We’re looking forward to introducing you to Olivia Howell. Check out our conversation below.
Olivia, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
When I find myself getting too frustrated with work, the news, or just the general chaos of the world, I always go back to watercoloring. I’m not a trained artist by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s something deeply grounding about it for me. The way the colors interact, the soft edges where they bleed together, the moments where they surprise you—is pure magic. There’s this little thrill in dipping my brush into water and pigment and watching a color appear that has never existed before, right there on the paper in front of me. It feels a bit mystical, like I’m collaborating with something beyond myself.
I tend to stick to abstract pieces: soft washes of color, layered textures, sometimes little patterns, and I especially love making bookmarks or tiny pieces of watercolor art that I can pop in the mail to friends. It’s my way of saying “I love you” without needing a reason. A little moment of beauty sent out into the world. Watercoloring reminds me that not everything has to have a strategic purpose or a measurable outcome, sometimes it’s enough to just play with color and let something beautiful happen.
When I’m painting, I lose track of time in the best possible way. The clock disappears, my phone is nowhere in sight, and my brain quiets down enough for me to hear myself again. It’s a kind of coming home—returning to a slower rhythm, a softer focus, a space where I’m not CEO or mom or daughter or any other role. I’m just a person moving color across paper, watching shapes appear and dissolve. And in that process, I’m reminded that there’s still wonder to be found in this world, that creation for its own sake is worth protecting, and that sometimes the best way to find yourself is to let yourself simply be.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Olivia Howell, co-founder and CEO of Fresh Starts Registry—the world’s first divorce registry platform and a full support platform for people navigating divorce and fresh starts. The idea came to me in November 2019, a few months after my spouse moved out. I was sitting on the floor of my bedroom, looking around at what was left—and what wasn’t. My ex had taken his instruments, recording gear, furniture, books, even the coffee table. What remained felt hollow, like a snapshot of a life that no longer fit. I had stayed in the marital home, but it was now full of ghosts. I remember thinking: we have registries for weddings and babies…why not for divorce? It sounds simple, but that one question lit something in me. We celebrate people when they get married, when they have babies, when they move in together. But when someone makes the often gut-wrenching, brave choice to leave a marriage and start over? Silence. Awkwardness. Maybe a wine night or a “you got this” text—but not the kind of real, tangible, community-backed support you actually need. I didn’t want pity. I wanted a fresh start.
When I shared the idea with my sister Jenny—who was then engaged—she understood it instantly. A year later, when she ended her own engagement and had to rebuild from scratch, the need became even clearer. I had stayed in the home with missing pieces; she was starting over with nothing but her suitcase and her courage. That’s when we decided to build this for real. Today, Fresh Starts Registry is more than a registry—it’s a full ecosystem of support. We offer a private, free registry platform where you can list the things you truly need as you rebuild; a vetted expert directory filled with compassionate professionals like therapists, lawyers, coaches, and real estate agents; and free education, consultations, and resources that meet you exactly where you are—whether you’re just starting to consider divorce or are deep in the process. We don’t collect user data—your privacy and safety are non-negotiable—and everything we know comes from Amazon affiliate insights and, more importantly, from the stories thousands of people have shared with us.
Right now, we’re working on expanding our library of free resources. We already have three free ebooks in our Divorce Guidebook series, with more on the way, and we’re committed to making sure no one has to navigate this alone. Our mission is simple: to normalize asking for help, to remove the stigma from starting over, and to say loudly and clearly—divorce is not a failure. You are never too late for a fresh start. We created what we needed, and we’re here to make sure you have the tools, the community, and the courage to create what’s next!
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I grew up in a family of divorce. My parents divorced when I was 10, and all of my grandparents were divorced too. It was the backdrop of my childhood! Holidays split between houses, family dynamics constantly shifting, and an early understanding that relationships don’t always last forever. Because of that, I thought I knew what divorce meant. I thought I understood the logistics, the emotions, the way it reshapes your life.
But when I went through my own divorce, I realized just how wrong I was. Every divorce is different—every heartbreak, every set of circumstances, every layer of grief and relief. I remember sitting in my lawyer’s office, answering questions that completely threw me off guard. I was emotional, overwhelmed, and caught between trying to keep it together and feeling like my life had just been tipped upside down. Even with my background—someone who had seen divorce up close for years—I felt isolated, scared, and completely unsure of what came next.
