Girl, Wake Up!

About Girl, Wake Up!

Hosted by Amy Polacko—Divorce Coach, investigative journalist (Ms. Magazine, HuffPost, The Guardian), and champion for women’s autonomy—GIRL, WAKE UP! is your unfiltered blueprint for navigating high-conflict divorce, family court, and systemic oppression without losing your peace, your money, or your mind. Long before reporting on high-profile cultural cases and systemic failures, Amy lived through them. As a mother, survivor, and two-time divorcee who fought her way to freedom, she bridges the gap between sharp legal and financial strategy and deep spiritual recovery. You don't have to choose between healing your heart and protecting your assets. You can do both. On Girl Wake Up, we dive deep into: • High-Conflict & Court Strategy: Tactical blueprints to outsmart toxic exes, protect your wealth, and proactively navigate a rigged family court system. • Cultural Commentary & Investigations: Unfiltered breakdowns of pop culture cases, domestic abuse, and the hidden patriarchal structures holding women back. • Spiritual Autonomy & Healing: Reclaiming your power, intuition, and identity so you can build a life on your own terms. Stop being systematically disadvantaged. Understand the system, protect your future, and wake up to your power. Connect & Work With Amy: 💻 Coaching & Resources: freedomwarrior.info 📸 Join 50k+ Women: instagram.com/freedomwarriortribe 🔔 Subscribe & hit the bell for new episodes, guides, and live breakdowns. 🎧 Subscribe & leave a 5-star review to help more women find this movement.

Publisher

Amy Polacko

Category

education · education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Dec 2025

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 29 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Love Your Divorce: A New Way to End a Marriage (w/ Family Law Attorney & Reiki Master Sharon Defala)

   What if divorce didn’t have to be something you simply survive? In this episode of Girl, Wake Up!, Amy sits down with family law attorney, holistic divorce expert, mediator, and Reiki Master Sharon Oberst DeFala to talk about a radically different way of approaching the end of a marriage. Sharon, author of Love Your Divorce: Your Guide to a Holistic Happier Ever After, believes divorce can be more than an ending. It can be a powerful turning point–one that creates space for greater clarity, peace, growth and possibility. Together, Amy and Sharon explore what “holistic divorce” really means, why divorce does not have to become a war, how mediation can work even with difficult personalities, and why supporting the whole person–motionally, financially, legally and even spiritually–can lead to healthier outcomes. They also talk about Sharon’s unique perspective as both a longtime family law attorney and Reiki Master, the rise of gray divorce, and why so many people are beginning to rethink what happiness and fulfillment can look like in the second half of life. Love Your Divorce: Your Guide to a Holistic Happier Ever After is available on October 13, 2026. If you’re navigating divorce or thinking about it, connect with Amy Polacko for a free 15-minute consultation at www.freedomwarrior.info Learn more about Sharon DeFala here: https://www.oberstlaw.com/ 📌 CHAPTERS: 00:00 - "How to Love Your Divorce" | Intro with Sharon Oberst Defala 01:03 - The Real Reason Divorce Exists (It’s Supposed to Improve Your Life) 02:08 - Debunking Divorce Horror Stories: Why No One Regrets Leaving 03:22 - What is a Holistic Divorce? (Looking Beyond Money & Legal Battles) 05:01 - Litigation vs. Mediation: Why "The Fight is the Gift" 06:05 - The Biggest Emotional & Communication Mistakes to Avoid 08:14 - How to Use Reiki & Mindfulness to Lower Conflict in Divorce 09:50 - Visualization & Radical Self-Care Before Court or Depositions 11:21 - Secret Strategies for Handling High-Conflict & Narcissistic Exes 13:20 - "Staying for the Kids?" The Truth About Waiting to Divorce 15:00 - Truth or Trap: Should You Wait Until the Divorce is Final to Heal? 16:11 - Overcoming Guilt When Your Marriage "Isn't Bad Enough" to Leave 17:42 - The Future of Divorce: Non-Adversarial & Collaborative Laws 18:49 - Where to Find How to Love Your Divorce & Final Thoughts 🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED: • Sharon's Blog & Book: https://love-your-divorce.com • Sharon's Law Practice: https://oberstlaw.com • Connect with Amy Polacko: https://www.freedomwarrior.info/coaching-services #DivorceSupport #DivorceForWomen #HolisticDivorce #SeparationAdvice #GirlWakeUp #WomenInTransition #DivorceCoach #FamilyLaw

2. 

