Money & Mindset: Starting Over After Divorce with Colleen Bowler

In this episode of Not Saving It For Later – Guiding Women Through Divorce & Beyond, host Hannah Hembree Bell sits down with Colleen Bowler, CFP®, entrepreneur, financial planning expert, Strategic Coach coach, to explore what it takes to rebuild financially and emotionally after divorce.

For many women, divorce brings more than a change in relationship status. It can bring uncertainty, unfamiliar financial responsibilities, grief over a life that did not unfold as expected, and deeply held beliefs about money, worthiness, and security. Colleen shares her own experience navigating divorce, single motherhood, and $50,000 in debt that she did not accrue, before rebuilding her life and creating a successful financial planning firm.

The conversation examines the stories people carry about money—especially messages rooted in scarcity, fear, and the belief that someone else needs to be in charge. Hannah and Colleen discuss why financial confidence cannot begin with having all the answers. It begins with being willing to look at the numbers, ask questions, build new habits, and recognize personal agency.

Colleen also offers a more human perspective on financial planning during major life transitions. Rather than treating money as a source of shame or overwhelm, she encourages women to see it as a tool for choice, stability, and possibility. From preparing for mediation to taking the first practical step after divorce, the episode emphasizes that progress can start with a single decision to become more engaged in one’s financial life.

In this episode, Hannah and Colleen explore rebuilding after loss, challenging inherited money beliefs, and creating a future grounded in confidence rather than fear.

In this episode:

• How divorce can become a turning point for rebuilding financial confidence
• Why money mindset and personal worthiness are closely connected
• Ways inherited beliefs about scarcity can shape financial decision-making
• The importance of taking ownership rather than giving away financial power
• Practical first steps for becoming more financially engaged after divorce

Listen to the full conversation on Not Saving It For Later – Guiding Women Through Divorce & Beyond.