That was the moment something shifted for me. I realized that if I, someone who thought I “knew” divorce, could still feel so lost and unsupported, then the system wasn’t working for anyone. There had to be a better way—a way to make people feel less alone, to offer them real tools, real guidance, and tangible help during one of the hardest seasons of their life. That’s where the idea for Fresh Starts Registry began to take shape: a place to rebuild not just your home, but your heart and your sense of self, with both practical resources and a community that understands. That moment in the lawyer’s office didn’t just change how I saw my own divorce—it shaped how I see the world. We have to do better for people starting over, and I’ve been working toward that ever since.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Strangely enough, my biggest fear is my fear of success. I’ve worked so hard to cultivate a peaceful, joyful life for my sons and myself, and when I think about being incredibly successful on a large scale, I get afraid that it will mean other people controlling my time and dictating what I do with it. The thought of not being there for my kids when they need me most feels unbearable, so I sometimes find myself hesitating to dream too big. I’ve built my life so intentionally after divorce, and I never want to lose that freedom and presence with them.
I work on this a lot with my own healers and therapists—reminding myself that I have agency over my life, that I get to decide where I go, what I do, and who has access to me. Still, the thing that holds me back most from chasing my biggest goals is the worry about how the world will perceive me as a single mom who is very successful and balancing both parenthood and my business. I never want my kids to feel like they come second. But what I’ve come to realize—and keep reminding myself of—is that my success is their success. Every win I achieve is a win for our family. We’re in this together, and showing them what’s possible is one of the most important lessons I can give them.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely! The public me is the real me. I’ve realized it’s far too exhausting and counterproductive to be anything other than authentic, especially when my work is about helping people through some of the hardest moments of their lives. I’ve fully leaned into being exactly who I am: someone with a big heart, a deep ability to see what people need, and a gift for connecting them with the resources, experts, and encouragement that can help them move forward. In so many ways, I feel like the big sister of the world—someone people can turn to for guidance, support, and honesty without judgment.
I believe authenticity and vulnerability are how we truly connect with one another. They’re how we share our stories, de-stigmatize life changes like divorce, and take away the shame that too often isolates people when they need connection the most. What you see is exactly what you get with me—there’s no façade, no separate version behind the scenes. And I’m proud of that. I’m proud of the person I am, the work I do, and the trust people place in me because they know I’m showing up as my real self every single time.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I think what I’ve come to understand—deeply, and in a way that’s different from many people—is emotional and psychological abuse. I’m not a therapist, a psychologist, or a psychiatrist. I’m someone who has lived through it. I know what it looks like when it’s happening in real time, and more importantly, I know how it feels—that slow, almost invisible erosion of your self-worth, the way it works in silence, the way it convinces you to doubt your own reality. Emotional abuse doesn’t leave visible scars, but it rewires how you see yourself and the world.
When I write about it, I’ve found my words resonate with people in a deeply personal way. I’ve had countless messages and comments from people telling me, “This is the first time I’ve ever seen my thoughts put into words,” or “This is exactly what I’ve been feeling in my body, but I didn’t know how to explain it.” Those moments remind me that sharing these experiences isn’t just about telling my own story—it’s about helping others recognize theirs. Sometimes, just seeing it written down is the first step toward understanding that what they’ve been living through isn’t normal, isn’t healthy, and isn’t their fault.
I also understand trauma and rebuilding in a way that you can only grasp when you’ve lived it. I know how painstakingly slow the process is, how it can feel like you’re taking one step forward and two steps back. I know how hard it is to speak up for yourself when your voice has been erased for years. And that’s exactly why I do the work I do—why I write about it so openly—because I want people to feel less alone in those moments. If my words can be a mirror that shows someone they’re not imagining it, or a hand reaching out to say, “You can get through this,” then that’s exactly where I want to keep showing up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviahowell/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviadreizenhowell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliviadreizenhowell
- Other: https://www.threads.com/@oliviahowell
Image Credits
Terrie Alfieri Photography
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