The Catch Up with Claire

The Catch Up with Claire is rooted in the raw, chaotic, and realness of womanhood. We hand the mic to women who are showing up, speaking out, and figuring it out in real time.From careers and identity shifts to friendships, family dynamics, breakups, big dreams, bigger feelings — and yes, motherhood too — no topic is off-limits.It’s like calling your bestie on the landline in 1999: lighthearted, unfiltered, and often deeper than you expected. Whether you’re raising kids, raising your standards, or raising hell, we catch up on the mess, the magic, and everything in between.

The Catch Up with Claire is a society podcast hosted by Claire Hoon, with 35 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Claire Hoon hosts The Catch Up with Claire, a society show with 35 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #36

  JENNIFER: leaving corporate america to build a life abroad

  Sep 30, 202659 minS3

  What happens when you finally reach the place you’ve been working toward—only to realize you don’t want the life that comes with it? Jennifer Lindquist spent years climbing the corporate ladder, building a successful career in recruiting at companies including Ulta, PepsiCo, and Amazon. She reached the level she thought she wanted, but the pressure, politics, and personal cost required more than she was willing to keep giving. So Jennifer booked a one-way ticket to South America. What began as a dramatic departure from corporate life became a year of solo travel through 25 countries, including walking the Camino de Santiago. When Jennifer eventually returned to the United States, she expected to move back into her apartment, find another job, and resume the life she had left. Instead, she realized she was no longer the same person—and she couldn’t unsee the possibilities her time abroad had shown her. In this episode, we talk about having the agency to choose something different, even after spending years working toward a particular version of success. Jennifer shares why she decided not to return to corporate America, how she built a freelance career she can take anywhere, and what it means to create a full life around work instead of asking work to become your entire life. We also get into the human side of careers. After 14 years in recruiting, Jennifer turned years of expertise into The Career Essentials, where she helps people navigate resumes, LinkedIn, interviews, layoffs, and career pivots. She shares why relationships have shaped every major move in her career, where AI can genuinely help job seekers, and why technology still cannot replace someone who knows when to encourage you—and when to tell you the truth. What we cover: Reaching the career milestone you wanted and realizing it no longer fits Leaving Amazon and booking a one-way ticket to South America Solo traveling through 25 countries and walking the Camino de Santiago Returning home and realizing you have changed too much to return to your old life Choosing continued travel instead of settling back into corporate America Building a freelance business while living abroad Creating a life around your work instead of organizing your life around a job Turning recruiting experience into The Career Essentials Navigating layoffs, career pivots, and an increasingly AI-shaped job market Why human connection still matters in hiring and career development This episode is for anyone who has built a life that looks successful on paper but doesn’t feel right anymore, anyone standing between the familiarity of an old chapter and the uncertainty of a new one, and anyone who needs the reminder that changing your mind doesn’t mean you failed—it means you’re paying attention. Jennifer’s story is an invitation to question the version of success you inherited, recognize the choices that are still available to you, and build a life that makes room for who you have become. Learn more about The Career Essentials at https://thejenessentials.com/ and follow Jennifer at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-lindquist/ Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/its-summer License code: ZOAGMC8HUJK9M7P9

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #35

  SARAH: mom of two reinventing bathtime

  Sep 23, 202648 minS3

  Sarah Cooper Smith is the founder of North Shore Bath Co., a thoughtfully built company creating bath gloves designed to make bathing safer, warmer, and less stressful for babies and their caregivers. Drawing on her nursing background and firsthand experience as a mom, Sarah transformed a kitchen-table prototype into a launched, patent-pending product with potential far beyond baby bathtime. Sarah’s bath glove addresses a struggle so many parents know well: keeping a secure grip on a slippery, squirming baby while trying to clean every tiny fold. She also developed a complementary drying glove to make the cold, chaotic transfer out of the tub easier for babies and parents. This conversation is about more than a baby product. We get into how Sarah validated the idea with other parents, incorporated their feedback, and navigated manufacturing, branding, pitching, and product development as a first-time founder. She has a clear vision for how North Shore Bath Co. can grow, reach the people who need it, and expand beyond the baby market. Sarah’s nursing background helped her recognize the broader possibilities for nurses, family caregivers, older adults, people with disabilities, and anyone who could benefit from more safety, comfort, and dignity during bathing. She is also being intentional about how the business grows, choosing to manufacture locally in Louisiana with the woman-owned Fringe Factory in New Orleans and looking for ways to create opportunities for other women along the way. What we cover: The real-life bathtime problem that inspired North Shore Bath Co. Taking a product from kitchen-table prototype to market in six months Designing bath and drying gloves around grip, warmth, and ease of use Validating an idea with parents and building from their feedback Learning manufacturing, branding, pitching, and product development This episode is for parents who have ever wrestled with a slippery baby at bathtime, nurses and caregivers looking for better tools, aspiring founders curious about bringing a physical product to market, and anyone who loves discovering a simple idea with the potential to make a meaningful difference. North Shore Bath Co. has officially launched, and the bath and drying gloves are available to order at https://northshorebathco.com/ . Follow Sarah and North Shore Bath Co. at @northshorebathco_ Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/its-summer License code: ZOAGMC8HUJK9M7P9

