*LIMITED TIME PROMO! THE NEXT FIVE LISTENERS WHO LEAVE US A REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS WILL RECEIVE BARB'S BOOK FOR FREE** email screenshot of your review to Jacki@pearlplan.com
We often don't realize the strength we possess until life throws us into challenging situations. This episode brings you an inspiring narrative from a woman who picked up the shattered pieces of her life post-divorce and became a beacon of hope for others. Meet Barb Greenberg, author, and founder of Rediscovering U, who turned her painful personal experience of a 33-year marriage divorce into a support system for others. She shares her journey of transforming her company from organizing one-off workshops to weekly meetings - creating a nurturing environment filled with vital education and resources for those dealing with divorce.
To read about how Pearl Planning can help you though your divorce or schedule an initial complimentary consult with Jacki, CLICK HERE
To purchase Barb’s Book, The Seasons of Divorce, CLICK HERE
If you're considering divorce and want some preliminary financial information, CLICK HERE
Links are being provided for information purposes only. We do not suggest that listening to this podcast will make you wealthy. Pearl Planning is not affiliated with and does not endorse the opinions or services of Brian Cohen or his affiliates. The information herein is general and educational in nature and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Tax laws and regulations are complex and subject to change, which can materially impact investment results. Pearl Planning cannot guarantee that the information herein is accurate, complete, or timely. Pearl Planning makes no warranties with regard to such information or results obtained by its use and disclaims any liability arising out of your use of, or any tax or legal position taken in reliance on, such information. Consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific situation. Please note, changes in tax laws or regulations may occur at any time and could substantially impact your situation. Pearl Planning financial advisors do not render advice on tax or legal matters. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional.
Speaker 1:
Welcome to the Wealthy After Divorce podcast. Jackie Restler, a divorce financial planner with almost 25 years experience, and myself, melissa Freidenberg, financial advisor with Pearl Planning. We are both certified divorce financial analysts and your co-hosts.
Speaker 2:
If you're thinking about divorce or in the process of divorce, this is a time for you to take a deep breath and give yourself permission to gain clarity on the financial decision they're facing.
Speaker 1:
While the term wealth typically refers to money and possessions, we know that truly being wealthy means a whole lot more. Together with our guests on this podcast, we will help you live wealthy after divorce.
Speaker 2:
Hi everyone and welcome back to the Wealthy After Divorce podcast Today. I'm really excited because this is going to be the first time that we're focusing on an author and a book that we're going to highlight. Today, our guest is Barb Greenberg. Barb was divorced after 33-year marriage and was inspired after her divorce and during her recovery to try to reach out and help other people through what she had been through, and has been amazingly successful at it. She started a company called Rediscovering you, which we're going to talk about. She has written three books, with a fourth on the way. We are so excited to have you here, barb.
Speaker 3:
Thank you for having me. I'm thrilled. This is going to be fun.
Speaker 2:
So tell us tell me we were talking a little bit before we were taking Tell me how you got into, how you started the group that you started and how you started what prompted you to try to help people go through their divorce.
Speaker 3:
Okay, well, as we were talking, I have to go back a little bit after my divorce. Well, during my divorce, it felt like it was drowning. So when I felt like I was on dry land, I wanted to reach back and help other women get their footing again. So I did a few workshops and they were very heartwarming. It was wonderful. But I needed something more and someone suggested I do something around food, so hopefully I'm good with that.
Speaker 3:
So we found a restaurant that had a private room and we held a monthly dinner and we would bring in a guest speaker, and the first dinner we had how we always started was, you could go first, go around the table and share your story, and it wasn't to wine, though it's really. We were in a wine room, but it was like but it was what you said. It was a place where your voice was honored, your story was honored, what you said helped somebody else, and then everybody knew they were not alone. So our first speaker was a mediator, and that first night I turned to the waiter and I whispered how much longer can we be in the room? And he said well, the restaurant closed 20 minutes ago. So the whole group got up and walked into the parking lot and nobody wanted to disconnect from each other. It was such a powerful experience that I drove home and I was vibrating about. This is really important.
