full

full
Published on:

7th Nov 2023

Divorce to Dollars: Empowering Women in Business

Today I am honored to share my new friend Traci Simkins with you all! Traci helps stay at home moms going through divorce turn their passion into a small service based business. She helps them uncover what they are good at and create a way to make a livable wage to support themselves and their children. Traci provides some great examples of how she helps women uncover this (as well as providing a free resource!) and then dives into the process of working with her. Tune in today to learn more about entrepreneurship and creating an income by following your passion. 

In this episode:

[2:16] Traci shares her story. [8:17] How did Traci’s kids do when she got married for a second time? [9:57] What led Traci to start her own business after her second divorce? [11:34] What types of businesses is Traci helping women get started? [13:53] How do you know what kind of business to start? [17:15] How do you transition from your children being your world to entering back into the workforce?  [20:05] What is the process when working with Traci? [24:47] Traci shares her one piece of advice that someone can do right now for a better life.

Key Takeaways: 

[17:40] Even if you don’t think you have a passion, you do. You just need to uncover it. Then you can take that passion and see if it aligns with a service based business you could start to support yourself.  [22:06] We kind of have this idea that having a job that pays us is secure. And it can be, but you can also lose your job. You are dependent on someone else. [24:45] A lot of women tend to go into isolation mode when they are going through a divorce because they don’t want people to know about it. But the best thing you can do for yourself is reach out and ask for help. It could be a coach, a therapist, or finding a support group, but find people you can lean on. 

Quotes:  “I think for women who are looking to start a business, if you don't have a passion, you don't think you do, you do, it might not, you know, oh, I'm a baker or I've been an artist my whole life and I love to cook. It might not be something like that, but if you have a passion for education, if you have a passion for children, if you have a passion for helping anyone, the only thing you need to do when you build a business is find a problem, deliver a solution.” - Traci Simkins

Guest Bio: 

Born in SLC and moving to Honolulu at the age of 14, I developed an agility and adaptability that has served me well. Returning to SLC after 23 years away was a challenge, but it was nothing compared to the two divorces that followed, or to the experience of parenting.  A mother first, my children have always been the center of my world and will always be my number one priority, and raising them has been the single most rewarding experience of my life. My professional career, spanning several different industries and managing people, operations, and most recently, projects, has also provided meaning. But facing my 2nd divorce, I began to be discouraged with the corporate landscape, and was ready to shake things up, so I left to start my own small consulting business.

Resources: 

Is Entrepreneurship Right for Me? 

Refined by Divorce YouTube Channel

Refined by Divorce Podcast

Lesa Koski Website

Lesa’s Online Courses

The Onward app was made for divorced parents to help track, share, and split their children's expenses. Download The Onward App today for iOS or Android!

I am so honored to introduce my FREE Co-Parenting Masterclass. This masterclass will share tools to co-parent well even with a difficult co-parent. You will learn the 5 C's of a Co-Parenting Plan and a free bonus resource with Certified Divorce Lending Specialist, Tami Wollensak, sharing what you want to consider regarding the family home.

Register for free today at https://www.lesakoski.com/co-parenting-masterclass

Mentioned in this episode:

Saddle Up Live Podcast Ad

Do you love Doing Divorce Different and want to hear more from Lesa Koski and her amazing guests? Tune in to the Saddle Up Live Podcast, a transformative podcast tailored for women aged 40 and beyond, where courage, God's grace, and a touch of sass are the driving forces behind conquering life's challenges. Whether you're looking for practical advice, heartfelt stories, or simply a supportive community of like-minded women, saddle up and join us on this exhilarating ride.

Saddle Up Live Podcast

Listen for free

Show artwork for Doing Life Different with Lesa Koski

About the Podcast

Doing Life Different with Lesa Koski
Real conversations for women over 40 about faith, fitness, and fresh starts
Mindset, movement, and faith after 40—because midlife isn’t a crisis, it’s your comeback.

Welcome to Doing Life Different with Lesa Koski, the podcast for women over 40 who are ready to rewrite the rules, reclaim their joy, and rediscover their purpose. Whether you're navigating divorce, rediscovering your health, deepening your faith, or learning how to have fun again—you’re in the right place.

Host Lesa Koski—wife, mom, coach, and seasoned mediator—brings real talk, relatable wisdom, and expert interviews to guide you through midlife reinvention with grace and grit.

In each episode, you’ll get practical tools and empowering conversations on:

Mindset & personal growth

Faith & spiritual connection

Fitness, movement & health

Divorce, marriage & relationships

Fun, purpose & starting fresh in the second half of life

This isn’t just self-help. It’s soul-level transformation. Get ready to do life different—because your next chapter starts now.

Lesa also explores the emotional and physical changes that often accompany midlife and major life shifts. From navigating the impact of menopause on your health, marriage, and mood, to dealing with the loneliness that can come after divorce or empty nesting, you’ll find honest conversations that don’t shy away from real-life challenges. And for those of you in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, you’ll discover what it means to truly build a better life after 40.

Health and wellness are deeply integrated into this journey. Lesa shares insights on the benefits of rest, joy, nutrition, fasting, protein, and bone health, along with the power of movement, community, and exercise to support mental clarity and physical strength. You’ll learn how to take care of yourself with intention—because healing isn’t just emotional, it’s also biological.

Mindset work and self-coaching are recurring tools offered in episodes to help you reframe your story and shift from fear to freedom. And through it all, the show honors the role of faith, spiritual surrender, and letting God lead you through every season. Whether you're leaning into your relationship with God for the first time or deepening a lifelong practice, you’ll hear how surrender can bring peace even in the hardest moments.

You’ll hear real stories from people who have done divorce differently, saved their marriages, or found new love and purpose on the other side. Lesa also brings in conversations about marriages that have stood the test of time, co-parenting through complex seasons, and the realities of parenting after separation while maintaining stability for your kids.

This is a podcast about thriving through Cancer, taking back your life, rewriting your future, and trusting that you’re not starting over, you’re starting better. If you’re craving practical advice, soul-level encouragement, and real conversations about creating a healthy, joyful, purpose-driven life, you’ve found your community.

Subscribe now and join Lesa Koski for weekly episodes that will help you grow stronger in your relationships, your health, and your faith, no matter where you’re starting from.

About the Host:
I’ve spent over 25 years helping families navigate amicable divorce as a lawyer and mediator, always focused on protecting what matters most—your kids and your peace of mind. But my mission has expanded. Today, I support women over 40 not just through endings, but in building stronger relationships—and sometimes even saving their marriages. I’m a breast cancer survivor, a cowgirl at heart, a wellness advocate, and a follower of Jesus. My life and faith fuel my passion for helping women thrive.

About your host

Profile picture for Lesa Koski

Lesa Koski