Single & Mighty: For Single Parents Leading Mighty Lives

Divorce can blow up our lives -- but it can also be a massive opportunity to start over and build something new and amazing.

Our guest today wants newly separated or divorced parents to know is that the best part of your life is ahead of you.

In 2021 Jason Scriven's 27-year marriage ended in divorce, he moved in with his parents, lost his job, and had no car... all within the span of three months.

Anyone would say it was a brutal year.

Jason found his way through it. Figured out who he wanted to be, re-thought his career, and found a completely new path.

A year and a half later, we think you'll be inspired by where's he is now with his life.

Jason now advises people on how to thrive, not just survive after separation or divorce. He learned the hard way, but you don't have to.

Listen in and leave a review if you enjoy the show. That's what helps us grow.

Find out Jason's best tips and hear his story: 

• 07:24 How to prioritize self-care during difficult life transitions like divorce. 
• 11:20 When to lean on your support system for both practical and emotional support. 
• 14:20 Building trust with your children through upheaval. 
• 26:24 Focusing on growth over material things or past resentments. 
• 38:40 Accepting that you can't control the changes happening -- and what you can control instead.

To connect with Jason & for this episode's show notes, head to: https://singleandmighty.com/starting-over-divorce-coach-jason-scriven/

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Thanks for listening!

What happens when you suddenly become a single parent in tough circumstances? Today we talk to Zeta Cosman -- a newly-single parent putting her life back together after a tough breakup.

Zeta’s an incredible go-getter and a powerful example of dealing with challenges head-on. A lot of us can learn from her story, whether we’re new single parents or long-divorced. 

We also loved how Zeta realized what sort of parent she wanted to become, and consciously worked to change her habits and become a better parent. She’s now a certified parenting coach and helps others who want to stop yelling and start enjoying a healthier relationship with their kids. 

Listen for:

• Healing through counseling, parent coaching, and networking events, gaining insight into your own patterns. 
• The challenges of being a single mother with most of the parenting responsibilities after a difficult divorce. 7:54
• Realizing a relationship is toxic, both emotionally and financially.
• Setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care in relationships.
• Dealing with addiction in an ex.
• Co-parenting challenges.
• Dealing with grief after ending a major relationship (or divorce).
• Developing your support system during difficult times.
• Parenting strategies Zeta teaches. 17:44
• Nervous system awareness. 30:00
• The importance of getting past shame and asking for help in parenting. 35:43
• The example we set for our kids when working through difficult issues.
• Prioritizing self-care and work-life balance as a solo parent. 46:51

Listen in and let us know what you think.

Enjoying Single & Mighty? Please help us to reach more single parents:

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To hear more of Single & Mighty, head to: https://singleandmighty.com/podcast-notes/

Stay up to date with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/singlemightypodcast/

Are you a single parent with a story to tell? Sign up to be a guest: https://singleandmighty.com/apply-to-be-a-guest-on-single-mighty/ 

We want to hear from you! Drop us a DM on Instagram or by mail to: hello at singleandmighty dot com

And please LEAVE A REVIEW if you've enjoyed the show! That's what helps us grow. 

This episode is all about finding your own self-worth and learning to trust your judgement. We loved this conversation for anyone who may be facing trauma or domestic abuse, or finding your confidence again after some hard knocks. 

Some key lessons and insights from Rebecca's story include:

• It's important to take time after a difficult relationship to reflect on what you want and don't want in a partner
• How Rebecca learned to set healthy boundaries and not rush into another relationship for fear of being alone
• Recognizing the gradual nature of abuse and not blaming yourself for ending up in an unhealthy situation
• How telling your story can help you own your experience, feel less shame, and see that you've grown from hard times
• How finding people who make you feel safe enough to share allows you to fully show up in relationships
• How keeping difficult experiences inside can feel lonely, while telling your story helps you reclaim power over your narrative 
• Learning to speak your own truth

By owning every part of your journey - even the parts that once brought shame - you see how far you've come.

Rebecca shares the eye-opening discovery that showed her one relationship had slowly shrunk her world. Plus, how making friends outside romance helped her kids see healthy interactions and find her true self.

Listen in and let us know what you think. 

Enjoying Single & Mighty? Please help us to reach more single parents:

NEW! Buy us a coffee:
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To hear more of Single & Mighty, head to: https://singleandmighty.com/podcast-notes/

Stay up to date with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/singlemightypodcast/

Are you a single parent with a story to tell? Sign up to be a guest: https://singleandmighty.com/apply-to-be-a-guest-on-single-mighty/ 

We want to hear from you! Drop us a DM on Instagram or by mail to: hello at singleandmighty dot com

And please LEAVE A REVIEW if you've enjoyed the show! That's what helps us grow. 

