Dive into the complete episode list for Thrive Solo. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
On today’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about how long we allow ourselves to dwell on things that aren’t serving us; in other words, where we’re placing our attention.
How often do you actually notice where your mind is at any given moment? And how often do you find yourself ruminating on something that isn’t making you feel good? Perhaps you had an argument with a friend, or maybe you’re worried about an email from your boss. Are you still thinking about it three days later?
Polly and I talk about why it’s so incredibly important to bring more awareness to our thoughts, and to consciously choose to shift our focus onto something else, rather than obsess over things that are completely out of our control.
Of course we need to feel our feelings - and of course some things are much bigger and more serious than others - but in the day to day of life, how long do you tend to dwell on a conversation, event, or incident that is making you feel bad?
In this week's episode of Thrive Solo, my guest is Rebekah Buege.
Rebekah lives in Minnesota, USA, and while she works a corporate 9 - 5 job, she’s also a body neutrality coach, a writer, and she posts all about her single life on TikTok and Instagram. In this conversation, Rebekah and I talk about pursuing life over relationships, the state of modern dating, overcoming societal pressures, and the liberating experience of changing her appearance with a short haircut. Rebekah emphasises the importance of living life fully without waiting for a partner, investing in friendships, and understanding one's own identity. She also discusses the benefits and challenges of single life, and how single life is often conflated with loneliness. The episode concludes with Rebecca's thoughts on how to thrive as a single person by living authentically and proactively.
My guest on this week's episode is the absolutely fabulous Marianne Power.
Marianne was on the podcast back in the summer of 2024, so I encourage you to go and listen to those episodes if you haven’t already (I split them into 2 because we talked for so long!), and if you don’t know who she is, then you need to.
She is the author of the phenomenal book 'Love Me! One Woman’s Search For A Different Kind Of Happy Ever After', which I urge you to read if you haven't already. She’s also the author of 'Help Me!', as well as being a journalist.
This conversation came off the back of a phone call that Marianne and I had several weeks ago where we talked about everything from how vulnerable it feels to put a book out into the world, to our very different experiences of sex in the past and in the present, to the wonderful things about being single and not having kids; and at the end of that chat we decided she needed to come back on the podcast to try out best to recreate our conversation for you!
You’re definitely going to want to listen the whole way through — trust me. We cover all manner of things from the vulnerability of writing personal stories, to the importance of connection, and the challenges and joys of navigating singlehood. This engaging conversation touches upon key themes like societal expectations, the need for self-validation, and the broader spectrum of relationships that can fill our lives with meaning and joy.
04:50 Marianne's Journey and Book Insights
10:36 Societal Expectations and Personal Validation
28:14 The Importance of Connection
36:22 Exploring Conscious Sexuality
43:47 Finding Joy in Being Single
43:56 The Importance of Touch and Connection
44:47 Breaking Relationship Norms
45:47 Discussing Our Books and Public Perception
46:44 Marianne's Mortifying Festival Talk (that turned to be a roaring success)
48:58 Overcoming Shame and Embracing Honesty
53:23 Audience Reactions and Validation
57:54 The Struggle of Public Vulnerability
01:12:01 The Importance of Self-Validation
01:13:50 Wrapping Up and Future Plans
Buy Marianne's book, Love Me!: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Me-womans-search-happy/dp/1529057884
Sign up to Marianne's Substack: https://helpmenewsletter.substack.com/
Follow Marianne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marianne_power_writer/?hl=en
This week on Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about a topic that impacts every area of your life – the relationship you have with yourself.
Since you spend every second of every day with ‘you’, it makes sense to invest in making that relationship as strong and supportive as possible.
We explore how the way you treat and view yourself directly influences your happiness and fulfillment—whether you're in a relationship or not—and share practical ways we've found helpful to strengthen that connection.
We hope you find something that resonates with you.
My guest on the podcast this week is the divine Katy Fowler.
Katy is a freelance translator, and a full-time digital nomad, with a particular passion for travelling overland. She spent several years travelling the whole way around the world without taking any flights.
Katy is both single and childfree.
