What happens when the life you planned suddenly disappears—and you're left wondering, “Am I going to be okay?”Whether you're facing divorce, widowhood, or another major life transition, starting over can feel overwhelming. You're grieving the life you thought you would have while simultaneously being asked to make some of the biggest financial decisions of your life.In this episode of Bent Not Broken: Life After Divorce, Coach Deborah sits down with Donna Jean Kendrick, CFP® and CDFA®, founder of Sephton Financial and author of The Divorce Money Map: Taking Control of Your Finances Before, During, and After Divorce.Donna knows what it means to have life change without warning. At just 40 years old, she unexpectedly lost her husband and found herself raising three children while trying to figure out what came next. At the time, she was earning just $17,000 a year working part-time and suddenly had to face questions about income, credit, savings, raising her children, and her family's financial future.That devastating loss eventually inspired Donna to reinvent her career and become the kind of financial professional she needed during her own darkest season.Today, she helps people navigate the financial realities of divorce, widowhood, remarriage, blended families, and starting over.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why major financial decisions shouldn't all be made in the middle of emotional overwhelmThe difference between immediate, transitional, and long-term financial decisionsWhy Donna recommends building a six-month emergency cash reserveWhat “sudden money” is—and why receiving a divorce settlement, life insurance proceeds, or money from selling a home can lead to emotional spendingWhy checking your credit report is so important before, during, and after divorceHow joint credit card debt can continue affecting your credit after divorceWhy you need to understand exactly what you own and oweHow to begin establishing financial independence if your spouse traditionally handled the moneyWhy keeping the marital home isn't always the best financial decisionThe importance of updating beneficiaries, wills, healthcare directives, powers of attorney, and other financial documents after divorceHow Donna rebuilt her career after becoming a widow at 40Why she created The Divorce Money Map to help people organize their finances before meeting with an attorneyHow setting 30-day, 90-day, one-year, three-year, five-year, and ten-year goals can help you begin moving forwardThe power of resilience, forgiveness, and learning to live the “next best minute”Three Steps You Can Take Right NowIf you're newly separated, divorced, widowed, or simply afraid of your financial future, Donna recommends beginning with three practical steps:1. Start building your cash reserve. Work toward having approximately six months of basic liv

When Life Changes Overnight: Rebuilding Your Life & Finances with Donna Jean Kendrick

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