Stop Letting Fear Keep You in 
Bad Relationships with 
Merideth Thompson episode artwork

EPISODE · May 19, 2026 · 22 MIN

Stop Letting Fear Keep You in Bad Relationships with Merideth Thompson

from I Date Money: Budget • Invest • Build Wealth After Divorce · host Lisa Drennon

Ready to stop feeling broke, guilty, and overwhelmed about money, even after divorce?Inside The Smell of Money, you’ll get the tools to rebuild financial stability, master your money mindset, and create a financial plan that finally feels simple.Whether you’re looking for smart investment strategies, clarity with your budget, or even how to start investing with just $100, this is where you’ll find the confidence and stability you’ve been craving.Join here: https://www.skool.com/the-smell-of-money/aboutIf you’ve ever stayed in a relationship because you were afraid of the financial consequences, this episode is for you.In this honest and empowering conversation, Lisa sits down with relationship coach, negotiation professor, and work-life researcher Merideth Thompson to unpack the emotional connection between unhealthy relationships, financial instability, nervous system regulation, and rebuilding confidence after divorce.Merideth shares her deeply personal story of making the money in her marriage but having zero control over it, what happened after divorce when she had to learn to trust herself financially for the first time at 43, and why clarity is the key to escaping indecision.This episode is a must-listen if you’ve been stuck asking yourself:Can I afford to leave?What if I fail?How do I trust myself with money again?About Merideth Thompson:A relationship coach, negotiation professor, and researcher helping people gain relationship clarity using science-backed tools.Connect with her here: https://www.mypartnerlab.co/In this episode, you’ll learn:Why financial stability begins in your nervous systemHow unhealthy relationships destroy money confidenceThe hidden cost of staying stuck in indecisionHow divorce can become the beginning of financial empowermentWhy self-trust matters more than budgeting in the beginningHow childhood money trauma shapes adult financial behaviorSigns you may be staying in a relationship for financial fearPractical ways to calm your nervous system so you can make empowered decisionsTimestamped Key Moments00:01 Lisa’s debt payoff resource + mortgage freedom conversation02:40 Meredith’s divorce story and losing financial control04:05 Learning financial confidence after divorce05:20 Financial stability starts in the nervous system07:35 Tools Meredith used to regulate stress and rebuild confidence09:45 Childhood money trauma and scarcity conditioning14:57 Why Meredith became a relationship coach17:45 Staying in unhealthy relationships because of financial fear18:10 The moment she knew it was time to leave19:40 Gaslighting, broken self-trust, and emotional recovery22:08 Meredith’s stay-or-go relationship clarity toolsThank you for tuning into this week’s episode of I Date Money! Loved what you heard? Give us a five-star review and share the episode.Remember, it doesn't matter how much money you make; it's what you do with it🗝️🌬️💖💸Intro/Outro music "IDM" by Christa Lily

Ready to stop feeling broke, guilty, and overwhelmed about money, even after divorce?Inside The Smell of Money, you’ll get the tools to rebuild financial stability, master your money mindset, and create a financial plan that finally feels simple.Whether you’re looking for smart investment strategies, clarity with your budget, or even how to start investing with just $100, this is where you’ll find the confidence and stability you’ve been craving.Join here: https://www.skool.com/the-smell-of-money/aboutIf you’ve ever stayed in a relationship because you were afraid of the financial consequences, this episode is for you.In this honest and empowering conversation, Lisa sits down with relationship coach, negotiation professor, and work-life researcher Merideth Thompson to unpack the emotional connection between unhealthy relationships, financial instability, nervous system regulation, and rebuilding confidence after divorce.Merideth shares her deeply personal story of making the money in her marriage but having zero control over it, what happened after divorce when she had to learn to trust herself financially for the first time at 43, and why clarity is the key to escaping indecision.This episode is a must-listen if you’ve been stuck asking yourself:Can I afford to leave?What if I fail?How do I trust myself with money again?About Merideth Thompson:A relationship coach, negotiation professor, and researcher helping people gain relationship clarity using science-backed tools.Connect with her here: https://www.mypartnerlab.co/In this episode, you’ll learn:Why financial stability begins in your nervous systemHow unhealthy relationships destroy money confidenceThe hidden cost of staying stuck in indecisionHow divorce can become the beginning of financial empowermentWhy self-trust matters more than budgeting in the beginningHow childhood money trauma shapes adult financial behaviorSigns you may be staying in a relationship for financial fearPractical ways to calm your nervous system so you can make empowered decisionsTimestamped Key Moments00:01 Lisa’s debt payoff resource + mortgage freedom conversation02:40 Meredith’s divorce story and losing financial control04:05 Learning financial confidence after divorce05:20 Financial stability starts in the nervous system07:35 Tools Meredith used to regulate stress and rebuild confidence09:45 Childhood money trauma and scarcity conditioning14:57 Why Meredith became a relationship coach17:45 Staying in unhealthy relationships because of financial fear18:10 The moment she knew it was time to leave19:40 Gaslighting, broken self-trust, and emotional recovery22:08 Meredith’s stay-or-go relationship clarity toolsThank you for tuning into this week’s episode of I Date Money! Loved what you heard? Give us a five-star review and share the episode.Remember, it doesn't matter how much money you make; it's what you do with it🗝️🌬️💖💸Intro/Outro music "IDM" by Christa Lily

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Stop Letting Fear Keep You in Bad Relationships with Merideth Thompson

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This episode is 22 minutes long.

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This episode was published on May 19, 2026.

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Ready to stop feeling broke, guilty, and overwhelmed about money, even after divorce?Inside The Smell of Money, you’ll get the tools to rebuild financial stability, master your money mindset, and create a financial plan that finally feels...

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