Topics that we cover are:
how Katy has been single for a decade, and has come to see it as a blessing;
how many of the most exciting things she’s done have been because of her single status;
how being single has enabled her to spend more quality time with her family;
Katy’s adventures in the dating world, including the bad behaviour of some men;
attachment styles, and how Katy and I are both anxious / avoidant;
Katy’s experience of therapy, and why it doesn’t work for everyone;
how the break up of her most recent relationship was the catalyst for her digital nomad journey;
the year she spent with Remote Year, a company for remote workers travelling the world as part of a community;
how her journey overland from Vietnam to Hampshire, UK, made her decide to travel around the world without taking any flights;
the 6 weeks she spent in 2019 in Odesa, Ukraine, learning Russian;
how Katy was in Bangkok when Covid hit, and subsequently spent two and a half years on Thailand;
her first ever cruise from Singapore to Perth, Australia;
her various experiences with several creepy crawlies;
her journey across the Pacific from New Zealand to San Francisco;
how some of Katy’s friends surprised her at the port in Southampton on her return to the UK;
the difficulties of a nomadic life, and finding a place to call home.
On this week's minisode, I'm talking about an important life concept that we often get backwards — the idea that when we get the thing that we want to have, we'll be happy. In reality, it works entirely the other way around.
My guest on the podcast this week is the fabulous Conor Creighton.
Conor Creighton is an author, coach and meditation teacher from Kildare, Ireland. His podcast Hacking Love explores the relationship in a time of crisis and huge evolutionary change. He used to be a journalist for the Guardian and Vice Magazine, covering warzones, drug culture, and the rise of the far-right. However, in 2012 he discovered meditation and realised that being a meditation teacher, spiritual guide, and coach was much more up his street.
Topics that we cover are:
how Conor is a ‘dream coach’ who unearths what makes people come alive;;
his take on relationships and how we’ve reached a threshold as our culture is shifting;
co-dependency, and how so many of us grew up in co-dependent homes;
Conor’s take on the ‘new model’ of relationships;
how things have shifted for men with the advent of the ‘new world;
how men have always been conditioned to suppress their emotions;
how men are almost encouraged to be angry;
how men have a huge capacity for suffering, and how they find it hard to admit weakness;
why struggle can often be a gift in disguise;
Conor’s thoughts on the nature of reality;
how we can change and curate our state of being;
the catalyst for Conor starting his journey with meditation;
why it’s so important to work on our magnetism, and be more in service to ourselves;
Conor’s thoughts on the concept of scarcity mindset;
the notion that money isn’t real, it’s energy, and how we need to work on our mindset around it;
nervous system work around the way we feel about money;
why meditation is so important, and what happens when we don’t do it.
Check out Conor’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hacking-love/id1723589883
On today’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about avoiding distractions.
It turns out that neither of us are very good at this and we both get distracted all the time! But hopefully you will find something in here that you resonate with, or that you find useful.
The headlines: turn all notifications off on your phone, turn the sound off too, and put it across the room when you’re working!
This podcast turned three years old a couple of days ago, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity for a fresh start, a new beginning, and a brand new name.
It's still the same old podcast, and it's still for you if you're single, but the new name will hopefully allow for more expansive, exciting, and inspiring conversations.
So au revoir 'Spinsterhood Reimagined'. And bonjour 'Thrive Solo! Let's go...
Today is Part Six of a new mini series, 6 Steps To Move Out Of Fear & Into A Life You Love, which is all about the steps I myself have taken to change my life over the last five years.
In Part 6, I’m talking about aligned action. Mindset is the foundation – but action builds the life you want. This episode brings all six steps together so you can take intentional, values-led action towards the future you deserve.
On this week’s Thursday's Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about the stories we tell ourselves - the ones that shape our beliefs, actions, and ultimately, our lives.
Many of these narratives stem from childhood experiences, societal expectations, or past failures. While some empower us, others hold us back.
But when we take a step back and challenge these stories, we often realise they’re not absolute truths—just perspectives we’ve adopted along the way.
The good news? We have the power to rewrite our own stories and create a future that truly aligns with who we are.
My guest on the podcast this week is the fabulous Matt Bowles.
Matt is an Irish-American hip hop DJ turned human rights activist turned location-independent entrepreneur turned minimalist world-traveller and podcaster. After getting a Master’s Degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, Matt worked in the nonprofit advocacy space until he was unexpectedly fired from his job at age 30, at which point he decided to pivot and start a location-independent business that would enable him to travel the world full-time. Matt co-founded Maverick Investor Group as a fully-remote real estate brokerage to help people buy "turn-key" rental properties. Since 2013 he has been slow-travelling the world with no base and has run his business from over 70 countries. He is also the host of The Maverick Show podcast where he interviews the world's most interesting remote entrepreneurs, world travellers and digital nomads.
