A Fresh Story

Some Fridays feel like a finish line. And some Fridays feel like the moment you realize you’ve been running the whole time—quietly, bravely, on fumes and faith—while the world keeps asking you to prove it counts. In this cozy, funny, unexpectedly tender weekly wrap-up, sisters Olivia Howell and Jenny Dreizen start with the kind of behind-the-scenes chaos that is modern life and somehow end up in the deep end of what it really means to rebuild yourself.

Because the conversation turns, as it always does, toward the stories we’ve been told—and the ones people use to control us. Olivia opens up about the unnerving experience of “dream logic” being used as manipulation: how someone can cloak pressure in spirituality, how narrative-weaving becomes a weapon, and how hard it is to name what happened when it didn’t look like the usual kind of harm. Jenny calls it what it is: a form of spiritual abuse. And in that naming, there’s a small, steady permission slip: if your inner world was used against you, you’re not “dramatic.” You’re awake.

From there, it’s the grounding stuff—the holy stuff, honestly: making an office feel like yours again, building tiny miniatures because your nervous system needs something gentle to hold onto, swimming because you remember your body is allowed to belong to you. Olivia shares a moment that will hit every working mom (and every entrepreneur) right in the chest: her kids asking when she’ll get a “real job,” as if building a company, holding dozens of divorce support consults, and keeping an entire community of people afloat is somehow… imaginary. The takeaway lands like a hand on your back: rebuilding isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s wallpaper and a calendar and a deep breath between calls—proof that your life is still yours, and you’re still becoming.

In this Simple Tips to Support Yourself episode of A Fresh Story, host Olivia Howell is joined by therapist and author Oona Metz to offer clear, practical guidance on one of the most difficult parts of divorce: talking to your kids when your co-parent refuses, avoids the conversation, or isn’t emotionally available. With nearly 30 years of clinical experience and more than 15 years leading divorce support groups for women, Oona brings calm, child-centered expertise to a moment that often feels overwhelming for parents.

Oona breaks down actionable co-parenting strategies for navigating this conversation solo, including how to explain divorce in age-appropriate language, how much information is enough, and how to answer hard questions without blaming or oversharing. She explains why children don’t need perfect wording—they need emotional consistency, honesty, and reassurance—and how one regulated parent can create stability even in high-conflict or uncooperative co-parenting situations. These divorce recovery tips are especially helpful for single parents carrying the emotional labor of the transition.

The episode also draws from Oona’s book, Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women, which focuses on the emotional realities of divorce rather than legal logistics. Listeners will leave with increased emotional resilience, practical scripts, and a key mindset shift: you don’t need agreement from your ex to protect your children’s emotional wellbeing. Presence, clarity, and care are enough.

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh, Olivia Howell explores the idea that protecting your energy is a necessary and compassionate practice — not a selfish one. As part of a daily morning ritual, this reflection invites listeners to reconsider boundaries, rest, and capacity through a lens of self-respect rather than guilt.

This episode supports emotional wellness, burnout prevention, and healthier boundaries by encouraging listeners to honor their limits without over-explaining or apologizing. Olivia reframes energy management as an act of honesty and sustainability, helping listeners start the day feeling more grounded and supported.

Wake Up Fresh with Olivia & Jenny is a daily motivational podcast designed to help listeners begin each morning with clarity, self-trust, and compassion. New episodes release daily throughout January, alternating between Olivia Howell and Jenny Dreizen.

In this Simple Tips to Support Yourself episode of A Fresh Story, host Olivia Howell is joined by therapist and Fresh Starts Expert Oona Metz to break down one of the most universal—and misunderstood—experiences of divorce and major life transitions: healing a broken heart. With nearly 30 years of clinical experience and more than 15 years leading divorce support groups for women, Oona brings clear, grounded, therapist-backed insight into what heartbreak actually does to the nervous system, emotions, and sense of identity.

Oona shares practical, accessible strategies for divorce recovery and emotional resilience, including why heartbreak often comes in waves, how grief and relief can coexist, and what helps people move forward without rushing the healing process. Listeners will learn simple but powerful tools for emotional regulation, boundary-setting, self-compassion, and rebuilding trust in themselves—especially relevant for those navigating co-parenting, single parenting, or starting over after divorce. These tips are designed to be realistic, repeatable, and supportive during moments when emotions feel overwhelming.

The episode also highlights Oona’s forthcoming book, Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women, which focuses entirely on the emotional journey of divorce—from heartbreak and identity loss to healing and renewal. Whether you’re in the early stages of separation or years into post-divorce recovery, this episode offers clear guidance and reassurance: a broken heart doesn’t mean you’re broken—and with the right support, healing is possible.

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh, Jenny explores the permission to change your mind without guilt or over-explaining. As part of a daily morning ritual, this reflection supports listeners in honoring evolving needs and trusting themselves as circumstances change.

