A Thought I Kept

Claire Fitzsimmons
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A Thought I Kept is a podcast about the ideas that stay with us, long after we’ve forgotten the rest. In each episode, a guest shares the one thought that shaped their life — the one they couldn’t let go of, and maybe you won’t either.

  1. When Your Story No Longer Fits You with Hilary Salzman

    3D AGO

    When Your Story No Longer Fits You with Hilary Salzman

    Sometimes it isn’t a dramatic breaking point that tells us something needs to change. It can be quieter than that. Maybe just a sense of disconnect, or a feeling that the story we’re living no longer quite belongs to us. In this episode of A Thought I Kept, I talk to Hilary Salzman about what happens when you start to notice that misalignment — between who you are, how you’re seen, and the roles you’ve learned to inhabit. We talk about voice, self-trust, and the emotional weight of trying to stay inside stories that once made sense, but now feel confusing, limiting, or quietly exhausting. Hilary and I explore why telling our own stories can feel both risky and necessary, especially for women. We talk about emotional overwhelm, anxiety, and the pressure to turn our lives into neat, polished narratives rather than staying with what’s messier and often more honest.  The thought Hilary brings to this conversation — "If you don’t tell your story, someone else will" — stays with us as we talk about authorship, permission, and what it means to couragously reclaim your voice without needing to perform, explain, or fix yourself. Hilary Salzman is a business storyteller, writer, speaker and founder of She Roars Club who helps women in business stop playing small with their voices. She's the author of The Roar of Her Story (shortlisted for Business Book Awards 2025) and founder of She Roars Club, an accountability community for women entrepreneurs. She spent 20 years in corporate marketing at major tech brands before launching her storytelling consultancy. Hilary doesn't teach women to be louder or more polished. She shows them how to use their real experiences, even the messy bits, to build genuine connections and close the gap between the impact they've made and the stories they're telling. Instagram | Substack | LinkedIn | Website Support the show This is A Thought I Kept — Weekly conversations about the ideas that stay. Listen every Monday morning for a new thought to hold onto this week, especially when the world feels overwhelming. About Claire Fitzsimmons Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here. Like what you heard? Subscribe to A Thought I Kept. Follow the podcast on Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter. Shop Season 1 poster Made with Descript & Buzzsprout

    58 min
  2. When No One Is Coming to Save You with Edwina Jenner

    FEB 2

    When No One Is Coming to Save You with Edwina Jenner

    This week’s thought I kept comes from Edwina Jenner, and it’s one that fundamentally reshaped how she thinks about responsibility, self-trust, and the way we move through midlife. It’s a thought that can feel confronting at first but, when given some space, can open up a surprising sense of clarity and freedom. In this episode of A Thought I Kept, I talk with Edwina about what happens when we stop waiting and start listening to ourselves more closely. We explore moments many listeners will recognise: feeling overwhelmed by expectation, navigating identity shifts in midlife, carrying responsibility for others, and learning how to rely on your own body, instincts, and decisions. Our conversation moves between emotional and physical strength: we talk about consistency when motivation wavers, how trust is built through action, and how caring for your body can become a way of caring for your future self. Throughout, we return to the question of agency: what changes when you realise you are already more capable than you think? Edwina shares how strength training became part of this wider shift in her life — a way of grounding herself, building resilience, and creating a steadier relationship with her body during her 40s and through moments of upheaval. This episode also touches on visibility, confidence, and what it means to take up space as a woman in midlife. As always, I’ll leave you with a question: will this be a thought you carry into your week and maybe even beyond? About Edwina Jenner Edwina Jenner is an online PT specialising in strength training for women at home. She helps women in their 40s and 50s learn to lift weights with short, effective dumbbell home workouts. Women worldwide of all fitness levels follow her online programmes to improve their metabolic health, manage their weight, and build a strong and toned body they can rely on as they age, through her online strength training membership. Website and membership | Instagram In this episode Edwina also mentions James Clear's Atomic Habits Support the show This is A Thought I Kept — Weekly conversations about the ideas that stay. Listen every Monday morning for a new thought to hold onto this week, especially when the world feels overwhelming. About Claire Fitzsimmons Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here. Like what you heard? Subscribe to A Thought I Kept. Follow the podcast on Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter. Shop Season 1 poster Made with Descript & Buzzsprout

