What do you do when the world falls apart?

In short:

Facing a divorce, career pivot and global pandemic head on, Danica did what an normal person would do – she decided to move to New York City.

The dream became a reality when she partnered with a financial adviser to calculate exactly “how much she would need”. By implementing a strict “bucket” system that automatically separated her pay into spending, savings, and investments – she transformed her financial anxiety into a one-way ticket to Manhattan.

Divorce, COVID, and a Clean Slate

“I’d just come out of a divorce, COVID hit, and it was very much one of those ‘oh my god, what do I do?’ kind of situations. To say that I was anxious would be an understatement” recalls Danica. 

At 32 years old, she’d found herself alone after a decade long relationship, falling out of love with her career as a teacher, and caught in the midst of Australia’s COVID shutdowns. 

“It was a lot” she laughs. 

But the breakdown also offered a chance at change, an opportunity to take control, not just of her career but her entire future. The new beginning, she realised, could be a pivotal moment—but where to start? A long-held dream to move to New York City seemed perfect. Why not? 

Divorce, lockdowns, and career doubt. 🌪️ When the world fell apart, Danica decided to build something new. It started with a decision to stop drifting and start designing the life she actually wanted—an investment that paid off with a one-way ticket to NYC.

How to survive a divorce, pandemic, and career change – all at once. 

“The divorce era just kind of just snowballed into everything changing,” Danica shares, and the first stop was confronting a part of her life she’d long neglected: her career.  

She’d been a teacher for years, “but my heart wasn’t really in it, I was just not happy, and I was really stressed out.”

So, running with the “new beginnings” theme, she took a leap and landed herself a career change – with a new job in media marketing. 

The chain reaction had begun.  

“I had started this job that I loved, I was way more comfortable with my salary and that really felt like the starting gun had fired, you know? One day I woke up and it was like ‘Ok, I’m doing it. I’m moving to New York City in 2025’.” 

With the dream now a concrete goal, the next stop was to confront her money demons.  

During her marriage, Danica’s partner handled the money, and she is open about the fact this was not a situation she ever expected to change. “Obviously I was never expecting to be divorced, and my husband was a finance guy, so I just never really thought about money. To be very honest, I had basically no clue. I felt very anxious, and I felt a bit stupid” she shares.  

But the feeling also wasn’t new.  

Danica’s previous, pre-marriage approach to money had been, in her own words, “a little bit of a YOLO, whatever kind of mindset”. 

She was disciplined, for sure, able to save when required but lacking any real direction or structure. 

She recounts a time as a 21-year-old student, on exchange in the U.S. where she had saved a tidy sum but kept no budget, just spending as she went without any real sense of organisation or control.  

Like most people who find stability and control after a period of financial upheaval, it was a habit she would later regret, admitting, “maybe I should have started earlier, but I just didn’t know. It was never something I’d been taught or thought about.”  

Looking back on the ‘YOLO’ years. Danica admits she wishes she’d started sooner, but proves that even when you start late, you can still catch up.

How Danica went from saver to investor. 

“I am actually a pretty good saver, you know? It’s one of my strengths that I can be strict in terms of not going over my weekly budget, sticking with the plan and all of that.”  

The problem, she realised, was a lack of direction: “I just had no idea how to plan for or come up with that budget. I could save but I had no idea what to do with the money!”  

“After the divorce I knew that I needed help, so I went back to see and started working with a financial adviser I’d seen in the early years with my husband.It was actually terrifying,” she admits.  

“It sounds stupid now, but I was so worried that she’d ask me a question and I wouldn’t know the answer. I worked it up so much in my head like ‘you should know this, but you don’t. You should be doing this, but you don’t know how.’ And with all that in the back of my mind I went into my meeting with her like ‘oh my god. I don’t know what to say, I don’t want to be judged’  

The fear quickly turned to excitement.  

Recalling the conversation with her new adviser, Danica’s new dream took an ever more tangible form. “I told her what I wanted to do, and she just got the whole thing started with one question:  

‘How much are you going to need?’” 

‘It was actually terrifying.’ Danica admits she almost didn’t see an adviser because she was scared of being judged for what she didn’t know. 🛑 If you’re holding back because you think you ‘should’ know better by now – don’t. The only bad question is the one you’re too scared to ask.

A Personal Rebrand: NYC Style 

“I don’t let myself think of travel as real until I’ve entered the country. Unless I’m through customs it’s not real, and especially with everything going on I was not taking any risks” she laughs.  

“Of course, my baggage ended up being way over, so my first moments were kind of ridiculous. Me standing there with like three jackets and multiple jumpers over my clothes, but I had made it through! I walked out of the airport, flagged myself a taxi – one of the yellow ones – and set off for my new life.” 

Since landing in NYC, Danica’s found friends and life that she loves – in a city that makes her feel “so free to be whoever I want to be”.  

“The full rebrand is still a work in progress” she laughs. “I can’t decide whether I’m giving Manhattan girly vibes or leaning into the Brooklyn edge.”  

But the headline story is this: the foundational work is done.  

The anxious woman who once feared financial conversations is gone. 

In her place is someone who’s inspired and in control, with a clear blueprint for her future and, most importantly of all, is excited for what comes next.  

“I’m across my money. I feel confident enough to talk about my financial situation and last month I met Penn Badgley in Brooklyn. I guess you could say I took the new beginnings and ran!” 

The anxious girl too scared to talk about money? Gone. In her place? A woman who is inspired and in control – with the confidence to move to New York City alone ✨

Fox & Hare can help.

Danica knew she needed a solid financial plan is for unlocking big life moments – she just didn’t know how! She found the courage to ask for help and the results speak for themselves.

If you ready to take the next steps toward the life you aspire to, reach out to Fox & Hare for a free virtual coffee catch up.

We have helped hundreds of 20-45 year olds unlock their potential and find the freedom, security and stability they deserve.

We can assess your current financial world – and give you 100% clarity on how to:

• Pay down debts
• Save to buy a home
• Quit work for a career change / start a business
• Achieve financial freedom

With clear, reliable and realistic time frames.

If you want to be debt free? We can tell you exactly how long that will take. If you want to own a home? We can tell you how long that’ll take too. Want to start a family? We can tell you down to the day.

So, if you want to put an end to that feeling of unease “when will I be able to buy a home?” “when will I be debt free?” “will I ever feel financially secure?” Hit “Book now!” and claim your free virtual coffee with our Member Success Manager, Will today. 

Book now!

About Fox & Hare:

The company was Founded in 2017 by two former Macquarie execs. Fox & Hare aims to empower and educate Australians in the wealth accumulation phase of their life journey. Through the provision of a safe, inclusive and accepting environment, they’ve built a diverse and devoted following of 20- 40 somethings. Members come from many backgrounds, abilities and genders. The organisation and its co-founders have featured in the AFR, Equity Mates and Sydney Morning Herald. They have been included in Financial Standard’s Power 50 and Glen Hare was voted Australia’s best Financial Adviser for 2024.