Meet Claire Marsden | Marketing & Community Builder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Claire Marsden and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Claire, what do you attribute your success to?
I think the biggest factor I care about when I think about success is whether I approached something with real curiosity and empathy.

I’ve learned through working with a lot of different people and perspectives that when you’re genuinely open, conversations naturally become more honest. Not because you’re trying to get a specific outcome, but because people can tell when they’re being taken seriously, and that changes the tone of everything.

So for me success isn’t just what happened in the end, it’s whether I showed up thoughtfully and paid attention to what was actually going on around me. Even when the outcome is uncertain, that mindset usually leaves me with a clearer understanding and a feeling that the interaction mattered.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work has always centered around people. I naturally gravitate toward customer-facing environments because I get energy from interacting with others and solving problems in real time.

Over time, I’ve become someone people rely on to move things forward. Colleagues and startup founders often come to me to think through ideas, troubleshoot issues, or get an honest perspective. Transparency, responsiveness, and kindness are core to how I work. The same approach carries into both professional and personal settings. Doing strong work matters, but for me work should also feel human, so humor and energy are part of how I show up.

My path hasn’t been linear because I’m a generalist. For a while that felt like not fitting neatly into a box, but I’ve learned it’s actually my strength. I connect dots across teams, understand different perspectives, and make complex work approachable. A genuine curiosity about how things work and how people make decisions helps me operate effectively across teams and industries.

I’m proud of building things that didn’t exist before and motivated by helping others move forward. I want my work to translate ideas into something people can understand and trust, blending creativity, strategy, and real interaction.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend were visiting, I’d plan the week by neighborhoods so they could feel how different each pocket of LA is rather than rushing between landmarks.

Day 1 — outdoors and wandering: a Griffith Park hike, coffee at Maru, then heading to Montrose to walk the main street (including Lost Books, Plants & Vinyl), stopping by Descanso Gardens afterward, and ending with dinner and drinks at Belle’s Delicatessen & Bar.

Day 2 — views and music: coffee at Yala, a picnic at the Getty, dinner at Pace in Laurel Canyon, and a concert at the Greek Theatre.

Day 3 — museums and mid-city night: a Fryman Canyon hike, brunch at Sweet Butter Kitchen, the Academy Museum, LACMA Jazz, followed by dinner at Met Him at a Bar and drinks at All Season Brewing.

Day 4 — Westside day: brunch at Bluey’s or Layla Bagels, walking Montana Ave, an afternoon at the beach, stopping by Eataly in Century City to cook dinner at home, and Bigg Chill froyo after.

Day 5 — Valley day: the Studio City Farmers Market, Hank’s bagels and matcha at Three Sisters, shopping small businesses along Magnolia Blvd, then wine at Cosette, dinner at Sugarfish or KazuNori, and Salt & Straw for dessert.

These are some of my favorite spots, but LA has so much to offer that it’s impossible to fit it all into one week!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d dedicate my shoutout to my parents. They’ve always been grounded and consistently supportive without putting pressure on a specific path. Rather than pushing me toward a certain definition of success, they encouraged me to stay curious and thoughtful about my choices.

That mindset shaped how I approach work and relationships. I tend to care more about whether something feels meaningful and aligned than whether it looks impressive from the outside, and a lot of that comes from how they raised me. Because of them, I trust my decisions and grow through experience, good or bad, which I’m very grateful for.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-marsden/

Image Credits
Photo with the UCLA Mascot was taken by Jessie Rowan Photography

All other photos do not have credit attached.