Dishing on Divorce Podcast

In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, host Mandy Barr chats with Jennifer Chaney, a Real Estate Agent, investor, and strategist, about navigating one of the most emotional decisions in divorce: what to do with the marital home. Drawing from her personal experience, Jennifer shares invaluable insights, including four key tips for deciding whether to keep or sell your home.

Jennifer emphasizes the importance of understanding your fu...

Fear of the unknown can feel overwhelming, especially during divorce. In this raw and honest episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna explore the most common fears people face: financial insecurity, parenting worries, identity loss, and the big question… “Will I be okay?”

They share their own stories, break down the mindset traps that keep people stuck, and offer tangible ways to move forward. From understanding your rights ...

In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, host Mandy Pullen Barr welcomes Laura McGee, J.D., founder of Leave Strong Divorce Services and a trusted Vesta professional. With a law degree from the University of British Columbia and over four decades of experience, Laura brings a unique blend of legal expertise, mediation skills, and compassionate coaching to her clients in California and beyond.

Laura works with people in one of two way...

In this heartfelt episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy and Deanna get real about one of the most personal and challenging parts of divorce: the emotional weight of shame and blame. From neighborhood parties that feel like the walk of shame to well-meaning comments that linger for years, they unpack the hidden narratives we tell ourselves—and how to rewrite them.

They share personal stories, including mom guilt, generational wounds,...

This week on Dishing on Divorce, we sit down with Kristyna Hawkett, founder of the UK-based Minus One Club and a certified Separation & Divorce Coach, who’s transforming how people experience divorce. With roots in both the Czech Republic and England, Kristyna brings a powerful blend of emotional insight and practical guidance to her work, helping clients navigate divorce with clarity and confidence.

After enduring her own two-...

In this powerful episode, Deanna Coyle and Mandy Pullen Barr open up about the most common—and costly—divorce mistakes they’ve made personally and seen repeatedly in their work with Vesta. From letting emotions drive decisions to misusing professionals and overlooking post-divorce financial realities, they share candid lessons and practical strategies to help you avoid unnecessary heartache and expense.

They also emphasize the impo...

What happens when divorce and business ownership collide? In this episode, attorney, mediator, and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® Amanda Singer joins us to unpack the financial and legal complexities that come with divorcing as a business owner or being married to one.

With over a decade of experience guiding couples through peaceful, strategic resolution, Amanda shares her top insights on:

• How a business is treated as ...

In this powerful episode of Dishing on Divorce, Mandy Pullen Barr welcomes co-mediators Carolyn Laredo and Jim Bell to explore the transformative impact of co-mediation in divorce. With over 40 years of combined experience, this dynamic duo combines backgrounds in law, psychology, sociology, and education to help couples resolve conflicts, communicate more effectively, and reach durable, respectful agreements.

Carolyn and Jim discu...

In this episode of Dishing on Divorce, host Mandy Pullen Barr welcomes special guest Kary Watson, a seasoned family law attorney and founder of Together You Part, a groundbreaking online mediation practice based in Charlotte, North Carolina. With over 20 years of experience, Kary shares her powerful journey from a high-conflict, aggressive divorce litigator—known as the “bulldog”—to a compassionate mediator dedicated to transformin...

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...

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 fath...

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 P...

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...

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 m...

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, Fo...

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 simp...

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 rea...

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.

Tog...

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 c...