It is easy to approach divorce with one goal in mind: just get through it and let everything else go for the time being. Deal with the legal issues, make the financial decisions, manage the conflict, and worry about rebuilding your life once everything is finally over.
But what if you didn't have to wait, and it actually serves you to start working on the next chapter of your life now?
In this episode, Mardi Winder talks with love and relationship coach Lori Bryant Woolridge and psychologist and wellness coach Lauren Yellen Weinberg, creators of Your FAB Divorce, about approaching divorce as both an ending and an opportunity to begin discovering who you want to become.
Lori and Lauren share why they believe emotional work belongs alongside the practical realities of divorce, particularly for women leaving long marriages who may have spent decades defining themselves through their roles as wives, mothers, partners, and caregivers. Rather than simply surviving the process, they encourage women to begin developing greater self-trust, understanding their emotions, and creating a vision for what they want their lives to look like on the other side.
Questions We Consider
Q: Why isn't focusing only on the legal and financial side of divorce enough?
A: Those decisions certainly need attention, but Lori and Lauren believe ignoring the emotional side can leave you reaching the end of the divorce without knowing what comes next. Mardi describes this as the “post-divorce void,” when the battle is finally over but the sense of purpose, direction, and identity may not automatically return.
Q: What happens when you've spent decades defining yourself through other people?
A: Divorce can expose just how much of your identity has been connected to being a spouse, parent, caregiver, or part of a couple. Lori and Lauren encourage women to use the transition to explore who they are outside those roles and what they want for themselves going forward.
Q: How can you keep fear and anger from driving the divorce?
A: Lori shares the FAB approach: Focus on the present and what matters to you, Accept the realities you cannot control, and remain Bendable when circumstances change. The goal is to stay committed to your larger vision while remaining flexible about how you get there.
Q: Why is self-trust so important during a major transition?
A: Lauren explains that uncertainty becomes easier to navigate when you trust yourself to make decisions, adapt when circumstances change, and figure things out as you move forward. That self-trust can become part of the foundation for whatever comes next.
Q: What if divorce could be more than something you simply survive?
A: Lori and Lauren invite women to consider divorce as a transition that can also create space for growth, greater self-awareness, and a new understanding of who they want to become. Their message isn't about pretending divorce is easy. It is about recognizing that the process does not have to put the rest of your life on hold.
About the Guests:
Lori Bryant Woolridge, CPC, CSC, PCC. Love and Relationship Coach: Certified by the International Coach Federation (ICF), Lori has been coaching and creating personal growth curriculum for nearly 20 years. Lauren Yellin Weinberg, MS, NBC-HWC, Female Power and Wellbeing Coach.
Lauren is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and a Certified Happiness Coach, with a background as a psychologist and family therapist. Together, Lori and Lauren are the co-creators of Freedom to Flourish, providing self-paced programs, including Your F.A.B. Divorce, group support, and individual coaching designed to help women heal while they deal with the emotional chaos of divorce and prepare to flourish in their freedom.
For Lauren and Lori’s gift:
The Divorce Survival Toolkit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/L0aBqrU
To connect with the FAB Divorce team:
Website: https://www.freedom-toflourish.com/
About the Host
Mardi Winder is a Strategic Divorce Consultant and High-Conflict Divorce Coach who helps high-achieving individuals navigate divorce with clarity, confidence, and control. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in mediation, divorce coaching and conflict resolution, she supports clients in making smart decisions while reducing emotional and financial fallout, particularly in high-conflict, high-asset and complex divorces. Mardi is the founder of Positive Communication Systems, LLC, and the Strategic Divorce Directory, LLC.
For Mardi’s gift: The Resilience Building Blueprint: A 28-Day Journey To A Stronger You https://www.divorcecoach4women.com/rbb
Connect with Mardi on Social Media:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Divorcecoach4women
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mardiwinder/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divorcecoach4women/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@divorcecoach4women
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