Mark Aylward spent a decade in family court, fired his attorney, represented himself, and won sole custody of all three of his children. During that same period his business was destabilized by his ex, he sold his company under duress, and walked away broke. He rebuilt — a second company, a new identity, and a relationship with his kids forged by going through something real together. Today he coaches high-achieving men — founders, CEOs, and executives — through divorce without losing their business, their kids, or themselves. In this conversation Mark talks about why high performers are uniquely vulnerable when divorce hits, how to fight a two-front war when your personal and professional lives collapse at the same time, and how his R.E.A.L. Framework helps men move from identity collapse to forward momentum. Start with the free five-minute assessment at therealassessment.com.

Show Notes

He Fired His Lawyer, Won Sole Custody, and Rebuilt Two Companies — Mark Aylward on Divorce Recovery for High-Achieving Men

Mark Aylward is a divorce coach for high-achieving men — founders, CEOs, and executives who are watching everything they built come apart at the same time. He works with men who've decided to leave, are fighting through divorce, or are rebuilding after it, and his credibility in this space comes from something most coaches simply can't claim: he filed for divorce in 2002, spent a decade in family court facing seven judges and six attorneys on the other side, fired his own attorney, represented himself, and won sole custody of all three of his kids in 2011. 

During that same period, his ex contacted his clients and employees, destabilizing the business he had spent years building. He sold the company under duress, walked out with $90,000, paid off his credit cards, and was broke. Then he rebuilt — a second company, built and sold. Three kids who are doing well. A business. An identity. Confidence. 

That story is the foundation of his coaching practice. He is a 35-year recruiting veteran with a BBA in Marketing from the University of Notre Dame, a business mentor and judge at Notre Dame's Gigot Center for Entrepreneurship, and a SCORE mentor. He is the creator of the R.E.A.L. Framework and the author of the free R.E.A.L. Assessment at therealassessment.com.

Connect with Mark Aylward: Website | LinkedIn | The Real Assessment

SPONSORED BY: Today's episode is brought to you by Frederick J. Fisher of Fisher Consulting Group. Fred is a J.D. with nearly 50 years in professional liability and specialty lines insurance — and the author of Claims-Made Insurance: The Policy That Changed the Industry. If you're a business owner, broker, or attorney who needs to truly understand how claims-made policies work, Fred brings the kind of depth and experience that only comes from five decades inside the industry. Learn more at fishercg.com.


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