Mikalee Byerman

When Mikalee’s decade-long marriage ended with a message inscribed on a brick — a literal brick — she had two options: one included copious amounts of wine, a padded cell and thumb-sucking; the other, writing … and slightly less than copious amounts of wine.

She chose the latter. Mikalee is a full-time freelance writer, editor and communications professional who is documenting her post-divorce reinvention on her highly controversial blog, Me 2.0. Her blog — which has bajillions of followers (if “bajillions” means “more than a handful, less than a shitload”) — has been featured on TIME Magazine’s website, and her writings also have appeared in the September 2013 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal, Southwest Spirit Magazine, Alaska Airlines Magazine, and numerous other regional and client publications.

Her sassy and irreverent writing voice has earned her a reputation as being one part Chelsea Handler (without the obsession with little people) and one part Erma Bombeck (without the being dead and whatnot). She is currently turning her blog into a book — and that’s a “book,” for those of you with an affinity for terms like “twerking,” “spork,” “turducken” and other adorkable examples of portmanteau.

Though just a teensy-weensy bit jaded by her blindsiding circumstance, she makes her home in northern Nevada with two crazy-cool kiddos, one crazy-brave second husband and one plain-crazy surprise newborn.