Couples Unfiltered9 Kesä 2025

Season 2 Ep. 6 “Building a Magazine, a Marriage, and a Media Legacy” Troy and Claire Johnson

This one’s a slow pour. Sip accordingly.

We’re on location at San Diego Magazine headquarters, sitting down with the couple behind the city’s most beloved lifestyle brand — and yes, we’re posted up at the iconic Happy Half Hour podcast scene. This episode? It’s a vibe. It’s a journey. And it’s a love story told in bylines, risk, and shared leftovers.

Troy Johnson — Food Network star, writer, host of Crave, Guy’s Grocery Games judge, co-host of Campus Eats, and the sharp pen behind San Diego Magazine's cultural voice — joins us with his wife Claire, the media-savvy CEO who left Brooklyn and a powerhouse career at NBC Universal to build something new in SoCal.

In 2021, the Johnsons bought San Diego Magazine — yes, during a pandemic — and began the wild process of transforming a legacy print publication into a thriving, multi-platform media brand. We talk about the chaos, the chemistry, and the conversations that made it all possible.

And maybe the most unforgettable part? On their first date, before they even talked business or brunch, they bonded over something deeply personal: both grew up with gay parents — a reality that shaped their resilience and worldview in a world that wasn’t always ready for it.

Claire, who is 14 years younger than Troy, jokes she thought, “What’s the worst that can happen?” when she took the leap and moved across the country with him. Spoiler: it turns out, a lot. But most of it’s pretty amazing.

If you’re into stories about building something meaningful, creating against the odds, and holding onto love while holding down a business — this episode will fill your cup.

⚠️ Long episode ahead. But worth every delicious minute.

https://sandiegomagazine.com/

https://www.couplesunfiltered.comhttps://www.instagram.com/couples_unfiltered/

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(34)

S3 | E3 The Rulls of Partnership

This episode of Couples Unfiltered is sponsored in part by Color Story Florals in Vista, CA. We’ve partnered with them to feature handcrafted floral arrangements in our episodes, designed with 80% loc...

9 Kesä 1h 2min

S3 | E2 How They Turned Heartbreak into Purpose

25 Touko 1h 13min

S3 | E1 Understanding Over Communication

Season 3 kicks off with an honest conversation between Lionel and Natalie about what really makes relationships work and why communication alone is not enough. Inspired by a conversation with an older...

13 Touko 53min

Season 2 Ep.13 Our First Marriage Disconnect: Triggers, Scar Tissue & Healing

In this deeply personal episode of Couples Unfiltered, Lionel and Natalie sit down, just the two of them, to unpack their very first marriage fight. Or, as they call it, a disconnect.What begins as a ...

7 Tammi 52min

Season 2 Ep. 12 “Rock & Rules: Etiquette & Artistry with the Swanns”

This episode of Couples Unfiltered is sponsored in part by Color Story Florals in Vista, CA. We’ve partnered with them to feature some of their handcrafted arrangements in our episodes—designed with 8...

22 Marras 20251h 7min

Season 2 Ep 11. “Table for One: Chef Claudia Dishes Off the Menu”

18 Loka 202553min

Season 2 Ep 10. “Built to Withstand the Fire” The Washingtons

In this powerful episode of Couples Unfiltered, hosts Lionel and Natalie sit down with Renee and Gerard Washington — a couple whose love story has withstood fire, faith, and fierce challenges.From a c...

13 Syys 202557min

“When Chivalry Feels Like a Threat” - Unpacking Intent vs. Impact in Modern Love”

Lionel and Natalie dive deep into the sometimes blurry line between chivalry and control. Natalie opens up about growing up without examples of healthy male care, and how acts of kindness can feel lik...

15 Elo 202542min