He is single and childfree.
Topics that we cover are:
how Matt’s digital nomad life began with his then-girlfriend;
what he did when they broke up in Cyprus after 7 years;
the international work-travel programme he embarked upon for a year;
how getting fired was the catalyst for Matt starting his own business;
why it is so important to surround yourself with the voices of inspiring people;
how any of us can pivot at any point in life;
some of the most interesting entrepreneurs Matt has met, and their surprising remote businesses;
how Matt’s first podcast recording of The Maverick Show came about;
why it’s so important to reframe our mindset by asking ourselves ‘how?’ we can do something;
what Matt’s life as a digital nomad actually looks like;
how location freedom allows you to prioritise, and spend more time with, the people you love;
Matt’s activist background and work, and his visits to Israel and Palestine;
how his love of hiphop impacted his political consciousness;
how he feels about not having a partner or kids, and how he’s open to whatever unfolds;
how Matt keeps himself anchored during his constant travels;
some of the most wonderful things about being a digital nomad.
Get some freebies: https://www.themaverickshow.com/spinsterhood
On today’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about a quote by Howard Thurman which says: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
It may feel like the world is going to hell in a handbasket, but rather than focusing on all the negativity, we can help the world far more by focusing on feeling good within ourselves.
Watching the news 24/7, or talking incessantly about the cost of living and the state of politics might make us feel like we’re doing something, but actually all this does is reinforce all of the bad stuff, and spread even more negativity.
So if you want to help make the world a better place, start by making your own mind a better place to be; because it’s happy, joyful, creative people spreading their light who are truly making a difference.
We hope you’ll find something useful or interesting in here!
My guest on the podcast this week is the wonderful Nicola Slawson.
Nicola is a freelance journalist and writer, and founder of the award-winning newsletter, The Single Supplement. Her new book, Single: Living A Complete Life On Your Own terms, comes out on 13th February 2025.
Nicola is single, but lives with her gay best friend, Tom, the father of her baby girl, Stella.
Topics that we cover are:
how she and her gay best friend, Tom, platonically co-parent their daughter, Stella;
how Nicola had been looking into solo motherhood but didn’t feel it was the right choice for her;
how the financial side of solo parenting was one of the main reasons she was against it;
how she came up with the idea to have a baby with her gay friend;
the moment she asked Tom if he wanted to have — and co-parent — a baby with her;
how they decided that they would actually live together;
their ideal future living situation;
how Nicola feels about any future romantic partner given her unconventional life;
how Tom & Nicola got pregnant — first time — using the ‘turkey baster’ method;
how incredibly grateful they both that their journey of having a baby was so ‘easy’;
how her book, Single: Living A Complete Life On Your Own Terms, covers the whole breadth of being single;
how writing a book about single life was the very last thing on her list, but how it came about;
how one of the main messages of the book is about not putting your life on hold when you’re single;
the idea of ‘happily ever after’ and how it is so ingrained in our culture;
how one her favourite chapters is about heartbreak;
the unspoken grief of no longer being single;
the nuance of being happily single but also desiring a relationship;
how proud Nicola is of the last 10 years of her single life
how we don't give ourselves enough credit for the things we deal with alone as single women.
Follow Nicola on Instagram: @nicola_slawson
Get a signed copy of the book: https://www.bookabookshop.co.uk/shop/single-living-a-complete-life-on-your-own-terms-signed-copy/
On today's minisode, I'm talking briefly about the current state of the world, and the best thing, in my opinion, we can do in order to create positive change.
On this week’s Thursday's Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about the powerful philosophy of “memento mori” - the reminder that one day, we will die.
Far from being morbid, this ancient wisdom encourages us to embrace life more fully. When we acknowledge how short life actually is, we gain a clearer perspective on what truly matters.
We also delve into the biggest regrets of the dying and how ‘memento mori’ can help you make every moment count—leading to a more fearless, fulfilling life.
We hope you find something valuable in this conversation!
My guest on the podcast this week is the wonderful Rachel Thompson.