   22 Sept 2026

   The Midlife Wake-Up Call: Who Are You Now? (w/ Dr. Ellen Albertson)

   Midlife can bring huge shifts–divorce, gray divorce, empty nesting, menopause and the loss of roles that once defined you. In this episode of Girl, Wake Up!, Amy talks with Dr. Ellen Albertson, known as The Midlife Whisperer, about why so many women feel lost during this stage of life–and how midlife can become an opportunity to reinvent yourself rather than fear what’s changing. They talk about divorce, gray divorce, empty nesting, menopause, people-pleasing, dating, self-compassion and what happens when women finally stop living for everyone else and start asking what they want for themselves. Dr. Ellen is a psychologist, registered dietitian nutritionist, board-certified health and wellness coach, self-compassion teacher and bestselling author of Rock Your Midlife. If you’re navigating divorce or thinking about it, connect with Amy Polacko for a free 15-minute consultation at www.freedomwarrior.info (http://www.freedomwarrior.info) Learn more about Dr. Ellen Albertson: https://themidlifewhisperer.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_midlife_whisperer/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themidlifewhisperer FB: https://www.facebook.com/DrEllenAlbertson X: https://x.com/RockYourMidlife Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drellenalbertson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themidlifewhisperer

3. 

   8 Sept 2026

   Divorce & Dollars: How to Protect Your Financial Future w/ Randi Engelbrecht, CDFA)

   Divorce can change your financial life overnight-and the decisions you make during it can affect you for years to come. In this episode of Girl, Wake Up!, Amy talks with Randi Engelbrecht, Wealth Manager and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) at Radiance Private Wealth, about what women need to know to protect themselves financially before, during and after divorce. They discuss why every woman should understand her household finances, common money mistakes in divorce, how to think strategically about assets like the family home and why a settlement is only the beginning of building your financial future. Most importantly, Randi explains how women can move from feeling overwhelmed by money to making informed decisions with greater confidence and clarity. If you’re navigating divorce or thinking about it, connect with Amy Polacko for a free 15-minute consultation at www.freedomwarrior.info (http://www.freedomwarrior.info) Learn more about Randi and Radiance Private Wealth here: https://radianceprivatewealth.com/ (https://radianceprivatewealth.com/) Follow Radiance on Instagram @radianceprivatewealth

Inside a recent episode

Saying Goodbye to Toxic Systems, Mean Girls, & Staying Small (w/ Hype Women Founder Erin Gallagher)

Published 20 Jan 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] I, for probably five or six years, did a Christmas card every single year. And it was, again, what I thought my personality was. I was a person who did Christmas cards. I loved it. I enjoyed it. And then one day I sat down and I said, hold on. I'm really starting to dread this activity. I'm really starting to feel resentful. And why is that? And I looked at the fact that there is so much unpaid labor that goes into the production of a holiday card that just shows up at someone's house. The hours that go into- I feel like it's hundreds of hours. I'm seeing- Hundreds, hundreds of hours. It's physical labor. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Contact Girl, Wake Up!

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  The Divorce and Beyond® Podcast with Susan Guthrie, Esq.

• 

  The Divorce Survival Guide Podcast

• 

  Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse

• 

  Betrayal Trauma Recovery - BTR.ORG

• 

  The Covert Narcissism Podcast

• 

  The Divorce Course Podcast

Questions about Girl, Wake Up!