Using Fresh Starts
Fresh Starts is free for anyone navigating divorce — we will never charge people to access support, resources, or our network of vetted professionals. Instead, our revenue comes from a few different streams that allow us to keep the platform sustainable:
Expert Guide memberships — Experts pay a membership fee not just to be listed and referred, but also to access benefits like business coaching, PR opportunities, networking, workshops, and ongoing community support.
Workshops + coaching — We occasionally host professional-focused workshops, public-facing virtual retreats, and small group masterminds on topics like podcasting and self-publishing books. We also offer hourly business consulting and podcast coaching for professionals who want personalized support.
Affiliate income — When registries are created through Amazon, we receive about 1% affiliate commission on purchased items. This never changes the cost for buyers.
Merch + books — We sell Fresh Starts merchandise (like T-shirts, tote bags, and mugs, all designed by Jenny) as well as print copies of our books.
Sponsored media & partnerships — We offer sponsored posts, sponsored newsletters, newsletter ads, and paid partnerships with aligned brands, products, and services. If you’re interested, email hi@freshstartsregistry.com.
All of this together allows us to keep the platform 100% free for individuals navigating divorce, while offering high-value opportunities for professionals and the broader Fresh Starts community.
No — Fresh Starts isn’t a charity. We’re a support platform dedicated to helping people navigate divorce and other life transitions with ease and care. Our registry works just like a wedding or baby registry, giving your friends, family, and community a simple way to show up for you. Our resources, Divorce Resource Consults, educational content, ePubs, PDFs and Expert Network is always free with no paywall. And while we’re not a charity, we are deeply committed to making sure people going through divorce never have to pay to access resources, vetted professionals, or our support network — because we believe guidance and access should always be free when you’re starting over.
Fresh Starts doesn’t purchase everything on your registry — the support comes from your friends, family, and community, who can choose items to gift you directly, just like with a wedding or baby registry. We encourage you to create a registry because it’s not just about “things,” it’s about giving the people who love you an easy way to show up and support you during a big life transition. To make it simple, we even provide scripts you can use to share your registry with your people. And of course, there’s always a little magic in the mix: if you submit your registry to the Registry Fairy, she just might surprise you by buying something off your list. 💫
The items on your registry are purchased by your friends, family, and community — the people who want to show up for you. We encourage creating a registry because it gives your loved ones a clear, tangible way to support you during a big transition. To make it even easier, we provide ready-to-use scripts you can share when sending your registry to your people, so asking for help feels less overwhelming and more empowering.
A Fresh Starts Expert is a vetted professional listed in the Fresh Starts Expert Guide—our trusted directory of divorce and family support providers. Experts include therapists, coaches, lawyers, financial advisors, real estate agents, organizers, and more, all dedicated to helping people navigate major life transitions with compassion and clarity.
People come to Fresh Starts Registry looking for support as they go through divorce, breakups, or fresh starts of any kind. They browse our site to find free resources, build their divorce registries, and—most importantly—connect directly with professionals they can trust. Each Expert has a dedicated profile page where visitors can learn more, get in touch, and access support with just a click.
As a Fresh Starts Expert, you’re not just listed—you’re part of the premier divorce support network. We refer our experts daily, and with 40K+ monthly page views and over 20 million social media views a month, your work gets seen by people actively seeking help.
Yes — we host free and paid workshops, virtual meetups, and community events led by experts. Keep an eye on our calendar or newsletter for upcoming sessions you can join.
No! Fresh Starts is for anyone going through a life transition, regardless of gender. Our Experts and resources are inclusive and welcoming to all.
We don’t provide legal services directly, but our Expert Guide includes family law attorneys and legal coaches who can help you understand your rights and next steps.
You can browse and create a registry anonymously if you choose, and you’re in control of how much you share. When connecting with Experts, you’ll need to provide contact info, but that happens off of Fresh Starts we for your privacy we do not handle Expert communications or booking. Your privacy is always respected here.
Absolutely. Whether you’re leaving a job, moving to a new city, grieving a loss, or just turning a new page, Fresh Starts is designed to support all kinds of transitions — not just divorce.
