if mastering four critical skills could transform how you lead and help you earn the trust of your CEO?In this episode of Growth Activated, we explore the future of marketing leadership and uncover the 4 essential traits every B2B marketing leader needs to succeed in 2025. From aligning marketing with business goals to enhancing operational excellence and agility, this epis...
2024-12-1933 min
Conversations About DivorceProtection Orders And Divorce: What Are They, How Do You Get One And Do They Keep You Safe?If you can work cooperatively with your spouse through the end of your marriage, it's better all round. Better for your emotional health, better for your kids and absolutely better for your wallet.But that's not always possible especially when there's been domestic abuse, whether it's physical. emotional or financial.Abuse makes ending a relationship much, much more difficult. We know that on average it takes a victim seven attempts to leave an abuser before staying away for good. We also know that the risk of being killed increases 75 percent when a woman tries to leave...
2019-05-1334 min
Conversations About DivorceDivorce Can Make An IRS Problem Go From Bad To WorseIt's pretty typical in a marriage for one spouse to take on the responsibility for doing the taxes and often times, the other spouse is all too happy to be relieved of that task. And then divorce happens ...And then they find out that the taxes they thought they had filed, haven't been filed ...Or, the taxes they thought had been paid, haven't ...Or, they hear for the first time that there's tens of thousands of dollars owed to the IRS.Then what?Joining Mandy for this Conversation...
2019-04-2931 min
Conversations About DivorceLooking for Happiness After Divorce? You Have To Let Go Of The PastIt doesn't matter the circumstances of the end of your marriage, we all learn things about ourselves in the process. We learn our values, our beliefs, our choices and, if we do the self-work we understand where they came from and if they are serving or hurting us. This is your baggage. We all have it. And if you want to find happiness after divorce some it is going to have to go. Mandy's guest for this Conversation calls it "taking out your trash." Antonia Ragozzino has just published her second novel, "Taking Out...
2019-04-0131 min
Hot Shopping TipsAre you wasting money on insurance you don’t need?In Episode #39, we'll tell you about policies you can safely skip, which can help you save hundreds of dollars in premiums every year. Hot Shopping Tips co-host, Mandy Walker, has covered insurance for more than a decade, and will explain why products like whole life, life insurance for kids, critical-illness policies, wedding coverage, and extended warranties may not be worth it. We also discuss: What you need to know about price-matching at Walmart. And the risks and rewards of the new key-making kiosks.
2019-03-2322 min
Conversations About DivorceManaging Your Credit Score Through Your DivorceTalking about credit scores doesn't sound like a very interesting topic and in fact, it's good if your credit score is boring. That would mean that it was at least stable.But stable is often not what's going on in divorce and divorce is frequently the time when people are looking at their credit score for the first time or in a long time. As we start to talk about things like getting a new credit card, closing out old accounts, qualifying for a mortgage or car loan, the importance of your credit score becomes very clear.
2019-03-1830 minConversations About DivorceFinding The Right Divorce Support For YouThere's little disagreement that ending your marriage is one of the most difficult experiences and transitions you'll have in life. It can also be one of the most isolating. In the months leading up to going public, people often hide the truth about what is going on from family and friends because if you can work it out, you don't want people to know about all the problems.Once the decision is public, people are still quiet about what's going on. That's a mixture of wanting some privacy, fear of judgement, feeling embarrassed and simply not wanting to...
2019-03-0432 minConversations About DivorceAre You Sure About Divorce? Try Reconnecting With Your SpouseWhile deciding to divorce is always a hard decision and not something anyone wants, for some people it becomes very clear that this is what needs to happen. Often times this involves infidelity, domestic abuse or addiction problems.For others, making the decision is much more challenging. They get along OK with their spouse, don't really argue, parent well together, can make decisions together but there's something's missing. Usually it's a lack of intimacy - physical and/or emotional. It's a roommate marriage.These are the hardest marriages to end. People agonize over the decision for...
