Peter McGraw welcomes back previous guest Monique (Murad) Da Cunha and long-time listener Theresa Williamson, both proud solos living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They discuss Monique and Theresa's unique experience of single living in Brazil, exploring cultural perspectives, personal journeys, and the vibrant solo lifestyle in Rio, one of the world's most dynamic cities.

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In this Solo episode, Peter McGraw welcomes comedian Myq Kaplan, known for his appearances on the Tonight Show, Conan, and America's Got Talent. They dive into a lively game of Truth or Truth, discussing the lone wolf nature of stand-up comedians, the prevalence of single scientists, and strong solo characters in media. What do you think? Join the Solo community and share your thoughts: https://petermcgraw.org/solo/

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Welcome back to another episode of "Aging Single," where Peter McGraw explores the intricacies of aging, retiring, and dying solo. This time, in episode three, he is focused on the critical topics of finances and estate planning, an essential discussion for singles navigating their later years independently. Peter is joined by two guests: Louisa M. Ritsick from Ritsick Law LLC, a seasoned lawyer specializing in estate and tax planning, and Kirsten Hollander, a certified financial planner with a wealth of experience in helping clients achieve financial independence. Together, they share their expertise on overcoming the unique financial and legal challenges faced by aging singles.

The regular listener of the podcast knows Shane Mauss—a comedian, science communicator, and expert of psychedelics. He has a new project called Mind Under Matter, a comedy, and philosophy podcast, with the talented Ramin Nazer. Shane and Ramin are planning their first Mind Under Matter Campout Festival, which will feature comedy, music, live podcasts, art, talks, mysticism, nature, community, games, and a talk about single living by Peter McGraw. In this episode, Shane interviews Peter for the Here We Are Podcast to talk about solo travel and single living. This is an edited version of the conversation, but you can find the full one wherever you can find the Here We Are Podcast. The Mind Under Matter Campout Festival will be Sep 8-12 at the Lakeside Retreats (20 minutes from downtown Raleigh, NC).

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Having financial freedom is important to solos given their often-single status. Amy Gibb, aka Money Amy, returns to talk about tactics to help you save money – something especially important given recent economic events.

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A remarkable life demands decisions - sometimes big, bold decisions. Big or small, decisions risk regret. Do I get married? Do I have kids? Do I go solo? Peter McGraw invites Marcel Zeelenberg, the world’s expert on regret, to talk about what makes a choice regrettable. 

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More than one in four households in the US have one occupant, a number is as high as one in two in Stockholm. That’s a lot of cooking being done…alone. Hence, Peter McGraw is pleased to deliver this fun, even inspirational episode on solo cooking.

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Peter McGraw talks to Kinneret Lahad and Iris Schneider about the substantial costs that singles pay, subsidizing and supporting couples with gifts and attendance at weddings, rehearsal dinners, showers, baptisms, and gender reveal parties. Lahad is the co-author of a paper that investigates single women as exhausted givers and careful complainers—complaining about the asymmetry that comes from what used to be a tradition: I support you when you get married, and you support me when I get married. That was fine when everyone got married, but what happens when a substantial number of people remain single, and there is no opportunity for reciprocity? 

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There are an increasing number of resources for singles--resources that do more than help you get hitched. The best books for singles take a thoughtful, researched-backed approach to understanding the complexities of single living. One of those books, The Lonely Hunter: How Our Search For Love Is Broken, was written by Aimée Lutkin. In this episode, Peter McGraw speaks to Aimée about relationship, loneliness, and how our search for love (or lust) is broken.

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Peter McGraw returns to share recent thoughts on how to live a remarkable life. 

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Host Peter McGraw returns to the desert to update his thinking on what it means to be solo versus single.

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In the previous episode, Peter McGraw speaks to a divorce coach about the planning, execution, and aftermath of a divorce. In this episode, he speaks to Rachel Beisel about a strategy to break bad relationship habits. Rachel presents the concept of a relationship sponsor (akin to an AA sponsor) who can support you if you have difficulty with romantic relationships.

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One in three marriages in the United States end in divorce, and Peter McGraw has become the guy his friends call when they are getting divorced. In this episode, he speaks to Ruth Abraham, a Certified Professional Integrative coach, about the planning, execution, and aftermath of a divorce.