A Divorce Resource Consult is a FREE, 15-minute call with our CEO, Olivia Howell, created to help you find the right support for wherever you are in your divorce journey—whether you’re just starting to think about it, actively going through it, or navigating life post-divorce. Olivia, a certified life coach, will listen to your unique situation and then follow up with a personalized email full of expert referrals and helpful resources. You don’t need to be on camera, it’s completely confidential, and there are absolutely no strings attached. It’s a safe, supportive space—and it’s totally free.
You don’t have to navigate this alone — we’ll guide you step by step.
We personally review every expert application (no auto-approvals!) and look for three big things: relevant training, real-world experience, and very responsible, trauma-informed positioning. We also weigh ethics and inclusivity just as heavily as credentials, and because we’re a true community—not just a directory—we get to know our experts over time through ongoing conversations, events, and collaborations.
This answer is kind of long — read more.
Becoming & Being An Expert
There might be other websites out there to list yourself as a divorce professional- but I promise you there is nothing else like Fresh Starts. We are mission driven, completely bootstrapped and always looking to bring value to our Experts.
Fresh Starts was founded by sisters Olivia and Jenny. When Olivia went through her divorce she couldn’t find values-aligned, compassionate support, our platform was built from the ground up to meet people where they are: in the middle of a major life change, needing help they can trust.
Olivia and I are changing the narrative around divorce and divorce support and we've been everywhere from The New York Times to The Today Show.
Unlike traditional lawyer profile sites, we lead with connection. Our audience is emotionally invested, organically built, and over 10 billion strong across our platforms. We receive over 15x the web traffic of many popular lawyer recommendation websites—not because we chase clicks, but because people trust us to guide them toward kind, vetted professionals who truly get it.
Further my sister, the CEO, holds free divorce resource consults every day for people looking for divorce support. It's is vitally important to us that we never charge people navigating divorce for our expert guide, education or website resources.
For lawyers, this means being part of a trusted, mission-driven ecosystem where clients come not just looking for legal help—but looking for you. And because we’re referral-focused and community-driven, you’re not just joining a directory—you’re joining a team of therapists, coaches, and experts all working together to support people rebuilding their lives.
Additionally, our Premium Listing provides 6 hours of programing a week including 2 hours of hot seat coaching, guesting on our 3 top rated podcasts (including Divorce Happens which is consistently in the top 100 of divorce related podcasts globally) AND PR support. We've gotten our Experts into over 1,200 pieces of press.
We host events and co-working sessions on Zoom.
Once you submit your profile materials and complete your payment, your profile usually goes live within 1–3 business days. We’ll notify you as soon as you're up and running and ready to be discovered by the Fresh Starts community and beyond.
You don’t need a polished website to join, but you should have a professional offering and be aligned with Fresh Starts’ mission of supporting people through transitions. Credentials depend on your field — coaches, therapists, and other experts should have relevant training or experience.
Cohorts and workshops are typically included in Premium Expert Listing membership, and offered to Essential Expert Listing members at a discounted rate. Some community-wide events are open to all.
Fresh Starts has very strong SEO, so your profile is more likely to appear when people search for support during life transitions like divorce or starting over. Beyond organic search, people discover your profile through our website, social media features, newsletters, and regular media placements. Our CEO also holds daily meetings with individuals navigating divorce and personally sends them referrals from the Expert Guide — meaning your listing can be directly recommended to someone looking for your exact expertise. We’re constantly driving traffic and connections to help the right people find you.
Not at all! While participation isn’t required, we do find that attending events and showing up regularly is a powerful way to engage with the community and grow your business organically. It’s a chance to build genuine connections, share your expertise, and receive referrals. If you’re interested in community growth through networking, we highly recommend taking part — but we also understand that life gets busy, and you can still benefit from your listing even if you’re less active.
Yes! You can start with an Essential listing and upgrade to Premium at any time to unlock added visibility, podcast opportunities, and marketing support. Just reach out to experts@freshstartsregistry.com to upgrade!
