A Toolkit For Healing and Hope After Divorce
For many, divorce marks the end of a relationship, but for sisters Olivia Howell and Genevieve “Jenny” Driesen, it was the beginning of something transformative. Drawing from their own life-altering separations, they founded the Fresh Starts Registry, a platform designed to empower people to rebuild after the end of a marriage. What began as a personal journey for survival became a full-scale support system offering resources, emotional validation, and tangible help for others navigating similar paths. Their story is one of resilience, sisterhood, and the radical belief that fresh starts are sacred, not shameful.
The psychology of new beginnings highlights how leaving behind toxic dynamics creates space for growth and reinvention. Olivia and Jenny’s process addresses the loneliness and confusion that often follow separation, and how they transformed those difficult emotions into a roadmap for others. They share the tangible and emotional needs that arise during divorce, from needing a new mattress to reclaiming a sense of identity. This underscores how emotional wellness is intimately connected to physical environments, daily rituals, and feeling safe in your own space.
Fresh Starts Registry isn’t just a clever idea, it’s a cultural shift. The founders’ backgrounds in marketing and social media gave them a platform to launch this pioneering concept, but it’s their authenticity and intentionality that resonated with tens of thousands. They identified a real pain point: the lack of accessible, shame-free resources for women during and after divorce. Through curated Amazon registries, trauma-informed expert directories, and free eBooks, they’ve created a truly holistic toolkit for healing and hope.
At its heart, this episode is about liberation through reinvention. Whether it’s Olivia creating emotional distance from a “silent divorce” or Jenny realizing a 10-year engagement was keeping her small, their stories reveal the power of letting go and the courage it takes to walk away not just for survival, but for joy. Through laughter, tears, and poetic reconnections (literally!), they prove that reinvention is possible at any stage and that it’s okay to want beautiful towels along the way.
Meet the Experts
Olivia Howell and Genevieve “Jenny” Driesen are the co-founders of Fresh Starts Registry, the first-ever gift registry platform designed to support individuals navigating divorce, separation, and other major life pivots. With deep experience in social media marketing and a commitment to trauma-informed practices, these sisters have turned personal adversity into public empowerment.
Olivia, a former educator and marketing agency founder, is also a certified divorce coach. Jenny brings operational strategy and creative storytelling to the brand, along with her own lived experience of ending a decade-long relationship. Their combined voices resonate deeply with women seeking clarity, dignity, and support in life after divorce.
The Big Idea
Divorce isn’t just an ending, it’s a radical opportunity for rebirth. Olivia and Jenny challenge the toxic narratives around divorce and redefine it as a courageous, empowered choice. Their work highlights how fresh starts—whether emotional, material, or relational—can be life-affirming when supported by community, intention, and tools tailored to the journey. By creating the Fresh Starts Registry, they’ve built a scalable system for helping people move from “fine” to flourishing, with both practicality and soul.
Key Takeaways
- Fresh starts require tangible support: Sheets, pillows, and forks may seem trivial, but for someone rebuilding their life, they’re essential symbols of independence and renewal.
- Your environment affects your healing: Olivia and Jenny emphasize how physical spaces—especially those shared with former partners—can prolong emotional pain. New environments can catalyze emotional transformation.
- The stigma around divorce must end: Silence, shame, and secrecy hurt more than help. Open conversations and tools like the Fresh Starts Registry break cycles of isolation.
- You don’t have to be a divorce expert to support someone going through it: Sometimes, being a sister, a friend, or just a kind stranger with a thoughtful resource is enough.
- Timing is everything in relationships: Jenny’s love story, which took over a decade to unfold, is a testament to trusting life’s timing—even when it seems irrational on paper.
Tools, Strategies, or Frameworks Mentioned
- Fresh Starts Registry: A digital platform where people rebuilding post-divorce can create Amazon registries for essential household items and connect with vetted, trauma-informed experts across legal, mental health, and financial fields.
- Free Divorce Resources: Including eBooks, checklists, and Olivia’s free 15-minute divorce consult calls to help individuals navigate next steps without overwhelm.
- Expert Community Membership: A tiered membership model where vetted professionals can access SEO profiles, press support, and a community for referrals and growth.
- Social Media Content Strategy: Olivia’s intentional Instagram threads offer digestible, relatable guidance for those in every stage of separation.
Final Thoughts
“It’s our responsibility to go make our lives great now.”
Fresh Starts isn’t just a brand—it’s a belief system. Olivia and Jenny prove that with the right mindset and resources, what looks like an ending can actually be your most powerful beginning. Their journey reminds us that healing isn’t linear, but it can be intentional, beautiful, and community-powered. Whether you’re facing divorce, navigating grief, or just craving something new, remember: you’re not starting over, you’re starting forward.
Full Transcript
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