Rachel is a British author and journalist specialising in sex, dating, and relationships. Her second non-fiction book, The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy In A Disconnected World,is an investigation into the challenges at the heart of modern dating culture. It will help you make sense of the dating landscape, teach you how to confidently ask for things that work for you, and provide you the tools to find the security and connections you deserve.
Rachel lives in London and is single and childless.
Topics that we cover are:
how being single is Rachel’s default state and she sees it as something completely neutral;
how, to Rachel, relationships are a side order, rather than the main course;
how she feels about being asked if she’s ‘still’ single;
what self-worth means to Rachel, and what it looks like in her life;
how much her dating behaviour has changed since she was in her twenties;
how women are scared to ask for clarity, but how you can’t say the wrong thing to the right person;
the ‘cool girl’ trope, and why it stems from the patriarchy;
how Rachel used to believe she wasn’t worthy of romantic love;
self love, and how boundaries are a big part of it;
how Rachel approaches online dating;
reframing rejection in the online dating world;
Rachel’s motivation for writing her new book, The Love Fix;
how and why dating these days is so, so hard;
why we shouldn’t treat dating apps as though they will fix all of our problems;
how their is little incentive for the apps to improve their effectiveness;
how nothing will change in dating until society itself changes;
the mating crisis, and what that means for both men and women;
the answer to the question: do human beings need romantic love?
how Rachel froze her eggs, and what the process of egg retrieval looked like;
why we musn’t make dating decisions based on a fear of being alone.
On today's minisode, I'm talking about why and how we should be romanticising both our current life, as well as the vision of our future life. Because romance isn't just for couples — it's a tool for creating the life we desire.
On today’s Monday Motivation, Polly and I are talking about intentionally creating our lives.
We have more agency over our lives than we realise, but most of us our unconsciously creating our realities, rather than consciously creating them.
So…we need to make a decision to get intentional about what we want our life to look like, and we need to get conscious about how we’re thinking and how we’re feeling.
In the unified, quantum field in which we are all swimming, all eventualities are possible. The question is, which one are we choosing to align with? Which version of our future do we want to manifest? The choice is ours.
We need to get clear on our vision for the future, embody the emotions of that future right now, and start taking small steps towards it. When we mentally rehearse our future every day in meditation and through visualisation, we are literally training our brains to find the opportunities, people, and circumstances that will help us get there.
Ask yourselves every, single day: what am I going to tune into today? What frequency am I going to align with? And choose wisely…because it matters.
On today's Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about the importance of having fun.
Fun is essential for living a good life, especially with everything that's going on in the world at the moment. But fun can look very different for everyone (Polly and I have very different ideas of what fun is!), and that's ok.
Whether fun for you is a work 'away day' playing rounders in the park, or a quiet dinner with your bestie, it all matters. And we need to be intentional about incorporating more of it into our lives.
My guest on the podcast this week is the fabulous Jay Zigmont.
Jay is the founder of Childfree Wealth which focuses on helping childfree people figure out their finances. He has been a life and business coach for over a decade, and is a certified financial planner and a Childfree Wealth Specialist. He’s also the author of the book ‘Portraits of Childfree Wealth’ the co-host of the ‘Childfree Life and Money Podcast’, AND he has a brand new book out called The Childfree Guide To Life & Money.
Topics that we cover are:
the cost of being single and childfree;
some of the ‘no baby’ steps in Jay’s new book, The Childfree Guide To Life & Money;
how the first three steps to building wealth are actually very simple, but not necessarily easy;
my own journey of leaving the 9-5 & my London flat, and moving to Dorset;
why the first step is to work out what kind of life you want, and the impact you want to make;
how we sometimes have to make sacrifices to get to where we want to go;
why we need to ask ourselves — honestly — what it is that we want;
why Jay always asks his clients what the second line of their obituary would say;
two very important questions we should all ask ourselves;
Jay’s words of advice for women worrying about their finances;
the option of community housing;
why we have to have a budget, and a plan for our money before the month starts;
Jay’s budgeting system which consists of ‘musts’, ‘shoulds’, ‘coulds’ and ‘won’ts’;
why it’s so important to have insurance to cover you if you can’t work;
the high costs of longterm care in later life;
why having your next-of-kin in place is crucial;
thinking outside the box when it comes to making more money;
how the gender wage gap is actually much smaller for single, childfree women than women who are married with kids;
‘head trash’ and why we need to be aware of the things that are holding us back;
On today's minisode I'm talking about why having a sense of meaning and purpose is the key to feeling fabulous about your single life.
