Shows / Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
I'm Toni and a certified Life Coach. Is there a major life transition benching you? Let’s create a winning game plan to move into your new adventure.
Your life only seems to be over, however, there’s still time on the clock.
Let’s get you off the bench to start your comeback.
Episodes
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
There's Still Time Left On The Clock
The foundational ReEntry series is coming to a close, but your comeback is not. In this episode of Start Your Comeback, Toni looks back at the journey through…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
When It Doesn’t Go Your Way: Hustle Back
A bad day does not mean you have a bad life. One setback does not mean your comeback has failed. In Week 4 of the ReEntry series, Toni talks about one of the…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
You Don't Have To Coach Yourself Through Re-entry
You can be capable, independent, and resourceful and still need support. In Week 3 of the ReEntry series, Toni talks about why asking for help can feel so…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Your Life Needs a New Playbook
What happens when the game changes, but you are still running the old plays? In Week 2 of the ReEntry series, Toni talks about the routines, responsibilities…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Your First Play: Re-Entering Your Life Before You Feel Ready
You survived Shock. You worked your way through Limbo. Now comes the part that can feel surprisingly uncomfortable: living again. In this week's episode of…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Don’t You Dare Quit Now: A Pause Before ReEntry
Before we move from Limbo into ReEntry, we are calling a timeout. In this episode, Toni walks you through a simple three-part reset: Reflect. Resource…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
The Next Right Step
What if the next step in your comeback feels less like a confident stride and more like stepping onto a tightrope? In this final episode of the five-week Limbo…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Coaching Through Limbo: Sometimes You Just Need the Right Timeout
When you are standing in the middle of a major life transition, it can be hard to see what is really happening. You are managing the emotions, the fear, the…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Decision Training: How to Trust Yourself Again When You Don’t Know What Comes Next
Making decisions after a major life transition can feel completely different than it used to. Suddenly, every choice feels bigger. You second-guess yourself…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Finding Your New Rhythm in Limbo
When life changes, your old routine often stops working long before you know what the new one should look like. In this episode of Start Your Comeback, Toni…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Limbo Is Not Failure; It's Your Training Ground
The shock may have worn off, but that does not mean the new life has arrived. That uncomfortable space in between is what I call Limbo. In this episode of…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
You Raised Them to Leave with Brenda Seefeldt
Dropping your child off at college isn't only a transition for them. It's a transition for you. In this final episode of the Shock portion of our empty nesting…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
They left Home, Not Your Life
Dropping a child off at college can stir up more emotion than a mother expects. The drive home feels different. The house feels different. The relationship…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
The Identity Inside The Noise: Finding Yourself After the Empty Nest
When the house becomes quiet, many mothers begin asking a question they were not prepared to answer: Who am I now? For years, motherhood provided structure…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
When The House Goes Quiet
When the House Goes Quiet The empty nest is not difficult only because the house becomes quiet. It can be difficult because the noise, schedules…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
The First Goodbye: What If Shock Begins Earlier Than We Think?
