When Olivia March Dreizen Howell went through a divorce in 2019, she found herself faced with an empty house. Not emotionally empty, but empty of the tools she needed for everyday life. After her partner took half the home’s contents and she donated anything with a wedding monogram or sentimental attachment, Howell found she needed things like sheets, towels, and cookware to start her new chapter. 

Years later, when Howell’s sister Genevieve “Jenny” Dreizen had a similar experience, this feeling of being overwhelmed and empty inspired the duo to launch Fresh Starts Registry

We’ve all heard of a baby shower registry or a wedding registry. Fresh Starts Registry is the support system for all of the other events in life, from divorce to buying your first home. The world has changed and newlyweds and new parents aren’t the only people who deserve support. 

“We have people who tell us that they make a registry because they came out, they’re transitioning, they are widows, a lot of job loss, job change,” says Howell. “The items on the registry, we don’t call them gifts, we call them support. They are physical manifestations of the support you can give people.”

Users can create a registry through Amazon that hides their address, but still allows friends and family to help build a new life. If you’re not in a mental position to assemble a registry, Fresh Starts Registry has several template options at a range of price points that include starter kits for new homes, children’s rooms, and other essentials, with no mental energy required.

The platform isn’t just a registry; it’s also an emotional and logistical support system. There’s a free list of resources for everything from lawyers and therapists to email scripts for starting hard conversations like “what to say to your friend who was recently laid off” and “what to say to your friend who was cheated on.”

“I get probably on average, about two to four DMS a day from women who are going through a divorce who needs support,” says Howell. She refers them to the Fresh Starts comprehensive Divorce Guide, which includes questions to ask your estate planner, divorce lawyer, realtor, mortgage lender, and many others.

The site also offers a catalog of experts who can support you during challenging life moments. Howell and Dreizen don’t make money off people in crisis; their revenue model is focused on providing marketing and PR services to these experts who pay a membership fee to have their organizations included on Fresh Starts Registry.

The business doesn’t collect user data, so everything Howell and Dreizen know about their users comes from stories shared. From those conversations they estimate their user base is predominantly millennial and Gen X women in their 30s and 40s, figuring out what their next step looks like. 

Fresh Starts Registry gives its users structure and a starting point during major life events and shows friends and family how to be supportive in an impactful way, beyond the standard condolence or congratulations card and bottle of wine. 

“It makes you feel like you’re walking around in a hug,” says Dreizen. “So much of what we do at Fresh Starts is about encouraging people to ask for what they want, and ask for what they need. And then encouraging supporters to meet them where they are.”

Sidebar:

We asked Jenny and Olivia, who have busy lives… How Do You Exhale

Genevieve “Jenny” Dreizen: “I tend to go through phases with hobbies. For two months, I will be reading a book every three days, and then I’ll switch to embroidery for a few months. I try to find a hobby that keeps me off my computer and, better yet, off screens entirely.”

Olivia March Dreizen Howell: “I love to listen to subliminal audios and hypnosis recordings to fall asleep. I try to take daily walks outside and listen to music. I’m a crafty person at heart, and I love to collage and watercolor – I make postcards and bookmarks for friends, and it fills me up.”