Fiercely Unfiltered with Kelly Renee

Kelly Renee gets brutally real about what happens when your high-earner life collapses overnight: the company disappears, the marriage implodes, the income is gone, but the obligations stay glued to you like a bad ex. In this raw episode of Fiercely Unfiltered, she breaks down the financial survival after divorce reality most people don’t talk about: how you can be capable, hardworking, and responsible and still end up staring at an $8,000 monthly burn rate with fewer and fewer “safe” options. You’ll hear the unfiltered truth about credit score damage during income loss, why scaling back isn’t instant (it’s a painful, piece-by-piece dismantling), and how delays in systems like VA education benefits can create dangerous gaps when bills don’t pause. She also calls out the “10-year marriage means you’re protected” myth, explains why legal protections often require money you don’t have, and shares what it looks like to choose survival now so rebuilding later is even possible. Key Takeaways A sudden income collapse doesn’t erase the life you built; it exposes how long it takes to unwind it responsibly. The alimony after 10 years narrative is not a guarantee, especially when the other person games the system. Delayed benefits (such as VA appointments and school start dates) can create survival gaps, where a missed payment can snowball. Downshifting self-care is not vanity; it’s losing access to the routines that regulated your nervous system and kept you functioning. Rebuilding isn’t about vibes; it’s about math, structure, and damage control. In This Episode [00:00] Introduction [00:51] Income gone, bills still here: survival meets the future [01:52] “What if everything went away in one day?” [02:44] The $8,000/month reality and what people don’t understand [03:58] Credit collapse: using it as a bridge, then limits get slashed [04:50] Closing accounts to survive: structure payments vs revolving debt [06:06] Plan A gets delayed: VA appointment pushed, school start moved [07:41] Survive first, rebuild second: refusing to fall [08:05] The “10-year marriage” myth and the reality of protections [09:43] High-earner commitments (like a $1,500 car payment) become traps [10:25] The humiliation of asking for help and the judgment that follows [11:31] Losing recovery tools: massage, nervous system care, healing pauses [12:15] Training and grace in hard seasons [13:34] Closing message: staying upright while building what’s next Notable Quotes [02:23] “You planned for disruption. You didn't plan for destruction.” [04:50] “I'm closing credit card accounts not 'cause I want to, because it's the only way to get into programs with lower interest rates.” [05:40] “When I drive past people living on the street now, I don't automatically think drugs. I think who abandoned them.” [07:41] “Collapse isn't loud, it's quiet, it's a missed payment, it's a delayed appointment.” [10:50] “The protections only exist if you can afford to access them.” Resources and Links Fiercely Unfiltered Fiercely Unfiltered with Kelly Renee Kelly Renee Instagram Facebook Website