Designed for anyone navigating boundaries, decision fatigue, or people-pleasing, this episode reframes changing your mind as a sign of self-awareness rather than inconsistency. Jenny encourages calm, respectful adjustments that build self-trust and emotional steadiness.

Wake Up Fresh with Olivia & Jenny is a daily motivational podcast focused on emotional wellness, boundaries, and beginning each morning with clarity and confidence. New episodes release daily throughout January, alternating between Olivia Howell and Jenny Dreizen.

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh, Olivia Howell offers a compassionate reminder that personal worth is not defined by productivity. As part of a daily morning ritual, this reflection encourages listeners to release hustle culture expectations and reconnect with their inherent value — even on days when energy is low or rest is needed.

This episode supports emotional wellness, burnout recovery, and a healthier relationship with productivity. Olivia reframes rest, healing, and quiet internal work as meaningful and valid, reminding listeners that they do not need to earn their worth through output.

Wake Up Fresh with Olivia & Jenny is a daily motivational podcast designed to help listeners start their mornings with clarity, self-trust, and compassion. New episodes release daily throughout January, alternating between Olivia Howell and Jenny Dreizen.

There’s a moment in the middle of the night, when the house is quiet and the questions feel loud, that this conversation begins. In this A Fresh Story: Book Talk episode, Olivia Howell sits down with therapist and Fresh Starts Expert Oona Metz, whose new book Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women was written for exactly that moment—when you need proof that someone else has been here, survived it, and is willing to sit beside you while you figure out what comes next. Oona doesn’t speak from theory alone. She speaks as a woman who has lived through divorce herself—twice—and spent decades walking alongside hundreds of women as they untangled their lives, identities, and hearts.

Unhitched is not a how-to manual or a checklist. It’s a companion. The book gently guides readers from the earliest whispers of “Should I stay?” through the practical and emotional realities of telling people, supporting children, navigating grief, setting boundaries, and rebuilding a sense of self. Oona weaves clinical insight with deeply human language, making space for the messiness—the simultaneous relief and devastation, the shame that lingers quietly, the identity shift that no one prepares you for. In this conversation, she shares how years of running divorce support groups planted the seeds for the book, and why she felt compelled to write something that centered the emotional journey of divorce—something that didn’t exist when she needed it most.

What makes this episode especially powerful is Oona’s vulnerability. Writing Unhitched required her to confront the shame she still carried as a therapist who had been divorced twice—and to model the very honesty she invites readers into. Together, Olivia and Oona talk about divorce as a life transition we don’t culturally prepare for, the quiet courage it takes to reach for help, and the healing power of knowing you’re not alone. This episode—and this book—are for anyone standing at the edge of a life change, wondering if it’s okay to open the door. You don’t have to walk through it yet. You just have to know there’s someone waiting on the other side.

GRAB UNHITCHED HERE: https://amzn.to/4pBQvG9

🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry:

The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry

🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/

📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh, Jenny explores the difference between being nice and being clear. As part of a daily morning ritual, this reflection encourages listeners to practice honest communication without guilt or over-softening.

Designed for anyone navigating boundaries, people-pleasing, or difficult conversations, this episode reframes clarity as a form of kindness. Jenny supports listeners in building trust, reducing misunderstandings, and starting the day with grounded, respectful self-expression.

Wake Up Fresh with Olivia & Jenny is a daily motivational podcast focused on emotional wellness, boundaries, and beginning each morning with clarity and confidence. New episodes release daily throughout January, alternating between Olivia Howell and Jenny Dreizen.

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh, Olivia Howell reframes uncertainty as a meaningful and necessary part of personal growth. Rather than treating not knowing as failure, this daily morning reflection invites listeners to see uncertainty as a sign of listening, recalibration, and self-trust.

Designed as part of a short daily ritual, this episode supports emotional wellness, intuitive decision-making, and patience during periods of transition. Olivia offers reassurance for anyone feeling unsure about next steps, reminding listeners that clarity often arrives after — not before — a pause.

Wake Up Fresh with Olivia & Jenny is a daily motivational podcast focused on helping listeners start their mornings with compassion, clarity, and emotional steadiness. New episodes release daily throughout January, alternating between Olivia Howell and Jenny Dreizen.

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh, Jenny explores emotional responsibility and the difference between kindness and over-functioning for others’ feelings. As part of a daily morning ritual, this reflection supports listeners in setting boundaries without guilt or self-blame.

Designed for anyone who struggles with people-pleasing or emotional over-responsibility, this episode helps listeners practice respectful communication while releasing the pressure to manage others’ reactions. Jenny offers reassurance that honesty and compassion can coexist.

Wake Up Fresh with Olivia & Jenny is a daily motivational podcast focused on emotional wellness, boundaries, and beginning each day with clarity and self-trust. New episodes release daily throughout January, alternating between Olivia Howell and Jenny Dreizen.