If you’re a heart-centered, supportive professional who’s passionate about helping people during transitional moments like divorce, job changes, or fresh starts of any kind — you’ll feel right at home here.
The Expert Guide features a wide range of vetted professionals who support people through life transitions. This includes therapists, coaches, lawyers, financial advisors, organizers, stylists, real estate agents, matchmakers, doulas, nutritionists, and more — all with a shared mission of offering compassionate, empowering support.
Woohoo! We are so excited to have you on board. Here is what happens once you’ve paid:
You will now have access to the dashboard using the same login you use to pay and manage your account. This has all the information about schedules, scheduling, ways to participate, access to the video library, content library and more! The dashboard also has the Zoom link to the room we hang in for our weekly recurring events.
You will receive an email from Squarespace confirming your membership and payment.
We will review your profile details and information.
If we approve your listing your profile will go live in 1-3 business days.
We will send an email once your profile is live! If we have any questions or any information is missing we will note it in this email.
If you’ve joined the Premium Expert Listing Level:
Another email will come through with ways to get involved and get the ball rolling!
The first Sunday after your profile is live you will begin getting our weekly Expert email which outlines any special events through the week, new opportunities and more.
We can’t wait to see you and get to work with you! Please reach out with any other questions!
We offer two levels of membership to meet you where you are:
Essential Expert Listing – $25.00/month or $280.00/year
This includes a listing in the Fresh Starts Expert Guide, an SEO-optimized personalized profile, ability to host events with Fresh Starts, access to be published in Divorce Guide Magazine, priority access to cohorts, classes, and webinars, plus exclusive discounts on those offerings.
Premium Expert Listing – $55.00/month or $640.00/year
This includes everything in the Essential Listing plus full Community Membership benefits: weekly co-working and coaching sessions, podcast guesting, networking events, access to our content and video libraries, ability to host events with Fresh Starts, access to be published in Divorce Guide Magazine, the ability to publish articles, and have your events featured in our newsletter.
And don’t forget: write off the entire cost of membership as a legitimate business expense!
As Fresh Starts believes that a rising tide raises all ships, we have no plans at this time to cap membership or categories. We are firm believers in community and collaboration over competition. In an effort to prevent overwhelm for Freshies looking to connect with Experts we have made a commitment to thoroughly vet all incoming experts and maintain a curated experience.
We offer two membership options for Fresh Starts Experts, both designed to support your visibility and growth — but with different levels of access and engagement:
Essential Expert Listing is perfect if you’re looking for increased visibility without the time commitment of community events. You’ll be featured in the Fresh Starts Expert Guide with an SEO-optimized profile, expert-led workshops, networking events, plus receive priority access and exclusive discounts to our cohorts, classes, and webinars.
Premium Expert Listing includes everything in the Essential Listing, plus full access to our expert community. This means weekly co-working and coaching hours, podcast guesting, and access to our content and video libraries. You'll also have opportunities to publish articles and promote your events in our newsletter.
In short:
Essential = Visibility.
Premium = Visibility + Community + Growth.
The Fresh Starts platform receives 30,000+ views per month — that’s tens of thousands of individuals actively seeking support, education, and next steps during major life transitions. These are not passive impressions; they are people looking for guidance, clarity, and trusted professionals.
Our audience engages across multiple touchpoints — the expert directory, free resources, educational guides, events, social media, and our podcast network — creating layered visibility for our experts. With a combined social following of over 100K, over 17 million monthly social views, Fresh Starts operates as a visibility ecosystem, not a single landing page. And we bring that amplification to our Experts.
No — we’re not able to cancel memberships on your behalf. You can manage or cancel your membership anytime through your account settings. If you need help finding where to do that, we’re happy to walk you through the steps!
When you cancel your membership, your profile will be removed from the Fresh Starts Expert Guide immediately. The good news is, if you decide to return, you can reactivate at any time and your profile will be preserved. You’ll continue to have access to your dashboard until your membership end date, but community events and referrals will no longer be available to you.