    44 min
  3. When You Let Go of Beliefs That Aren’t Even Yours with Nicky Denson-Elliott

    JAN 26

    When You Let Go of Beliefs That Aren’t Even Yours with Nicky Denson-Elliott

    In this episode of A Thought I Kept, I’m joined by Nicky Denson-Elliott for a conversation about the beliefs many women carry without ever consciously choosing them and what can shift when we begin to let those beliefs go. We talk about the emotional weight of comparison, competition, and feeling like we have to stay small or agreeable just to feel safe. About confidence not as a personality trait, but as something that changes across the different life contexts. About money, worth and the subtle ways women are taught to doubt themselves — often in the name of being good, likeable, or successful. Nicky brings a simple but powerful thought to the table: "In order for me to win, no one else has to lose". From there, we explore what it means to unlearn internalised ideas about scarcity, competition between women, and self-worth and how crafting a more generous belief system can change not just how we relate to ourselves, but how we relate to other women too. This conversation is for anyone who has ever noticed themselves comparing, under-charging, holding back, or feeling uneasy when someone else succeeds. It’s about self-trust, emotional awareness, and creating more room — for rest, confidence, and connection — without needing to push or prove. About Nicky Denson-Elliott Nicky Denson-Elliott is a serial entrepreneur, founder of The Wilder Collective, host of the Women’s Business podcast, and a mum of two.  Everything Nicky does is about lifting the voices of female founders, and she empowers her community of women to break down conventional norms and become free to explore the lives and careers they want.  Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Podcast Support the show This is A Thought I Kept — Weekly conversations about the ideas that stay. Listen every Monday morning for a new thought to hold onto this week, especially when the world feels overwhelming. About Claire Fitzsimmons Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here. Like what you heard? Subscribe to A Thought I Kept. Follow the podcast on Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter. Shop Season 1 poster Made with Descript & Buzzsprout

    49 min
  4. How Neurodiversity Changes the Way We Experience the World with Matthew Bellringer

    JAN 19

    How Neurodiversity Changes the Way We Experience the World with Matthew Bellringer

    In this episode, I talk to Matthew Bellringer about what it can feel like to move through a world that doesn’t always seem to be made for you and how impactful it can be to realise that other people may be experiencing that same world in fundamentally different ways. We talk about neurodiversity, but always through lived experience rather than labels. About overwhelm, burnout, boredom, joy, and curiosity. About what happens when you’ve spent years mistrusting your own responses, your own pace, your own needs and how self-trust can begin to rebuild when you understand that difference isn’t failure. Matthew shares how a later diagnosis of autism and ADHD helped them make sense of patterns they’d carried for a long time, from emotional intensity and exhaustion to creativity, insight, and the pull toward unconventional thinking. We explore rest that doesn’t look like stillness, wellbeing that doesn’t come from forcing yourself to fit, and the relief that can come from finding spaces — and people — where you don’t have to explain yourself quite so much. Matthew Bellringer is a neurodiversity and innovation specialist who believes it takes an unconventional perspective to engage with some of the trickiest problems we face. They work with neurodivergent professionals, executives and business owners; organisations which want to support neurodiverse innovation; and organisations delivering innovative services to a neurodiverse audience. Matthew specialises in supporting work that addresses problems from a unique perspective, co-production, and regenerative working practices. Alongside their private practice, Matthew is Chair and Co-founder of NeurodiverseIT, a group for neurodivergent IT professionals within BCS, the Chartered Institute of IT and the organiser and founder of Curious Being. Matthew is a late-discovery autistic ADHDer. Website | LinkedIn | Socials Support the show This is A Thought I Kept — Weekly conversations about the ideas that stay. Listen every Monday morning for a new thought to hold onto this week, especially when the world feels overwhelming. About Claire Fitzsimmons Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here. Like what you heard? Subscribe to A Thought I Kept. Follow the podcast on Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter. Shop Season 1 poster Made with Descript & Buzzsprout

