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 Now If 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 living expenses available—not necessarily your current lifestyle expenses, but what you truly need to keep your household functioning. 2. Get your financial house in order. Gather account information, statements, passwords, insurance documents, and other important financial records. Know what accounts exist and make sure you have access to your own financial information. 3. Review your credit. Pull your credit report and understand which accounts are in your name, which are joint, what balances exist, and whether there are accounts you may have forgotten about or didn't realize were open. A Powerful Reminder About Starting Over One of my favorite moments in our conversation came when I asked Donna what Bent Not Broken means to her. Her answer was a reminder that after divorce, loss, or another life-changing experience, we shouldn't expect to be exactly the person we were before. Like a tree bending in the wind, we may lose some things along the way. We may lose relationships, financial security, dreams, or pieces of the life we once knew. But bent doesn't mean broken. We can stand tall again—perhaps differently than before—and that's okay. If you're wondering whether you can rebuild financially after divorce or loss, this episode offers both practical steps and something equally important: hope that your next chapter can still be a good one. About Donna Jean Kendrick Donna Jean Kendrick is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® and the founder of Sefton Financial. After unexpectedly becoming a widow at age 40 with three children, Donna transformed her personal experience with grief and financial uncertainty into a new career helping others navigate major life transitions. She is also the host of Widow, Wisdom & Wealth and the author of financial guides addressing widowhood, blended families, and divorce, including The Divorce Money Map: Taking Control of Your Finances Before, During, and After Divorce. Donna's Website where you can purchase her books and obtain resources: https://donnajeankendrick.com/ Enjoyed this episode of Bent Not Broken: Life After Divorce with Deborah Griffiths? Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more people searching for life after divorce, divorce recovery, co-parenting, dating after divorce, and healing from gaslighting can discover this empowering podcast. Every review helps others find hope, inspiration, and practical tools for thriving after divorce. Explore more resources: Visit BrokenToBoldness.com for coaching, workshops, and guidance on divorce recovery and life transitions. Follow Deborah Griffiths for daily empowerment and support: Instagram: @BrokenToBoldnessFacebook: Broken to BoldnessLinkedIn: Broken to Boldness Remember: divorce may bend you, but it does not break you. You are stronger than you think, and your bold new chapter starts now. Disclaimer: The commentary and opinions available on this podcast are for informational and entertainment purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal or psychological advice. You should contact an attorney, coach, or therapist in your state to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.