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This episode seeks to explore the singles advocacy movement with Gordon Morris, who is aiming to breathe new life into Unmarried Equality, a nonprofit at the crossroads of the singles' rights movement. Alongside guest co-host Christina Campbell, a fervent supporter of single living, Peter McGraw explores the roots and future of singles advocacy, from the pioneering "Singles Bill of Rights" to today’s push for societal acceptance. Discover how you can join this crucial cause for equality.

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Peter McGraw doesn't talk much about his life as a business school professor, but in this episode, he speaks to Amanda Kramer in his role as a professor and advocate for singles. This taping is part of the Leeds Business Insights podcast at the CU Boulder Leeds School of Business. They discuss familiar topics, but most of the conversation focuses on how organizations overlook singles from marketing and talent management standpoints.

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If you are a frequent listener of Solo, you know that Peter McGraw doubts that an alcohol-fueled life can be especially remarkable. He believes that less drinking (or not drinking at all) is superior to being a frequent drinker. To explore this topic, he invites Brandon Patrick and Christina Martinez into the solo studio. Sadly, they had a technical problem and lost some content, which explains the sudden close to the episode. Nonetheless, the conversation is a good starting point for a commonly-accepted but often challenging habit. 

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Welcome back. In his book, Shtick to Business, Peter McGraw addresses how professionals have one of two problems: they either work too hard or don't work hard enough. He puts forth a model for both groups called "Grind and Release." In this episode, he brings together two solos from the world of fitness and rehabilitation to talk about the "release" side of the equation, with a focus on rest and recovery (and how they are not the same thing). If you take away anything from this episode, it is the magic formula: Walk, Water, and Sleep. Note: bonus material is back with the team talking about cannabis, mushrooms, and sex. If you are interested, sign up for the solo community at PeterMcGraw.org/solo.

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Peter McGraw welcomes Christina Martinez and Brandon Patrick back into the Solo Studio to continue their conversation about how to live alone. 

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To bring a short series on doing things alone to a close, I invite previous guests Brandon Patrick and Christina Martinez back into the solo studio to talk about living alone. This is too big a topic to cover in just one episode, but we hit many of the highlights as we discuss our perspectives and experiences living alone, presenting pros, cons, and tips. We finish by presenting some tips to those of you who want to live alone.

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This is Part 2 of Peter McGraw's conversation with two solo parents (with older children) about parenting alone. They continue their discussion of common challenges and opportunities that come from the transition to being a single parent, co-parenting, finding balance, dating (conventionally or not), and preparing for the transition to an empty nest. His guest close with advice for having a remarkable life as a solo parent.

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Peter McGraw brings two solo parents (with older children) into the studio to talk about parenting alone. They discuss common challenges and opportunities that come from the transition to being a single parent, co-parenting, finding balance, dating (conventionally or not), and preparing for the transition to an empty nest. His guest close with advice for having a remarkable life as a solo parent.

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Peter McGraw invites Brandon Patrick and Christina Martinez into the Solo Studio to talk about doing things alone (in public). They discuss their perspective and experiences doing things alone, and Peter shares the results of a survey of attached and unattached people for an array of activities that you might do alone or with others in public. They finish by presenting tips to listeners who want to do more things alone. 

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Peter McGraw is joined by two cyclists (and friends) for an impromptu episode on cycling. Bikes are associated with autonomy and adventure--the same ideals that differentiate solos from singles.

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This episode ends Peter McGraw's series on unconventional relationships--with an extension of a previous episode on singles and their pets. This episode was taped live as part of a charity event and comedy show in Denver. Peter is joined by Christie Buchele, one of the comics and a cat owner, and by Christina Martinez, a dog owner and soon-to-be familiar voice on the podcast. They discuss the results of a survey on singles and their pets. They also discuss the type of person who is the best fit for a dog, cat, or no pet. (Peter takes the "no pet" options, obviously.)

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Peter McGraw is concerned about his students and has been writing open letters to them. In this Solo Thoughts episode, he reads those letters to you with the hope of getting you to read more books, write more often, and never give up on your dreams.

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Peter McGraw continues the Solo series on unconventional relationships by looking at singles who seek the companionship of a pet. In this first part, he speaks to Lisa Curry, a dog owner and stand-up comedian. They discuss a survey of singles and their pets for his new project: A Single Insight: The Science of Solos. Part two will cover the results as part of a live taping of the podcast.

