How to Navigate a Business Divorce with Clarity, Compassion, and Power — with Attorney Margeaux Thomas

Most entrepreneurs prepare for growth, partnership, and success—but few prepare for what happens when a business partnership ends. In this episode of The Story Engine Podcast, attorney Margeaux Thomas pulls back the curtain on one of the most emotionally charged and financially high-stakes challenges a founder can face: the business divorce.

Margeaux specializes in helping founders, partners, and executives untangle their companies, their identities, and their futures when a partnership breaks apart. She shares the unseen emotional toll, the common patterns she witnesses in conflict, and the transformational process she uses to guide both parties toward resolution, clarity, and a more abundant life beyond the breakup. Whether you're in a partnership now, considering one, or navigating a separation of your own, this conversation offers powerful insights into conflict, communication, and reclaiming your future.

In This Episode

00:45 — What Is a Business Divorce? Margeaux describes how business breakups mirror personal divorces—emotionally, psychologically, and financially.

01:10 — The Hidden Stress Behind Business Breakups How years of investment, employees' livelihoods, and identity all amplify the tension.

01:35 — The Emotional Patterns Margeaux Sees Every Time Fear of loss, betrayal, resentment, and the stories partners create about each other.

01:58 — Moving From Conflict to Clarity Margeaux's process for helping partners express their truth, identify what they really want, and de-escalate hostility.

02:22 — Accessing Abundance After the Breakup How partners evolve, rediscover purpose, and build better lives once the conflict is settled.

02:40 — Why Most Founders Don't Prepare for This The false belief that partnership problems "won't happen to us" and why this mindset is costly.

03:05 — The Power of Neutral Facilitation Why outside support isn't optional—it's essential when emotions distort reality.

03:30 — Final Thoughts & Where to Learn More Margeaux shares her closing insights and resources.