Speaker 3:
So I started to do them monthly, with a different guest speaker every month. And then a family law attorney said you know, I'm rebranding my business and I'd like you to meet the woman that I'm working with. And I thought isn't that nice, they want my input. And I got to the meeting and they didn't want my input. They both turned to me and were like you need some help, honey. So they were the ones that rebranded us, rediscovering you, because I didn't even realize I had a business quite then. And then they also said you need to do weekly meetings instead of monthly. Monthly is too long a stretch in between and I was like oh well, we can't afford to have dinner once a week. So I found another place that had a conference room and I just put chocolate kisses on the table for everybody.
Speaker 3:
And how many women were in this first group of the first groups, there were maybe 10 or 12. And then, as the classes went on, sometimes it would be even two or four, which was like it was the perfect number, you know.
Speaker 3:
Two or four people, yeah, and then it there would be 11 or 12, and then it would go back. It would fluctuate all the time. And at first I was like, oh, it's gotta be big. And then I realized no, no, no, sometimes one is just those two people or three people, that's just who it's supposed to be there. And even one gal said once. She said I wouldn't have shared when I'm sharing now if it was a bigger group, and it was really important for her to say what she needed to say. So it doesn't. I realized it's not, that's not my call. Whoever shows up, shows up.
Speaker 2:
You're not a therapist right, so you didn't have any background in this. No, just wanted to help other people because you knew, thought that you had needed help. So when you were going through your divorce, there wasn't anywhere really to get this kind of support.
Speaker 3:
No, in fact, if I would have had something like this, a resource like this, with education, support resources, I would have made much better decisions and I still would have breathed, but not for so long and so hard. It would have really affected how I moved through my divorce process and given me a lot more confidence. And we have people who come, who know they need to leave, but they're just not. They just don't know what to do and they're so scared People in the middle that are kind of splashing around and trying to hang on the best they can. And then people post-divorce. But there's still issues. In fact, this is one of my favorite images.
Speaker 3:
We were sitting around the table when we kind of knew Gail came in and she was so darling and sweet and she had, I think, two daughters and she said I know I need to leave. I know I need to leave. I don't think I can do it. She had a Phoenix in her hand. She was trying not to cry. I don't think I can do it, but I know I need to leave.
Speaker 3:
And the lady across the table from her reached over and patted her on the arm. And the lady across the table from her who was on the other side of her divorce, patted her arm and said you can do it, you can do it. And then, which was lovely, and then what happened was a year went by and lady number one said oh my gosh, no, I'm the one on the other side of the table reaching across patting someone's arm and saying you can do it. So it's just a wonderful community. And people became friends. They never knew each other and I was like are you sure? You seem like you've known each other forever, so that it's just this wonderful safe. It's very safe, right, and where was this?
Speaker 2:
where were you located?
Speaker 3:
We were in the Minneapolis area and the I no longer own the company. I'm now on the fabulous woman who's still in the Minneapolis area, but she's reaching out all across the country.
Speaker 2:
Covid sort of pushed that, oh yeah everybody changed their business model during COVID, so it's called rediscovering you, and that's the letter. You right Like university, yes, just like a university yeah. And if somebody and you don't have to be in Minneapolis if somebody wanted to go online and look that up, what kinds of resources could they find out there?
Speaker 3:
There's articles, there are videos, there are classes, some of which are are virtual. There's there's guidance, that some of the there's resources. If you need a therapist because therapists now long distance, there's just so much. Once you start playing around in there, you'll find all sorts of things. People women are like hungry for somebody to hang on to, and it just it's I don't want to say magical, but there's so much. It's magical, but there's an energy to it that you know when women get together. You know when women get together, there's a thing that happens and support and encouragement and you're okay. And you need to cry, that's fine, you can cry. And if you want to laugh, okay, you can laugh. And let's go get some ice cream or a cup of coffee, and just it's supportive of community.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that understands what you're going through.
