Attention Adult CHildren of Divorce (ACoD): What if your parents’ divorce—whether it happened when you were a toddler or when you had toddlers of your own—is still shaping your relationships today? In this episode, Marriage Coach Meisha Marshall opens our eyes to the hidden impact of parental divorce on adult children, and introduces her empowering new course, Divorce Cycle Disruptor. If you’ve ever wondered why you sabotage good relationships or struggle with setting boundaries, this conversation might just be your turning point.

“Even if your parents’ divorce seemed amicable or ‘a long time ago,’ it still shaped how you love, argue, and connect.” — Meisha Marshall

• How does my parents’ divorce still affect me now, even as an adult?
  
  

• What is the “divorce cycle,” and how can I break it in my own relationships?
  
  

• Why do I keep repeating the same relationship patterns, even when I try not to?
  
  

• How can I help my adult children process my gray divorce?
  
  

• What does healthy communication look like in a marriage?

Meisha shares the heart behind her new course, Divorce Cycle Disruptor, and walks us through how unresolved family dynamics can echo into our marriages, parenting, and personal growth. With humor, clarity, and heartfelt wisdom, they unpack what it means to stop repeating unhealthy relationship cycles—and how to finally chart your own path forward. Whether you're single, married, or divorced, this episode is an invitation to rewrite the story you've inherited.

• Learn more about the Divorce Cycle Disrupter - with a free call to Meisha! - https://renewmindset.com/divorce-cycle-disrupter-discovery-call

• 💬 SpeakPipe – How has this series helped you begin to craft a brighter future for yourself? Leave me a message and tell me about it!→ https://www.speakpipe.com/PatFenner

Welcome to the final episode of my three-part mini-series, Unraveling the Silver Knot: Gray Divorce and the Family Web

You’ve been the caregiver, the peacekeeper, the glue holding it all together. But now, after the divorce, everything feels… different. So where do you fit in the family now? In today’s episode, we’re talking about stepping into a new role—not as the one who holds the past, but as the woman who leads with wisdom into the future. It’s time to reclaim your voice, your influence, and your vision—as the matriarch of your own story.

“A matriarch isn’t someone who has it all figured out—she’s someone who chooses

strength, love, and dignity, even when things are messy.”

- Pat Fenner

• Why becoming the matriarch is about presence, not power

• Letting go of guilt and embracing your evolving identity

• How to influence your family through emotional steadiness

• Simple ways to start rewriting your family legacy with grace

• A vision of your future that includes joy, confidence, and connection

What’s one way you can show up differently this week—as the woman you’re becoming? Take a moment to reflect, journal, or share with a trusted friend.

🎥 The phrase I mentioned - "You is kind, you is smart, you is important" - is spoken by the character Aibileen Clark in the movie and book "The Help".

📄 Grab the FREE PDF: Four Simple Ways to Reconnect With You!

💬 SpeakPipe – How has this series helped you begin to craft a brighter future for yourself? Leave me a message and tell me about it!→ https://www.speakpipe.com/PatFenner

Welcome to episode two of my three-part mini-series, Unraveling the Silver Knot: Gray Divorce and the Family Web

You didn’t plan to be single at this stage of life. You thought this season would be about downsizing, doting on the grandkids, and finally taking that trip to Tuscany—not Googling how to hang curtains solo or explaining your new mailing address to a 6-year-old. In this episode, I’m getting real about what it means to reclaim your life, rediscover your identity, and build a future that isn’t just “what’s left”—it’s what’s next.

“Your grandkids aren’t watching for perfection—they’re watching for courage.”

- Pat Fenner

Important Takeaways -

• How to reclaim confidence and identity post-divorce
• Tips for navigating solo grandparenting with joy
• Why your healing helps your kids and grandkids heal, too
• Simple ways to cultivate peace, purpose, and a sense of “enoughness”
• That reinvention doesn’t have an age limit—and joy doesn’t need permission

After decades of being part of a “we,” becoming a “me” again can feel confusing, exhausting, and a little lonely—but it can also be liberating. This episode is a kind, funny, and practical exploration of life after gray divorce. We’ll talk about rebuilding routines, reawakening parts of yourself that got lost in the marriage, and modeling resilience for your family. Whether you're grieving, growing, or both, you're not broken—you’re becoming.

🎙️ Episode 3-14 - ”Who’s Side Are You On?” And Other Questions We Don’t Want to Ask

📑FR*E download: Four Simple Ways to Reconnect With You! (no email required!)

