New year energy doesn’t have to feel like a sprint. Claire opens the studio for a candid reset: a quick reintroduction, the origin story of Columbia Mom, and a practical path to growth that skips brittle resolutions in favor of steady, quartered goals. It’s a warm, real start to 2026 that blends creative work, parenting, and personal mental health practices without pretending any of it is neat.

We dig into why the podcast exists at all—born late in the COVID era as a way to rebuild local connection—and how an “outlet” became a purpose. Claire shares how she protects her creative zone from email rabbit holes, why therapy, lifting, and winter walks are non-negotiables, and how she balances a Type B plus brain with the structure needed to ship consistently. The theme that ties it together is simple and honest: fear rarely disappears, so we name it, and we move anyway.

You’ll hear a small family story with big meaning, a framework for setting annual themes and quarterly priorities, and the difference between white-knuckling through survival and choosing courageous action with intention. If 2025 felt heavy for your work, your family, or your wallet, this conversation offers a kinder blueprint for 2026: protect one health rhythm, block time for creation, fence admin into tight windows, and plan the quarter. No perfection, just momentum.

If you’re craving a more grounded way to step into 2026—one that makes room for fear and forward motion—this conversation will meet you right where you are.

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