In this thoughtful and inspiring conversation, Andrea and Krista welcome their first UK guest to the Half Betty Podcast - writer, wellbeing curator, coach, and podcast host Claire Fitzsimmons.

Claire is the co-founder of If Lost, Start Here, a wellbeing company supporting people as they navigate life’s wilds with greater emotional honesty, clarity, and self-compassion. She is also the host of the podcast A Thought I Kept, where she explores the ideas, moments, and conversations that stay with us long after they happen.

This episode marks more than simply Half Betty’s first conversation with a UK guest; it feels like the beginning of a meaningful bridge between communities, cultures, and shared conversations around midlife, identity, growth and transformation. 

Together, Andrea, Krista, and Claire explore the cultural differences between North America and the UK when it comes to visibility in midlife, emotional expression, and conversations about women’s evolving identities. They discuss the uniquely British tendency to soften discomfort with humour, the challenges of asking for what we need, and why so many of us are still learning how to articulate what we feel.

Claire shares her personal story -  from witnessing her mother’s struggles with mental health in midlife to navigating her own experiences with anxiety and depression - and reflects on how these experiences shaped both her work and her understanding of whole and well-being.

This conversation gently but powerfully challenges the modern obsession with wellness hacks, optimization, and the endless pursuit of self-improvement. Instead, Claire offers listeners a more compassionate and sustainable perspective that our health and wellness may not be something to chase, but something that we shape within the beautifully imperfect reality of everyday life.

At the heart of this episode, there is a sense of unlearning of emotional courage and the moving  truth that midlife is not a finished chapter, but an ongoing becoming.

Sometimes being lost is not a signal that something has gone wrong. But. simply the beginning of a new chapter. And, for some, an entirely new book. 

Bio

Claire Fitzsimmons is a wellbeing writer, coach, podcast host, and co-founder of If Lost, Start Here, a wellbeing company on a mission to help people find their way to a better place.

As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire works with women navigating change, burnout, emotional overwhelm, or an experience of feeling stuck. She helps people untangle what they’re feeling, find clarity, and create a sustainable wellbeing practice that fits the shape of their everyday lives.

Claire’s writing on mental health, emotions, and midlife wellbeing has appeared in Happiful, Breathe, The Simple Things, and others, with features in Stylist, Red, and Psychologies. Her first book, If Lost, Start Here: Wellbeing for the anxious, disconnected or uncertain, co-authored with Amanda Sheeren, is available now.

Claire is also the host of the podcast A Thought I Kept, where each week she speaks with guests from across creative, academic, business, and wellbeing fields about the ideas that stay with us for a lifetime. (Andrea was a guest on Claire’s podcast with her conversation found here: A Library made of Moments ) 

Book

If Lost Start Here - Wellbeing for the Anxious, Disconnected or Uncertain

Created by Amanda Sheeren and Claire Fitzsimmons

References

Website https://www.ifloststarthere.com/ 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ifloststarthere

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ifloststarthere

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AThoughtIKept

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-fitzsimmons-4130aa100 

Podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2521342 

Substack https://moregooddays.substack.com AND https://itsalotactually.substack.com 

Claire’s Five Words 

Emotional

Curious (thoughtful)
Creative
Loyal
Tenacious

Sponsor Information

Zaleska size-inclusive jewelry

Use the code HALFBETTY and receive 20% off your first purchase

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Guest: Claire Fitzsimmons

Founder/Host/Producer: Andrea Rathborne

Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen

Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen

Audio Engineer: Alex McCarthy

Episode sponsors:  Zaleska size-inclusive jewelry