📖 Book - Rebuilding Your Life After a Gray Divorce: A Path to Healing, Significance, and Joy

💬 SpeakPipe – How has this series helped you begin to untangle your family’s post-divorce knots? Leave me a message and tell me about it!→ https://www.speakpipe.com/PatFenner

Mini-series: Unraveling the Silver Knot: Gray Divorce and the Family Web 1/3

This episode kicks off a three-part mini-series, Unraveling the Silver Knot: Gray Divorce and the Family Web. Today, I open up about the emotional rollercoaster that can happen when your adult kids take sides after a gray divorce. Whether it’s guilt, childhood baggage, or “emotional loyalty,” their reactions can leave you wondering if you totally blew it as a parent (spoiler: you didn’t).

I share relatable stories (ugly crying and all), raw emotions, and practical ways to handle the mess without making it messier. We talk about why defending yourself usually backfires, the power of sitting with your emotions, and how to heal without their approval. I even sneak in a confession about wanting to take a cooking class. Because, hey, life’s still happening—even while your heart is mending.

“Taking sides isn’t always about you—it’s often about their own unfinished business.”

- Pat Fenner

Questions discussed in this episode -

• Why do adult children take sides after a gray divorce?

• How can I handle emotional tension with my kids post-divorce without adding fuel to the fire?

• What are some practical ways to protect my peace during family fallout?

• How do I stop second-guessing my worth as a parent during a tough season?

• Is it possible to heal without my children’s approval or understanding?

🎙️ Episode 3-13 - Overcoming Adversity with the E.M.B.R.A.C.E. Method

📖 Book - Rebuilding Your Life After a Gray Divorce: A Path to Healing, Significance, and Joy

💬 SpeakPipe – How has this series helped you begin to craft a brighter future for yourself? Leave me a message and tell me about it!→ https://www.speakpipe.com/PatFenner

We all know life doesn’t always go as planned.

And sometimes, it hits us with a plot twist so brutal, we wonder if we’ll ever recover.

Today’s guest, Yanira Puy, has faced more than her fair share—bulimia, career heartbreak, an unexpected divorce, and even losing her beloved Harley Davidson! But through it all, she crafted something powerful: the E.M.B.R.A.C.E. framework, a method to reclaim your emotional, mental, and physical well-being after adversity.

Yanira shares the lessons she learned from her own rollercoaster journey, from realizing that food wasn’t the real issue in her eating disorder to redefining success beyond a six-figure salary. She explains why emotions only last 90 seconds (seriously!), how gratitude and connection play a role in healing, and why your brain can be rewired for happiness—no matter how old you are.

So if you’ve ever found yourself staring at life’s wreckage and wondering what’s next, this episode is for you. Because as Yanira Puy proves, the best chapters often start with the hardest endings.

“You have to let go of who you were before. It’s like being born…there’s a tearing, a breaking, a cutting of the cord. It’s uncomfortable, maybe even painful, but it’s necessary. You can’t step into the next chapter of your life while clinging to the last one.”

- Yanira Puy

Questions discussed in this episode -

• How does emotional healing play a role in physical wellness?

• What is the E.M.B.R.A.C.E. framework, and how can it help people going through difficult life transitions?

• Why do we often define ourselves by our careers or relationships, and how can we shift that mindset?

• How can understanding “primary food” versus “secondary food” change the way we think about self-care?

• What practical steps can someone take when facing major adversity, such as a divorce or career setback?

About My Guest:

Yanira Puy has helped thousands of people with her coaching practice, online programs and classes, webinars, workshops, conferences, blogs, articles, and her podcast.

After working for 20 years in major corporations in Latin America and the United States, Yanira pivoted her career path to help individuals become healthier and happier.

She is a certified wellness coach and brain health trainer, with a master ́s degree in health coaching, and the founder of Yanira Puy Health & Wellness.

Yanira Puy’s FREE E.M.B.R.A.C.E. Transition Toolkit—a step-by-step guide to turning uncertainty into empowerment: https://bit.ly/Embrace_checklist

Yanira’s website: https://yanirapuy.com/en/home/

💬 SpeakPipe – How has this series helped you begin to craft a brighter future for yourself? Leave me a message and tell me about it!→ https://www.speakpipe.com/PatFenner

Ever felt like your entire future just evaporated?

That the life you planned was stolen from you?

What if—stay with me here—you never really "lost" anything at all? What if the key to moving forward isn't clutching onto the past but realizing that releasing it puts YOU back in control?

Get ready to rethink everything you thought you lost and step into the power of letting go.

“Losing feels painful. Letting go feels empowering. You make the decision about

what stays and what goes.”

- Pat

Key Takeaways For You-

• Learn the difference between losing something and letting it go, and why it matters

• Discover how changing your mindset after divorce can help you rebuild your future with confidence

• Understand the biggest signs that you’re still emotionally stuck and not truly moving forward

• Explore why gratitude is such a powerful tool in healing from past relationships

• How embracing the unknown after divorce can actually become an exciting, empowering experience

Drawing from personal experience, I explore the difference between losing something and consciously letting it go; how releasing old dreams and expectations can create space for new opportunities, joy, and even financial independence.

