Olivia Dreizen Howell was 34 years old, married for eight years, and the mom of two boys (ages 3 and 6) when she and her husband decided to separate. Growing up through generations of divorce in her family, she was raised with the outlook that ending a marriage can be a healthy experience. She took things one step further and made a business out of it to empower other women who are beginning a new phase of life, and she's sharing her story with LittleThings.
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Howell, whose kids are school-aged, shares some of her family history, saying, “All of my grandparents are divorced, as well as my parents. Divorce was never stigmatized or thought of as shameful in my family, and I'm really grateful for that.”
Her family and friends supported her move to single motherhood. “When you meet someone as a young person in life, in your early 20s, you do a lot of growing together and you learn a lot about yourself," Howell explains. "Sometimes you grow together, and sometimes you grow apart, and that's healthy and really OK. I'm of the firm belief that there is no shiny award at the end of a long and unhappy marriage, so it's better for everyone to separate and have the chance to live the life you all deserve. During my own divorce process, I was blessed to be surrounded by my family. They were absolutely my rock. I think I called my parents and siblings 500 times a day, and they were there for my children anytime, day or night. My friends were amazing and literally would check in every morning. They sent me Mother's Day gifts, dinners, comfy socks, and just let me vent and cry.”
Divorce, however, wasn’t the first major life trauma she’d conquered. Howell was born with a congenital heart defect called an A/V canal defect. “I underwent open-heart surgery at 8 months old, and I'm very proud of my scar,” she reveals. “Having gone through trauma so young has driven me to lead the life I've always wanted. I survived open-heart surgery as a baby, and I'm a warrior. I deserve to live every moment of my life in a beautiful way. Has it always been that way? Of course not, but I have a different perspective on life because I was so close to not being here!”
As she was going through her divorce, Howell knew she needed professional support. She shares, "I had an amazing therapist whom I met with weekly online, as well as did a lot of energy healing, journaling, and dancing in my living room late at night. You have no idea how many times I blasted Alanis' 'You Oughta Know' and rage danced! It helped heal my nervous system. I will say, I also found watching TikTok videos oddly comforting, too. It helped me feel I wasn't alone in the single-mom world!"
Howell stayed in the marital house and was inspired to give her space a little renovation, and that’s when it sparked a big idea. "My sister had come over to help me move some stuff out of the house to donate and I had an aha moment!" Howell describes. "Why do we celebrate weddings and babies, and get gifts for those moments, but we don't celebrate making hard decisions in life? We need the support in those times, especially!"
The sisters started Fresh Starts Registry from that premise and they feature product recommendations for every budget. So bring on the divorce parties. But you don’t have to be a divorced woman to reap the rewards. “Fresh Starts is for anyone going through a major life change,” notes Howell. “This could be divorce, a breakup, job change, stepping into your truth, starting over again, making a major move, or whenever you feel like you deserve a new beginning.”
Having already quit her career as a middle-school Latin teacher when she became a mom, Howell transitioned into freelance writing and eventually launched March Lion Media, a social media management firm. She also works at her sister's two companies, so the collaboration between the pair came naturally.
“We are the first registry and resource guide for navigating life changes,” beams Howell. “We believe in celebrating being brave and making hard decisions. On Fresh Starts, you can make a registry of the items you need for your new life, as well as find your hype-team of support with our vetted experts. Fresh Starts is always free for anyone to build a registry and access/contact the experts! We have so many amazing experts that run the gamut from divorce lawyer to business coaches, hair stylists, Reiki healers, astrologers, life coaches, parent coaches, yoga teachers, Realtors, and more. Going through any life change takes a hype-team, and we know how overwhelming it is to search Google when you're going through a major change, so we wanted to ease the stress for people and provide amazing experts for them.”
Something as simple as a new toothbrush holder, Howell points out, can help you see your brave new life before your eyes. “And when you make the little decisions, it helps you snowball the confidence to make the bigger decisions you may have to make later on.”
Since starting Fresh Starts, Howell has begun business and life coaching to further help people one-on-one through whatever they are facing. She also has plans for a podcast. She’s open to new opportunities (anyone at Ted Talks reading this?) and also new love (potential suiters can try to woo her by bringing her iced coffee with lots of ice, cream, and sugar).
For all those going through something major or unexpected in life, Howell wants you to remember, “There was a time, not so long ago, that I was a depressed, burnt-out mother, crying on the kitchen floor, praying for change … and change came. If I can start fresh in my life, anyone can. I truly never want anyone to feel alone in their journey, because as long as you know someone is by your side, you know you'll get through it together.”
