Q&A With My Fiancé: Relationship Red Flags, Exes & Never Settling
Q&A With My Fiancé: Relationship Red Flags, Exes & Never Settling  
Podcast: The EMPWR Podcast
Published On: Wed Aug 19 2026
Description: We talk red flags, exes, and why you should never settle for less! I sat down with Ian three days after his vasectomy reversal to answer the questions you've been sending in. This Q&A covers dating red flags, the non-negotiables I refused to break, co-parenting with our exes, blended family life, and what it actually takes to rebuild after divorce. Three years ago we both said we didn't want a relationship. I also said I'd never date a military man. This is the honest version of how that turned out, plus the questions I get asked most: how you know when you've found your person, why you should never settle, when to walk away from red flags in the talking stage, and what I'd tell myself before any of it happened. We also get into the reversal itself, including why he got a vasectomy after his divorce, how we made the decision together, and the odds nobody tells you about. Timestamps: 0:00 - The questions you sent in 1:40 - Three days post-op (and why he can't work out for a month) 5:00 - Three years ago we said we didn't want a relationship 5:24 - The conversation in Destin that changed everything 6:20 - Why both our shields were up 7:04 - What we're covering today 7:16 - Why Ian got a vasectomy after his divorce 8:06 - How we knew we were ready to try for a baby 9:47 - Getting help at home, and why we stopped feeling guilty 11:02 - How Ian feels about the house manager situation 14:57 - How soon we're trying (and the wedding day timing) 15:18 - Finding a specialist and what the reversal involved 16:13 - The odds nobody tells you about 17:29 - Do we want one baby or more? 17:35 - How the kids reacted 18:29 - What my last relationship taught me about what I needed 20:11 - What I had to fix in myself first 21:04 - How we handle disrespect: call it out, talk it out 22:10 - Has the spark faded? An honest answer 23:49 - Never stop dating each other 29:17 - Do we talk to each other's exes? 29:51 - Where our co-parenting relationships stand now 32:01 - Making sure every child feels equally loved 33:22 - Being a step-parent without replacing anyone 33:53 - The day she started calling me mom 35:32 - Do we discipline each other's kids the same way? 36:00 - Will a new baby make the kids feel left out? 37:26 - Building our own traditions around theirs 41:32 - How do you know when you've found your person? 41:49 - Advice for anyone dating in their 20s and 30s 43:15 - My top 10 non-negotiables (and the one I broke) 43:40 - Should you make the first move? 44:53 - The red flags to walk away from 45:04 - What we're most excited about 45:53 - Wedding update 46:27 - What we'd tell ourselves before the divorces 47:10 - The person who brings out your worst self 47:40 - Stand firm in your values Thank you to our sponsors: Thrive Market: Get $20 off your first 3 orders at: ⁠https://thrivemarket.com/SAMCFIT⁠ Oak Essentials: Get 15% off your first purchase at ⁠https://oakessentials.com/⁠ with code: SAMCFIT Shopify: Start your free trial at ⁠https://shopify.com/samcfit⁠ Cash App: New users get $10 when you sign up and send $5 to a friend within 14 days at ⁠https://cash.app/⁠ with code: FAMILY10 Remi Night Guards: Get up to 50% off custom-made night guards at ⁠https://www.remiclub.com/⁠ with code: SAMCFIT Dream Recovery: Get 15% off at ⁠https://dreamrecovery.io/⁠ with code: SAM15 Sam's LINKS: ELEVATE App by Sam | free 7 day trial: ⁠https://www.elevatebysam.com/⁠ My Macro Guide: ⁠https://samanthachristine.co/nutrition⁠ Running Programs: ⁠https://samanthachristine.co/running-programs⁠ Follow Sam: Insta: @samcfit_ YouTube: @samantha_christine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices