A Fresh Story

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 As a lesbian woman navigating a system built for heteronormative couples, she encountered outdated forms, unnecessary counseling requirements, and a fertility process that felt more clinical than compassionate.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...

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh , Olivia Howell explores the idea of relief as a powerful and often overlooked source of self-trust. Rather than chasing constant motivation or intensity, this daily morning reflection invites listeners to pay attention to moments of ease and calm as meaningful signals from the body. As part of a short daily ritual, this episode supports emotional wellness, intuiti...

Some mornings you sit down to be productive—and instead you end up at the top of the stairs, Notes app open, heart racing, because someone on the internet just called divorce a “chaotic lifestyle” like it’s a punchline. That’s where this Friday wrap-up begins: with chocolate, a million deadlines, and Olivia Howell getting hijacked by the familiar feeling of having to say the truth out loud —not po...

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh , Jenny offers a calming reframe for everyday discomfort. As part of a daily morning ritual, this reflection encourages listeners to differentiate between genuine danger and normal emotional unease — especially in moments of boundary-setting or growth. This episode supports emotional regulation, self-trust, and healthier communication by reminding listeners that di...

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh , Olivia Howell invites listeners to begin the day with self-compassion by arriving in their lives without judgment. Rather than turning every feeling or moment into something to analyze or fix, this reflection encourages simple awareness and emotional gentleness. As part of a daily morning ritual, this episode supports mindfulness, emotional wellness, and a more c...

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh , Jenny explores the difference between being easy and being kind. As part of a daily morning ritual, this reflection encourages listeners to examine where people-pleasing may be costing them clarity, energy, or self-respect. This episode is designed for anyone who has learned to prioritize harmony over honesty. Jenny reframes kindness as something that includes th...

In this episode of Wake Up Fresh , Olivia Howell offers compassionate reassurance for anyone who feels behind in life, especially at the start of a new year. Rather than pushing productivity or comparison, this short daily reflection invites listeners to release unrealistic timelines and honor the pace their real lives require. As part of a daily morning ritual, this episode supports emotional wel...