Welcome to the Wild Podcast

I sat down with Jen Johnson, local business owner. We talk about communication and creating healthy relationships. Jen runs and operates InSPArations in Spokane Valley with her husband. Fun fact, this is where I go for my self care. I am so grateful for both of them and I wanted to share some of our connection. Plus, Jen ran Iron Man and I'm wildly impressed with her everyday. 

I sit down with Kayla Hernandez to chat about life. We talk about how she's dealt with dating, finding her ideal partner, buying real estate and blending families. I have always been impressed with how sweet and positive Kayla carries herself. She embodies how happiness really is a choice and how life is not always a bed of roses... but that's what makes it so much more beautiful. 

We have only met in passing but now I sit down with fellow Realtor, Jen Barnhart, and we share stories. From online dating, where to do a first meeting, what standards might look like and so much more. You get to be a fly on the wall, come take a listen!

Laura Branning here! I'm sitting down with Jeff Hedspeth to talk about online dating. Jeff is a local business owner and single parent. We talk about the ups and downs of dating in the Wild.  Have you ever created an online dating profile? There are a number of sites you can choose from to start online dating. You can put a lot of thought into your profile or none at all. Listen to some of our stories and take some notes!

Single on purpose is not what you think it is, it is discovering who you are and what you actually want and like! Imagine that, living your life for yourself, not just what you think someone else wants. Most of us have found ourselves in relationships where we try to please the other person and end up losing ourselves.  Laura Branning hosts another episode of Welcome to the Wild with Special Guest Milissa Rosenau to talk about being Single on Purpose. Real talk with real life issues. 

Laura Branning is back as your host of Welcome to the Wild. Mom, realtor and stand up comedian talking about life before, during and after divorce. Dating, living and loving all while being authentic as possible.  Special Guest Milissa Rosenau, local rockstar Spokane realtor, sits down to chat about how we discover, present and learn to love ourselves. Laura and Milissa talk about "heaven signs" and what that means to them along with the pursuit of happiness... along with a lot of laughs along the way. 

Lots of laughs with Jhon Goodwin, co-owner of Lost Boys Garage Restaurant and Bar. Laura and Jhon talk about disocovering your own value being single and dating. Having standards for yourself and others you allow in your life. Now that you are on your own, you get to decide what and who you allow access.  Laura Branning and Jhon Goodwin talk about dating, co-parenting, life after divorce and what it really means to find your value. Having good friends to laugh with might just be the right starting point. Oh, and leaving a review would be awesome! Thanks!

Life after any relationship is an adjustment. Taking care of yourself is so important. Listen to hear how to take the steps to care for yourself, especially when it feels like no one else will.    Divorce, separation, coparenting and dating are all new after the end of relationship. Taking care of yourself so you can take care of others... there are many different ways to do selfcare.    Single parent and entreprenuer, Laura Branning, talks about ways to jump into self care when you're just not sure what to do. Afterall, at the end of the day, its up to you to take care of yourself. 

Not everyone you date is an ex. What makes someone an ex? Dating after divorce can be so tricky. Now you're dealing with scars from past relationships. Trying to build something new and not dismiss red flags can be so hard. Blind spots when starting a new relationship is a whole other level of self discovery.  Laura Branning sits down with Justin McLaughlin, restrautuer and techie, to talk about what really makes a person an ex. Its not a title you just want to give to anyone.

Single parents chat about talking to someone of the opposite sex while starting or in a new relationship. Is it okay to change a name in your phone so your new love interest doesnt get jealous or is that a red flag? That first break up after a divorce can be a lot harder than you expect. An added bonus to being "rereleased" into the Wild is that you may just find yourself more sure of what you want and feel less urgent to get into a new relationship. Join Laura Branning and special guest, Ashton Preston, entrepreneur and adventurer as they get into the weeds about navigating dating after divorce while coparenting and holding on to your own identity. 

Breaking up is hard to do. Its a great chance to practice boundary setting. Who knows, you may just end up with a life long friendship... and maybe not. Laura and Nate go into detail about how they have experienced relationships end. What type of relationship warrants an actual breakup? When is it okay to just say goodbye? Is there a point you don't have to say anything at all and just do an Irish Goodbye? Good thing both Laura and Nate are Irish.

Accepting that divorce is a journey and not a war. Dealing with the possible division of family and friends once your relationship changes and evloves with your ex. Truly, dealing with the fact that your ex is not your spouse anymore is huge paradigm shift. Coparenting and being single... how that shows up in your life. It would be so nice if divorce just had an end point, but it just doesn't and you are not alone. 

Laura and Nate talk about “Just the Tips.” What is a date is versus the first time you meet someone. And yes, it feels like the first time. You are starting your trek out into the Wild. Looking for any sort of distraction from the big breakup you are having. They go deep into some of their first and worst meets. Not to bury the lead, but they also talk about their first date! Listen to hear both sides of how that went and how Laura became Nate’s guide into the Wild.   Still lots of talk about divorce, separation, coparenting, single life, dating and parenting. Follow on Instagram @wttwpod or find us on Facebook, Welcome to the Wild.

You are at the point to tell the kids. Everything feels like it is getting real, this can be harder than telling your parents. Now you are working on logistics of separating. How is this going to effect your kids lives and their future? What is your household going to look like? When will you see your kids next? How to deal with life when you will not be seeing your kids every night. Stress and mental health while going through separation. Be it a single dad or a single mom, this is your new normal. Divorce, separation, coparenting, single life, dating post divorce as a distraction. Your kids will be looking to mommy and daddy for how to act and react in this new world while you are trying to keep their lives as normal as possible. Laura and Nate recount how they told their kids and began to separate their households. Another step in moving each of their lives to The Wild.

Telling your closest family and friends about your separation and looming divorce is one of the hardest and most memorable points in the process. We recount the moments and days surrounding telling parents about divorce. Breaking down the emotions and dealing with expectations of how to deal with the ending of a marriage. Starting to accept the reality of what is going on in your life. This is also the point when people outside the situation offer advice. Its okay to just say thank you and move on, they mean well but its hard to accept anything anyone says at this point. Finding support from close friends and family along with a mental health professional. Separation, coparenting and dealing with the nuances of grief.

Bam... it hits you... your relationship is over, or is it? There comes a point you begin questioning whether or not you should get a divorce. No one expects to get a divorce, you plan a healthy, loving marriage... well, most of us. No matter what got you to this place, you are here. Your relationship is over... what do you do now? We talk about the shock awe of what your first day in The Wild is about.

Introduction of what "The Wild" is and is not. Life before, during and after divorce or even a long relationship. Every story is very different yet also quite similar. Navigating relationships, self dicovery and parenting all while recovering from divorce. Just two people who have seen and experienced many of the trials and tribulations from married to single life. Everything from first moments the relationship ends, getting your own place, co-parenting, dating and single life. It is not all fun and games, we dive into the dark and twisty corners of "The Wild." We are also very funny, just wait. Laughter is our coping mechanism.