I would love to hear from you! Send a text!

In this episode, Toni sits down with Erica Richmond, author, speaker, and writing coach, for a powerful conversation about storytelling, grief, and writing from a place of safety.

Erica is the founder of Open Sky Stories, the author of the Pixie Children’s Series, and the creator behind the forthcoming creative nonfiction manuscript Yelling at Dead People—a deeply honest collection of essays on grief, parenting, and survival after loss.

Together, Toni and Erica explore how writing can be a tool for healing without re-traumatization, why small and imperfect stories matter, and how to create healthy boundaries around what we share, what we protect, and what we keep just for ourselves.

This episode is a permission slip for anyone who’s ever said, “I want to write, but I don’t know where to start.”

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• Why writing doesn’t have to be “brave” to be meaningful
• How to begin writing gently—one sentence at a time
• The difference between hard writing and harmful writing
• Why unfinished, imperfect stories often carry the most power
• How to decide what stories are meant to be shared—and which are not
• Writing through grief without reliving trauma
• How Erica’s work on Yelling at Dead People reshaped her understanding of grief, parenting, and survival
• The truth about grief: it’s not linear, tidy, or predictable—and that’s normal

Key Takeaway

You don’t need a plan. You don’t need a book deal. You don’t even need three pages.
Start with one sentence and let it lead you where it wants to go.

Erica Richmond is an author, speaker, and writing coach who helps people tell their stories from a place of safety. She is known for writing what she calls “brave stories”—honest, vulnerable narratives that invite healing, connection, and self-understanding.

Her upcoming manuscript, Yelling at Dead People, draws from more than a decade of writing through grief after the loss of her children’s father, offering readers a deeply relatable and compassionate look at mourning, parenting, and resilience.

Connect with Erica

• Website
  
  
• Instagram & Social Media
• Free Resource: Sign up for Erica’s newsletter to receive a Writing From a Place of Safety activity
• Programs:
  • The Courage to Write (on-demand webinar)
  • One-to-one mentorships and group writing support

Let's create your transition gameplan:
Book your discovery call


You can find me at:

Website

Instagram

Facebook


Shock
Limbo
Re-Entry


Sound of You

I would love to hear from you! Send a text!

Stuck in a Relationship That Isn’t Working? A Negotiation Expert on Divorce, Dating After Divorce, and How to Decide Whether to Stay or Go

What if the hardest part of a relationship isn’t the conflict—but the indecision?

In this powerful episode of Start Your Comeback, Toni Thrash sits down with Dr. Merideth Thompson, social scientist, negotiation expert, and founder of Partner Lab, for an honest conversation about relationships that linger long after they stop working.

Dr. Thompson blends data, research, and lived experience to help listeners understand how negotiation principles apply to marriage, divorce, and dating after divorce—and why clarity is the key to moving forward with confidence.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why indecision—not your partner—is often the real enemy in struggling relationships
• How staying “for the kids” can unintentionally teach unhealthy relationship dynamics
• The difference between compromise vs. negotiation in romantic relationships
• Why meeting in the middle often leaves value—and happiness—on the table
• How vulnerability and transparency create healthier conflict resolution
• What negotiation really looks like inside marriage and long-term partnerships
• Why your body often knows the truth about your relationship before your mind does
• How to approach dating after divorce with clarity instead of fear
• Why you should never make yourself smaller to be chosen
• The five strongest predictors of relationship health and satisfaction (and why communication isn’t #1)

🧠 About Today’s Guest

Dr. Merideth Thompson is a PhD-trained social scientist, negotiation professor, and founder of Partner Lab, a research-based platform designed to help people make informed decisions about their romantic relationships.

With a background spanning Deloitte, higher education, entrepreneurship, and coaching, Meredith translates complex relationship science into practical tools that help people decide whether to stay, go, or renegotiate the relationship they’re in.

🔗 Resources & Links

• Partner Lab
• https://www.mypartnerlab.co/clarity-matrix

Meredith is also giving away a free Clarity Matrix Starter Guide that could help you get clarity as you prepare for a comeback!.

❤️Final Thought

If you’re feeling stuck, anxious, or constantly second-guessing your relationship, pay attention. Your body may already know what your mind is afraid to admit.

Clarity leads to confidence.
Confidence leads to courage.
And courage leads to a comeback.

Let's create your transition gameplan:
Book your discovery call


You can find me at:

Website

Instagram

Facebook


Shock
Limbo
Re-Entry


Sound of You

I would love to hear from you! Send a text!

Feeling stuck between “what now” and “who am I” after divorce can feel like standing on a field with the clock ticking and no play to run. We break the moment down and build it back up with intention, so you can stop surviving, start breathing, and move forward with purpose.

We start by reframing the rebuild: it doesn’t begin with a five-year plan, it begins when you can breathe again. Toni shares the core mindset shift that changes everything—subtract before you add. You’ll learn how to release patterns that drain you, set boundaries that hold, and let go of roles that no longer fit. From there, we get practical about core needs: safety, stability, respect, and grounded routines. We walk through simple, real-world adjustments like neutral co-parenting boundaries, a minimum-viable budget, and a weekly planning rhythm that protects your energy.

Then we zoom into small, compounding wins. Big goals look glamorous, but consistency beats intensity, especially when your nervous system is healing. We outline how to choose one habit and one relationship to tend for 30 days—think nightly walks, two healthy lunches, a calm check-in with your kids, or streamlined co-parenting communication. Identity comes next, rebuilt slowly through low-stakes experiments. Try old interests on for size, notice what fits, and let experience—not pressure—define who you’re becoming.

Support stays non-negotiable. Therapy, coaching, and trusted peers keep you honest and moving, even when momentum wobbles. If you have kids, your rebuild becomes a living model for resilience and healthy boundaries. You’re not starting from zero—you’re starting from wisdom. Stability gives you ground; intention shows you where to go next.

Ready to trade survival for progress? Grab the Start Your Come Back Workbook at ToniThrash.com, and book a clarity call to get off the bench and into the life you want. If this helped, follow, share with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can start their comeback.

Let's create your transition gameplan:
Book your discovery call


You can find me at:

Website

Instagram

Facebook


Shock
Limbo
Re-Entry


Sound of You