I talk about how it's taken me literally decades to find a sense of meaning in my own life, and how I believe that we ALL have something that lights us up from the inside — even if we don't know what it is yet.
Plus, it's not necessarily something we have to 'find' hiding under a rock — purpose is something that we can cultivate and develop. And when you discover what that thing is for you, your relationship status becomes waaaaaay less important because you're engrossed in other pursuits.
My guest on the podcast this week is the inimitable, Shweta Ramkumar.
Shweta is an advocate of the childfree lifestyle, she is a southern Asian woman of colour and a pioneer of dismantling the oppressive norms of the conservative, sexist, and patriarchal culture and society she grew up in. Her life journey is an example of someone who has broken free from the shackles of cultural conformity and she is a proud black sheep within her family and her Indian culture. Now, Shweta is in a long-term relationship, but I really wanted to talk to her not only about being childfree, but largely about her experience of growing up in a culture where the things she saw going on simply didn’t sit well with her, and how she managed to forge her own path in life. Now although grew up in India, she now lives in Melbourne, Australia where her family moved when she was 16.
Topics that we cover are:
her experience of growing up in India, and the things she observed that didn’t sit well with her;
the concept of ‘auditioning’ for a man and his family;
how what she saw of her patriarchal society meant that she never wanted to get married and have kids;
the huge difference in expectations for men and women;
her mother, a lawyer, and how she ‘put her foot down’ in her own life;
how Shweta wanted completely different things to her friends who were all focused on getting married;
moving to Australia with her family, and how she struggled from the age of 18;
how it took her a while to feel like she belonged, and to find her tribe;
how Shweta feels that her parents are disappointed in her for not towing the line in her career;
her decision to stop dating Indian men;
how she felt like she was living a double life when she was in her twenties;
the toxic relationship with a man whose parent’s made derogatory comments about her appearance;
Shweta’s advice for other women who are struggling with their cultural traditions and expectations;
some of the social media accounts that can help these women;
the importance of working with a therapist from your own culture;
being addicted to stress, and how so many of us don’t realise that we’re addicted to feeling bad;
being a childfree advocate, and what that means to Shweta;
what Shweta’s independent relationship with her partner looks like;
how solo travel pushes her out of her comfort zone, and how much she loves it.
On today's minisode, I'm talking about the 5 'C's that are keeping us stuck in negativity: complaining, criticising, concern, commiserating and catastrophising.
On today’s Monday Motivation, Polly and I are talking about routines and accountability.
The science shows that when we get accountability in place, we are 96% more likely to do the goddam thing. NINETY SIX PERCENT!!! 🤯
In this conversation, Polly and I share a little about our own experiences of accountability, including how I’ve had - for several years now - an accountability buddy who I phone (or who phones me!) every morning at 5am. Without that, I would likely never have got into the habit of getting up early and cultivating a morning routine.
Polly talks about how she used accountability when she ran a marathon; she also talks about how we can use self-accountability as a way of implementing a new routine into our lives.
We also talk a bit about habit stacking, and how this can be a great way of getting daily routines in place.
We really hope that you’ll find something useful in here!
My guest on the podcast this week is the one and only, Shani Silver.
Shani is an author, writer, and podcaster. She is the host of 'A Single Serving Podcast', and the author of 'A Single Revolution: Don’t Look For A Match. Light One'. She writes two Substacks, 'Cheaper Than Therapy', a healing newsletter for 80s babies, and 'Hey Shani', a toxic positivity-free advice column. Both publish once per week.
Shani is passionate about changing the narratives that limit women, especially those around single women. She is single, childfree and lives in New Orleans.
