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Squiggly Careers

The Squiggly Career

Squiggly Careers is a weekly podcast that will help you take control of your career development. Hosted by the founders of Amazing If (https://www.amazingif.com/), Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper, together they cover all things work: from how to manage stress and overcome your confidence gremlins to micro-aggressions and discovering your strengths. Each episode is full of ideas, actions, hints, and tips that you can put into practice straight away. 


Every so often they take a break from talking to each other to interview other people who are leading the way in making work better. Past guests include entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley, author of The Joy of Work Bruce Daisley, and neuroscience expert Amy Brann. 


The Squiggly Careers podcast has been recommended by Harvard Business Review, Stylist, Marie Claire and Management Today.


For more ideas, tools and inspiration every week, you can also sign up to their newsletter Squiggly Careers in Action.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  • 600 episodes
  • Updated Thursday

Episodes600

Newest first
  • January 23 · 13 min

    Skills Sprint: How to Lead Your Own Learning by Sharing It

    <p>In this fifth and final episode of the Learn Like a Lobster skill sprint, Helen and Sarah introduce "Helpful How-Tos" - a simple, fun way to share knowledge that helps you learn faster and helps your team too. You'll discover why sharing makes learning stick, how to overcome confidence gremlins, and a practical (and fun) format you can use immediately with your team to keep learning and growing.</p><br><p>🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: <a href="https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F" rel="noopener

  • January 22 · 12 min

    Skills Sprint: How to Lead Your Own Learning with Adaptability

    <p>When it comes to learning at work, it’s easy to wait for permission - from managers, organisations, or “the right moment.” In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how to lead your own learning, even when time, money, or support feel limited. This is Day 4 of the Learn Like A Lobster skill sprint, and the focus is on adaptability — the skill that helps you keep learning when things don’t go to plan. Helen and Sarah explain why relying on perfect conditions can stall your development, and how

  • January 21 · 12 min

    Skills Sprint: How to Learn in Hard Moments (Without Spiralling)

    <p>This is Day 3 of the Learn Like a Lobster skill sprint, and today Helen and Sarah share a simple way of reflecting on hard moments at work so you can learn faster, avoid recency bias, and take control in tough situations.</p><p>Because when work feels messy, reflection is often the first thing we skip - or overdo. In this episode, you’ll learn practical tools, including the 5:1 formula and the WWW/EBI framework, to help you regain perspective, stay in control, and turn difficult moments into

  • January 20 · 12 min

    Skills Sprint: How to Learn From Feedback (Even When It’s Uncomfortable)

    <p>This is Day 2 of the Learn Like a Lobster skill sprint, and today Helen and Sarah focus on one of the hardest - and most important - career skills: how to give and receive tough feedback. Learning doesn’t just happen after the difficult moment has passed - some of the most powerful development happens while things feel uncomfortable. In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how to learn in the hard moments — particularly when feedback feels awkward, emotional, or risky.</p><br><p>🦞 Join our

  • January 19 · 13 min

    Skills Sprint: How to Learn as You Go (Without Finding More Time)

    <p>Today, Helen and Sarah are kicking off the Learn Like A Lobster skill sprint with Day 1: Learn As You Go.</p><br><p>In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how you can keep learning as part of your everyday, without having to find more time. They share practical ways to collect data for your growth - including understanding your strengths, tracking your listen-talk ratio, and optimising your productivity - to gain clarity, confidence, and actionable insights.</p><br><p>By combining self-refl

  • January 13 · 37 min

    Spaciousness – How to manage your attention, not your time

    <p>🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: <a href="https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F</a></p><br><p>In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore the idea of spaciousness at work — a powerful alternative to constant busyness that’s less about managing time and more about managing attention. Borrowing brilliance from Megan Reitz and her research on spaciousness, they unpack why doing more isn’t always the answer, and how creating space can help y

  • January 8 · 2 min

    Sign up the Squiggly Careers 'Learn Like A Lobster' Sprint 2026 🦞

    🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: <a href="https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F</a><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

  • January 6 · 35 min

    How To Reset Your Team To Achieve More Together

    <p>🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: <a href="https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F</a></p><br><p>I In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how to reset your team so you can achieve more together. Borrowing brilliance from Colin Fisher and his book Collective Edge, they unpack what really makes teams outperform, and why having lots of smart people isn’t enough on its own.</p><br><p>This episode is all about practical resets you can do wi

  • Dec 30, 2025 · 31 min

    Part 2: 6 Squiggly Careers Trends in 2026 – Redundancy, Accountability & Why Learning Matters More Than Promotions

    <p>🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: <a href="https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F</a></p><br><p>In this episode, Helen and Sarah share part two of their career trends and themes for 2026, focusing on what’s most likely to shape how you work, grow, and stay resilient in the year ahead. This conversation tackles some of the tougher (but very real) topics at work — from restructures and redundancies, to the tension between autonomy and acc

  • Dec 23, 2025 · 29 min

    Part 1: 6 Squiggly Career Trends in 2026 - AI Agents, Disconnection & Employee Influencers

    <p>🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: <a href="https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F</a></p><br><p>In this episode, Helen and Sarah kick off a two-part series exploring six Squiggly Career trends for 2026 — not as distant predictions, but as realistic changes that are already shaping how we work and build our careers.</p><br><p>Rather than watching trends happen to you, this conversation is about anticipating what’s coming and choosing how

  • Dec 16, 2025 · 49 min

    End of Year Review: What Our Highs & Lows Taught Us In 2025

    <p>🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: <a href="https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F</a></p><br><p>In this episode, Helen and Sarah do something they’ve made a tradition at Squiggly Careers: a year in review. This year they're sharing honest reflections using a simple but powerful framework: high–low learning. This chatty, behind-the-scenes episode is designed to help you reflect too. Whether you do this solo, with a learning buddy or as a

  • Dec 9, 2025 · 30 min

    How to Reduce Work Stress and Anxiety With Simple Breathing Techniques

    <p>🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: <a href="https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F</a></p><br><p>Sometimes work (and life) can feel full-on — especially at this time of year when deadlines, expectations and emotions all seem to intensify. Whether your mind is racing before a meeting, you’re feeling overwhelmed by everything on your plate, or emotions are getting in the way of what you want to say, these simple and science-backed breathin

  • Dec 2, 2025 · 26 min

    3 Hard Work Conversations & How To Handle Each One with Confidence

    <p>🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: <a href="https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F</a></p><br><p>This week, Helen and Sarah revisit insights from three podcast guests—Amy Gallo, Celeste Headlee, and Dr. Sunita Sah—to tackle a topic many of us shy away from: difficult conversations.</p><p>From team conflicts and moments of defensiveness to speaking up when something feels off, these everyday challenges can shape how we collaborate, grow,

  • Nov 25, 2025 · 41 min

    The Power of Mattering: How to Feel Valued and Valuable in Your Career

    <p>🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: <a href="https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F</a></p><br><p>This week on the Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from Dr. Zach Mercurio’s book The Power of Mattering. They talk about how mattering goes beyond belonging, why it boosts motivation and wellbeing, and what happens when we feel invisible or replaceable at work. From personal reflections on high and low mattering mome

  • Nov 18, 2025 · 34 min

    7 Types of Rest to Recharge and Do Your Best at Work

    <p>🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: <a href="https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F</a></p><br><p>This week, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, who writes about the seven types of rest that everyone needs.</p><br><p>Rest is far more than sleep — it’s a set of rituals that help you restore energy, creativity, and motivation in your squiggly career. From physical and mental rest to creative, emotional, and soci