The Creative Boom Podcast

Episode: The Spark: Claire Blyth on Madonna, Magpies and the Hacienda
Host: Katy Cowan
Guest: Claire Blyth, Founder of Red Setter
Date: November 6, 2025

Overview

This lively episode features a candid and warm conversation between host Katy Cowan and Claire Blyth, founder of PR agency Red Setter, delving into the lived realities of the creative industry. They touch on everything from nostalgic clubbing days, the power of design, overcoming fears around confidence and public speaking, the emotional impact of music and memory, all the way to daily rituals, superstitions, and the enduring inspiration of Madonna. It’s an episode brimming with practical wisdom, nostalgia, humour, and a celebration of resilience and reinvention.

Main Themes and Key Discussion Points

1. Nostalgia, Dance Music, and Creative Memory

• Katy and Claire reminisce about clubbing in their youth and the powerful impact of music on memory and emotion.
• Discussion about “In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats,” a VR installation recreating the search for a rave, which left Katy in tears from the rush of nostalgia.
  • “The minute Orbital's Chime set in, I just burst into tears...absolutely crying my heart out.” – Katy (01:47)
• They exchange memories of scents, sounds, and markers that transport them back to pivotal moments—the emotional resonance of White Musk perfume and the drone of airplanes evoke vivid personal flashbacks.

2. Career Reflections, “Lost Voice,” and Midlife Creativity

• Both reflect on building careers highlighting others’ stories, and the challenge of reclaiming personal voice amid the demands of work and life.
• Katy discusses a midlife jolt:
  • “You get to a stage, maybe it's a midlife crisis...where you think, who am I? Does my voice count?...Screw it. We're only here once. Might as well have fun.” – Katy (03:12)
• Claire explains how founding Red Setter was a way to champion the undervalued discipline of design, and fulfill her secret wish of being a designer:
  • “I'd love to be an amazing designer. So I thought this is kind of like getting through the back door of an industry I absolutely love.” – Claire (04:41)

3. Challenging Self-Doubt and Finding Confidence

• Both share personal struggles with public speaking and self-esteem.
• Claire recounts how hypnosis in 2019 transformed her crippling fear of speaking:
  • “Game changing...just got rid of all that giving a shit bit. Not all of it—80% of it from there.” – Claire (07:58)
• Katy and Claire discuss how negative feedback or bullying in early life continues to echo into adulthood, until you learn to reframe it:
  • “What people say to you that might be hurtful is probably more about them than you…that completely destroys the power that sentence has ever had on you.” – Katy (12:24)

4. Resilience and Rituals for Wellbeing

• Both share rituals that ground them—Claire meditates daily, sometimes even in her car after the school run:
  • “I do car meditation…just do 15 minutes of breathing…even micro-meditation...so good.” – Claire (15:37)
• Katy’s “meditation” is ironing:
  • “I go into a flow state…I’m just ironing and it’s lovely.” – Katy (17:44)
• Small habits—mindful breathing, walking without a phone, the importance of stillness—are central to staying balanced in a hectic creative life.

5. Smells, Sounds, and the Power of Sensory Memory

• The conversation moves into how certain scents, like Body Shop White Musk or Tropicana sun cream, and even odd smells (like sewage invoking childhood holidays in Mallorca) can instantly evoke strong memories.
• Discussion on how environmental sounds, like the drone of an approaching airplane, provide a feeling of comfort and home for Katy.

6. Superstitions, Silliness, and Play

• Claire admits to being superstitious about magpies:
  • “I’ll be in a serious meeting…see one outside and salute a magpie, really surreptitiously.” – Claire (29:47)
• They laugh over old perfume brands and clubbing memories; lighthearted banter highlights the importance of not taking oneself too seriously.

