The Power of a Fresh Start with Olivia Howell

Our registry series continues, plus brunch recommendations and reads

Quick announcement: Our happy hour on 5/26 will be at Common Mollies, a spacious bar in Williamsburg, close to the Grand L stop, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. There are indoor and outdoor seating options and you can RSVP right here. Everyone is invited to the happy hour, whether we’ve met IRL or not! It’s a great place to make friends and try a new spot!

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Welcome to part three of our registry series (read part one and two here) and I’m so excited for today’s special guest, Olivia Howell, co-founder and CEO of Fresh Starts Registry. We first connected on twitter and I’m so inspired by the work she does and the honesty with which she shares her story. Divorce is a brave and hard choice and it’s something that people need support through, just like any big life change. To keep up with Fresh Starts Registry, follow them on Instagram and Facebook and enjoy getting to know Olivia. If you know someone who might be looking for a Fresh Start, share this conversation with them. It’s never too late.

Abigail: Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Fresh Starts Registry and why you started it?

Olivia: I'm Olivia, a single mom of two boys and social media management agency owner. I live on Long Island - born and raised! After my separation in 2019, I realized that we culturally celebrate life events such as a baby or wedding, but we never celebrate the hard stuff—and it takes a lot of bravery to make hard decisions—they should be celebrated! I wanted to create a platform that would take the overwhelm out of making hard life decisions and starting fresh. My sister and I co-founded Fresh Starts Registry in October 2021, and we've been featured on many press outlets as the first ever Support Registry for life changes. Fresh Starts Registry features a registry builder with product recommendations for each budget point and room in the house, including children's rooms. And, more than that, we have a resource guide full of Experts to support people going through their Fresh Start. Anyone from therapists to astrologers to hair stylists and mortgage brokers! It's always free for users to come build a registry, access the experts and read all of the content from our experts. 

We're also launching the Fresh Starts Expert Community this June, so the Experts can get the support they need to build their digital footprint and attract clients based on our years in marketing and communications. That's going to be $37/month for experts and packed with perks, opportunities and events, including press and media opportunities, virtual co-working spaces, an exclusive Slack channel, and many expert speakers on marketing, PR, business development and more. At Fresh Starts, we support people going through life changes, and support the experts, as well! 

Abigail: What is your personal experience with creating a wedding registry? Did you enjoy the process or find it overwhelming? Do you still have any of those items in your new chapter?

Olivia: I did create a wedding registry and didn't love it! I had a lot of other people giving their opinions and it was super stressful. I still do have my Kitchen Aid Mixer and Mason Cash bowls, which were both gifts from my grandmother. I do think wedding registries have changed a lot since I got married in 2011! Now I see people registering for all sorts of cool things! 

Abigail: Something I love about Fresh Starts Registry is that it's about more than physical items. What kinds of support do you offer through your expert community?

Olivia: Our Experts are our superheroes! Anyone who feels that they can help people through a life change can apply to be an Expert, and once you're approved, you get a profile and to join the FSR Expert Community. Our Experts are amazing about providing free content for people going through life changes with IG Lives, Blog Posts, and more. Once people see and learn about the Experts, they can hire them (most are virtual), and they know they're vetted by us! 

Abigail: How did you structure the new beginnings registries? What are the items that quickly transform a home and signal a new chapter?

Olivia: Great question! Well, we believe that everything holds energy - and when you're moving on in your life, you want to surround yourself with good, positive energy! So, we always recommend starting with the big five: sheets, towels, dishes, utensils, and pillows + blankets. Basically, anything that was highly touched or used previously. By allowing yourself to see these small changes occur with these new items in your life, you will start to believe in your new journey and make the harder decisions as they come. 

Abigail: Some people feel self conscious asking for help, even in a difficult time. Why is it important to call on your community?