From 2015 True Luxury Life Interview with Vikki Ziegler
Photo Courtesy of Bravo
Interview published here: http://trueluxurylife.com/divorce-mediation-bravos-vikki-ziegler/
Interview for True Luxury Life with Vikki Ziegler by Sarah Jeanne Browne also below:
Vikki Ziegler is ending the stigma around divorce and empowering people to start over with their lives. She is the host of Bravo’s reality divorce mediation show “Untying the Knot” and practices matrimonial law and civil litigation. Vikki has been featured across various media platforms including HLN/CNN, Fox Business Channel, CBS, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox 5, Talk Soup on E!, and Huffington Post. She is the founder of www.divorcedating.com, a site that brings together divorcees looking for dating, love, and a common interest in ending the divorce stigma. The website currently has 377,000 members.
Sarah Browne: How did you get started in law? What inspired you toward divorce?
Vikki Ziegler: My parents had a horrible divorce when I was 12 and I vowed to help children going through a similar circumstance. It was the hardest thing I ever went through growing up but the most rewarding to know I found my career path.
SB: Do you see divorce as becoming less stigmatized now in our culture?
VZ: Yes I always did. It is a fact of life. We all make bad decisions based on varying circumstances in relationships. We should not be scarred and labeled because of it. I knew the media would allow for divorce to be showcased in a better light and a rebirth not necessarily a downer. Thank god!
SB: How does “Untying the Knot” address that stigma of divorce?
VZ: It teaches people how to divorce with dignity by explaining to couples how to get out of a bad marriage by putting their emotions aside and focusing on dividing their “stuff.”
SB: You go from the angle of empowering people to become independent and make a huge change. Why and how do people get stuck in the fear of making that change?
VZ: People obsess over ‘what if? What will happen? I don’t want to be alone,’ instead of looking at the glass half full and conquering a new experience. I always look at a change as a new opportunity.
SB: How has mediating that process empowered you?
VZ: That any problem can be solved. You can bring two people that loved each other once and really do not like each other anymore to agree on a material item.
Photo Courtesy of Bravo
SB: What is your vision for individuals to learn from divorce?
VZ: It’s a rebirth. Its a time to grow, to learn from mistakes and decide how you want things to look like in the future.
SB: How do you hope to inspire women and men to overcome cycles of unhealthy relationship patterns through your mediation on the show?
VZ: Learning that people can change with the proper tools and coping mechanisms. Divorce is not a death it’s a time to recreate yourself to find love again. Reflect on past behaviors and how to stop attracting negative people in your life.
SB: Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about yourself?
VZ: From my experience with divorce I have created a brand to help people in many areas. I am launching an APP called Divorce Dating (www.divorcedating.com) to help people find love again with interactive questions – I am creating a lipstick line to make people feel good again after divorce- I call it your divorce makeover glam! I have also created a Hair Perfume called Lavish for people to smell their best during the day or on a date. All of these product s will debut soon and likely be on Untying the Knot 2. I am working on another book, movie, TV series all about- you guessed it- DIVORCE…….
But most of all I believe that everyone can find happiness if they work at it and focus on growth all the time.