Divorce may mark the end of a chapter, but for Olivia Howell, it became the beginning of a movement.
After going through her own divorce in 2019 with two young children and an emotionally emptied home, Olivia realized just how unprepared and unsupported many people are during life’s most difficult transitions. Sheets, dishes, and wedding gifts now held emotional weight, while basic essentials were missing. That moment sparked the idea that would become Fresh Starts Registry, the world’s first and only platform dedicated to helping people rebuild their lives after divorce and other major changes.
Together with her sister, Jenny, who also experienced a breakup shortly after a canceled pandemic-era wedding, Olivia built the platform from the ground up (literally, at a new kitchen table). What began as a simple concept has grown into a full-scale ecosystem for personal reinvention. At its core, Fresh Starts offers a free registry where users can list household necessities after divorce, breakups, moves, or grief. But the heart of the company beats much louder than that.
Olivia and her team have cultivated a thriving support network of over 100 vetted experts, including divorce coaches, therapists, lawyers, realtors, parenting coaches, and career advisors. Every single one is accessible through the Fresh Starts website, and no user is ever charged to access resources. “We believe that if you’re going through a life transition, we will never charge you to get support,” Olivia says. “You can download every ebook, find every expert, and build a registry, all for free. We do this because starting over is hard enough.”
Fresh Starts doesn’t collect user data, and the registry is hosted through Amazon to keep users’ personal information private. Most registry items are basic necessities (such as sheets, towels, furniture, and dinnerware) that serve as symbols of a fresh beginning. Olivia and Jenny prefer to call them “support items” instead of gifts. For many users, they represent encouragement, love, and the reassurance that they are not starting from zero alone. To fund the work, Olivia and her sister created a low-cost expert membership model that supports marketing, PR, and community-building for the professionals featured on the site. The experts benefit from referrals, press exposure, and coaching, while Fresh Starts remains free for those who need it most. It’s a beautifully circular system, where those offering help and those seeking it can meet with mutual respect.
Fresh Starts also offers free virtual consults with Olivia herself, where she provides personalized guidance and helps match individuals with the right resources. Beyond divorce, the platform now supports people through relocations, job changes, and any moment of transition where support is often absent.
Olivia has also prioritized accessibility. When curating item bundles for registries (like those for children’s rooms), she considers what a solo parent can physically assemble on their own. Every product recommendation is intentional, chosen with real-life limitations and emotional well-being in mind. Fresh Starts also offers free virtual consults with Olivia herself, where she provides personalized guidance and helps match individuals with the right resources. Beyond divorce, the platform now supports people through relocations, job changes, and any moment of transition where support is often absent. Olivia has also prioritized accessibility. When curating item bundles for registries (like those for children’s rooms), she considers what a solo parent can physically assemble on their own. Every product recommendation is intentional, chosen with real-life limitations and emotional well-being in mind.
Perhaps most inspiring is Olivia’s message to those still standing at the edge of change, afraid to take the first step. “Divorce is a recalibration. It is not a failure,” she says. “Choosing yourself, your future, and your children is never failure. It’s one of the most courageous decisions someone can make. Now four years into running the company, Olivia continues to show up for her community every day. She’s a certified life and success coach and clinical hypnotherapist, committed to holding space for those navigating trauma. And as a solo mom of two, she lives her mission with grace and grit, finding small windows for self-care through journaling, walking, and music.
Fresh Starts is more than a registry. It’s a declaration that life after divorce is still worth celebrating.
💻 Explore more: FreshStartsRegistry.com
📺 Watch the full interview with Olivia Howell below:
The Chundria Brownlow Show 
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