Dishing on Divorce Podcast

In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna delve into the emotional rollercoaster that accompanies navigating divorce. They discuss how grief, uncertainty, loneliness, and even moments of joy can surface, sometimes all within a single day.
Together, they emphasize the importance of processing your “emotional divorce” before diving fully into the legal and financial aspects. Through their work at Vesta, they’ve seen how critical it is to have not only legal and financial professionals but also therapists, coaches, and a strong support network to guide individuals through the ups and downs.
Mandy and Deanna share personal experiences and practical insights on coping strategies that support healing, including yoga and Reiki, as well as running, journaling, building community, and volunteering. They also offer advice on avoiding common pitfalls, such as overspending or venting on social media, and remind listeners to practice self-compassion and patience as they navigate their path forward.
Above all, this episode encourages listeners to lean into support, honor their emotional journey, and believe that the next chapter can be filled with growth, connection, and new possibilities.
Contact Mandy and Deanna 
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (877) 355-7649
Check out their book: https://bit.ly/Heal-to-Lead

In this inspiring episode, Mandy Pullen Barr and Deanna Coyle welcome Charmaine Panko, collaborative family lawyer, mediator, and founder of Panko Collaborative Law & Mediation in Saskatchewan, Canada. Charmaine shares how her unexpected path into family law became her life’s mission: helping families navigate conflict with dignity, empathy, and common sense (or as she calls it, cowboy logic, thanks to her practical-minded father!).
Charmaine passionately unpacks the collaborative law model, where lawyers, child specialists, mental health professionals, and financial neutrals come together under one roof — not as adversaries, but as problem solvers — to design customized solutions for families, especially those with unique needs or high-conflict dynamics.
She challenges the outdated adversarial system, advocating for future models that respect the individuality of each family, as well as that of each child. Charmaine’s work is about more than just legal resolutions; it’s about shaping peaceful futures, reducing trauma, and empowering families to make decisions that truly reflect their values.
We also delve into her role as an educator and mentor, exploring why public education matters and how helping others, including clients and younger professionals, fuels her passion for transforming the field of family law.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking a more human, heart-centered approach to divorce — one where the children’s future, family well-being, and common sense take center stage.
Contact Charmaine Panko
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://commonsenselawyer.com/
Contact Deanna and Mandy
Email: [email protected]
Call: (877) 355-7649

This Week on Dishing on Divorce: Navigating the Complexities of Stepparenting & Blended Families
In this heartwarming and deeply personal episode, hosts Mandy Pullen Barr and Deanna Coyle explore the often unspoken challenges—and surprising joys—of stepparenting, co-parenting, and blended family life.
Joining them is the remarkable Maria Natapov, founder of Synergistic Step Parenting and host of the Synergistic Step Parenting Podcast. With over 12 years of lived experience as a stepparent and a background in trauma-informed coaching, Maria shares her powerful personal journey: stepping unexpectedly into full-time parenting during a family crisis, ultimately becoming the legal mom to her stepdaughter, and transforming her challenges into a thriving coaching practice.
Together, Mandy, Deanna, and Maria explore:
The emotional layers and cultural stigmas around stepparenting (goodbye, wicked stepmother trope)
How to set healthy boundaries and build authentic, trust-filled relationships in blended families
Why “you knew what you signed up for” is one of the biggest misconceptions
Tools for parents and stepparents to create safe, open communication with kids — and why the stories children tell themselves after divorce matter so much
How Maria works with families to move from chaos to connection, empowering both adults and kids to thrive
Mandy and Deanna also reflect on their own blended family experiences, sharing candid moments of what worked, what didn’t, and how important it is to have the right resources and support.
Whether you’re a stepparent, co-parent, bonus parent, or someone navigating love and family after divorce, this episode offers wisdom, humor, and practical takeaways you won’t miss.
Listen now, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star review — and remember, your next chapter might just be your best one yet.
Contact Maria
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://synergisticstepparenting.com/