Any podcast recordings you’ve scheduled will be cancelled, and if you have podcasts currently in production, they will not be pushed live. Any content you’ve contributed—any previously shared articles, events, freebies, groups, or classes—will remain published for now, but may be removed at any time after cancellation. Any co-branded or jointly run workshops will also be cancelled.
We don’t require a long-term membership commitment—but we highly encourage experts to plan to stay in the Expert Guide for at least 6 months. Building trust with our audience takes time, especially because many people going through life transitions need to see a familiar, consistent presence before they feel ready to reach out. Remaining in the guide for a longer period helps you establish credibility and gives people the chance to truly get to know you. While you’re free to come and go as needed, we’ve found that experts who stay longer tend to build stronger connections and receive more referrals.
At Fresh Starts, our mission is to support people through big life changes by connecting them with trusted experts who can truly make a difference. When experts leave the guide too quickly, it limits the visibility and trust-building that comes with consistency. Our audience is often navigating sensitive transitions like divorce, relocation, or career changes—they tend to return to the guide multiple times before reaching out for help. Staying in the guide over time ensures that potential clients see you as a reliable, stable presence, which builds trust and increases the likelihood that they’ll choose you when they’re ready.
It might take time for someone to feel ready to reach out—but that doesn’t mean they aren’t already being referred to you or quietly gathering the confidence to make contact. Just because the phone isn’t ringing yet doesn’t mean the process hasn’t already started. When you leave the guide too soon, the path someone is walking to get to you can get severed—right when they were almost there.
For privacy and safety reasons, we do not track or report individual link clicks on expert profiles. We understand that discretion and security are incredibly important, especially during vulnerable life transitions.
While we don’t track those specific metrics, we want to reassure you that our website receives an average of 60,000 visits per month, and our experts are featured throughout the entire site—including homepage highlights, blog content, and curated guides—giving you consistent visibility across the platform.
Your presence on Fresh Starts Registry matters, and we're here to support your work in a safe and respectful way.
When you're listed as an expert on Fresh Starts Registry, your profile is shared organically with our community through our content, events, and social media. Referrals also come through our CEO’s free divorce resource consults, where she sends a personalized email packed with expert recommendations after each session. That means clients will reach out to you directly if they feel you’re the right fit — you won’t receive a list of leads to contact. Referrals are built on trust and alignment, so they may take time, but they’re always intentional and meaningful.
Yes, you can cancel at any time or reach out to discuss pausing if your circumstances change. We’re here to support you through life’s transitions — no judgment. However, please note that if you’re on the legacy rate of $37 and choose to pause or cancel, you will need to pay the current rate of $55 to reactivate the same level of membership.
Yes! We offer monthly and annual payment options so you can choose what works best for your budget.
Yes — the Fresh Starts team is available via email at hi@freshstartsregistry.com!
Yes! We have both emerging and established experts in the community. Whether you're growing your presence or expanding your reach, there’s support, connection, and opportunity for every stage.
Yes! We have both emerging and established experts in the community. Whether you're growing your presence or expanding your reach, there’s support, connection, and opportunity for every stage.
Fresh Starts helps you grow by aligning your work with a trusted, values-driven brand that people turn to during life transitions. Your profile benefits from high-ranking SEO, so potential clients can find you when they’re actively searching for support. You’ll also tap into a warm referral network — our team and community regularly recommend experts directly to individuals seeking help. Beyond that, we open doors to press features, podcast guest spots, social media collaborations, newsletter highlights, and event hosting opportunities. Whether you’re looking to build credibility, expand your reach, or grow your client base, Fresh Starts offers real visibility, real relationships, and real growth.
Yes — and we encourage it! As a Premium Listing level Expert, you can collaborate with us in a variety of ways: we feature expert-led events in our newsletter and on our website, share your offers and launches on social media, and include your group offerings in our Group Roundups. You’re also welcome to write guest articles for our blog, co-host events with us, and engage with the community in meaningful, visibility-boosting ways. We love spotlighting our experts — just let us know how you'd like to collaborate!