    59 min
  5. How We Learn to Live With Our Emotions with Isabelle Fielding

    JAN 12

    How We Learn to Live With Our Emotions with Isabelle Fielding

    In this episode, I’m joined by Isabelle Fielding for a conversation about our emotions — the ones we try to manage, the ones we push down, and the ones that keep resurfacing when something important is at stake. We talk about what it’s like to live in a world that often asks us to be happier, calmer, more confident, while quietly struggling with anxiety, self-doubt, overwhelm, or a sense that we’re holding it all together by our fingertips. Isabelle brings a grounded, compassionate perspective to what our emotions are really doing for us, and how relating to them differently can change the way we move through our lives. Together, we explore why emotions aren’t problems to be fixed, but signals worth listening to. We talk about what happens when we get caught up in our feelings or withdraw from them altogether, how self-doubt can sit alongside self-compassion, and why change so rarely follows a neat A-to-B path.  This is a conversation for anyone who wants to feel a little more at home with their emotions not by mastering them, but by making space for them.  About Isabelle Fielding Isabelle is a Researcher and Coaching Psychologist who helps purpose-driven organisations make a meaningful difference. With 25 years of experience across psychology, research, and leadership development, she works with individuals and teams to navigate challenge and change, so that they can take purposeful action in complex and unpredictable environments. Isabelle loves questioning assumptions, challenging well-worn narratives, and exploring emotions at work, helping people uncover internal and external barriers to change and take bold action towards the things that matter most. Website | Instagram | LinkedIn Show notes:  Atomic Habits | Emotions Coaching Sessions Support the show This is A Thought I Kept — Weekly conversations about the ideas that stay. Listen every Monday morning for a new thought to hold onto this week, especially when the world feels overwhelming. About Claire Fitzsimmons Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here. Like what you heard? Subscribe to A Thought I Kept. Follow the podcast on Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter. Shop Season 1 poster Made with Descript & Buzzsprout

    47 min
  6. How Curiosity Can Shape a Life with Rebecca Frank

    JAN 5

    How Curiosity Can Shape a Life with Rebecca Frank

    This is a great episode to start the year with as well as a new season of the podcast. I sit down with wellbeing writer Rebecca Frank to explore how curiosity might offer a way of beginning when we might not be quite ready. Rebecca and I talk about what curiosity looks like when life is full, messy, and changing. We explore how it can soften judgement, widen our view of other people, and help us stay open during moments of uncertainty or transition. Our conversation moves through everyday experiences many of us will recognise: parenting and letting go, the pull of restlessness alongside the need for anchoring, the comfort of familiar places and the quiet aliveness that comes from noticing something new. The thought that Rebecca brings this Monday — the one she’s kept — is curiosity. Not as a trait you either have or don’t have, but as a practice you can return to. We talk about curiosity as a way of relating to the seasons of the year and the seasons of a life, of approaching wellbeing without overwhelm, and of staying connected to ourselves, others, and the world around us. Along the way, we touch on nature, creativity, friendship, and why starting small often matters more than getting it right. Rebecca Frank is a journalist, author and podcast host with 25 years experience writing about women's health and emotional wellbeing, nature and travel for national monthly and weekly magazines. She's currently wellbeing editor for The Simple Things, as well as co-hosting the magazine's weekly podcast, Small Ways To Live Well. She's the author of two books, A Breath of Fresh Air and Just Add Nature, published in association with The National Trust. In this episode we also talk about: Flourish | The Silent Book Club. Our own Reading Retreat is this Spring. Details here. Support the show This is A Thought I Kept — Weekly conversations about the ideas that stay. Listen every Monday morning for a new thought to hold onto this week, especially when the world feels overwhelming. About Claire Fitzsimmons Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here. Like what you heard? Subscribe to A Thought I Kept. Follow the podcast on Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter. Shop Season 1 poster Made with Descript & Buzzsprout

