A Fresh Story

What if the very word "mother" has been quietly shrinking you your whole life — not because you didn't love being one, but because no one ever told you that you were allowed to be more than one? That's the question at the heart of this week's conversation on A Fresh Story: Book Talk, and it's the kind of question that lingers long after you've set down the book that asked it. Dr. Gertrude Lyons is...

There's a particular kind of exhaustion that comes when your life is being dismantled — not by accident, but by necessity. When Heather Quick walks into a courtroom, she carries with her more than case files and legal strategy. She carries two-plus decades of watching women rebuild from the inside out — women who walked in terrified and walked out, eventually, transformed. A 26-year family law att...

Some of us learned very early that love could be unpredictable. That the sound of a car pulling into the driveway meant something different in our house. That being the last kid picked up from school wasn't just inconvenient—it was a whole education in holding your breath. Cassidy Gard, debut memoirist and former television producer, grew up being that kid: hyperaware, fiercely observant, and alre...

There are moments that crack something open in you — moments you can't unhear, can't unsee, can't unfeel. For Lori Sugarman Lee, that moment came across a desk from an insurance agent who looked at her years of raising children, moving her family across continents, building communities from scratch, and sustaining a household with fierce devotion — and said, simply, "You're just a housewife. There...

In this episode of A Fresh Story: Simple Tips to Support Yourself, host Olivia Howell sits down with Meredith Beardmore — therapist, author, and YouTuber — whose entire practice is dedicated to helping women navigate the painful and often overlooked experience of loving someone with an addiction. With both professional expertise and personal lived experience, Meredith brings rare authority to a to...

Some people lose their footing early. For Jacque Gorelick, that unmooring came at eight years old, the morning her mother died. What followed was a childhood she describes as a snow globe someone had shaken and never set down — chaotic, rootless, and full of grief she didn't yet have words for. But grief has a way of waiting for us. And Jacque's memoir, Map of a Heart: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and...

There is a specific kind of ache that comes from looking at your daughter and seeing yourself — not the version of yourself you've carefully curated, but the girl you tried to leave behind. That's where Melissa Fraterrigo's memoir begins: standing in a doorway, watching her twin daughters navigate the turbulent terrain of adolescence, and recognizing in their self-doubt, their body shame, their qu...

There are stories you follow for so long that they weave themselves into your own becoming. This episode is one of them. From the opening minutes, Matt Logelin brings us back to the moment his life split in two—when joy and devastation arrived within hours of each other. He describes, with rare honesty, the day he became both a brand-new father and a widower at thirty, the surreal blur of hospital...

When Elizabeth Wilson decided to start a family, she knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy—but she never imagined how much it would ask of her heart, her body, and her marriage. As a lesbian woman navigating a system built for heteronormative couples, she encountered outdated forms, unnecessary counseling requirements, and a fertility process that felt more clinical than compassionate. But with gri...

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh , Olivia Howell reframes emotional safety as a meaningful and worthy goal. Rather than equating growth with constant discomfort, this daily morning reflection encourages listeners to honor their need for steadiness, calm, and nervous system support. As part of a daily ritual focused on emotional wellness and self-trust, this episode supports anyone feeling pressure...

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh , Jenny explores the idea that boundaries don’t always arrive loudly or dramatically. As part of a daily morning ritual, this reflection encourages listeners to trust subtle signals of hesitation and honor quiet no’s before they turn into burnout or resentment. Designed for anyone learning to trust themselves more deeply, this episode supports emotional awareness,...

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh , Olivia Howell offers reassurance for anyone who feels pressure to move faster or accomplish more. This daily morning reflection reframes slowness as a valid and often necessary form of progress, supporting a more sustainable approach to personal growth. As part of a daily ritual focused on emotional wellness and self-trust, this episode encourages listeners to re...

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh , Jenny explores the emotional reality of change within relationships. As part of a daily morning ritual, this reflection reassures listeners that growth can require adjustment — both internally and externally. Designed for anyone navigating new boundaries or personal growth, this episode supports emotional steadiness by reminding listeners that others may need tim...

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh , Jenny explores the habit of emotional over-functioning and the pressure to hold everything together. As part of a daily morning ritual, this reflection encourages listeners to release responsibility that doesn’t belong solely to them. Designed for anyone who feels like the organizer, fixer, or emotional anchor in their relationships, this episode supports healthi...

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh , Olivia Howell reframes the nervous system as a source of support rather than something to control or fix. As part of a daily morning ritual, this reflection encourages listeners to approach their bodies with curiosity and compassion, especially during moments of stress, anxiety, or emotional fatigue. This episode supports emotional wellness, nervous system awaren...

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 divorc...

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 t...

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 bo...

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 cle...

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...

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...

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, s...

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 liste...

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-makin...

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 practic...