2019-02-1833 minConversations About DivorceIt's Wrong To Think You're Not A Family After DivorceOne of the most common reasons for not ending a marriage is not wanting to break up the family. Yet, ask people who are post-divorce and they'll tell you with no uncertainty that they are still a family, just a bit different now.This tells us that the sense of family is important to many people and that what family means is fluid.So how do people accept their family is changing? What does family after divorce mean? What can you do to shape the family you have after divorce?Joining Mandy for this...
2019-01-2132 minConversations About DivorceSeeing Divorce As An OpportunityDivorce is always an opportunistic event except that most people don't see it that way.It's opportunistic because at least for the person making the decision to end the marriage, they have concluded that life will be better outside the relationship. It doesn't mean that the divorce was what they wanted or that it isn't hurtful, painful and difficult. Nor does it mean that every aspect of their life will be better. Finances might be worse but emotionally it would be better. Lifestyle may change but parenting may become easier. Weighing all the considerations...
2019-01-0731 minConversations About DivorceThe Key Things You Need To Know About Divorce And The Non-Working SpouseThe standard advice for a non-working spouse used to be to sit tight and not make any changes. They likely could continue to stay-at-home and may even get lifetime alimony. That's not the case any longer. Alimony is likely going to be limited in duration and more and more professionals are saying get back to work and don't wait.So what should you consider? What sort of work are you expected to be doing? How could this impact your spousal support?Joining Mandy for this Conversation is Ann Grant, an attorney who experienced her...
2018-12-2431 minConversations About DivorceHow To Keep Your House With Your Ex After DivorceTypically, what happens in divorce is that one spouse keeps the marital home, buying out the equity of the other spouse, or the house is sold and the net proceeds shared.But more and more couples are finding that this won't work for them. Rising mortgage interest rates and increasing house prices are driving divorcing couples to see how they can continue to co-own the marital home after divorce.These arrangements can absolutely work however there are many details and situations that need to be considered and discussed up front so they can be written into...
2018-12-1034 minConversations About DivorceHealing From Divorce: No Easy Or Quick WayHealing from divorce is something we all need to do. It applies just as much to the person who initiates the divorce as the person whose spouse makes the decision.Working through the recovery process stirs up so much - some from your childhood and family of origin, some from our cultural and societal norms and expectations and, of course, a whole lot from what happened during your marriage and previous committed relationships.While we all need to work on our healing, many people don't and the consequences of that plays out in our relationships with...
2018-11-2632 minConversations About DivorceWhat It Takes To Leave An Abusive RelationshipWhen you hear a tale of abuse, whether it's in the news, a friend or a family member, and whether it's physical, emotional or financial abuse, do you find yourself wondering why the person doesn't just leave? Why do they stay?They know why. They know exactly what it takes to leave an abusive relationship. In fact, survivors have often left many times and the obstacles to being alone force them back to their abuser.Joining Mandy for this Conversation about leaving an abusive relationship are Jackie List and BreAnne Meyer with Safe Shelter...
2018-11-0529 minConversations About DivorceDigital Hacks That Make Single Parenting EasierJuggling parenting and working is hard enough - doing it when your children are in two homes is even more challenging. When you're trying to make sure your child's other parent is on the same page with schedules, transportation, homework, activities, play-dates, doctor's appointments, it's easy for something to fall through the cracks.In fact, it's inevitable. You know it's going to happen and you just hope that it won't be something too important.Who doesn't want an assistant? Well, chances are you already do have an assistant - your smartphone and if you haven't discovered...
2018-10-2230 minConversations About DivorceThe Power Of Apologies In DivorceApologies are powerful - done well, they open the door to healing, make amends for wrong-doings and may lead to forgiveness and rebuilt relationships.The absence of a sincere apology on the other hand, can make relationships worse, destroy trust and create obstacles to healing.In the context of divorce, the lack of a heartfelt apology can lead to bitterness and resentment over the end of the marriage, and may seriously hamper the ability of parents to work together for their children.But apologies are often in short supply. What difference does an apology...