    47 min
  7. How We Learn to Feel Held with Lauren Barber

    12/15/2025

    How We Learn to Feel Held with Lauren Barber

    What does it really mean to feel held – not just by others, but by ourselves, our bodies, and the rhythms of everyday life? In this episode of A Thought I Kept, I’m joined by Lauren Barber for a conversation about anxiety, aliveness, self-trust, and the quiet practices that help us come back to ourselves when life feels loud or overwhelming. Together, we explore what it means to hold space – for others, for our emotions, and for the parts of us that are tired, tender, or still becoming. Lauren shares openly about her lifelong relationship with anxiety and panic, including the experience of mistrusting even “good” feelings, living in a state of hyper-vigilance, and learning how to rebuild a sense of safety from the inside out. We talk about somatic support, nervous system regulation, motherhood, seasonal living, and the small, everyday acts of self-tending that can gently replenish our energy. We also explore change – not as a dramatic before-and-after, but as something subtle, lived, and deeply human. From human design and creative work to sacred space, self-compassion, and choosing work that truly nourishes us, this conversation is an invitation to soften, to listen, and to trust your own unique rhythms. At the heart of this episode is the thought Lauren has carried with her for years: life is too short to do work that you do not enjoy. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, burnout, motherhood, creative transitions, or a quiet sense of longing, this is a conversation to return to when you need reminding that it’s possible to feel held again. About Lauren Barber Lauren Barber is a Mentor and Sacred Space Holder for Mystical & Magical women who are walking the path of their Heart and Soul work. She is a Mother of two daughters, a Soulful Branding & Website Designer, Writer, Speaker, Human Design Guide, Women’s Circle Facilitator, Yoga & Meditation Teacher and all round multi-faceted human being  Find Lauren online: Website | Substack | Instagram Support the show This is A Thought I Kept — Weekly conversations about the ideas that stay. Listen every Monday morning for a new thought to hold onto this week, especially when the world feels overwhelming. About Claire Fitzsimmons Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here. Like what you heard? Subscribe to A Thought I Kept. Follow the podcast on Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter. Shop Season 1 poster Made with Descript & Buzzsprout

    51 min
  8. What to Do When You Can’t Think Straight with Katie Driver

    12/08/2025

    What to Do When You Can’t Think Straight with Katie Driver

    When your mind won’t settle, your thoughts won’t line up, or you feel like you can’t hear yourself think, what do you do? In this episode, Claire is joined by Katie Driver, founder of The Thinking Alliance, to explore how we can reclaim clarity in a world that demands constant noise, answers, and action. This conversation explores how to think for yourself, how to listen deeply, how feelings shape thought, why compassionate self-talk matters, and how quieter people can find their own voice. As the year draws to a close, Katie offers guidance on how to navigate the pressure, pace, and expectations of December with more ease, clarity, and self-kindness. 04:52 The Power of Questions 12:46 The Thinking Environment 26:56 The Role of Feelings in Thinking 37:10 Empowering Quiet Individuals 41:08 Navigating Overwhelm and Burnout Mentioned in this episode: The Question Burst Technique, Hal Gregersen | The Extended Mind, Annie Murphy Paul | More Time to Think, Nancy Kline About Katie Driver: Katie Driver is all about helping thinkers and thinking to flourish. Her typical coaching clients are quieter mid-career women who are tired both literally and metaphorically of trying to be ‘jazz hands’ leaders and want instead to reclaim their quiet strengths and get on with the work that matters. Katie’s clients find not only the clarity and courage which come from having time to think, but also the self-belief and quiet confidence to lead in a way that suits them. Katie is also a qualified Thinking Environment® Coach, Facilitator and Teacher. She trains coaches and leaders to use the Thinking Environment, a way of going about things which creates the conditions for independent thinking which supports better decisions and actions. Support the show This is A Thought I Kept — Weekly conversations about the ideas that stay. Listen every Monday morning for a new thought to hold onto this week, especially when the world feels overwhelming. About Claire Fitzsimmons Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here. Like what you heard? Subscribe to A Thought I Kept. Follow the podcast on Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter. Shop Season 1 poster Made with Descript & Buzzsprout

    49 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A Thought I Kept is a podcast about the ideas that stay with us, long after we’ve forgotten the rest. In each episode, a guest shares the one thought that shaped their life — the one they couldn’t let go of, and maybe you won’t either.

Information

  • Creator
    Claire Fitzsimmons
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 A Thought I Kept
  • Show Website
    A Thought I Kept