Splits Happen with Naomi Cao

My guest on this week’s episode of The True North Show is Naomi Cao, an incredibly inspiring woman I met about 4 weeks ago, and as soon as we started chatting I knew she would be a perfect guest. Naomi shares with us her incredible journey from being a refugee in Melbourne Australia to how she reframes challenges as opportunities and how those opportunities have shaped her life to what she does now, helping people who are facing separation and divorce.

Bio:

Naomi Cao is a Divorce Coach and Strategist, specialising in helping individuals navigate separation with clarity, compassion, and confidence.

With lived experience of a 17-year marriage breakdown, Naomi brings a rare blend of empathy and strategy, drawing on her professional background in healthcare, education, and coaching to empower clients to rebuild their lives with resilience.

Amid her professional achievements, Naomi’s personal life was undergoing profound change. After 17 years of marriage, she faced the painful reality of separation and divorce. Like many, she was confronted not only with the emotional toll but also with the daunting practicalities of financial uncertainty, parenting transitions, and redefining identity.

Naomi allowed herself time to grieve the loss of her marriage and the family unit she had worked so hard to protect. But she also began the journey of reclaiming her voice, her independence, and her sense of self. Her lived experience became the foundation of her coaching practice: a powerful reminder that even in the most fragmented of times, “Split Happens – finding power in the pieces”.

Out of her journey, Naomi founded Naomi Cao Coaching where she helps her clients prioritise what matters most; children’s welfare, financial stability, emotional well-being, and break overwhelming challenges into manageable steps.

She reminds her clients and herself that life when Split Happens, is not an ending but the beginning of a new chapter. Today, Naomi is a trusted guide for those facing one of life’s greatest upheavals. Her message is simple yet powerful: you are not broken, you are becoming.

Social Media:

Website: www.naomicao.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naomicaocoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomicaocoach/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomicaocoach/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@naomicaocoach:

Transcript:

Megan North (00:40)
Hello and welcome to The True North Show. I’m your host, Megan North, and I would like to thank our sponsors of the show: Quantum Awakening, Beth Lewis, Anne C. Clark, and our lovely guest who paid to be featured on this episode. Today, I’m joined by an incredibly inspiring woman I met about a month ago, and I just knew she needed to share her story here on the show.

Naomi is a divorce coach and strategist specialising in helping individuals navigate separation with clarity, compassion, and confidence. With lived experience of a 17-year marriage breakdown, Naomi brings a rare blend of empathy and strategy, drawing on her professional background in healthcare, education, and coaching to empower clients to rebuild their lives with resilience.

Naomi allowed herself time to grieve the loss of her marriage and the family unit she had worked so hard to protect. But she also began the journey of reclaiming her voice, her independence, and her sense of self. Her lived experience became the foundation of her coaching practice — a powerful reminder that even in the most fragmented of times, “split happens,” and there is power to be found in the pieces.

Out of this journey, Naomi founded Naomi Chao Coaching, where she helps clients prioritise what matters most: children’s welfare, financial stability, emotional wellbeing — and breaking overwhelming challenges into manageable steps. She reminds her clients, and herself, that when split happens, it’s not the ending but the beginning of a new chapter.

Welcome to the show, Naomi. I’m thrilled that you’re joining us today.

Naomi Cao (03:01)
Thank you for having me. I’m really excited to be on your show.

Megan North (03:06)
Fantastic. How does it sound when I read your bio out and you sit there reflecting on your journey?

Naomi Cao (03:14)
Wow. You know, I never thought I’d be in this place, but at the same time, I’m thinking, “Wow, I’ve achieved so much.” You don’t really sit back and reflect on how far you’ve come; you’re always living in the now. It’s really humbling.

Megan North (03:32)
Beautiful. Let’s dive right in. We know a little about your background, but can you share with us — because the coaching you’re doing now and Split Happens is obviously such a focus for you — what was the defining moment that led you to pursue this as your passion and purpose?

Naomi Cao (04:01)
Well, my separation happened in 2017, and that year was a bit of a blur. Then 2018 came along and, in the midst of it all, my daughter wanted a sixth birthday party. She said, “Mum, I really want to have a superhero party.” I think it was around the time Wonder Woman was released.

Megan North (04:27)
Yes.

Naomi Cao (04:28)
Previously, when I was married, I could afford to hire characters to come and entertain the kids. But after the separation, money was tight. So I decided to buy costumes online for her and me. We dressed up in Wonder Woman outfits that year.

I think six is probably the only time your daughter will let you get away with wearing the same thing as her. We had such a wonderful time. There was a picture of us doing the Wonder Woman power pose. That night, when I looked back at the photos, I saw this fierceness in her face.

I thought, “My God. In all of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, I was stuck in ‘poor me, how can I survive?’ But this picture gave me so much strength.” I thought, “You know what? I want to be my children’s Wonder Woman.” That was the spark — the fire that started everything.

After that came a series of events. I asked myself: what can I offer my children moving forward so they can look back on these years and think, “Yes, Mum and Dad split up. But what did she do? How did she live her life? What lessons can we learn?”

Because you often hear: kids don’t do as you say, they do as you do — monkey see, monkey do. And that was the pivotal moment that changed things for me.