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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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

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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

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What if your energy is more than just a feeling? What if it’s your currency? In this conversation, host Claire Fitzsimmons speaks with Georgina Jones about the invisible threads that connect us: joy, grief, presence, and the power of what happens when we stop trying to fix and start feeling. They explore how energy shapes how we show up, how we hold space for others, and how movement, music and humour help us access the full range of our emotions especially the ones we don’t have words for. Georgina speaks powerfully about holding joy and grief in the same space, and the everyday tools that can help us reconnect to ourselves in low-energy, disconnected times. In this episode, they talk about:

• Why your energy is your emotional currency
• The surprising companionship of joy and grief
• How Georgina created “Grief Discos”
• Rewriting the story of what grief has to look like
• What it really means to “turn someone’s lights on”

Timestamps

02:59 The Power of Energy and Presence

11:42 The Three Circles of Energy

24:42 The Healing Power of Grief Discos

25:43 Balancing Joy and Grief

30:05 Challenging Grief Narratives

Resources: Turn Lights On, Georgina Jones / Patsy Rodenburg's “Three Circles of Energy” / The Joy Reset, MaryCatherine McDonald / Grief Disco / Happy Startup Summer Camp / Ted Lasso / Mojo Moves

About Georgina Jones: Georgina Jones is a speaker, coach, facilitator, and the co-founder of Grief Disco — a movement that helps people honour their loved ones, process grief, and make space for joy again through music, movement, and community. Her mission changed profoundly after the death of her son Osian. Navigating grief while still reaching toward joy transformed not only her life but her work. Georgina now supports grieving people to rebuild confidence, reconnect with themselves, and create meanin

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

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What if self-care wasn’t about adding more to your to-do list but about rethinking what care even means? In this episode, Claire Fitzsimmons speaks with Chartered psychologist, coach and author Suzy Reading about the often invisible emotional labor of women, the cultural messaging that teaches us to ignore our needs, and the radical act of allowing ourselves to be cared for.

Suzy, author of the new book “How to Be Selfish: Seven Steps to Taking Back Your Power,” shares her personal evolution with self-care from early moments on the ice rink to navigating motherhood, grief, and perimenopause. Together, they explore how guilt, hyper-independence, and people-pleasing disconnect us from our emotional needs, and what it takes to advocate for ourselves gently and clearly.

Topics Covered:

• Why so many women feel guilty for needing care
• Emotional health as a guide, not a flaw
• The hidden emotional toll of “being the strong one”
• Small, real-world ways to practice self-advocacy
• How to begin receiving help without shame

Timestamps:

01:07 The Importance of Self-Care

17:38 Embracing Emotions and Building a Toolkit

24:43 Reclaiming the True Meaning of Self-Care

26:49 Advocating for Yourself in Relationships

38:03 Reflecting on the Year and Setting Intentions

Suzy Reading is a Chartered Psychologist and one of the UK’s leading self-care and self-advocacy experts. She has three decades of experience in the health and wellbeing industry, drawing on her qualifications in yoga and personal training, together with psychology, to empower people with sustainable healthy lifestyle habits. Suzy is a monthly columnist for Top Sante Magazine; the Psychology Expert for Neom Organics and is a founding member of the ‘Nourish’ app. She is the author of many books including The Little Book of Self-Care, The Self-Care Revolution, Self-care for Tough Times, And Breathe, Sit to Get Fit,

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

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