THRIVE Spotlight
Meet Beth Caldwell
Beth Caldwell is an author and success coach for women. She is the author of 16 books, including From Frantic to Focused, Women, LEAD!, and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome. Through her writing and coaching, she helps women build confidence, make aligned decisions, and move forward after life transitions. Her newest book, Woman Rising, is scheduled for release in early 2027.
What do you see as the biggest mindset shift women need to make when they move from surviving divorce to intentionally creating their next chapter?
The biggest mindset shift is moving from “What will people think of me?” to “What is best for me?”
So many women make decisions during and after divorce based on the thoughts of others. They worry about disappointing family, being judged by friends, or being labeled as selfish, difficult, or irresponsible. That pressure can quietly shape every choice they make.
Surviving divorce requires endurance. You are navigating legal issues, finances, parenting, and emotional upheaval. In that stage, you are focused on getting through it.
But creating your next chapter requires something different. It requires ownership.
At some point, a woman has to shift from managing optics to managing her own life.
She has to ask herself questions like:
What do I want my days to look like?
Where do I want to live?
How do I want to work?
Who do I want to become?
That shift is uncomfortable because it means disappointing someone. But building a life around other people’s expectations is exhausting and unsustainable.
The next chapter begins the moment a woman gives herself permission to choose based on personal peace, not approval.
What leadership skills are women already using during divorce that they might not be giving themselves credit for?
Divorce requires leadership, even if a woman would never use that word to describe herself. Many women underestimate themselves during this time because they feel overwhelmed and abandoned. This is the time to remind yourself that leadership is not about feeling confident. It is about taking responsibility in the middle of uncertainty.
She is making high-stakes decisions under pressure.
She is managing conflict.
She is negotiating.
She is setting boundaries.
She is protecting her children.
She is recalculating finances.
She is being forced to reinvent herself, often not by her own choice.
She is holding it together in meetings and at school events while carrying a heavy emotional load.
That is leadership.
Divorce forces women to strengthen skills they may not have fully developed before. Strategic thinking. Emotional regulation. Communication under stress. Resourcefulness. Courage.
The problem is that most women only see what they think they are doing wrong. They focus on the moments they cried, doubted themselves, or felt weak.
But growth does not happen in perfect conditions. It happens in hard ones.
When a woman begins to recognize that she has been leading through one of the most difficult seasons of her life, something shifts. She stops seeing herself as broken and starts seeing herself as capable.
And capable women build powerful next chapters.
What is one question every woman should ask herself when she is ready to think about her post-divorce future?
The question is simple, but it can be uncomfortable:
“If no one was watching, what would I choose?”
This question removes the invisible audience that so many women carry in their minds. Parents. Friends. Former in-laws. Social media. The community. The ex-spouse. Even their own children.
Women often rebuild their lives while still trying to prove something or avoid criticism. They choose jobs that look stable. Homes that look respectable. Relationships that look appropriate. They move carefully, making sure they are not judged.
But that approach keeps them tied to the past.
When a woman asks herself what she would choose if no one were watching, she begins to separate her true desires from outside expectations. The answer might involve a new career, a different city, going back to school, starting a business, staying single longer, or redefining what partnership looks like.
The point is not to act impulsively. The point is clarity.
The most fulfilling next chapters are not built on reaction. They are built on intention.
And intention begins with honesty. 🖤
