#5SmartReads- March 21, 2023

Olivia Howell is the co-founder and CEO of Fresh Starts Registry, the first and only platform for everything you need to begin again, including divorce or breakup, moving, career changes, stepping into your truth, or starting again after grief. After her own divorce in 2019, Olivia had an 'aha moment' when she realized that we celebrate weddings and babies with a registry, but in the moments we really need to restock our life, like divorce, job loss, or any brave decision and major life change, we need the support, both in the form of support items for your home and the experts who become our hype team. From there, Fresh Starts Registry was born, the first Support Registry and Divorce Registry - and the only platform which aggregates support experts for all life changes and supports the Fresh Starts Experts in their marketing, business, and public relations.

Olivia currently lives in Huntington with her two amazing boys. In her spare time, she loves to co-host A Fresh Story Podcast, watercolor, make handmade cards, read about generational trauma, listen to 90s music, and collect crystals.

Grandma’s Counting Calories. Grandpa’s Marveling At Your Kid’s Meals. How Can Parents Push Back On Diet Culture Messaging? (Yahoo! Life)

As a parent who was raised in the peak diet culture days of the 90s and 2000s, I made a conscious decision early on that I would completely change the narrative about food and dieting (or lack thereof) around my own children.

And, I know I'm not alone in this sentiment - there are countless websites, podcasts, and Instagram accounts dedicated to reframing healthy eating and nutrition for parents, families, and kids. However – what happens when we parents, working so hard to shift the narrative, interact in a world with our own parents (aka, our children's grandparents), who were all about diet culture?

It's TRICKY, to say the least. This piece from my friend Meg St-Esprit made me feel much less alone when it came to this topic - and provides helpful advice for us parents in these moments of confusion about diet culture and family.

Amtrak’s “Trains” Tweets Went Through Seven Rounds Of Revision (Link In Bio)

I've been in marketing for 20 years, specifically organic social media, so when I came across this interview from Rachel Karten's Substack with Nicolle Lopez, the social media manager at Amtrak, about her famous "trains" tweet, I had to read it!

From an outsider's POV, a tweet like "trains," seems like a random thought that's posted and happened to go viral - but, it's so much more layered than that!

I love this interview because it really outlines how much work goes into a one-word tweet like that! Organic social media, especially for a brand, is extremely strategic and thought out, and takes an enormous amount of work, even for a one word tweet! I love this interview and how it explains the behind the scenes of social media from a POV most people don't even know exists.

Podcast Companies, Once Walking On Air, Feel The Strain Of Gravity (New York Times)

As a podcast host, editor, and producer, I found this NY Times piece on the podcast boom being over, very interesting - and not shocking.

There's so much to discuss here - for one, podcast creation has changed immensely over the last 5 years - whereas, in the past, the common person had a more difficult time creating, marketing, and executing successful podcasts, the foundation of platforms like Spotify for Podcasters and Riverside FM, allow anyone to create a podcast and successfully execute it - and it sounds just as professional as any high-budget pod!

Secondly, it all comes back to marketing. When it comes to ad space and ROI, most listeners need to hear about a product or service at least 7 times before investing their money into it, and this can cause problems when a podcast is a short-form storytelling podcast that only lasts 10 episodes and is concluded.

A very interesting read about the world of podcasting (which is still very much the Wild Wild West) and where podcasting is going.

What It’s Like Playing Scuba Poker (Scuba Diving Magazine)

When I came across this piece by Zanny Steffgen for Scuba Diving Magazine, I had to literally stop everything I was doing and dive in (pun intended).

I come from a poker playing family, but poker playing underwater while scuba diving? I need to know more! This is a very interesting and fun article which outlines and describes the annual Veteran’s Day poker tournament, which is held underwater and raises money for veteran benefits. I love the behind the scenes look into her experience - an experience most people don't even know exists in this world!

Have you ever gone scuba diving?

7 Items In Your Closet To Get Rid Of Right Now- According To Pro Organizers (Homes And Gardens)

Guess what time it is? Spring cleaning time!

I loved working on this Homes And Gardens piece with Fresh Starts Expert Organizer Leslie Kilgour. Not only does this article help you decide what to get rid of, but all of the experts in the piece gave tips and tricks for what to keep - which, I think is more important!

As Leslie says, a crisp white shirt is key! And, I think Hitha would agree! Isn't it so refreshing to go through your closet and see what you've worn over the last year, or what needs cleaning? The most important thing to remember is to have FUN with it, no shame! Our bodies change daily, so fill your closet with items that make you feel your best RIGHT NOW!