Hi, I’m Jen. On May 21, 2024, I became a widow.
My husband Jack and I were on a dream trip to Greece when he woke me in the middle of the night clutching his chest. We were on a remote island with no emergency services. I ran for help—but within minutes, he was gone.
What followed was unimaginable: navigating international logistics, telling our kids—his, 16 and 18, and mine, 14—and flying home alone.
While losing Jack was the most devastating chapter of my life, it wasn’t my first major life transition. I’ve navigated divorce, remarriage, blending families, and getting sober during the pandemic. In each of those moments, I’ve felt the same thing: alone – wishing someone could hand me the playbook for life.
That’s why I’m launching my company It’s Lifey— to connect people going through life’s toughest transitions, starting with widowhood.
On July 11-14, I will be hosting the first It’s Lifey Widow Retreat in Great Barrington, MA. Part break from life, part healing experience—without the yoga or meditation, just real, honest connection.
For this retreat, I’ve drawn from nearly 25 years of experience hosting events for Fortune 500 companies like T-Mobile, Purina, and General Mills, my work with purpose-driven organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the raw honesty I’ve found in spaces like Alcoholics Anonymous to create something truly meaningful.
This retreat is designed to be a life-changing experience for widows like me—a place to step away, be understood, and start rebuilding with the support of those who get it.
Also, as part of It’s Lifey, I am launching Journey Groups for Widows in Natick, MA starting May 6, 2025, registration is here.
It’s my mission to create spaces for widows and people going through other transitions, such as retreats and Journey Groups, all over the state of Ma, with the goal of 25 Journey Groups by June 2025. Then I plan to explore other connection platforms, such as designing a matchmaking app. In addition, partnerships will be a bit part of my business, as ways to expand and grow.
At the end of the day, I believe that the antidote to loneliness is community. And I’m here to build one.
“I’m not going to tell you that this grief will go away, but I will tell you that you will grow around it. It will take time and tears and gut-wrenching nights where you will feel hopeless. Give your grief space, allow it. It needs to be felt.” – Sharyn Marsh, Leave Her Wild
This is a contributed blog post by Jen Newberg, a seasoned communications and partnerships executive with a career spanning Public Relations, Marketing, and Corporate Partnerships in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. She has led strategic, mission-aligned campaigns for major brands including T-Mobile, Purina, Dove, and Planet Fitness, consistently delivering results through innovative and values-driven collaboration.
Her expertise lies in building authentic, mutually beneficial connections between organizations and their audiences. Drawing on her professional acumen and personal journey through significant life transitions—including divorce, blended families, addiction recovery, and widowhood—Jen founded It’s Lifey, designed to connect individuals navigating life transitions. She believes there is no “playbook” for life and we need to rely, those going through similar experiences and those who have emerged from life transitions, to learn and grow. Through shared experiences and peer support, It’s Lifey fosters community, resilience, and meaningful connection during life’s most challenging moments.
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