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

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

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. 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 community, connected with friends, and living fully in the stage she is in. Two things can be true: grief that they are gone and joy in raising kids who are ready for their own lives. We also got to completely geek out about marathoning — and how running 26.2 miles is not that different from motherhood. If you can push your body through the hard miles, you can push through the tantrums, the monotony, and every season that tests you. This one is for every woman who knows that investing in herself is not selfish — it is the long game.. Find Sheila's book Miles of Motherhood anywhere books are sold and follow her on Instagram @sheilascottbooks. 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 [https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/its-summer] License code: ZOAGMC8HUJK9M7P9

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

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 [https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/its-summer] License code: ZOAGMC8HUJK9M7P9

MARY: what will smith, papua new guinea, and motherhood have in common

What do you do when you realize a language — and everything it carries — is about to disappear forever? Dr. Mary Walworth has dedicated her life to answering that question, and if you caught her on the Pole to Pole docuseries on Disney+ and Hulu, you already got a glimpse of the work that immediately made me want to know more. I was watching with my whole family — one of those rare shows my kids were just as locked in as my husband and I were — and I couldn't stop thinking about what she was doing, and the quiet, deliberate way she was doing it. In this episode Mary breaks down what it means to be a linguist, the scientist who sparked it all for her as a kid growing up in Ohio, and the work of earning trust before ever pulling out a recorder in a remote community. We also get into something I didn't expect to love as much as I did — how Mary has woven motherhood into her fieldwork, including bringing her newborn baby into the field, and why she's on a mission to show other women in her field that you don't have to choose. This one is for every woman  wondering how the life she wants and the career she loves can coexist. Follow Mary on Instagram @cool_linguist to keep up with her work. 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 [https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/its-summer] License code: ZOAGMC8HUJK9M7P9

CLAIRE: june solo episode

May was supposed to be about hosting three small events. It turned into one of the most full and surprising months I've had since starting this. In this solo episode I'm recapping all of it — starting with the clothing swap where 30 people registered and no one showed up. I talk through what that felt like, what I learned, and why Dr. Rachel who hosted it with me somehow made it feel less embarrassing and more like a marketing mystery I hadn't solved yet. From there May just kept going. Two people at the next event. Ten at the last one. A news interview about a content suppression situation I shared on Instagram. Conversations with NYC founders, rooms I put myself in, opportunities I said yes to, and a month that left my brain and calendar completely full in the best possible way. This episode is also a preview of what's coming in June and what our summer schedule looks like. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/its-summer [https://track.pstmrk.it/3s/uppbeat.io%2Ft%2Fsimon-folwar%2Fits-summer/vZub/dY3CAQ/AQ/6327a5bd-ad6d-4695-b5df-a3b75a9d06fe/4/JpvQEp6x0Q] License code: ZOAGMC8HUJK9M7P9

JAMIE: the other side exists - one mother's journey through postpartum depression

Content note: this episode includes discussion of postpartum depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. If you are struggling or recognizing yourself in this conversation, you are not alone, and support is available. You can reach: * Postpartum Support International call 1-800-944-4773 (EN) or 971-203-7773 (ES) text “help” to 800-944-4773 (EN) or 971-203-7773 (ES) https://postpartum.net/ [https://postpartum.net/] * 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline call or text 988 chat via 988lifeline.org [http://988lifeline.org] Some of the most important friendships are forged in the hardest places. Jamie and I met at The Motherhood Center through their treatment program for postpartum depression. In this episode Jamie shares her full story — from a traumatic hospital birth to postpartum depression to the treatment that brought her back to herself. She takes us through pregnancy, birth, and becoming a second time mom. And as a self-described Type A, she talks about something that will resonate with a lot of women in this community — learning to let go of control and perfectionism in motherhood in order to finally find the joy. Jamie and I have the kind of friendship where we won’t talk for months then we’ll spend three hours on a walk and talk and this conversation is no different. We swap stories, we laugh, we sit with the hard parts together. It's intense in the way that real conversations about real experiences are intense. But it's also just two friends catching up on how far they've come. If you've ever found yourself in a room with a stranger who immediately felt like a friend — you'll understand this one. And if you're in the hard part right now, we hope it helps to know the other side exists. In this episode we cover: * How postpartum depression can show up as symptoms * The hospital failures and gaps in care that put Jamie and other mothers at risk * How intrusive thoughts show up in postpartum mental health and why they're so misunderstood * What advocacy looks like after surviving a broken system * Why community and humanized care are essential to healing * How to spot early warning signs and what to do when you see them Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/its-summer [https://track.pstmrk.it/3s/uppbeat.io%2Ft%2Fsimon-folwar%2Fits-summer/vZub/dY3CAQ/AQ/6327a5bd-ad6d-4695-b5df-a3b75a9d06fe/4/JpvQEp6x0Q] License code: ZOAGMC8HUJK9M7P9