2018-10-0834 minConversations About DivorceParallel Parenting - A Way To Reduce Conflict After DivorceThe gold standard in parenting after divorce that we're all supposed to aim for is co-parenting - you work collaboratively on all aspects of your child's life with your ex. You work to adopt common parenting strategies, have consistent rules between homes, attend events together, and some even vacation together.The reality is that very few parents can accomplish this all the time and for some parents this is an impossible standard most of the time. Trying to follow co-parenting strategies may actually cause more conflict and leads to stress and anxiety for everyone, including your child.
2018-09-2433 minConversations About DivorceUnderstanding Divorce With Adult ChildrenIf you're looking for guidance on divorcing with adult children, you might not find much.They tend to be the forgotten demograhic: the legal system is all about minor children and there simply hasn't been much research on the impact of divorce in adult children. That's probably because until recently divorce among people with long term marriages was less common. That's changing and in fact, the divorce rate among people aged 50 and older is increasing. That means more and more adults are experiencing their parents' divorce.What we're finding is that the age of the children d...
2018-09-1033 minConversations About DivorceGetting To Grips With Your Finances After DivorceHousehold bills, credit card bills, bank charges, late-payment fees, kid expenses, mortgage refinancing, IRA transfers ... divorce often means having to deal with all of these all at once. It's a deluge that can be overwhelming even if you are used to handling all the finances. If you haven't been handling the finances, then you might feel like you're drowning.Layer on top of that the emotions and beliefs we all attach to money and it's no wonder people procrastinate and delay dealing with this and end up feeling incompetent and inadequate.But living on a fixed...
2018-08-1535 minConversations About DivorceLearning To Love Yourself After DivorceHave you ever met anyone who said their divorce was easy? The legal process may be easy for some but the emotional process of ending a marriage is challenging for virtually everyone. People often describe it as the hardest life experience they've faced.Getting divorced has a way of bringing out the worst in the best of us. It shakes your confidence, your self-esteem and fills you with self-doubts and fears of not being enough - not good enough, not smart enough, not attractive enough, not capable enough ...These are self-limiting beliefs and they hold us...
2018-07-0931 minConversations About DivorceSurviving Wedding Season After DivorceIt doesn't matter who it is, best-friend, niece, cousin ... who wants to go to an event celebrating a marriage when your own marriage is falling apart or if you're in the middle of all the legal wrangling or even when you're just starting out on your own again?Can you say no to wedding invites?Can you go solo, even before you and your spouse have gone public?Who else can you take as a plus one?How do you handle those awkward questions from extended family members?Joining Mandy...
2018-06-1132 minConversations About DivorceHow To Overcome Anger In DivorceRegardless of how civil or amicable you want your divorce to be, disagreements are inevitable. Knowing how to calm anger in divorce could be your key to resolving these disagreements and staying out of the courtroom.When you're negotiating over the division of assets and how to parent together, and the hurt and pain are fresh and raw, it's hard to approach this simply as a business negotiation. It's easy to let all the past history bubble up into angry outbursts.Those angry exchanges can continue long after the divorce is final when you're parenting together.
2018-05-2836 minConversations About DivorceIs Your Spouse Lying To You?Nobody likes to think their spouse is lying to them but if you're getting divorced, the chances that they are not being entirely truthful increases and you need to be alert to that possibility. Accepting everything they say as fact could hurt you.If you've always believed your spouse, how to do start to detect the lies?On the otherhand, if you're convinced now that everything out of your spouse's mouth is a lie, how do you know what's true?What are the telltale signs the experts watch for? Joining Mandy for th...
2018-04-3031 minConversations About DivorceKeeping Your Divorce CivilMost people don't want a litigated divorce. They want a civil divorce. They hope their spouse will agree that the marriage is over and then they can discuss the parenting and finances as reasonable people who once loved each other. No one wants the nastiness and expense of a courtroom battle and no one wants long, drawn out negotiations that keep you locked in a state of limbo for months.The good news is that you can have a civil divorce and the key to that is being emotionally prepared to choose that path. It's not easy...
