What happens when the life you thought you were building suddenly changes?
In this special re-release of the very first episode of Bent Not Broken, I’m revisiting my conversation with Dr. JC Doornick—a friend, mentor, entrepreneur, health transformation coach, and founder of Make Sense Academy.
This episode has always held a special place in my heart because JC took a chance on me when Bent Not Broken was just beginning. He gave me his time, encouragement, wisdom, and support when I was still finding my voice as a podcast host.
Today, this conversation has an even deeper meaning.
JC is currently facing stage 4 renal cancer, a heartbreaking reminder that life can change in an instant. We make plans, build careers, raise families, and assume there will always be more time. Sometimes life has other plans.
I’m sharing this episode again to honor JC, thank him for the role he played in helping me launch this podcast, and give listeners another opportunity to hear a conversation filled with lessons that remain just as relevant today.
Rebuilding Your Life After Divorce
In our conversation, JC opens up about his own divorce and the beliefs about marriage he carried from childhood after watching his parents' marriage end.
He shares how his determination to never get divorced influenced the person he chose to marry—and how he eventually realized that choosing what felt safe wasn't necessarily the same as choosing the person who was right for him.
We talk candidly about growing apart, recognizing when a marriage is no longer working, and the guilt that can come with being the person who ultimately decides the marriage needs to end.
For JC, that guilt followed him well beyond the divorce. He describes spending years trying to take care of everyone else while forgetting to take care of himself.
Putting Your Children First
JC also shares an important perspective on co-parenting after divorce.
Having experienced his own parents' divorce as a child, he was determined to do things differently with his two sons. That meant keeping communication open, refusing to badmouth their mother, and continually reminding his children that they were loved.
Even in what he describes as a relatively amicable divorce, there were still challenges involving resentment, finances, loneliness, and rebuilding a new life.
His message is an important one: divorce can be difficult even under the best circumstances, but parents still have choices about how they communicate and how they protect their children from unnecessary conflict.
From Guilt and Loneliness to Rebuilding Yourself
One of the most powerful parts of our conversation is JC's honesty about what happened after the divorce.
He struggled with guilt, anxiety, loneliness, poor sleep, dating, and feeling as though he had failed. Eventually, he realized he needed to stop trying to control everything around him and begin with something he could control—himself.
For JC, that started with his physical health.
He lost 80 pounds and began focusing on nutrition, hydration, exercise, meditation, reading, and personal development. As his physical health improved, so did the way he viewed himself and his circumstances.
He eventually recognized that he had been telling himself a story about his divorce—and about himself—that wasn't necessarily true.
And if he had created that story, he could begin writing a new one.
In This Episode, We Talk About:
- How childhood experiences can shape our beliefs about marriage and divorce
- Recognizing when you've grown apart in a marriage
- The guilt and shame that can follow divorce
- Putting your children first during and after divorce
- Why you should avoid badmouthing your ex to your children
- Loneliness and losing friendships after divorce
- Taking control of what you can control
- Rebuilding your physical and emotional health
- Changing the story you tell yourself about your divorce
- Dating and finding love again
- Why working on yourself may be more important than searching for another relationship
- Learning to have a good day—even on a bad day
- Finding hope when you're in the middle of starting over
JC reminds us that when you're in the middle of divorce—or any painful season—it can feel as though the storm will never end.
But the weather eventually changes.
And sometimes healing isn't about waiting for everything around you to change. It's about changing the way you see yourself, your circumstances, and what's possible next.
Supporting Dr. JC Doornick
As I share this episode again, JC is facing an entirely different kind of battle: stage 4 renal cancer.
JC and his family could use support during this incredibly difficult time. A GoFundMe benefiting JC can be found here: https://gofund.me/1c8f4ac18.
If JC's story or message has touched you, please consider making a contribution or sharing the GoFundMe with others. And if you're unable to contribute financially, please consider keeping JC and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
JC, thank you for believing in Bent Not Broken before there was a Bent Not Broken audience. Thank you for being my first guest, for sharing your story, and for helping me take those first steps.
I'm incredibly grateful you were there at the beginning.
Enjoyed this episode of Bent Not Broken: Life After Divorce with Deborah Griffiths?
Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more people searching for life after divorce, divorce recovery, co-parenting, dating after divorce, and healing from gaslighting can discover this empowering podcast. Every review helps others find hope, inspiration, and practical tools for thriving after divorce.
Explore more resources: Visit BrokenToBoldness.com for coaching, workshops, and guidance on divorce recovery and life transitions.
Follow Deborah Griffiths for daily empowerment and support:
Take the Living Bold Assessment
Remember: divorce may bend you, but it does not break you. You are stronger than you think, and your bold new chapter starts now.
Disclaimer: The commentary and opinions available on this podcast are for informational and entertainment purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal or psychological advice. You should contact an attorney, coach, or therapist in your state to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.