Topics that we cover are:
why Shani decided to bring her podcast to an end;
how she doesn’t know what’s coming next and is excited about the not knowing;
why podcasts shouldn’t be forever;
her thoughts on the world of online dating;
how being happily single and wanting a relationship can co-exist;
how good Shani’s life got when she stopped the chase for a relationship;
how she absolutely wants a partner, and is looking forward to experiencing it as her older self;
why finding a partner is not going to fix your life;
why we need to find happiness within ourselves;
why we need to be aware of getting stuck in an endless loop of self-development;
how gratitude was the cause of the biggest boost in Shani’s happiness;
the stories we’ve been fed that have taught us to feel shame around being single;
why singlehood being women’s biggest fear is something that deeply worries Shani;
how women who are convinced they can’t be happy without a partner will not be able to hear Shani’s message until they’re ready;
Shani’s thoughts on any future relationships;
why our relationship, or lack thereof, has nothing to do with us;
why we can always choose to reframe our singlehood.
On today's minisode, I'm speaking in response to a listener who is struggling with balancing her traditional Indian roots and expectations, with what she actually wants from her life.
On today's solo episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I'm talking a bit about my life in 2024, and I'm also talking about an exciting new venture that I'm embarking on in 2025.
My guest on the podcast today is the fabulous Krista St-Germain, a Master Certified Life Coach, single mum, grief expert, widow, and host of The Widowed Mom Podcast.
When her husband was killed by a drunk driver in 2016, Krista’s life was completely flipped upside down. And while it would have been easy to believe her best days were behind her, thankfully Krista discovered Life Coaching and Post Traumatic Growth and was able to move forward and create a future she could get excited about. Now she coaches and teaches other widows so they can love life again, too. Now although Krista works primarily with widowed mums, she is an expert in grief in general, and this conversation is no doubt interesting for anyone who has experienced grief, or is currently experiencing it, not to mention that we will all experience it at some point. Krista and I talk about the loss of her husband, Hugo, how she ended up getting into life coaching and subsequently grief coaching; we talk all about grief and how it is anything but linear, we also talk about post traumatic growth and how it is possible to take your experience of grief and use it to intentionally build a better life for yourself. You guys will all find something of value in this conversation.
03:23 Krista's Journey Through Grief
07:58 Understanding Grief: Beyond the Five Stages
11:31 The Dual Process Model of Grief
15:08 Grief in Childlessness and Secondary Losses
21:16 Redefining Happiness and Self-Love
29:58 Navigating Early Stages of Grief
30:44 Societal Reactions to Grief
32:32 The Loneliness of Grief
36:31 Understanding Post-Traumatic Growth
40:43 Personal Reflections on Grief and Healing
43:49 Current Relationship Status and Reflections
50:19 Final Thoughts and Advice for the Grieving
Check out Krista's website: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/
Listen to The Widowed Mom Podcast: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/podcast/
On today's minisode, I'm talking about some habits that will help make 2025 a happier and healthier year.
Press 'Play' and let me know what you think!
The doors to Thrive Solo, my membership community for single women, are now open! But only until Wednesday 8th January. To find out more and sign up, go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo
On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are asking the question: Who do you want to be?
As we begin 2025, rather than focusing on our goals for the year ahead, or the actions we want to take, it can help enormously to think about who we actually want to be.
So ask yourself: "What would the future version of me do right now?" "How would the version of me who is successful, healthy, wealthy be showing up today?" If we can aim to embody that future version of ourselves, then we will naturally hit some of our goals along the way.
My guest on the podcast this week is the wonderful Holly Matthews.
Holly is a former UK TV actress, Ted X speaker, straight talking self development coach, and founder of The Happy Me Project, as well as being Mum to two girls. After the death of her husband, Ross, in 2017 to brain cancer, Holly used her pain to teach others how to work through theirs. She is a regular contributor on the BBC and has been seen in the Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, The Sun, Huffington Post, Closer Online, Hello, OK Magazine and Lorraine.
She has her own membership and is the author of ‘Find Your Confidence’ and ‘The Happy Me Project’.
Topics that we cover are:
Holly’s acting career, and how that was the catalyst for her interest in self-development;
her husband, Ross, and the journey they went on dealing with his terminal brain cancer;
the ongoing journey of helping her two daughters through the death of their Dad;
accepting that Ross was no longer here, and how difficult that was for her;
where Holly is at in terms of thinking about another relationship;
how frustrating she finds it now that people have started to ‘push’ her to start dating again;
how Holly’s grief saw her lean even more into self-development practices;
the clarity of understanding that nobody else was going to get her through the pain, and that she had to decide what she wanted it to look like;
the power of gratitude and how it helped her in her hardest moments;
some of the key messages of Holly’s ‘Happy Me Project’, including looking at our stories, protecting our peace, and gratitude;
how the reticular activating system works, and why it’s so important to understand;
making joy non-negotiable, and focusing on the good;
Holly’s new book, Find Your Confidence;
the disempowering impact of other people’s opinions and intrusive questions;
On today's minisode, I'm talking about that weird, limbo time in between Christmas and New Year.