2018-04-1630 minConversations About DivorceThe Increase In Gray Divorce And What It Means For YouWhether you like the term or not, gray divorce is real and the rate for midlife divorces in the U.S. is increasing. Most of the time, the kids are adults or in college so the absence of parenting issues can make the divorce easier. Conversely, there may be more assets that need to be divided and this makes these divorces more complex. What is clear, is that midlife splits are not easy or straight-forward and men and women experience these divorces very differently.Listen in to discover what drives these divorces, the social penatly that men often...
2018-03-2833 minConversations About DivorceHandling Debts In DivorceNobody likes to talk about their debts and it's often the hardest part of negotiations in divorce.Too often, one spouse didn't realize the extent of the debt or perhaps there's always been conflct because one party is a spender and the other is a saver. Perhaps both spouses knew about the debt but didn't really pay attention to it because, well, life was grand, the money was coming in, and borrowing for a second car or a vacation was part of the plan. It was all going to work out.But then it doesn't work...
2018-03-1434 minConversations About DivorceNavigating Compensation Complexities In DivorceCompensation issues in divorce may be more common than you would expect. They often come up in connection with spousal support or alimony and when it comes to things like stock options and deferred compensation arrangements, the division of marital assets is impacted.The questions that come from different compensation arrangements are frequently confusing and complex and even the recipients often don't fully understand what they have. So if you're the divorcing spouse what are you supposed to do? How will you figure this out and how will you handle it them in your divorce?It m...
2018-03-0536 minConversations About DivorceCoping With Divorce And The Threat of SuicideThere have been numerous studies finding that divorce increases the risk of suicide and that risk is much higher for men than for women. While the marriage maybe ending, suicide is not the outcome most people want.How do you respond if you start to discuss divorce and your spouse starts talking about suicide?What do you do if it's you whose having suicidal thoughts?And maybe even more difficult to deal with, what if your child starts to talk about just wanting to be done?Should the divorce be put on h...
2018-02-1936 minConversations About DivorceThe Financial Essentials You Need To Know For Your DivorceWhether you are using attorneys or not, to get started on your divorce, you will have to gather all of your financial information and share it with your spouse (and vice versa). Many people, inadvertently skip this step and jump straight into discussions about who's going to keep the house and how other assets should be divided. That's not smart and it can lead to deadlocks and breakdowns in the negotiations. You'll also be making life-changing decisions with incomplete information.Yet, when people do start gathering this information, frequently it's overwhelming and confusing so they put it off...
2018-02-0541 minConversations About DivorceWhat The New Tax Law Changes Mean For Your DivorceThe new tax bill has lots of changes that impact people getting divorced and while there's been plenty of media coverage of the changes, that coverage has been short on the divorce related details and specifics such as the tax year in which changes take effect or reminders about changes that will revert in 2026.Understanding these changes is important for anyone negotiating a divorce settlement and especially important if you started those negotiations last year. What makes this even more critical is that most of the time, once your settlement agreement becomes a court order, you are done. T...
2018-01-2236 minConversations About DivorceWhat Will Happen To Your Business In Your Divorce?Businesses come in all shapes and sizes. If the business is making money, then it's pretty obvious that there's going to be a discussion about how that business should be valued and divided in divorce and there's rarely one answer to that.If the business isn't making any money, then a common mistake is thinking that it can be ignored. It can't. You may still need to discuss compensation for the startup expenses and you'll definitely want protection from future debts and liabilities.Joining Mandy to discuss this complicated area is Chicago-based divorce adviser, attorney, mediator a...
2018-01-0835 minConversations About DivorceCould A Post Nuptial Agreement Save Your Marriage?If you're working on your marriage, trying to save your relationship, then you need to create a post-nuptial agreement. The communication that goes into creating one of these agreements means that your relationship could be transformed in a meaningful and lasting way. If it doesn't create lasting change, then the agreement could make your divorce much. much easier and significantly less expensive.Joining Mandy for this Conversation is attorney Tom Gardiner, author of The Post Nup Solution: How To Save A Marriage In Crisis Or End It Fairly. (Available on Amazon) Tom is a business attorney who has...
