When The Fairy Tale Ends

Some days during divorce aren't about thriving. They're about surviving — and that's enough. In this episode, I'm talking directly to the woman who cried in the shower this morning and still made it to work. The one holding her life together with very little sleep and a determination she doesn't fully recognize in herself yet. If that's you right now, this episode is for yo...

Ending a marriage can be the right decision and still break your heart. This episode is about one of the most misunderstood parts of divorce: the grief that comes even when you're the one who decided to leave. Because choosing divorce doesn't protect you from mourning the life, identity, and future you thought you were building. Raquel explores the layers of loss that many women aren't...

This episode is for the woman who keeps thinking, “I should have handled this better by now.” In this solo episode of  When the Fairy Tale Ends , I’m talking about one of the most common feelings women experience during divorce: feeling completely unprepared. Not just emotionally, but financially, mentally, and strategically. And the truth is, most women are trying to make life-changing decisions...

How do you stop repeating the same relationship patterns after divorce? In this episode of When the Fairy Tale Ends, Raquell gets honest about the lessons she learned from two marriages, the red flags she ignored, and what finally helped her build healthier relationship habits moving forward. This conversation is all about self-awareness, boundaries, emotional responsibility, and learning how to d...

Why did I stay so long? It’s a question so many women ask themselves… and almost always with shame attached to it. In this episode, we’re having a different kind of conversation—one that challenges the way you’ve been taught to look at your past. Because staying isn’t as simple as people make it seem. And the reasons behind it run deeper than most people are willing to admit. If you’ve ever questi...

What if the love stories you grew up on weren’t romantic… they were conditioning? In this episode, I’m taking you deeper into something most women have never stopped to question—how fairytales didn’t just shape what we expected from love, they shaped how we show up in it. And not in a way that serves us. Because the truth is, you didn’t just believe the story… you became it. I’m breaking down the...

Ever wonder why you ignored those red flags? Blame Cinderella. In this episode, certified divorce coach Raquell Barton unpacks the fairytales that shaped how we view love, marriage, and self-worth—and why they set us up for heartbreak. From Cinderella's "stay and endure" message to Beauty and the Beast's dangerous "you can fix him" narrative, these childhood stories tau...

"I already have a lawyer. Why would I need a divorce coach?" It's the question Raquell hears constantly, and she gets it. Divorce is expensive, and most women don't want to add one more person to the team. But here's what you need to know: Your lawyer handles the legal divorce. A divorce coach helps you handle the life part. And the life part? That's where 90% of your str...

Divorce can change everything, especially when it comes to money. In this episode, we sit down with Myrna Laine-Hyppolite, a wealth strategist, financial wellness coach, and Chief Financial Officer with more than 30 years of experience in the finance industry. As the founder of Empower Financial Wellness, Myrna helps high-achieving women turn their income into long-term wealth and financial indepe...

Dating after divorce is a whole different universe, especially in this day and age. In this episode, Raquel gets real about her own journey reentering the dating world at 48 after nearly two decades of marriage. This isn't about jumping into dating to fill a void or expecting someone new to fix what your ex broke. It's about doing the emotional work first, showing up authentically, and und...

Divorce is often portrayed as chaotic, devastating, and emotionally brutal, especially for women. But what if that narrative isn’t always true? In this episode Raquell Barton challenges one of the most deeply held beliefs about divorce: that it must be an all-out war. Drawing from her own experience and her work as a certified divorce coach, Raquel breaks down why some divorces feel like business...

Welcome to  When the Fairytale Ends —a podcast for women navigating divorce, separation, and life after marriage. In this first episode, certified divorce coach Raquell Barton shares her personal story of surviving two divorces, including ending a 19-year marriage at age 48, and how she rebuilt her life with clarity, confidence, and purpose. In This Episode: Her 7-month first marriage and the intu...

What do you do when the life you planned… suddenly isn’t the life you’re living? When the fairytale doesn’t end with a happily ever after—but with paperwork, heartbreak, and a version of yourself you barely recognize? Welcome to When the Fairytale Ends. I’m Raquell Barton, Certified Divorce Coach®, speaker, and founder of Her Divorce Academy, and I’ve lived the moment you might be standing in righ...