Today's conversation started with one little question: what does it mean to hit the "reset button" when things don't go our way? 

Setbacks are hard. Keeping it all together, while trying to be great parents for our kids, growing businesses, dating, and going after personal goals... it can be messy.

Carmel and Lindsay have a lot to say about this - especially since taking a few weeks off of the podcast. We're back and committed to a third season here for you. 

This one's not an interview. It's the two of us catching up on some big lessons we've learned this year -- and in our 10+ years as single parents. 

We talk about: 

• What to do when a longstanding co-parenting agreement no longer fits
• Making time for dating and slowing down enough to nurture a relationship
• Setbacks we’ve both faced lately and the self-care strategies we turn to
• Getting past mental blocks and going after what we want in life
• The sometimes-hard reality of feeling isolated or lonely as a single parent
• What saying "yes" to our goals looks like in the long term

Enjoying Single & Mighty? Please help us to reach more single parents:

NEW! Buy us a coffee:
https://buymeacoffee.com/singleandmighty

To hear more of Single & Mighty, head to: https://singleandmighty.com/podcast-notes/
Stay up to date with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/singlemightypodcast/

Are you a single parent with a story to tell? Sign up to be a guest: https://singleandmighty.com/apply-to-be-a-guest-on-single-mighty/ 

We want to hear from you! Drop us a DM on Instagram or by mail to: hello at singleandmighty dot com

And please leave a review if you've enjoyed the show! That's what helps us grow. 

Today, we talk to Danusia Malina-Derben, a solo mum with a jaw-dropping list of accomplishments. She's also one of the most supportive women you could ever talk to... someone you'd just love to sit down with for a really long late-night chat. 

We just couldn't wait to share this one with you. 

Danusia became a single parent during a pregnancy with triplets. She made the bold decision to get out of a dangerous situation and lead life on her own terms -- and did she ever. 

After earning her PhD while parenting young children, Danusia is now a sought-after consultant, working with some of the world’s biggest brands. She’s an author, speaker, and inspiration to women worldwide. 

She’s a solo parent of 10 kids (seven of whom are now grown). And she knows what it is to raise neurodivergent, gifted children with additional needs. 

“I'm the kind of single parent that has 24/7 responsibility.”

Danusia tells us, “I want to stress the incredible opportunities that being a single parent brings. It's tough, of course, but being untethered to demands and constraints of someone else can be wonderful. I have been able to accomplish so much because I'm a solo parent.”

“I was able to do this NOT because I'm superwoman but because I've an army of staff. But how do we realise our own potential while holding space for our children as they grow into themselves?” It’s a tough road sometimes, but growing into our own potential is worth it. 

Danusia is host of the acclaimed School for Mothers Podcast that challenges old narratives and practices that limit the potential of individual mothers as their own people. Watch for her new podcast project, Parents Who Think. 

Danusia’s written two culture-changing books: 

NOISE: A Manifesto Modernising Motherhood
and then, SPUNK: A Manifesto Modernising Fatherhood.

We can’t wait to see what’s next for Danusia!

Get links to resources and background details at singleandmighty.com 
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Show Markers: 

• (00:02:14 - 00:05:21): Danusia discusses her path to becoming a single parent, emphasizing the choice for her and her children's safety. "I got to being a single parent by making a choice...about the safety of my children."
• (00:05:21 - 00:07:38): She talks about the empowerment and autonomy found in being a single parent. "I've actively stayed single...it is an act of rebellion. As women, it's a revolutionary act to choose to be single."
• (00:07:50 - 00:09:58): Danusia values the autonomy of being single, enabling her to make decisions without needing approval from a partner. "Autonomy. I do not have to refer to anybody...I don’t have to explain myself."
• (00:17:00 - 00:19:31): She discusses societal pressures and expectations placed on women, particularly single mothers. "We are...seen as dangerous women when we are not tethered to a man."
• (00:31:00 - 00:32:45): Danusia encourages single parents to pursue their passions and create fulfilling lives regardless of their relationship status. "It's about choosing your own needs...settling isn’t worth it at any cost."
• (00:32:45 - 00:34:56): Danusia talks about her books, "Noise" and "Spunk," which explore modern motherhood and fatherhood, challenging traditional narratives. "Noise...is the underpinning myths about what it takes to be a mother and to be yourself still."