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #33

  LAURA: AI can't do motherhood but it can help with the admin

  Sep 9, 202656 minS3

  Our first guest of Season 3 is here and we’re starting with a conversation about the invisible work so many women carry. Laura Cunningham is the co-founder of Hi Ava, an AI-powered family assistant designed to help parents manage the schedules, emails, decisions, and never-ending details that keep a household running. But this episode isn’t really about adding more technology to our lives. It’s about whether technology can give us some of our time, energy, and presence back. We unpack the mental load of motherhood: why it still falls disproportionately on women, how carrying it affects our careers and relationships, and what becomes possible when moms no longer have to remember everything for everyone. Drawing from her experience across government, nonprofits, deep tech, and product strategy, Laura shares the personal experiences that led her to build Ava—and why the future of AI should feel less like another complicated tool and more like thoughtful, intuitive support. What we cover: What the mental load actually looks and feels like Why household admin continues to fall disproportionately on women How AI can help manage emails, schedules, tasks, and family logistics The confidence gap that can prevent women from experimenting with AI How technology can create more room for human connection—not replace it Why families need support that works quietly in the background This episode is for the moms carrying the invisible weight of family life, working parents searching for more sustainable routines, and anyone curious—or skeptical—about how AI could make everyday life feel a little lighter. Whether you’re tired of holding the entire family to-do list in your head or simply wondering where AI fits into modern motherhood, this conversation offers an honest and hopeful look at a different way forward. Try AVA now through this link: https://hiava.app/getava?utm_source=HERHOUSE to get two weeks free and then heavily discounted access for 6 months.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #31

  SHEILA: an empty nest, 16x marathons, and how the stages change but the feeling remains the same

  Jun 24, 202655 minS2

  <p>Sheila Scott is a 16x marathoner, author of Miles of Motherhood, and a newly minted empty nester — and surprisingly, all three of those things are connected. She is a few stages ahead of me in motherhood and this conversation is proof that the stage changes but the feeling never really does.</p><p>Sheila and I were connected through a mutual friend and I am so glad we were. We talked about how she intentionally set herself up for the empty nest — not by bypassing the grief of her kids leaving, but by honoring it while staying active in her...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #30

  HATTIE: on building a business, a life, and yourself all at once

  Jun 17, 20261h 24mS2

  Hattie Sparks Collins is the kind of woman who makes you want to be more of yourself. The New Orleans-based designer and creative director behind one of the city's most beloved brands never stopped building — through fertility struggles, twins, divorce at five months postpartum, coming out, blending a family, and remarrying — never once putting down what she was building professionally while navigating everything life handed her personally. And she carries all of it with a groundedness and joy that is palpable through the screen. I've had a parasocial relationship with Hattie for over a decade. I went to Loyola New Orleans and used to visit her store on Maple Street, and when I moved to New York I kept following her the way any good millennial does — via Instagram. I was on the other side of the svreen for the Mother's Day she shared her miscarriage publicly at a time when that kind of vulnerability online was rare. Getting to finally sit across from her and just talk was everything I hoped it would be. She showed up exactly as she presents online — open, grounded, and willing to just have a conversation. Her authenticity comes through in everything she does — you can see it in the beautiful spaces she creates, and you can hear it when you hit play on this episode. This one is for every woman who has ever needed permission to just be herself — and a reminder that she already is. Follow Hattie on Instagram @hattiesparks and find her work at hattiesparks.com. New episodes drop every Wednesday — follow, download, and leave a review for The Catch Up with Claire wherever you listen. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/its-summer License code: ZOAGMC8HUJK9M7P9

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on The Catch Up with Claire. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.