7. The Enduring Inspiration of Madonna

• When asked about her dream dinner guest, Claire chooses Madonna for her continual reinvention and unapologetic individuality:
  • “She’s still totally knocking out what she does;...she gets knocked so much, but she’s super awesome.” – Claire (32:29)
• Discussion on how Madonna’s career exemplifies reinvention, resilience, and refusing to be limited by others’ opinions.

8. Openness, Directness, and Asking Hard Questions

• Claire talks about the importance of being direct in business and life—asking the difficult questions even if you fear the answers:
  • “If you don’t want the answer to something, then that’s exactly where you should be going.” – Claire (37:39)
• The need for honest feedback and clear communication is emphasized as vital in creative careers and leadership.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On VR nostalgia:
  • “I thought, oh, this is gonna be fun. It'll be really nostalgic. And the minute Orbital's chime set in, I just burst into tears...crying my heart out.” – Katy (01:47)
• On career midlife moments:
  • “You get to a stage—maybe it's a midlife crisis—where you think, who am I?...Does my voice count? Screw it. We're only here once.” – Katy (03:12)
• On hidden dreams:
  • “I'd love if I could have...a sliding doors-style life—I’d love to be an amazing designer.” – Claire (04:41)
• On public speaking transformation:
  • “I had hypnotism in 2019...and it’s changed everything. It just got rid of all that giving a shit bit.” – Claire (07:58)
• On resilience:
  • “When you go through a tough time, you really do know. You find out what you’re made of. My goodness.” – Katy (08:19)
• On self-belief:
  • “There isn’t a point in your life where you have to start winding it all down. That’s insane.” – Claire (06:39)
• On Madonna as an icon:
  • “She gets knocked so much, but she’s super awesome…spotted trends just as they're happening in underground clubs and brings it out…reinvents herself and doesn’t give a what.” – Claire (32:29)
• On directness:
  • “Now I just run towards it, because I’ve realised...if you don’t want the answer to something, then that's exactly where you should be going.” – Claire (37:39)

Segment Timestamps (Highlights)

• 00:33–01:47: Reminiscing about “In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats” and the emotional impact of VR clubbing nostalgia.
• 03:12–04:41: Reclaiming voice in mid-career, and founding Red Setter to give design its due.
• 07:11–09:35: Claire on overcoming public speaking fears, hypnosis, and advice from a trainer.
• 10:09–12:24: Rewiring your brain, resilience, and reframing childhood hurts.
• 15:37–17:44: Daily rituals—meditation in the car, micro-meditation, and flow states from ironing.
• 18:21–23:07: Sensory memories—perfumes, sun creams, and the comforting sound of planes.
• 26:16–26:57: Graham Park’s surprise DJ appearance at Claire’s 40th and memories of the Hacienda.
• 29:47–30:36: Magpie superstitions and playful takes on luck and omens.
• 32:22–33:27: Claire chooses Madonna as the dream dinner guest, celebrating reinvention and authenticity.
• 37:39–38:08: The importance of asking hard questions and honest feedback in creative business.

Tone, Takeaways & Closing Thoughts

The conversation is honest, comforting, relatable, and filled with laughter. Both host and guest openly discuss their vulnerabilities and strategies for moving through self-doubt and burnout. They champion authenticity, lifelong learning, celebrating one’s quirks, and staying curious and open, whether in creative work or personal development.

Key Takeaways

• You are never too old to reinvent yourself or try something new.
• Overcoming fears is possible—seek help, rewire old scripts, and celebrate progress.
• Small daily rituals can restore calm and focus in a busy creative life.
• Honest and direct communication is not only brave but kind.
• Embrace playfulness, nostalgia, and the things that make you unique—even if it means saluting magpies!

Listener Reflection

If ever you needed permission to be bold, playful, vulnerable, and direct in how you approach life and your creative career, let Claire and Katy's frank, funny, and wise chat be the spark.

Next episode question from Claire:

“What excites you about where design could be going in five years’ time?”
(38:08)

Listen, laugh, and let yourself dance—or meditate, or iron—with abandon.