Thrive Solo

Lucy Meggeson

Let’s be real — being single and child-free? It’s pretty damn awesome. Don’t believe me? Stick around. I promise you, by listening to this podcast, you’re going to start seeing your solo life in a whole new light — one that feels empowering, exciting, and full of possibility.

I’m Lucy Meggeson, and I’m here to help you stop seeing singlehood as a consolation prize and start embracing it as the incredible opportunity that it is. Because the truth? Being single isn’t second best. It’s not a waiting room. And it sure as hell isn’t a life of lack. In fact, when you lean into it, it can be just as fulfilling—if not more so—than being coupled up with kids.

And besides, no matter what our relationship status, what we all really want is to feel good in the here and now. So instead of focusing on what’s ‘missing,’ let’s focus on what’s possible. The freedom. The adventure. The extra time and headspace to create a life that’s truly our own.

Because here’s the thing: you are so much more powerful than you realise. Your thoughts shape your reality. And when you shift your mindset, you shift your life. My mission isn’t just to help you feel better about being single—it’s to help you recognise your own agency. To help you see that you are the creator of your own experience. And that you, and you alone, get to decide what your life looks like.

So join me here every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and let’s build lives that feel joyful, meaningful, and wildly fulfilling — on our own terms.

Let’s Thrive Solo…together.

E-mail me at lucy@lucymeggeson.com

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

616 episodes
Updated Saturday

Support the show

Support this Podcast

Goes straight to the publisher. podnod takes nothing.

