About
Hi, I'm Fränya K. Isley
Owner/Founder, Divorce Recovery Sherpa
I help women move from overwhelmed uncertainty to clarity and confidence.
My Story - Why I Get It
I know what it's like to have your life completely upended in a single day.
January 1988. I left for work one morning, came home 14 hours later to an empty house. My husband had taken everything - the furniture, the washer, the dryer, even the hangers from my clothes and left them on the floor in the middle of the bedroom. He'd emptied all four of our bank accounts and disappeared.
I was 30 years old and starting from absolute zero.
As a military wife, I'd already learned how to manage everything solo during his frequent deployments - two to three weeks at a time. Those skills of adaptability and resilience I'd developed? They became my lifeline.
I slept on a friend's couch for two months. Then moved into an apartment where my sister later joined me. I worked three jobs - my full-time job paid rent and utilities, Saturday's job paid for gas and groceries, and Sunday's job handled the credit card payments. I didn't have a fancy system at first - just a notebook, a pen, and a ruler, tracking every dollar.
It took 11 years, then my sister and I bought our first house together in December 1999.
The journey wasn't just about financial recovery. It was about rediscovering who I was outside of being someone's wife. About learning to trust myself again. About understanding that sometimes the worst thing that happens to you becomes the doorway to your best life.
I eventually found true partnership with the love of my life in 2007 - a widower who understood loss and the courage it takes to try again. We've been together 18 years now.
... My Story Started Earlier
The resilience I needed for that rebuild? I'd been practicing it since I was 20 years old.
In 1978, I was a passenger in a car accident where the driver didn't survive. I spent two and a half years relearning how to walk, talk, and write. They reconstructed my face. They put my knee back together. The doctors thought I'd be in a wheelchair by 50.
I'm 68 now, and I'm still walking.
My physical therapist said, "I can't teach you how to walk. I'll teach you how to step, and it's up to you to learn how to walk."
My speech therapist used reverse psychology: "You don't have to learn to talk again. I'll just teach you sign language." I looked at her and said, "No. I want to give my dad hell like I used to when I was little."
That stubbornness? That refusal to accept limitations? It's what got me through rebuilding after my divorce, too.
Why I Help Other Women
I've been having conversations with women navigating life transitions since 1990. A widow who didn't know how to manage her finances. A friend navigating life with his teenage son. A widower with triplets trying to stand up to in-laws. Someone escaping an abusive marriage.
For decades, I just showed up for people. Met them where they were. Didn't judge. Offered practical advice and a listening ear.
But it wasn't until 2022, during a business networking meeting, that someone pointed out what should have been obvious: "Fränya, you should be leading with divorce recovery, not life insurance."
That's when SHero Empowered was born.
I don't approach this work like a therapist. I approach it like someone who's walked the exact path you're on right now. I grew up as a policeman's daughter - my dad taught me to be straightforward, practical, and to keep going no matter what.
I volunteered for years with differently-abled children, using patience and the art of meeting people exactly where they are.
I don't sugar-coat reality. I shine light on the path forward.
What Makes My Approach Different
I've lived what you're going through. Not just divorce - the specific challenges of rebuilding when you feel like you've lost everything. The fear of starting over. The practical reality of making ends meet. The slow journey of rediscovering yourself.
I understand military spouse challenges. The isolation, the sacrifice, the way your identity gets wrapped up in supporting someone else's career. I know what it's like to manage everything solo and then face divorce on top of it.
I meet you where you are. Whether you're questioning if you should stay or go, actively separating, or years into your new life, I work with women at every stage. There's no judgment about where you are in your journey.
I focus on practical, actionable steps. Not endless therapy sessions where you rehash the same pain. We work on concrete things you can do today, this week, this month to move forward.
I've built the community I wished I'd had. Women who understand. Who won't tell you to "just get over it" or "just leave him." Who know that these decisions are complicated and that healing isn't linear.
The R.I.S.E. Framework
Through my R.I.S.E. programs, I help women:
Reclaim their sense of self after years of being defined by their relationship
Inspire them to be brave enough to make the hard choices
Support them as they move forward with confidence, not just react to circumstances
Empower them to start the next book of their lives with purpose and positivity
This isn't about picking up the pieces of your old life. It's about discovering you were never broken - you were just trapped in a story that wasn't yours to tell anymore.
What I Offer
Do I Stay or Do I Go? Clarity Call
A focused 30-minute conversation for women sitting on the fence, trying to make this impossible decision. Not advice - clarity.
Private Coaching Programs
One-on-one guidance tailored to your specific situation. We work together on the practical and emotional aspects of your transition, whether you're deciding, separating, or rebuilding.
SHero Sisterhood Community
A private online space where you can share your story, ask questions, access resources, and connect with women who truly understand what you're going through.
A Note About My Perspective
I've never had a bad day in my life. Even waking up in the hospital after the amazing car accident, where the driver died, I had a good attitude. My first thought was, "Well, this is going to be interesting."
That doesn't mean life hasn't knocked me down. It has. Twice.
But I learned early, attending fatal accidents with my policeman father, that death is part of life. That terrible things happen, and you have a choice: stay down or get back up.
I choose to get back up. Every single time.
And if you're reading this, trying to decide what comes next for you, I want you to know: you can get back up, too. You're stronger than you think. You're braver than you feel right now. And you don't have to figure it out alone.
Call to Action
Ready to Take the First Step?
Whether you're questioning your relationship, actively navigating separation, or rebuilding after divorce, there's a place for you here.
[Book a "Do I Stay Or Do I Go?" Call] [Join the Sisterhood Community] [Explore the Programs]