As single women, this time of year can be particularly tricky, and it would be easy to fall into a hell spiral of "what am I doing with my life? Everyone else is married with kids" etc etc etc.
But...this 'in-betwixtmas' week doesn't need to be a pit of despair. Instead, we can use these days to ask ourselves how we want 2025 to look. We can think about who we want to be this time next year, as well as our goals for the year ahead.
So let's not mope around the house — let's embrace the final few days of 2024 and get clear on where we're heading in 2025.
Press 'Play' and let me know what you think!
Join Thrive Solo, my membership community for single women, which opens in a couple of days! https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo
My guest on the podcast this week is the delightful and charming Robert Nurden.
Robert has 40 years' experience as a journalist, news reporter, feature writer and subeditor, on the Independent, Guardian, Telegraph, Oxford Mail plus numerous magazines and journals. For three years he was press officer of Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), he also wrote features for the development press, and worked as a freelancer in South-East Asia. In 2020, Robert published his first book, 'Between Heaven and Earth', which is the biography of his grandfather, and his second book, 'I Always Wanted To be A Dad: Men Without Children' was published in August 2023 and has been featured in the Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Independent and BBC Radio.
Robert is 73 years old, lives in East London, and has been in a relationship with his partner, Sue, for 6 years.
Topics that we cover are:
Robert’s initial complacency around having children;
the mounting pressure that he felt around his childlessness as he reached his fifties;
the emotions he felt around male friends and peers who had children;
how Robert felt inherently that he wanted to be a Dad;
his deep desire to nurture, and how that led him back to teaching;
how he sometimes struggles with the fact that he also won’t be a grandparent, and his lack of ‘status’;
male broodiness and Robert’s experience of it;
feeling ‘under used’ when you’re not a parent;
the reactions of others to towards being a childless man, rather than a childless woman;
the married fathers who were triggered by Robert’s book, I Always Wanted To Be A Dad;
the play that Robert has been writing about childlessness;
his book, how it came to be, and how it was a cathartic process;
his ongoing search for acceptance and peace;
Robert’s learning that ‘your wound is your gift’;
his thoughts about the future, getting older, and staying alive to excitement;
his grief, and how some days its absent, while other days it’s very much present;
how supportive Robert’s partner, Sue, is when it comes to his childlessness;
On today's minisode, I'm talking about those sometimes intrusive questions that people love to ask single people around the holiday season.
"When are you going to settle down?", "Is there anyone special on the scene?", or "How come you don't want kids?" to name but a few.
In this episode, I give you some potential responses that are either humorous, boundary-setting, or just downright honest.
Press 'Play' and let me know what you think!
Join the waitlist for Thrive Solo, my membership community for single women and get 20% off the standard monthly price! Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo for more details.
On today’s Thursday's Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about integrity.
The word integrity means intact, whole, undivided; and the real question is: are we living in integrity, or are we out of integrity, divided from ourselves?
In this conversation, Lucy and I talk about the societal conditioning that sends many of us down the ‘conveyor belt’ of life, away from our true nature and the things we truly desire for ourselves.
We also talk about situations in which we both found ourselves living out of integrity, and what we did to move ourselves back into alignment.
We sincerely hope you’ll find something interesting or thought provoking in here!
My guest on the podcast this week is the one-of-a-kind, Frankie Paz.
Frankie is a plant-based chef and the author of Plant Feasts: Recipes For Slow Living In A Fast Paced World. She also hosts various events including supper clubs, retreats and ‘moon jams’, and she is absolutely passionate about living a life where she is connecting to the land and finding balance in the modern world.
Frankie is single, childfree, and lives alone on her canal boat in East London.