The First Goodbye: What If Shock Begins Earlier Than We Think? When do life transitions really begin? Most of us think Shock starts with divorce, retirement…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
How to Heal After an Unexpected Divorce: Moving From Shock to Self-Respect with Elizabeth Jane
What happens when a twenty-five-year marriage ends without warning? In this episode of Start Your Comeback, Toni talks with emotional well-being expert…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
From Survival Mode to Calm Confidence with Katharine Chestnut
What happens when you have been holding everything together for so long that you no longer know how to simply be still? In Episode 141 of the Start Your…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
The Junk Drawer: 5 Things Keeping You Stuck in Transition
Every home has one. The junk drawer. A place where random items collect over time until we can barely find what we're looking for. The same thing happens in…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Your Quarterly Comeback Update
What if you stopped measuring your progress by how far you still have to go and started measuring it by how far you've come? Businesses issue quarterly…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Stop Apologizing for Your Comeback: Why Women Need to Stop Saying Sorry for Growing
How many times have you said "I'm sorry" today? Sorry for asking. Sorry for taking up space. Sorry for saying no. Sorry for changing. Sorry for becoming…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Empty Nesting Isn't the End of Your Story
One day you're packing lunches, driving to practices, and helping with homework. The next day, you're standing in a quiet house wondering what happened. Empty…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Why You Cannot Walk Through Transition Alone | Divorce, Empty Nest, Retirement
When life changes, many of us instinctively pull back, isolate, and try to carry the weight alone. But today’s episode is a reminder that healing, growth, and…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Thank You for Starting Your Comeback With Me
In this heartfelt episode, Toni pauses to say thank you to every listener, reader, and supporter of Start Your Comeback. From the bottom of her heart, thank…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
How to Survive a High-Conflict Divorce Without Losing Yourself or Your Kids | with Lisa Johnson
Lisa Johnson knows what it feels like to walk through absolute chaos and somehow keep standing. In today’s episode, I sit down with Lisa, co-founder of Been…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
You’re Not Stuck—You’re On the Bench (How to Start Your Comeback)
If you’re feeling stuck, uncertain, or like life just knocked you off your rhythm—this episode is for you. Transitions have a way of showing up uninvited…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
How to Help Someone Through Grief: Practical Ways to Support Loss, Loneliness, and Life Transition with guest Lynn Banis
Grief touches every life eventually, yet most people still do not know how to talk about it, walk through it, or help someone carry it well. In today’s…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
What Transition Do You Find Yourself In?
Transitions do not always arrive one at a time. Sometimes the season that began a year ago quietly turns into another season altogether. What started as one…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Healing in Hard Seasons: What Your Body and Mind Need Most with guest Magic Barclay
In this episode, I sit down with Magic Barclay, a woman whose story honestly leaves you shaking your head in amazement—in the best way. Magic has walked…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
The Quiet Battle Before You Make a Change
Before any major life transition becomes visible on the outside, there is almost always a quiet internal battle happening first. In this episode, Toni talks…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Jesus Knew How to Handle Hard: An Easter Reflection
Easter has a way of reminding us that faith does not remove hard things—it teaches us how to walk through them differently. In this short episode, Toni…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
The Hardest Stage of a Comeback (And Why Most People Get Stuck)
What happens after the major decision is made? In this second part of my comeback story, I share the reality no one really talks about after divorce and major…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
My Comeback Story: When Life Changes Everything
For years on the Start Your Comeback Podcast, Toni has interviewed guests about life transitions, unexpected change, and what it takes to move forward when…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
How to Not Give Up During a Life Transition | Starting Over with Hope
In this episode: Why the middle of a life transition is where most people feel like quitting How slow progress can still be real progress Why discomfort does…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
From Fired at 63 to Financial Freedom with Guest David Nassief
Life transitions don’t just affect our emotions—they affect our finances too. And for many people, money becomes the silent stressor behind major life changes…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
The 3 Stages of Every Major Life Transition (And How to Move Forward)
You’re Not Behind: You’re in a Stage: Shock, Limbo & Re-Entry In this solo episode, we’re hitting pause after several incredible guest interviews to talk about…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
One Sentence Is Enough: Writing, Grief, and Telling the Truth Safely with Erica Richmond
In this episode, Toni sits down with Erica Richmond, author, speaker, and writing coach, for a powerful conversation about storytelling, grief, and writing…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
From Stuck to Thriving: Relationship Wisdom with Dr. Merideth Thompson
