How I Rebuilt My Finances After Divorce
“Is financial freedom possible for a single mom over 40?”
This was the subject line of an email I sent to Scott Trench, co-host of the BiggerPockets Money podcast, back in January 2021.
It was a bleak moment in my life. COVID was raging and isolating all of us. I was newly separated.
I was just beginning to survey the financial landscape of my post-divorce reality.
Everywhere I turned, I heard stories of twenty-somethings who were buying rentals, investing aggressively, and racing toward early retirement. I was happy for them — truly — but I couldn’t see myself in their stories. I wasn’t going to Airbnb my living room. I wasn’t going to uproot my kids to move to a lower cost-of-living state. I wasn’t starting from zero; I was starting from the middle, with responsibilities and constraints that weren’t reflected in the narratives I kept hearing.
I felt stuck. And alone. And late.
The Message That Changed Everything
I didn’t expect my email to get any response at all. But podcasts had quietly become a lifeline for me. Walking the dog, cleaning the house, working out — the voices in my earbuds became my mentors, my cheerleaders, my invisible accountability buddies.
But Scott replied (immediately!) with one of the kindest and most grounding notes I have ever received. He reassured me that yes, financial freedom was possible for someone like me. He celebrated the progress I had already made: building an emergency fund, increasing my 401(k) contributions, taking consistent action even when things felt uncertain. He was also realistic and compassionate:
Was I going to move as fast as a 25-year-old with no dependents? No. Was I still going to get there? Absolutely.
Four Years Later: A Full Circle Moment
Last year, I wrote to Scott again — and, true to form, he responded immediately.
I shared everything that had shifted:
A fully funded emergency fund
Owning my home
Maxing out my retirement savings
Financial stability replacing constant low-grade anxiety
We hadn’t spoken in four years, yet he felt like an invisible coach who had been walking alongside me the whole time.
In my email, I wrote:
“I have never been aiming for early retirement, as I love my work… but I worried constantly about my ability to make ends meet, to educate my kids, to ever retire. Now I feel secure where I am and confident of the path ahead. That kind of freedom is priceless.”
The Power of Supportive Voices
Surrounding myself with positive, knowledgeable voices — and especially relatable stories — was the foundation of my financial rebuilding.
Lack of information wasn’t my problem. If anything, I was drowning in it.
What I needed was: clarity instead of overwhelm, guidance instead of noise, stories from people who looked like the stage of life I was actually in. That combination is what helped me move from panic to progress.
Why We Started Fiercely Funded
This is, in many ways, the origin of Fiercely Funded.
Women don’t need more jargon or judgment. We need companionship. We need stories that feel like us. We need someone walking alongside us as we rebuild — whether after divorce, career change, caregiving, or simply the accumulated weight of being responsible for everyone and everything.
We created Fiercely Funded to be that supportive voice for women at different ages, life stages, and phases of their financial journey. To simplify. To encourage. To remind you that you are not late or behind — you're on your path.
Whether it’s Scott, me, or someone else you connect with, find the voice that helps you feel capable and grounded.
It can change everything.