Topics that we cover are:
Frankie’s marriage and subsequent divorce from a man she met in Columbia;
how she feels about her single life since the end of her marriage;
the empowerment that comes from falling in love with yourself;
what it’s like living alone on a canal boat;
what purpose means to Frankie;
living in a small space and what that looks like for Frankie;
how we tend to focus on finding a partner, but should focus more on our connection with the land;
the importance of courage and why we need to stop caring what others think;
female friendships, and how important they have always been for Frankie;
being honest with yourself, and how hard that can be;
how the worst kind of loneliness can be within a relationship;
Frankie’s experiences in the world of polyamory;
how she has lost herself to relationships in the past, but will never allow that to happen again;
how Frankie likes to bring romance into her everyday life;
how Frankie’s cooking isn’t just about the food, it’s about connection;
her book, Plant Feasts, how it came into being, and why it’s much more than a cook book;
On today's minisode, I'm talking about the incredible power of our mindset.
Simply put, our life will always largely be a reflection of our mindset.
It's not about whether you're single, or in a relationship, it's about where you are placing your focus on a regular basis.
Press 'Play' and let me know what you think!
Join the waitlist for Thrive Solo, my membership community for single women, and enjoy 20% OFF the monthly price! Find out more here: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo
Come and join my Morning Routine Club, Cockadoodle-Lu, every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning at 6am UK, for a 30 minute guided session including meditation, conscious breathing, visualisation, and gratitude journalling. Find out more here: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/cock
Today is Part Five of a new mini series, 6 Steps To Move Out Of Fear & Into A Life You Love, which is all about the steps I myself have taken to change my life over the last five years.
In Part 5, I’m talking about fear, discomfort, and courage. Growth comes with a side of fear and discomfort – it’s unavoidable. But courage is the bridge between where you are and where you want to be. Here’s how to move forward with fear in the passenger seat.
On this week’s Thursdays Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about perspective.
Perspective is the way we see and interpret the world around us—it’s like the lens we choose to look through every day.
It shapes how we handle challenges, make decisions, and connect with others.
When we look through a positive, open perspective, we feel more resilient, grateful, and happy, while a negative one can leave us feeling stressed, frustrated or even stuck.
The good news is, we can improve our perspective by practicing things like gratitude, looking for the lessons in tough times, staying mindful, and seeking out different viewpoints.
It’s not about pretending life is perfect, but learning to see challenges as opportunities to grow. When we choose a healthier perspective, life feels lighter, clearer, and so much more rewarding.
My guest on the podcast this week is the charming and divine Anna Brading, a Certified Financial Education Instructor who is passionate about helping people break free from the stress of living paycheck-to-paycheck, and take control of their financial future. Like many of us, Anna once struggled with rising bills and uncertainty, but her own experience sparked a journey toward financial literacy — and now she guides other people on their financial journeys.
Anna is also the author of the book, Money Mentor, which came out in October, and along with her signature program, GROW, and my online audience of over 250,000, she’s had the privilege of helping thousands of people transform their finances. Anna’s mission is to demystify money, so you can feel confident and empowered, no matter where you’re starting from.
Topics that we cover are:
Anna’s own personal journey that led her to write her book, Money Mentor;
her realisation about the many resources available to help us about money, but that we’re never taught;
her desire to help women with their experience of money;
money mindset and why it is critical when it comes to our relationship to money;
how nobody comes to Anna to talk about their money mindset, but how everyone benefits from going into it;
how we all operate from our beliefs around money;
why we need to look at our earliest memories about money;
why it’s so important to know exactly where we are with our numbers;
Anna’s advice for women who are struggling with money;
why we need to start thinking outside of the box when it comes to making money;
how important it is that we have older women we can look to for inspiration;
emergency funds and savings, and why we need to change our perspective around them;
Anna’s advice around investing and why it’s more than possible to start very, very small;
why we should prioritise investing in our knowledge around money;
why we need to acquire a basic understanding of what an investment portfolio could look like;
drowning out all of the noise around investing, and learning instead the basics of D.I.Y Investing;
the ONE thing that Anna wants single women to know when it comes to money;
Anna’s advice for women living pay check to pay check.
On this week's minisode, I'm talking about being single at Christmas, and more specifically how we can choose to embrace the festive season, rather than dread it.
Christmas time isn't just for couples and kids — it's also for the millions of single people across the globe who get to enjoy it too.
So...let's stop focusing on all the reasons why being single at Christmas is a bad thing, and instead focus on why it can be a good thing, as well as the many things we can still enjoy about this time of year.