Stuck in a Relationship That Isn’t Working? A Negotiation Expert on Divorce, Dating After Divorce, and How to Decide Whether to Stay or Go What if the hardest…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Rebuilding After Divorce
Feeling stuck between “what now” and “who am I” after divorce can feel like standing on a field with the clock ticking and no play to run. We break the moment…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Part 2 Dr. Lana Sneer: From Fear To Hope: A Practical Guide To Healing Through Divorce With Faith And Counseling
Fear has a way of dressing up like anger, urgency, and endless what-ifs—especially when a marriage ends. We sat down with Dr. Lana Sneer, a licensed…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Special guest, Dr. Lana Sneer: Set The Bone: Align Your Heart Before You Move On
Divorce can yank the ground from under you and convince you that the only options are to fight harder or run faster. We take a different route with Dr. Lana…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Boring Is Good: Why Haircut Budgets And Dog Food Lists Might Save Your Sanity
What if the smartest move after divorce isn’t to reinvent everything, but to slow down and stabilize? We take you inside the quiet work that makes a comeback…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
National Divorce Month Sounds Festive Until It Isn’t
The calendar flips and the pressure spikes: fresh starts, big vows, and a quiet surge of people filing for divorce. We open the year by naming the truth behind…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Sugar, Schedules, And Meltdowns: Surviving Holiday Mayhem Without Losing Your Mind
Holiday peace isn’t about getting every plan right. It’s about repairing well when plans break. We lean into a simple, steady framework—calm, clarity, and…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Reclaiming Holiday Joy In Blended Families
Perfection is a myth, and chasing it steals the best parts of the holidays. We dive into the real work of building connection in a blended family season…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Who Moved The Elf And Why Did It Start World War III
The holidays aren’t broken; they’re just loud. Between loyalty binds, old traditions, and schedules that feel like a playbook, blended families can hit…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
You Don’t Have To Be Grateful For Everything To Be Grateful For Something
The holidays have a way of exposing what’s tender. We set the scene at a real Thanksgiving table—the one with burnt rolls, a too-long prayer, and a determined…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Small Steps, Strong Comebacks
What if your comeback doesn’t start on a stage, but at the edge of your bed with a two-line journal entry and a quiet prayer? We take a reflective lap through…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
You’re Not Starting Over; You’re Starting From Experience
Big life transitions can leave you staring into the mirror, wondering who’s looking back. We go straight to the heart of the comeback: rebuilding identity when…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
How Small Habits Build A Stronger Faith Foundation During Life Transitions
Change has a way of shaking the ground under our feet, and that’s exactly where this conversation begins: with the honest wobble of faith during big life…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Small Wins, Big Momentum
When life flips the script—divorce, retirement, an empty nest, or a full-blown reset—the question isn’t “How do I leap?” It’s “How do I move at all?” I walk…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
When The Big Things Break, The Small Things Save You
Big change can make even simple tasks feel impossible, but there’s a quieter path that actually holds: small, steady actions that bring your footing back. We…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
More Candles, Less Chill: My Birthday vs. The Comparison Trap
Stop letting the clock boss your confidence around. We turn a birthday week into a working blueprint for a comeback—one grounded in gratitude, courage, and…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Karla Peters: Comeback Through The Messy Middle
The question isn’t “what’s next?” so much as “where does safety live now?” That’s where our conversation with Karla begins—mid-shock, mid-limbo—after she…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Rebuilding Rhythm After Life Upends Your Playbook
We explore how structure and routine become anchors when transition blows up your playbook, from empty nest and retirement to divorce and the loss of a spouse…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Your Struggle Is Your Proving Ground: Why God Puts Lions in Your Path
Have you ever felt trapped in an impossible situation with no way out? That's exactly where we find Benaiah in one of Scripture's most overlooked stories –…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
When Predictability Becomes Your Prison: Why Letting Go of the Familiar Sparks Growth
What happens when our love of the familiar becomes the very thing that keeps us stuck? That's the question at the heart of this deeply reflective episode on…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Finding Purpose in the Pause
Life transitions often force us into uninvited pauses that feel like being benched, but these pauses are actually opportunities for formation and growth. The…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
100 Episodes of Getting Off the Bench
We've reached a milestone with our 100th episode, celebrating 100 weeks of showing up to share coaching, strategies, and stories about navigating life's…
- Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Chalk Dust and Growing Pains: The First-Year Teaching with Andrea Ward Fernandez
The classroom door closes behind you. It's just you and thirty expectant faces. Your teaching degree prepared you for lesson plans and pedagogy—but did it…