2017-12-1830 minConversations About DivorceYou Can Embrace The Holidays While Dealing With Your DivorceThe Holidays are tough no matter where you are in the divorce process. And while you may feel like skipping them altogether, they are hard to avoid. Everywhere you go, there's a message about the holidays that hits you - on T.V., on the radio, at the grocery store, at work, in your neighborhood, at your kid's school .... There's no escape.So what are you supposed to do? Is there a way to change your thinking and instead of dreading them, embrace the holidays so you actually have fun and enjoy yourself?Yes! And you m...
2017-12-0436 minConversations About DivorceThe Things You Need To Know About Pets And DivorcePets are an integral part of daily life for many families. They're often seen and treated as family members. So when it comes to divorce, deciding what happens to the pets can be every bit as contentious as deciding how to co-parent together.While couples may want to create a plan for sharing, in the vast majority of places in the U.S. the law still treats pets as property. That means if you can't come to your own agreement, then a judge will decide what happens to the pets following the same rules that apply to other...
2017-11-2034 minConversations About DivorceHow Much Help Are Online Resources In A DivorceAlmost everyone getting divorced these days goes online for help, whether that's looking for information to help avoid using attorneys or for emotional support. Nobody is relying solely on what their attorney tells them.The good news is that there is a ton of information and resources available now. The bad news is that some of these could harm you more than help you. So what are the pitfalls of going online? What are the risks? How can you tell which sources are trustworthy and dependable and which sources should you steer clear of? What are the redflags yo...
2017-11-0633 minConversations About DivorceCommunicating With Your Ex To Avoid Conflict And Resolve DisagreementsDisagreements are normal in any relationship so you have to expect that you and your ex are not going to agree on everything. If you're not comfortable handling disagreements, knowing this might make you groan, tense up and become anxious. You have choices.You could decide you're just going to say no to everything your ex asks. That will however lead to on-going unresolved conflict which is when divorce harms children the most.At the other end of the scale, you could choose to go along with whatever your ex wants. This is more a t...
2017-10-2337 minConversations About DivorceWhat You Need To Know About Divorce And Your Credit ScoreThe data breach at Equifax has many of us monitoring our credit score more closely now but the data breach isn't the only threat to your credit score. Divorce is a common time when many people become aware of their score and the decisions that you make leading up to the end of your marriage and in your divorce settlement can have a significant impact on your score.Coming at a time when you may be applying for a credit, such as refinancing, a car loan or a new credit card, a lower credit score could mean higher...
2017-10-0938 minConversations About DivorceHow To Negotiate Your Parenting Time Without Hurting Your ChildIf you and your spouse have minor children, then you're going to need a plan for how you will parent together after you're divorced and this is an area with which many couples struggle.Part of the struggle is that the concept of successful shared parenting is relatively new. While people who are getting divorced now may have parents who were divorced and experienced living in two separate homes, the shared parenting they grew up with is very different from what we see today.Another challenge is the language we use to talk about this. While...
2017-09-2539 minConversations About DivorceSharing Your Child's Expenses With Your Ex Post-DivorceSharing your child's expenses with your ex post-divorce can be a minefield on so many levels. It leads to disputes over what expenses should be incurred, what should be shared, what's the fairest way of sharing them, how to get reimbursed and on it goes ....It can also fuel competition between parents with each parent having their preferred activity or their philosophy on what their child needs for school and and how much to spend. That competition is rarely good for the child.It's easy for one parent to feel they're carrying the responsibility for these e...
2017-09-1134 minConversations About DivorceDividing Up Your Household Items In DivorceDividing up your household items in divorce can be contentious, plain awkward and anything in between. In most situations, attorneys will tell you that it isn't worth fighting over this and even if the legal folk tell you to value everything at what you could sell it for on CraigsList, it doesn't mean deciding who gets what is easy.These Conversations are riddled with emotions and hidden meanings. Quite aside from concerns about equity, some items are just plain difficult to let go. And what you don't take, you may have to replace which adds to the expense...
2017-08-2836 minConversations About DivorceIs The Political Divide Threatening Your Marriage?A fundamental part of the American political scene is the difference between the Democrats and the Republicans and in Presidential election years it always gets intense. Look back to Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Al Gore, Barack Obama and John McClain and Mitt Romeny. The list goes on.What's different now though is that even now, almost nine months after the Presidential election, the divisive political climate continues and that conflict is spilling over into friendships and intimate relationships.In a recent survey from the polling firm, Wakefield Research, nearly 25 p...