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Peter McGraw addresses a pervasive but under-discussed type of relationship: Friends with Benefits (FWB; i.e., sexual friendships). His guests are drawn from Colorado’s polyamorous community. Obviously, you don’t need to be polyamorous to enjoy beneficial friendships, yet McGraw invited them to join because they are experienced and comfortable talking about unconventional relationships. His guests share stories about their beneficial friendships, what friends with benefits are and aren't, how it diverges from the relationship escalator, and conclude with some best practices. 

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Peter McGraw kicks off a short series that further investigates unconventional relationships. In this episode, he invites a sugar baby into the studio to talk about a not-so-new but increasingly popular type of relationship: an arrangement between a “sugar baby” and a “sugar daddy” or “sugar mommy.” The episode is launched without judgment. To McGraw, as long as there is consent and no harm is being done, people should be free to choose the relationship that is right for them. See the Relationship Anarchy episode for a primer in this respect. McGraw, his co-host, and guest discuss the history of “sugaring,” motivations of each participant, and best practices.

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New to the Solo movement? You are not alone. More and more people are becoming aware that marriage is an overprescribed path to a good life. An observation reflected in rapidly changing demographics. One-hundred and twenty-eight million American adults are single, and 25% of Millennials are projected to never marry. Here's a primer on Peter McGraw's Solo projects, especially the Solo podcast. You will learn the seven episodes to start with.

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Lisa Lampanelli is a remarkable solo. Now retired from stand-up comedy, Lisa has reinvented herself from being the “Queen of Mean” (famous for roasting celebrities) to the “Queen of Meaning." Peter McGraw talks to Lisa about her climb up the comedy mountain--from clubs to theaters to Radio City Music hall--and her retirement from stand-up in order to sit down and set aside her anger to help people. The episode was taped as part of the Solo Show on Fireside.

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Peter McGraw celebrates the 100th episode of Solo by inviting back two friends who joined him on episode 1 and episode 50. They discuss what they have learned from the podcast: 1) Recognizing the promise of non-traditional relationships, 2) How to behave when dating, and 3) Living unapologetically.

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This is the final episode in a three-part series that looks at various forms of shared living. The first featured a fun discussion about the Golden Girls. The second examined alternative forms of housing beyond the typical: apartment, condo, townhouse, and house. Frequent listeners know that Solo's host Peter McGraw believes that the American Dream of owning a home is overrated.

Nonetheless, he invites Michael Koenig, the President and Co-founder of Studio Shed, and guest co-host Darlene Savoy to examine an innovative product that solos can use as a way to achieve homeownership (or could be used for a business or investment opportunity). Creating products, such as Studio Shed, that can be used for shared living is especially important when considering the challenges facing multigenerational living (which often includes solos, e.g., a grandparent). 

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Following the Golden Girls episode, Peter McGraw continues his investigation into alternative living arrangements for singles. In this episode, he invites Darlene Savoy and Ben Lough to define and discuss shared living options. They discuss some considerations for people contemplating shared living (i.e, the 4C’s: cost, convenience, community, and care; but along the way they discover a fifth "C") The team closes the discussion with advice and resources for those contemplating shared living.

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Many happy singles want to create a Golden Girls living situation in their golden years. This episode examines one of the best television shows for singles – and one of the best shows ever. Peter McGraw is joined by guest co-host Jen O’Donnell to talk to Danielle Soto, an expert on the Golden Girls. They discuss the broad appeal and cultural significance of the show and end with a round of Golden Girls trivia.

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Peter McGraw continues his conversation with two friends, Darwyn Metzger and Chester See.

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Whether with a partner or solo, sex is fun--or at least should be. Peter McGraw and guest co-host, Laura Grant, talk to Justin Lehmiller, a sex researcher and author of "Tell Me What You Want" about how to have better sex. They discuss Justin's "Ten Resolutions for Better Sex."

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This is the first of a two-part episode that features a conversation with two creative men who love each other. Peter McGraw talks to Chester See and Darwyn Metzger about the SOLO project, well-being, friendship, and love among friends.

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The last Solo episode took (another look) at reinvention. This week's episode extends the conversation to a particular type of reinvention: finding more pleasure in the simple pleasures of life. Lily Rains joins Peter to interview Shannon Ables who help people live more luxuriously, but not in the kind of way you might assume. Pay particular attention to the risk of pursuing good taste in order to impress other people. Shannon’s advice is clear: do it for yourself. And for solos, that is—fortunately—easy to do.