Can you be a “good mom” if your kids don’t live primarily with you? 

This story touches on one of the more vulnerable possibilities we can imagine as single parents. 

For Carina, that meant not having her kids live with her. 

As heartbreaking as that may sound, for Carina, it was a chance to grow and rediscover her sense of self. 

Today, Carina has a powerful sense of self, she's found joy and laughter in her home, and (with her partner) she coaches others through their relationships. She’s clear on what she wants, knows how to set boundaries, and she has a lot to teach us. 

She's also created a space and a life her kids enjoyed spending time in. 

Carina shows how important it is to be true to yourself, and make decisions that are best for your family's specific situation -- despite social pressures that may tell us otherwise. She truly supported her children’s choices and life paths, no matter what that looked like for her. 

We loved this conversation with Carina. It reminded us that every parenting situation is unique, and that we always need to remember the bigger picture for ourselves and our kids.

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To wind down the year, we're bringing it all back to the raw, real, and sometimes hilarious world of single parenting. Your hosts Lindsay Carlson and Carmel Ecker talk about  the challenges we face as single or solo parents during the holiday season, how we balance our own needs with those of our families, and how we can empower our kids to be a part of creating new holiday traditions.

With Single & Mighty, you're never parenting alone. Let's wrap up this year with strength, love, and a bit of holiday cheer!

• Enjoying this show? Leave us a review so we can reach more single parents.
• Follow us on Instagram for more single parenting insights, laughs, and community support.
• For transcripts, shownotes, and resources, visit SingleandMighty.com.

In this episode, Samantha Isales delves into her life as a first-generation college graduate and single mom. Learn about her struggles, triumphs, and advocacy for marginalized communities.

Samantha became a single mom in high school, facing struggles due to lack of support from school advisors and teachers. She worked hard to balance supporting her family, caring for her son, and continuing her education. Despite these challenges, she graduated from an alternative high school within the same year and went on to college. 

From an early age, Samantha had to balance her goals and education with parenting and making a living. Her experience and now her advocacy work remind us how important community support is and the impact we can have when we understand each other's challenges. 

Join us as Samantha Isales shares her inspiring journey from a high school single mom to a college graduate and community advocate. 

1:49 - Listen for how educators reacted when Samantha became a parent in high school and how she managed to continue her education and believe in her own ability to succeed. We also talk about a more helpful approach educators could take when finding out about teenage pregnancy. 

5:28 - How she became the first in her family to graduate college despite the challenges. 

19:15 - Samantha’s heart for advocacy and how she’s building a career where she can give back to her community. 

Tune in for a genuine conversation about overcoming some of life’s toughest challenges and what can happen when we help each other out.

If you’ve ever felt thrown off balance by life’s changes, you’re not the only one! Divorce, co-parenting, single parenting, and then becoming an empty nester… the whole journey can make your head spin! 

Grab your fave hot drink and download our conversation with Adele Fraser -- an amazing coach and single parent who has been through a lot of change, handling it with a ton of grace and creativity . 

From the initial shock and adjustment of becoming a single parent, to more recently having her young adult kids leave home, Adele embraces the unexpected opportunities that come when everything changes. 

Listen for: 

• How she found her sense of self after an unexpected divorce... and built up an amazing life as a single parent. 
• The creative ways she found to help her kids through divorce and living in two homes. 
• Dealing with change as her kids grew up and moved out -- something that can be super hard for many of us. 
• What she does for fun these days. 

We loved Adele's creative and smart approach to problem solving... we hope you'll enjoy it too! 

Today's episode is a little different. We're having a conversation with Kelly Rose Lamb of the Bold podcast. 

She asked us about single parenting, and we asked her about her mission to help women give themselves permission to step off the expected and well-worn path, which of course is something single moms are very familiar with.

Throughout the conversation, we explore how difficult it can be to step away from convention and do what’s right for us, whether it’s choosing to be a single parent or saying no to all the expectations society has for women.

Kelly’s story reminds us that even people who are living a different path than us can have similar experiences that contain universal truths we can all relate to. 

In this double interview we discuss:

• Being a single parent is better than being in a bad relationship
• Feeling proud of being a single parent and telling your story
• The positive legacy of difficult experiences
• How small brave acts can add up to a bold life
• Embracing the process of your unique experience

This episode goes beyond the single parent experience and speaks to something bigger. We hope you enjoy it and get some insights to help you on your path forward.