Speaker 3:
Because because people want to support you but if they haven't gone through it it can't quite get it. I know I had dear friends that have been married like 50 years now, I think, but and they really tried to support me but they just didn't.
Speaker 2:
Right, there's just something about talking to someone that's been through the same thing as you, the same trauma. Yes, you recognize each other. It feels so good to find somebody else that that has gone through what you're going through, because it feels hopeful that you're going to make it through too. Yes, let's talk about your book, the Seasons of Divorce, which I have a copy of and I love it. I love it because one it's extremely relatable for anyone who is going through a divorce or any kind of life transition. But I really love the way that it's set up. I love that it's got a few each little section is a mini bite, sort of a little. A chapter might be one or two pages and really compelling topics that really ask your reader to stop and think about where they are in the process of this transition, in a slow way, so that it's not overwhelming. And I think after a divorce there are so many things that are overwhelming that I love the pacing of your book. When you wrote this, what type of person did you have in mind?
Speaker 3:
It's not just for women, about women divorcing. This is wonderful for any woman because there's so much in it, and I have a friend who she has been married.
Speaker 3:
I think 50 years, and she loves to journal and each section has a little article with a few questions at the end, three questions at the end of each article. And she said I've been using those for journaling prompts. I love your book because I use it for journaling prompts every day and there's something I discover about myself, so it's for anybody. Starting in the middle, when you're past it, it's just because the articles I don't think are all those little snippets, aren't all divorce but transition. You know, all one thing is.
Speaker 2:
I'd love to know, so somebody who might be widowed yes, maybe someone who's empty nester, whatever big life transition. Yeah, and so you and you mentioned to me that it's actually a collection of articles and blogs that you wrote. Yes, yes.
Speaker 3:
I had a wonderful editor friend and she yeah, and we had started a newsletter. Since we started a business, we started a newsletter and since we were holding classes weekly, we had to put out a newsletter weekly for the upcoming classes. She said you need to write an article every week for the newsletter. After I knocked my head against the wall a few times, I went okay.
Speaker 2:
Every week is a lot.
Speaker 3:
But it was a good discipline and I had never written. I had never in a million years thought I would write anything, and so it's interesting what happens during a divorce. These gifts kind of fall out of the sky. Yeah, that's something you never imagined you would do.
Speaker 2:
Just never get a new career.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, and I love it. I'm like son of a gun. This is kind of fun. So. But this editor friend said you need to put those articles into a book. More people need to see those articles. They're really good and I went yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah sure, and then months would go by and she'd go those articles they need to go to book and I go yeah, yeah yeah, so that went on for quite a while.
Speaker 2:
Well, we are going to have a link in our show notes for anyone that wants to buy the book, but we're also running a promotion with this episode. This is our first time doing this. So the first five listeners that give us a review on Apple Podcast, all they have to do is take a screenshot of it and send it to us. We will send them a book your book, for free and as a thank you to them, and I wish that more people would again. I think your story is extraordinary because you act like it's just no big deal. I mean, you just went out and you did this, but it takes a lot to want to after going through something, to want to help people and then actually do it. So I think that you're minimizing the amount of effort and that you put into it. But and I know our listeners can't see you because we are on just audio but you have the warmest smile and you can tell that you get so much joy out of what you created.
Speaker 3:
I really do. It's so interesting. I would have people go. Isn't it depressing what you're doing? I was like no, it's inspiring because of women that come to our events, want to heal, want to get better, want to find a way through this. They don't want to stay stuck. They have so much courage. They don't realize they have as much courage as they do, but they have so much courage and they just would inspire me every single week. Every single week.
Speaker 2:
So thank you so much for being here with me. I loved our conversation and hopefully we can talk again sometime.
Speaker 3:
That would be wonderful. Thank you for having me. Thank you for listening to the Wealthy After.
Speaker 1:
Divorce podcast. You can find more information on Melissa Freidenberg and Jackie Ressler on our website, wwwpearlplancom, as well as on our podcast website, wwwwealthyafterdivorcecom.