Here at The Bedford Mom we believe that moms deserve to be recognized and celebrated! This month we are so excited to shine the spotlight on someone who brings both warmth and wisdom to our community: Claire Fry. Whether she’s coaching executives on powerful public speaking or lending her voice to national ad campaigns, Claire does it all with creativity, humor, and heart. She and her husband Tom live here in Bedford with their three amazing kids, and since moving to town in 2021, they’ve embraced everything our community has to offer. Read below to get to know Claire, her journey across the globe, and how a cozy blanket and a good book are her ultimate form of self-care!
Tell us about yourself!
Hi! I’m Claire Fry, and I’m fortunate enough to live in Bedford with my husband Tom and my three kiddos, Tommy (13) Amelia (12) and Joshua (9). I wear two professional hats, working as an executive speaking coach and corporate trainer through my company Vocal Confidence and also working as a professional voiceover artist at Loud and Claire Voiceover. Tom and I spent many years traveling, from Boston to Michigan to Korea to California, and finally made our way back to New England when we landed in Bedford in 2021. At last, we’re home!
Tell us about your work!
I’ve made my living as a professional actor ever since I graduated from Wellesley College in 2001. I spent the next few years in Boston, performing in everything from costumed historical interpretation on the Freedom Trail (hello, sweaty corsets in the summertime!) to traveling Shakespeare companies to mainstage shows at some of Boston’s biggest theaters. I continued this life when I accompanied Tom to Michigan to get his MBA, and then things took a big turn when we moved to Seoul, Korea. That’s where I started transitioning from theater acting to voice acting, and I never looked back. I’m still represented by my agent in San Francisco – that’s the great thing about VO, I can do it from my garage here in Bedford! And then a few years ago I had my big “aha” moment: what if I could teach professionals in “normal” jobs how to do what I do as a voice actor, enhancing their executive presence and impact by learning how to use their voices? That’s how Vocal Confidence was born, and I’ve been fortunate enough to bring that training to leaders and teams at companies like Google, Meta, Goldman Sachs, and Amazon. Although my favorite was probably the workshop I did for the Bedford branch of the National Charity League, right here in town.
What are your favorite local restaurants?
We love 1750 Taphouse for a post-game or pre-show family dinner (and secretly think it’s probably the best pizza in town.) Tom’s family is Italian, and we also love Trattoria Fondi at the BVI as an underrated treasure!
What is your favorite way to practice self-care?
This might sound lame, but truly nothing makes me happier than a quiet moment with a book, a blanket, a cup of tea and kids who are happily occupied somewhere… out of the room! That’s my happy place.
What brought you to Bedford?
We bought our house in the spring of 2021 after ten years in California, flying out to New England several times to scout out different towns and neighborhoods. We looked at parts of Maine, NH, and western MA, and we landed on Bedford as our first-choice destination because of the schools, yes, but also because of a sense we got that folks were just plain neighborly here. Families sprawled all over the Inside Scoop hill, waves from the people out walking their dogs, beautiful historic buildings, and a world-class library. Once we found this town there was no question where we would end up, despite the challenges of actually buying a house here (shout-out to the extraordinary Kate Rice, our realtor, who made it all happen over video!)
What is your favorite thing about Bedford?
How many ways there are to belong. I found an incredible book club, and I also have so many friends who are into the volunteerism or the sports or the theater or the dance… there are an amazing number of ways to find community, and what I would call a “highly-involved” population! It’s mind-blowing, really.
What are your favorite local spots in town?
The library, Flight Coffee, Corks and Old Town Hall (where I perform in plays with our awesome local community theater Bedford Off Broadway!)
What is your best piece of advice for moms who are new in town?
That thing I said about how many ways there are to belong? It’s very true, and I strongly suggest being open to everything and chatting with everyone as you start to locate your tribe. My closest friend in Bedford was someone I met chatting at the town pool (great place to meet folks in summer!) Chances are you’ll meet most of your friends through your kids, especially if they’re young, so take advantage of everything from library storytimes to family events at Joppa Hill Farm.
What is your best piece of advice for expecting moms or new moms?
Join the Bedford Buy Nothing group on Facebook! I’m one of the admins, and it’s such a loving and generous community of people. You’d be surprised at how much baby stuff and kid stuff you can get for free on Buy Nothing, and as your kids get older you’ll just pass that stuff along to another mom who needs it.
In closing, we hope you enjoyed reading this article about Claire! If you’d like to nominate a Bedford mom to be spotlighted, please submit your nomination via email to info@thebedfordmom.com. Thanks so much!