2017-08-1432 minConversations About DivorceWhat Would Happen To Your Child If You Didn't Come Home?We all want to be there for our children but what if you're not? What if you're travelling overseas and there's an event, that means you're stuck there and can't get home? What if you have a medical emergency that leaves you hospitalized, in intensive care, unable to communicate? What if the unthinkable happens and you die in a car accident?Without an emergency response plan, your child may be taken into protective custody or foster care, making an already traumatic event much worse.And while the odds of these events happening to you may seem...
2017-07-3131 minConversations About DivorceThe Painful Truths About Custody BattlesIn this episode of Conversations About Divorce, we're talking about child custody battles.We've all read about the ugliness and painful allegations that are made in celebrity divorces and those are mainstays of many custody fights. They're always ugly, always expensive and once started, there's rarely any backtracking. Once the accusations have been made, there's no taking them back. They can't be erased.The impact these battles have can spread far and wide. The children at the center of the arguments are always exposed and involved, and friends and family members are rarely immune.T...
2017-07-1734 minConversations About DivorceChoosing A Divorce Recovery Program That's Right For YouHow often have you read about someone reflecting back on their divorce, how awful it was at the time, how it wasn't their choice and yet, how they wouldn't go back to that marriage again, how much they've learned since then and how much they themselves have changed?Compare that to the person who talks bitterly about their ex, even years afterwards, the person who doesn't have a new circle of friends, doesn't have new interests and says that everything would have been OK if they hadn't gotten divorced?Two completely different perspectives - victim and...
2017-07-0333 minConversations About DivorceTaking Your Emotions Out Of Your Divorce NegotiationsDivorce professionals say it's best to approach your divorce negotiations as a business discussion but how do you take your emotions out of it?First, let's remember why these discussions need to be more business:the legal system is not set up to resolve disagreements based on moral arguments. The judges are bound by statutes and case law. That doesn't necessarily mean that you shouldn't pursue a resolution you feel is morally right but recognize that doing so is likely going to mean increased legal expenses with no certainty of outcome. It's risky and the process for p...
2017-06-1936 minConversations About DivorceHow You Can Help Your Children Adjust To Your RemarriageBlending a family is a huge, complex topic and this is only going to scratch the surface ... if you are dating again, thinking about getting married again then you're going to need to help your children adjust to your remarriage.We know that second marriages are not easy. The U.S. Census Bureau in 2006 found that 60 percent of second marriages end in divorce. It seems that third marriages are even harder, ending in divorce about 70 percent of the time.Experts cite a number of reasons for this one of which is that the children can be...
2017-05-2232 minConversations About DivorceWhat Is An Exit Affair And How To Survive OneExtra-marital affairs are not unusual - some studies have found that some 60 percent of married partners report having engaged in affairs. Some spouses do reconcile and recover from infidelity and may even report a stronger, closer relationship. There are some affairs however, where the exiting spouse already sees the marriage as over and in these case reconciliation is rare.For the victim or faithful spouse, the discovery of the affair comes as a brutal attack on what they often describe as a happy marriage. These exit affairs cut to the core, damaging self-esteem and self-confidence and they leave...
2017-04-2431 minConversations About DivorceWhat Is It With Divorce And Travel Adventures?Post-divorce travel adventures became familiar with Elizabeth Gilbert's epic, "Eat, Pray, Love" and while such a long, exotic trip may be out of reach for many, with some creativity and imagination you could make it happen.Joining Mandy for this episode is world traveler, photographer, writer and historian, Chandi Wyant. Wyant embarked on a pilgrimage following her divorce and spent forty days walking to Rome on Italy's historic route, the Via Francigena. Listen in to hear Mandy and Chandi talk about making the decision to travel and what to expect as well as some practical considerations such as t...