With a mix of wisdom, warmth, and humor, I explain how to know if you’re truly letting go or just stuck in the past, the surprising role of gratitude in healing, and why learning to love yourself is non-negotiable. Whether you’re freshly divorced or still carrying baggage from 15 years ago, this episode will challenge and encourage you to embrace the future waiting for you.

📖 Book – Rebuilding Your Life After a Grey Divorce: A Path to Healing, Significance, and Joy → https://amzn.to/4jO9Mm4

💬 SpeakPipe – Have a story of overcoming struggle? Share it with me—I’d love to highlight your journey in a future episode! → https://www.speakpipe.com/PatFenner

Imagine walking into a job interview, a first date, or even a casual networking event and being completely unforgettable—not because of your credentials, but because of the way you tell your story. What if the difference between being overlooked and standing out came down to a simple shift in how you communicate? In the final installment of this 3-part series, guest expert Adam Olenn reveals why storytelling isn’t just a marketing tool—it’s a life skill that can make you more persuasive, more memorable, and even more valuable.

“Where your eyes go, your skis go. And that’s a rule for life.”

- Adam Olenn

Key Takeaways For You-

• How can storytelling make you more memorable in your business and personal life?

• Why does the way you tell your story impact your relationships?

• What’s the science behind why people remember stories better than facts?

• How can storytelling help divorced women reframe their narratives and move forward?

• What is the connection between branding, self-perception, and the stories we tell ourselves?

Your story holds power. If a simple, made-up anecdote can increase an object’s value by thousands of percent, imagine what your real, authentic story can do for your life and career. What story are you telling the world?

About My Guest:

In over 25 years of creative leadership in branding and marketing, Adam Olenn has discovered that the oldest form of connection, communication, and persuasion is also the most powerful—great stories. With robust support from neuroscientists, psychologists, and behavioral economists, he shows audiences why that is—and how to use it to their advantage. Research by experts like Stanford neurosurgeon Dr. Jim Doty and MIT senior lecturer Dr. Tara Swart Bieber points to a powerful way to harness storytelling for personal transformation that lasts.

Adam has garnered rave reviews from audiences from Boston to Borneo and is on a mission to empower as many people as possible to become compelling, connection-building storytellers.

Rustle & Spark – Adam Olenn’s branding and storytelling agency: Website

📌 Learn More About the Significant Objects Experiment

💬 SpeakPipe – How has this series helped you begin to craft a brighter future for yourself? Leave me a message and tell me about it!→ https://www.speakpipe.com/PatFenner

Have you ever walked into a new situation—whether a business meeting, a social event, or even a date—and felt a knot of uncertainty? What if you could mentally rehearse your success before it even happens, setting yourself up for a confident, empowered outcome? In this episode, storytelling expert Adam Olenn reveals the profound impact that stories have on our minds—not just as entertainment, but as powerful tools for transformation. From brain science to behavioral economics, Adam breaks down how storytelling can shape our decisions, deepen our connections, and even trick our brains into success. If you’ve ever wanted to control the narrative of your own life, this is the episode that will show you how. Because the truth is—you're not just living a story. You’re writing it.

“You're the author of your own reality. If you don’t like the story, start writing a new one.”

- Adam Olenn

Key Takeaways For You-

• How does storytelling literally synchronize our brains and build stronger connections?

• What is the ‘availability heuristic,’ and how can it help you shape your personal brand?

• How can story journaling help you overcome fear, make better decisions, and feel more confident?

• What are the best ways to turn boring small talk into meaningful conversations?

• How can mental rehearsal help you navigate life’s big changes, from divorce to business networking?

This episode is the second of a three-part series, so be sure to listen in for even deeper insights into how storytelling can transform your life. And don’t forget—the stories you tell yourself shape the future you create!

About My Guest:

In over 25 years of creative leadership in branding and marketing, Adam Olenn has discovered that the oldest form of connection, communication, and persuasion is also the most powerful—great stories. With robust support from neuroscientists, psychologists, and behavioral economists, he shows audiences why that is—and how to use it to their advantage. Research by experts like Stanford neurosurgeon Dr. Jim Doty and MIT senior lecturer Dr. Tara Swart Bieber points to a powerful way to harness storytelling for personal transformation that lasts.

Adam has garnered rave reviews from audiences from Boston to Borneo and is on a mission to empower as many people as possible to become compelling, connection-building storytellers.

Rustle & Spark – Adam Olenn’s branding and storytelling agency: Website

📖 Book – Mind Magic by Jim Doty – Neuroscience-backed insights on mental rehearsal and visualization.

📖 Book – Atomic Habits by James Clear – A guide to creating lasting habits through small, intentional changes.

💬 SpeakPipe – Are you trying any of these strategies? Adam and I would love to hear about your experiences!! → https://www.speakpipe.com/PatFenner