In this eye-opening episode, Mandy and Deanna sit down with Erik Blaushield, a CPA and certified valuation analyst with over two decades of experience in business valuation, forensic accounting, and divorce-related financial analysis. Erik breaks down the often misunderstood world of valuing a business during divorce—what makes a company a marital asset, when it needs to be valued, and how claims like "it's worth nothing without me" don’t necessarily hold up.
The conversation dives deep into red flags for hidden assets, the nuances of cash-heavy businesses, and how forensic accountants trace money movement through complex financial statements, crypto accounts, and lifestyle clues. Erik also explains the importance of understanding how different assets, like stock options, RSUs, and retirement accounts, are not created equal when it comes to equitable division.
This episode is packed with practical advice for anyone navigating divorce involving businesses or complex finances. And yes, Erik also shares his favorite pizza toppings and the self-care ritual that helps him stay sane during tax season.
Whether you’re the business owner or the out-spouse trying to make sense of the numbers, this episode will leave you smarter, more confident, and better equipped to ask the right questions.
Contact Erik Blaushield
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.lga.cpa/our-team/erik-blaushield/

Mother’s Day Special: Honoring Our Moms, Grief, and the Beauty in the Mess
In this deeply personal and moving episode of Dishing on Divorce, hosts Mandy and Deanna set aside the usual script to open their hearts about love, loss, and motherhood. This year marks their first Mother’s Day without their moms—Mandy’s passed in September, and Deanna’s in January—and they invite listeners into a raw and honest conversation about what it means to grieve while still showing up as mothers themselves.
They reflect on their beautiful, complicated relationships with their moms, the healing they’ve done, and the surprising moments of laughter and joy that have surfaced in the midst of sorrow. From caregiver guilt to long-distance loss, from falling into the ocean fully clothed to cooking family recipes, Mandy and Deanna share poignant stories that make you smile, cry, and feel deeply seen.
This episode is for anyone navigating Mother’s Day with a heavy heart—whether you’ve lost your mom, are missing your kids, are in the thick of a divorce, or are working through a complicated relationship. It's a love letter to mothers of all kinds and a reminder that grief is not something to fix but to feel, and that healing often comes in the messiness of it all.
Contact Mandy and Deanna
Email: [email protected] 
Phone: (877) 355-7649

In this deeply moving episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna sit down with the extraordinary Poonam Bhuchar, an attorney, mediator, TEDx speaker, divorce coach, and award-winning author of Saved From the Pain. With raw honesty and profound grace, Poonam shares her personal story of trauma, cultural stigma, loss, and, ultimately, radical healing.
Poonam introduces listeners to her transformative SAFE Method—Stop, Accept, Forgive, Embrace—a practical and soul-centered process born from her journey through emotional pain, chronic stress, divorce, and spiritual awakening. From surviving sexual assault and an abusive marriage to rebuilding her life after health crises and financial collapse, Poonam's story is a testament to the power of taking responsibility, releasing victimhood, and reclaiming joy.
Together, they explore what it means to forgive others—and ourselves—while discussing divorce's lasting impact on children, how emotional mastery influences legal outcomes, and why embracing our entire story (flaws and all) is essential to true self-love and growth. Whether you’re navigating a divorce, healing from past wounds, or simply seeking hope, this conversation is a beacon of light.
Tune in for insights, laughter, and inspiration—and be reminded that wherever you are in your journey, you are not alone.
Contact Poonam
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.emotionallysafe.com/
You can order her book on her website. 

In this enlightening episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy Pullen and Deanna Coyle welcome family law trailblazer Bobby Buchanan—founder of Buchanan Law Group, host of Illinois Divorce Guide Podcast and Illinois Divorce TV, and a proud member of the Vesta network.
Bobby is not your typical divorce attorney. With zero personal experience in divorce—but a deep well of empathy and emotional intelligence—he’s made it his mission to simplify the legal process, humanize the attorney-client relationship, and build a practice rooted in integrity, transparency, and tech-forward innovation.
He shares his journey from criminal defense to family law, and how his natural comfort with emotional conversations, paired with a passion for technology, led him to rethink the entire divorce experience. From hiring a full-time software developer to creating systems that reduce costs and increase efficiency, Bobby’s approach isn’t just modern—it’s revolutionary.
Bobby reminds us that the best attorneys aren’t in it to stir conflict—they’re in it to empower their clients to make thoughtful, forward-focused decisions. His commitment to conscious lawyering and heart-centered leadership is precisely why he’s such a natural fit with the Vesta community.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone considering divorce, curious about modern legal solutions, or simply seeking reassurance that it is possible to navigate difficult times with grace, clarity, and support.
Contact Bobby Buchanan
Email:  [email protected]
Website:  https://www.rbbfirm.com/
Illinois Divorce Guide Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/illinois-divorce-guide-expert-advice-for-navigating/id1804375768
Illinois Divorce TV: https://www.youtube.com/@IllinoisDivorceTV