2017-04-1033 minConversations About DivorceMaking Sense Of Financial Planning After DivorceThere is always less money after divorce and ending a marriage means facing that reality. There's really no way to avoid it.Some people find themselves having to handle the household accounts for the first time either in a long time or sometimes, ever. It means there is no more shopping and buying things without knowing how they're going to be paid for. The spouse who took care of everything is gone and now you have to learn about budgeting.For some people, it means reassessing lifestyle choices and adjusting to the new reality....
2017-02-2840 minConversations About DivorceCould Your Marriage End Suddenly Without Warning?We all know someone who says their marriage ended suddenly with no warning. It’s hard to believe. We all like to think there must have been some red flags that were missed. After all, how could two people, married to each other, have such different views about the same marriage?But marriages do absolutely end without warning and when that happens it is a truly traumatic experience. Could it happen to you? What are the warning signs? Why does it happen? How do you recover?Joining Mandy to discuss these questions and more is psychotherapist Vi...
2017-01-3030 minConversations About DivorceWhat Does A Good Divorce Look Like?The word alone carries tremendous negativity, judgment and fear and divorce is commonly portrayed in the media as hostile and high-conflict. Amicable or civil divorces aren’t considered news unless there’s a novelty factor associated with them like Gynweth Paltrow’s “conscious uncoupling.”Often, our own beliefs and expectations around divorce pushes us to stay in unhealthy relationships and we procrastinate or delay ending our marriage.What if there was another way?What if there was a way you could break up without hostility?What if you could get divorced without spending a...
2017-01-1634 minConversations About DivorceHow To Approach The Most Common Parenting Problems After DivorceHow our children cope with divorce is front and foremost for many parents: none of us want our children to be harmed by the end of our marriage and their future well-being can be a major influence on the timing of divorce.Parenting after divorce isn’t by definition more difficult than parenting while married but it does often mean that differences between you and your child’s other parent are magnified. Resolving these differences is frequently easier said than done but not allowing them to become a source of conflict is key to your child’s well-being.
2017-01-0229 minConversations About DivorceAre You Ready To Forgive After Divorce?Most people, even those who initiate divorce, come through it feeling pain and hurt. The source of that pain maybe their spouse, third parties and even themselves. Without working through that pain and hurt, the danger is that we become bitter and resentful and that becomes a barrier to enjoying life.The key to healing is forgiveness. It’s challenging and difficult work but Forgiveness Coach, Emily Hooks knows from her personal experience that the benefits are worth it.Join Mandy and Emily Hooks to learn the common misunderstandings about forgiveness, the reasons why people don’t for...
2016-12-1936 minConversations About DivorceHow Do You Know It’s Time To End Your Marriage?We all know that relationships need care and feeding to make them last and most people don’t get married thinking they will get divorced. So when the marriage is troubled, we agonize over what to do. Can the relationship change? When is enough, enough? Are we making a mistake?Every relationship may be different but there are some common reasons people give for ending their marriage. Mid-life relationship expert, Jed Diamond joins Mandy to discuss these common reasons, what’s really going on and whether people have the opportunity to turn disillusionment into real lasting love.
2016-12-0536 minConversations About DivorceHow To Save Legal Fees On Your DivorceMost people would love to save legal fees on their divorce. The first thing that comes to mind is doing without an attorney. While that may save you big time, it’s not always the smartest way to trim costs and it may actually end up costing you more in the long run.The good news is that there are a number of very simple, easy things you can do that can make a real difference to your legal bill while getting the benefit of legal advice.Joining Mandy to talk about these money saving strategies is...
2016-10-1033 minConversations About DivorceDivorcing Your MortgageFor most couples, the marital home is the bulk of their wealth. If one party wants to keep the home, it means buying out the other party. That typically means refinancing. If you’re leaving the home, then you’ll likely be looking to buy another - that means finding financing. Regardless, it’s complicated. What you don’t know could hurt you:Can you be released from your current mortgage?What is a contingent liability?What is the difference between a Cash Out Refinance and an Equity Buyout?What it takes for spousal support and child support to be consi...