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This week’s episode features a remarkable solo and cast member of Dragons’ Den, the Canadian version of Shark Tank. Arlene Dickinson joins Peter McGraw and Darlene Savoy to talk about reinvention and single living. 

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Peter McGraw is joined by guest co-host Christina Campbell to talk to Emma John, the author of Self-Contained: Scenes from a Single Life. They discuss Emma's new memoir and explore her comfort being single and her discomfort talking about being single.

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As part of a live taping for the Solo club on clubhouse, Peter McGraw speaks to Ketan Anjaria, a divorced dad and young empty nester. They have a wide-reaching conversation covering dating and race, mental health, and Ketan's struggles spending time alone. Make sure you stick around to learn his "sixth love language."

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Attachment theory has made its way into the public sphere with the help of the recent book Attached. The theory contends that people approach intimate relationships from one of three perspectives: secure, anxious, or avoidant. Peter McGraw and Iris Schneider are joined by Geoff McDonald, a social psychologist and relationship scientist who is part of a small group of people doing research on singlehood. In addition to tackling the strengths and weaknesses of attachment theory, they discuss Geoff’s research on singlehood and how he has identified a small group of long-term singles with an adaptive approach to solo living.

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While the topic of parenthood comes up from time to time, it is often from the perspective that solos are typically not parents. In this week's episode, however, Peter McGraw talks to two solo parents – one who is a single mother by choice and the other who had an “oopsie.” You will hear their stories, discover how their “team” helps them, and also learn a bit about how they go about dating (or not).  

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This is the second half of a two-part episode. Peter McGraw is joined by co-host Iris Schneider( a fellow solo and behavioral scientist) to talk to Kinneret Lahad, a sociologist who does research at the intersection of time and singlehood. It’s an incredible conversation. One that has Peter thinking differently about living single and living well.

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Peter McGraw is joined by guest co-host Iris Schneider for part 1 of a conversation about “waiting” with Kinneret Lahad, a sociologist who conducts research at the intersection of time and singlehood.

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Being single provides optionality (i.e., having the right but not obligation to take action.) In other words: freedom. Yet, singles often fail to consider their freedom and pursue a conventional life - valuing the same things and living similar lifestyles as their partnered counterparts. Last week’s episode examined how garnering financial freedom gives rise to freedom more generally. This week’s episode examines giving up power (or opportunities to pursue power) in order to gain freedom. Peter McGraw speaks to Timothy Krieder, a writer and cartoonist, about how he has avoided the power to dedicate more time to his artistic endeavors (or simply sit in a bar and talk to friends, which fuels his artistic endeavors).

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In the second episode on the series on aging, retiring, and dying single, Peter McGraw talks to William J. Kole (aka Bill Kole), author of "THE BIG 100: The New World of Super-Aging." Kole shares insights from his extensive research on the phenomenon of people living to 100 and beyond, discussing the implications for society, relationships, and personal well-being. They explore the factors contributing to longer lifespans, the pros and cons of a super-aging world, and the importance of preparing for this new reality. Kole also offers advice on cultivating habits and attitudes that can help us live longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives, with a special focus on the considerations for those aging single.

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Being single provides optionality (i.e., “having the right but not the obligation to take action.”) Peter McGraw speaks to Anita Dhake (aka the Thriftygal) to examine how money can buy you freedom. Anita retired early and presents ways to lower your expenses in order to gain financial freedom. They talk "F-you” money, her admiration of Judge Judy, the questions she asks before making a material purchase, and their mutual love of salads for breakfast. 

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Peter McGraw often talks about how half of the American singles are not interested in a relationship or dating. In other words: it is totally normal to want to date OR to not want to date. In this episode, he speaks to the person who is responsible for these data: Anna Brown, a research associate at the Pew Research Center, as non-partisan, non-advocacy, non-profit. Anna presents some facts, and Peter does some editorializing.

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Welcome to the final episode of Peter McGraw's series on solitude. He invites two solo travelers – one part-time and one full-time – to a live podcast taping for his Solo club on Clubhouse. Topics include their experiences traveling alone, how they meet people on the road, and how they walk a city alone (i.e., flaneuring). They present tips for packing, safety, and saving money. They close the conversation with an important solo travel question: what do you do when a couple asks you to move seats on an airplane so they can sit together?

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