A breakup can be devastating, leaving people in an emotional wreck. However, there’s a unique service that is helping people quickly get back on their feet.
“There really is a tremendous loss of personal identity, leaving a shared relationship,” says Onward co-found Lindsay Meck. “You sort of define yourself a part of that couple. You might have a pretty extended shared friend group, even family members.”
That's why Meck and Mika Leonard started their company Onward, a post-breakup concierge service.
“Necessity is the mother of invention, so my best friend, who is my co-founder, and I both went through our own big city breakups about six months apart,” says Meck.
With a breakup comes the daunting task of rearranging your life.
"Dealing with address changes, dealing with all the logistics, coupled with the emotions of being sad, but still needing to be a functional member of society,” explains Meck of the help Onward provides.
With Onward, you chose from three post-breakup packages to get you back on your feet.
For $99, the 10-day reboot will help you pack up, move out and provides self-care amenities.
The 30-day recharge includes helping you find a new place, new furniture, and even help you setup all your new utilities. That will cost you $175.
Then, there's the three-month recalibrate for $500. It’s an upgrade that also includes getting you a therapist and provides activities to join to help you meet new people.
"You just need someone who can pack your stuff, make those phone calls for you, when you are just really trying to get out of bed every day,” Meck says.
Starting over isn't easy, which is why the founders of Onward believe in their service.
“Trying to resume by yourself, because you're usually with a partner all the time, so doing things alone would be kind of hard," says Meck.
Right now, Onward is only in New York City, but they have big plans to expand their post-breakup service nationwide.
There are similar companies, like Untied and Worthy, that also work to help divorcees get back on their feet.
"There's no magic formula of getting over a relationship; it takes time,” says Meck. “But in the meantime, you want to be put in the best possible situation to move forward, and that can be really hard."