2016-08-2233 minConversations About DivorceHow To Manage Your Money After DivorceFor most of us, there is always less money after divorce and that means having to be more intentional about your spending. Even before you’re actually divorced, knowing where the money goes each month can help you make more informed decisions about your housing and since that’s typically the largest portion of anyone’s spending that decision alone will impact everything else.If your spouse was the one who handled the household accounts, then learning to do this now, on top of everything else can seem a bit like learning a foreign language. Even if you did ha...
2016-07-1134 minConversations About DivorceHow To Choose A Realtor For Your DivorceIf you and your spouse own your home, then whether one of you is going to keep it or it’s being sold, you’ll need a Realtor to work with. It seems like everyone has a friend who’s a Realtor so that should be easy, yes? Turns out it’s not so easy because not all Realtors have the expert knowledge about divorce you need.In this episode Mandy is joined by Peggy Spiro who is a Realtor and a Real Estate Divorce Specialist in Colorado. Peggy was one of the first real estate agents in the nati...
2016-03-0732 minConversations About DivorceHow To Work With Your Child’s School Through Your DivorceYour child’s school is a major part of their life and teachers are key players in your child’s well-being. This makes it critically important that you work with your child’s school through your divorce. There’s a fine balance though between providing essential details and too much information.Joining Mandy is single-parenting expert Dr. Leah Klungess. Listen in as Mandy and Dr Leah discuss:when to let your child’s teachers know you’re getting divorcedwho needs to know and what do they need to knowthe difference between classroom communications and school communicationswhy your child’s school...
2016-02-2235 minConversations About DivorceSurviving The Holidays On A Single Parent’s BudgetWith Thanksgiving and Black Friday looming large, it’s time to figure out how to manage your Holiday spending so you can enjoy the Holidays without guilt over what you did or did not buy, and without going into debt.That’s not easy – our household incomes don’t magically increase and we have increased expenses from gift-giving, entertainment and travel. But no wants to be a scrooge. So what’s the answer?Join Mandy Walker and blogger, author and single-mom budgeting queen, April McCaffrey as they discuss:Why it’s not too late to budget for y...
2015-11-1635 minConversations About DivorceHow To Enjoy The Holidays After DivorceEven though you may not feel much like celebrating the Holidays, experts say it’s not a good idea to just skip them.Traditions are what helps to bind families together and they are a part of what makes each family unique. They help us grow and thrive. So rethinking and recreating the traditions that are meaningful to you is an key step in healing from your divorce.Join Mandy Walker and divorce coach, Micki McWade for the expert tips you need to know about the Holidays so can still enjoy them.Micki McWade is...
2015-11-0234 minConversations About DivorceHow To Survive The Grief From Your DivorceThe end of a marriage involves many losses: the loss of your spouse, your marriage, the dreams of growing old together, your idea of family. It could even mean a radical change in lifestyle and the loss of friends.Even with all these losses, the pain of divorce is often not recognized as grief and as a culture we are not skilled at allowing people going through divorce time to grieve. In the midst of this emotional trauma we expect people to make life-changing decisions, to navigate the brutalities of the legal system and to get over it...
2015-10-1936 minConversations About DivorceWould A Legal Separation Be Better Than Divorce?If being with your spouse has become a living hell but divorce isn’t in your vocabulary, then a legal separation may be a viable alternative. It’s essentially the same as a divorce but you remain married. It can be a way of protecting yourself both emotionally and financially while still supporting your spouse.In this episode Mandy Walker and attorney and mediator Michael Travers discuss:When a legal separation may be a good optionThe similarities and differences between a legal separation and a divorceUsing a legal separation as a stepping stone to divorceMichael Trav...
2015-07-1331 minConversations About DivorceHow Do You Tell Your Children About Your Divorce?Having to tell your kids that your marriage is over and their lives will be changing is a conversation most of us dread, put off and lose sleep over. Do it well and in years to come they may not remember the details. Do it badly and they’ll likely remember it for the rest of their lives. So how do you tell your children about your divorce?Psychologist Dr. Azmaira Maker joins Mandy Walker for this episode to discuss:The best time for this conversationWhat needs to be said and what’s best left unsaidWhy you migh...
2015-06-2932 min