Tag: divorce

30 Things I Learned After He Moved Out

Renee DeMont

I love my dog. He’s a soft, sweet space heater that keeps my feet warm at night. It’s okay to sleep on the couch when you are single. It is closer to the fireplace and the cushions have my back. When I want to stop feeling, that is when I Read more

Renee DeMont

Renee DeMont is a SURVIVOR. She was born into poverty; spent much of her childhood homeless, living on the streets of Los Angeles, and in foster care. Renee learned early on: life is about adapting to adversity. The greatest gift she ever received? No one expected anything from her. By 18, she was ready to experience life on her own terms. First one in her family to attend college. After college, her focus and determination earned her a spot working at Paramount Studios, on the #1 show in television, "Cheers". At 29, Renee gave entrepreneurship a go and began a Biomedical engineering business out of her garage. Twenty years later, that risky venture grew into 8,000 square feet of success. She broke the cycle of poverty that plagued her family for generations. Recently, Renee turned fifty, filed for divorce (he declared WAR), and trudged through a debilitating nervous breakdown. Through therapy and writing, she reclaimed her sanity. Sold her half of the business to the ex, and now she has clarity and choices. Renee is personally and financially independent. With her new found freedom, she chooses to write in a sincere effort to reconcile her past with her present. Hopefully, through this cathartic process, the second half of her life will be led by her soul's desire, rather than by the fears and doubts of her first half. Currently, she lives in South Orange County with her teenage son and daughter, and her high maintenance yet lovable dog, Joe. Soon to be an empty nester, she plans to downsize the big house in the OC bubble, for a bigger life in the real world. Her days are spent gently launching her almost grown children into adulthood, and passionately penning her memoir. In the mean time, you can find her essays on pain, positivity, and empowerment at: onedropofgrace.blogspot.com

My 17 Day Marriage: A Cautionary Tale.

Dori Owen

SCENE: MY OFFICE Colleague:“Why are you putting on makeup?” Me:“My ex-husband is coming by to drop off some papers.” Colleague:“Which one? The 17-year or the 17-day?” Reno really is the biggest little city. I knew who he was, but I had never met him. He owned an edgy advertising agency Read more

Dori Owen

Dori Owen is a storyteller, writing from small town Arizona, after living a few decades in California as an LA Wild Child, with a brief stop in Reno. She settled into grownup life as a project manager, collecting an MBA and a few husbands along the way. She is a shown artist and her favorite pastime is upcycling old furniture and decor she finds from thrift stores. She lives with the cat who came to visit but stayed. The love of her life is her grown son who lives in Portland, Oregon. Her essays and poems have been published in RAW&UNFILTERED VOL I, StigmaFighters Vol 2, and Love Notes From Humanity. Her blogs have been featured on The Lithium Chronicles, Open Thought Vortex, Sudden Denouement, and The Mighty.

How to Date Like a Boss Post-Divorce

Wendy Allen

“Dating Post-Divorce” Does that phrase fill you with horror? Make you want to run to the fridge and eat a quart of ice cream? If you’re like many women who find themselves newly single after a divorce, you’re not alone. But I’m here to tell you, girls, there’s a whole Read more

Wendy Allen

A native of Northern California, Wendy left home at 18 to attend Cal State Northridge in 1986, where she earned a BA degree in Radio/TV/Film Production. Three years later, she began an 18-year career in Hollywood, working at Paramount Pictures in the high-impact television industry. After working on hit sitcoms such as "Wings" and "Becker," she decided to put her talents into marketing and public relations when she relocated to Orange County, CA. Wendy quickly became known as a results-driven marketing professional who increased her clients' profitability through the creation and implementation of highly-focused marketing strategies. A busy mom of a teenage son, Wendy juggles a thriving career with her life as a proud basketball mom. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking and spending quality time with friends and family.

Prenup Agreement: 5 Things You Should Know

Pam Bille

Just as the chocolate mousse and champagne arrive, Jill’s fiancé reaches under the table and pulls out a large envelope, which he sets on the table. The writing on the label is indiscernible under the candlelight, but it looks very businesslike – not a romantic card. “Baby, please don’t take Read more

Pam Bille

I have practiced law for over twenty years, many with top-tier, national law firms. While raising my four children (now teenagers and college students), I have chosen alternatives to working for a law firm. I have consulted for a variety of different companies, acted as a "divorce coach" and handled disputes between people that arise out of divorce settlements. My primary practice area for the past several years has been drafting and negotiating premarital, cohabitation and postnuptial agreements. I have negotiated and drafted dozens of such agreements at a reasonable rate. Please visit my website and feel free to contact me for more details about my services: socalpremarital.com

Divorce is the New Black

Wendy Allen

What do you think when you hear the word divorce? You probably think what most people in our society think when they hear the word divorce: “The End.” “You Failed.” “What a Waste.” And if you happen to be a woman of a certain age, everyone will start betting on Read more

Wendy Allen

A native of Northern California, Wendy left home at 18 to attend Cal State Northridge in 1986, where she earned a BA degree in Radio/TV/Film Production. Three years later, she began an 18-year career in Hollywood, working at Paramount Pictures in the high-impact television industry. After working on hit sitcoms such as "Wings" and "Becker," she decided to put her talents into marketing and public relations when she relocated to Orange County, CA. Wendy quickly became known as a results-driven marketing professional who increased her clients' profitability through the creation and implementation of highly-focused marketing strategies. A busy mom of a teenage son, Wendy juggles a thriving career with her life as a proud basketball mom. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking and spending quality time with friends and family.

Craigslist, Sex, and One Woman’s Intuition

Michele Rigby Assad

No one is ever ready for this to happen. We can’t even entertain the possibility it could happen. It sounds like a story out of a seedy gossip magazine, not real life, right? Unfortunately, the below scenario did happen to a close friend of mine—We’ll call her Kate. She was Read more

Michele Rigby Assad

After obtaining a masters degree in Arab Studies at Georgetown University, Michele applied—along with hundreds of others from the university--to work for the CIA. After a long and grueling hiring process and a year of intensive training, she became an intelligence officer for the National Clandestine Service, the covert (operational) arm of the Agency. Serving for a decade as a counterterrorism officer, Michele worked in all of the awful places you hope you’ll never visit, including Iraq during the height of the war. To date, Michele has traveled to 45 countries, lived in six of those, and has a lot of crazy stories to tell about life overseas. While working for the CIA, Michele initially decried the traits that made her different from senior male officers, but later realized that these traits were what made her a great intelligence officer (empathy, intuition, strong interpersonal skills). Now she’s on a mission to show women that they have the elements to be a Femme Fatale—the incredibly intelligent and operationally astute woman that gets stuff done. After years of service to her country, Michele has left the undercover life behind and now works as an international management consultant focused on Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. She has a more “normal” life now and a lot more time to do the things she loves: writing, cooking, traveling for pleasure, walking on the beach—and most of all, inspiring others!