She was announced as the Season 16 Bachelorette on March 2, but the coronavirus pandemic quickly caused a pause in production. Clare has had three and a half months to reflect on what type of Bachelorette she hopes to be before meeting those 30 lucky men someday soon.

Clare joined Rachel Lindsay and Becca Kufrin on a new episode of "Bachelor Happy Hour" and opened up about her personal journey to getting where she is today and the type of mindset she'll have when she begins her season.

The 39-year-old began her interview by comparing the start of journey as the Bachelorette to "waiting at the top of a rollercoaster," and she's ready for the drop. She explained she's "been doing the work" and focusing on self-love, which is one of her core tenets that she often speaks about.

She shared, "Coming off of Juan Pablo’s season, I was weak. I didn’t know who I was. I wasn’t self-aware. Now, coming from there and doing the work all in my 30s, I’m an empowered woman now, and a strong woman."

Clare continued, "I would say even more than being a strong woman — because I’m not always strong — more than anything, I’m a courageous woman now. Even when I’m weak, I still have the courage in myself to do hard things."

This "courage" also relates to being transparent about her feelings — especially when she beings filming and looking for her husband.

Clare told Becca and Rachel, "My friends and a lot of guys who have dated me know this about me: I am way cool until I’m not. If you are good to me, you will get that back. If you are loving on me, I will love you right back. Once you cross me or disrespect me, game on. I will let you know how I feel and I do not hold back on that."

She asserted, "I am so nice until I’m not. If anything, I’m like a puppy dog. I’m such a sap until I’m not. As long as they stay on my good side and are good to me and don’t try to pull one over on me, we’re good. You will get nothing but love from me."

When she was revealed as the new Bachelorette on "Good Morning America" in March, Clare spoke about what attributes she looks for in a partner.

She said, "The most important thing is I want a man that will take off his armor. I want a man who is strong, but is willing to take off the body armor, open himself up and be vulnerable, and I think that is some serious strength right there."

Clare cares mostly about "what's on the inside." She elaborated, "If you line up the guys that I have dated in the past, there's no one thing I'm looking for physically. It's more, if they go out of their way for me, and they make me feel special because this is about me now and I'm ready for it."

At 39, Clare becomes the oldest Bachelorette in franchise history, but she doesn't see that as anything to look down upon. Rather, she sees it as an asset.

"I have been known to date younger guys, so that's not a problem for me," she said on "GMA" at the time. "The thing is I'm wondering if they're ready for me, for my age. I feel like that would be more of an issue, than me with them, because I feel so much younger at heart than my actual age."

To hear more about how Clare is preparing to be the Bachelorette in her first interview since the pandemic, be sure to listen to the full "Bachelor Happy Hour" episode now!