In this deeply heartfelt episode of Dishing on Divorce, we welcome the luminous Simonne Rossi Paumard, transformational mindset coach, a retreat facilitator, and San Diego-based realtor originally from France. With grace, humor, and raw vulnerability, Simonne shares her extraordinary story of love, betrayal, reinvention, and ultimately liberation.
Simonne takes us back to a life-altering moment in September 2022, when she first reached out to Vesta, unsure of what questions to ask and emotionally frozen in the wake of discovering her husband’s affair. What followed was a courageous two-and-a-half-year journey through grief, growth, and self-representation as she navigated her own divorce, emerging stronger and more radiant than ever.
Together, we explore the power of forgiveness—not as a free pass, but as an act of liberation. Simonne’s reflections on parenting adult children through divorce, writing her book on compassionate communication, and choosing to forgive for the sake of her peace— and her smile —are unforgettable. She reminds us that forgiveness is emotional alchemy: the transformation of pain into purpose.
Now, as both a coach and a realtor, Simonne brings her signature blend of emotional intelligence, spiritual depth, and European elegance to guide women through life transitions, particularly those rooted in heartbreak and housing decisions.
With timeless wisdom like “you are not your past, but the infinite possibilities of the present moment,” Simonne inspires us all to clear out the dusty furniture of our old stories and welcome in the velvet sofa of possibility. 
Contact Simonne Rossi Paumard
Email: [email protected]
Buy Her Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKBJZF9P?ref=yb_qv_ov_kndl_dp_rw
 

In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, we’re joined by Molly Wilson Chung, a highly respected family law attorney with over 16 years of experience navigating everything from high-net-worth divorces and custody disputes to uncovering hidden assets and guiding clients through mediation. Molly brings deep legal knowledge, compassionate counsel, and a gift for clear communication to every case—and this conversation is no exception.
Together, we explore the real purpose behind prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, dispel common myths, and discuss how these tools can actually foster transparency and long-term relationship success. Molly explains who should consider a prenup (hint: it’s not just for the wealthy), why timing matters, and how approaching your marriage with thoughtful planning can reduce conflict, protect both partners, and create peace of mind.
Molly’s insight goes beyond the legal—it’s about helping people make informed, values-based decisions during emotionally charged times. With warmth and wisdom, she shares how prenups and postnups can be tools for clarity rather than conflict, offering couples a framework to align on their future, protect what matters most, and reduce the stress of the unknown. 
Whether you're engaged, already married, or just curious, this must-listen episode will leave you more empowered, and maybe even rethinking what “forever” should look like. Tune in now to Dishing on Divorce—because planning for your future is one of the most loving things you can do.
Contact Molly Chung
(Office) 617-426-5900
(Email) [email protected]
Contact Concierge
(Office) 877- 355-7649
(Email) [email protected]
 

Welcome to an insightful episode of our podcast, where we have the privilege of hosting Glenn Crawford, a seasoned Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, financial advisor, and mediator. With a rich background in financial planning and a personal understanding of the complexities of divorce, Glenn brings a wealth of knowledge and compassion to the table. He has been a cornerstone of Vesta's programs in Southern California, offering clarity and empowerment to those navigating the financial upheavals of divorce.
In this episode, Glenn delves into the critical aspects of managing finances during a divorce, including marital asset division, tax planning, and future financial security. His approachable style demystifies financial concepts, making them accessible and manageable, which is particularly comforting for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the divorce process.
Glenn's dedication is deeply personal; as someone who has experienced divorce both as a child and as an adult, he brings empathy and understanding to his work. He shares his journey and the lessons learned, emphasizing the importance of self-care and the courage required to make life-altering decisions.
Listeners will gain invaluable insights into the importance of a tailored financial strategy during divorce, distinguishing between general financial advice and the specialized guidance that a CDFA can offer. Glenn's stories of resilience and transformation are inspiring and a testament to the power of expert support during one of life's most challenging transitions.
Join us as Glenn Crawford helps illuminate the path to financial stability and personal freedom, offering hope and practical advice to those facing the financial intricacies of divorce.
Contact Glenn Crawford
Email: [email protected]
Schedule: https://calendly.com/gcrawford
 
Contact Deanna and Mandy
Email: [email protected]
Call: (877) 355-7649