Episodes616

Newest first

Apr 29, 2023 · 11 min
Minisode Ep.51 - The Joy Of Walking
Send us Fan Mail Support the show This week, it's a very mini minisode all about the joy of walking. As a kid, I was dragged on walks with my siblings by our Dad, every Sunday, in the woods behind the house I grew up in. And whilst back then I would roll my eyes at the mere mention of yet another walk, I'm so glad that it was implemented into my life at a young age. I've subsequently carried the habit of regular walks with me into adulthood, and barely a day goes by where you won't find me walking along the riverside. This episode serves as a little reminder that there are endless benefits to walking, not least the fact that it makes you feel good. And there is almost nothing that a brisk walk won't help. So, grab your headphones, press play on this episode, and get outside for a stroll. I promise you won't regret it. ;) Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Apr 25, 2023 · 45 min
The One Where I Talk To Writer, Actor & Comedian, Lane Moore
Send us Fan Mail Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to award-winning writer, actor, comedian and musician, Lane Moore. Lane’s first book, How To Be Alone: If You Want To And Even If You Don’t, became an instant No.1 bestseller and was praised as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, New York Magazine, NPR, Good Morning America, Fast Company, Marie Claire, and many others. She also gave a TEDx Talk based on the book, called How To Be Alone. Her second book, You Will Find Your People: How To Make Meaningful Friendships As An Adult, was released on 25th April 2023. Lane’s comedy show, Tinder Live, is regarded as one of the best comedy shows in the the world and has been praised by The New York Times, Spin Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, CBS, Time Out New York, and New York Magazine. As a musician, she is the front person and songwriter in the band, It Was Romance, which has been praised by Pitchfork, Vogue, Village Voice, and Billboard named it one of 16 Female-Fronted Bands You Should Know. Topics that Lane & I cover are: how she came to write a book called ‘How To Be Alone’; how we are socialised to think that being alone is the worst thing in the world; how, because of her upbringing, Lane had no choice but to learn how to be alone; how important it is for all of us to a find a home within ourselves; how we all need to find a community of people who have chosen themselves, over and above a partner; how if you find your people, you’re less likely to settle for a relationship that isn’t right for you; how awkward it can be to make new friends as an adult; how important it is to Lane to de-stigmatise how or when you meet your friends; the minefield that is friendship breakups; how she went through a friendship breakup whilst writing her book, You Will Find Your People; how we need to release the idea that our friends will be our friends forever, and cultivate more ease around friendships. Lane’s Website: https://www.lanemoore.org/ Buy Lane’s book (UK), You Will Find Your People: https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Will-Find-Your-People/dp/1419762567 Buy Lane’s book (US): https://www.amazon.com/You-Will-Find-Your-People/dp/1419762567/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Buy Lane’s book (UK), How To Be Alone: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Be-Alone-Want-Even/dp/1501178830 Buy Lane’s book (US): https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Alone-Want-Even/dp/1501178830 Become a Patreon of Lane’s Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/lanemoore Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Apr 22, 2023 · 21 min
Minisode Ep.50 - Why We Need Daily Awe-Gasms
Send us Fan Mail Support the show In this week's minisode, I'm talking about the power of awe, and how it turns out that experiencing awe for just a few moments each day has a positive impact on both our emotional and physical health. Researchers Michael Amster and Jake Eagle have found that practicing their 'A.W.E Method' just a few times a day for mere seconds, decreases stress, anxiety, and even depression. Awe can also improve our overall well-being, connectedness, generosity, and happiness. Whether it's an incredible sunset, listening to an uplifting song, or appreciating the beauty of our pet, awe is something that we should be intentionally cultivating in our lives. Although we live in a world that does nothing but distract us from the wonders that are all around us, we can find awe in almost any given moment. And, quite frankly, who doesn't want more awe-gasms?! Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Apr 18, 2023 · 58 min
The One Where I Talk To Sociology Professor, Dr Ketaki Chowkhani
Send us Fan Mail Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to professor Ketaki Chowkhani. Dr Ketaki Chowkhani is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Manipal Centre for Humanities. Single and childfree herself, Ketaki designed and teaches India's first ever course on Singles Studies, and her writing on singlehood has appeared in the New York Times, The Hindu, Psychology Today, and Square Peg UK, among others. Her writing and teaching on singlehood has been mentioned in The Guardian, the New Statesman UK, and The Hindu. Topics that Ketaki & I cover are: her story around being single and childfree; how her conviction about single life being right for her has been a gradual process; how both of us feel as though we’re ‘single at heart’; how Ketaki came to create and teach India’s first course in single studies; the one main difference between being a single woman in India and being a single woman in the west; how Ketaki’s parent have responded to her life choices in terms of being single; the pressure she has had to deal with from her extended family; her essay in Angelica Malin’s book, Unattached; being a trailblazer for single women; some of the ways in which singles are discriminated against, and the common stereotypes; Ketaki’s research into what is making single hood possible / easy or not, i.e. housing, laws, and what can be done to improve things; how provisions for single people can affect whether or not someone stays in an abusive relationship, and how important it is to make singlehood desirable; reclaiming the term ‘spinster’ which Ketaki also uses in her Instagram handle! Follow Ketaki on Instagram: @spinster.adventures Follow Ketaki on Twitter: @chowkhani Read Ketaki’s essay in Angelica Malin’s book, Unattached (UK Link): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unattached-Essays-Singlehood-Angelica-Malin/dp/1529110394 US Link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/Unattached-Essays-Singlehood-Angelica-Malin-ebook/dp/B0946G7RX7 Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Apr 15, 2023 · 19 min
Minisode Ep.49 - All You Need Is...Energy
Send us Fan Mail Support the show On today's minisode, I'm talking about why the most important asset we have is our energy. Whilst we may worry about people's opinions and judgements when it comes to our single, childfree lives, we need to wise up to this one truth: the energy that we radiate carries far more weight than our relationship status, our qualifications, our bank balance, or anything else. It's not about whether or not we've ticked all the boxes of society's expectations. When it really comes down to it, people remember how you made them feel. Deep down, us humans aren't really fussed whether you're single or coupled, black or white, rich or poor, tall or short, 35 or 75 - they only care how they feel in your presence. That's the real kicker. Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Apr 11, 2023 · 55 min
The One Where I Talk To Writer & Professor, Craig Wynne
Send us Fan Mail Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to writer and professor, Craig Wynne. Craig is a writer and professor at the University of the District of Columbia where he teaches rhetoric and writing studies to first year students. His courses are themed around relationships and single studies. He is also a happy bachelor although this wasn’t always the case. In 2015, the end of romantic relationship had brought on a whole host of negative feelings around being single. This took him on a journey and exploration of all things single. Craig subsequently wrote a book, How To Be A Happy Bachelor, in which he provides his own observations, anecdotes, advice and takes on all things related to singlehood, and which is primarily written from the male point of view. Because after all, there are many books out there designed to show women how to be single, but no so many for men! Topics that Craig & I cover are: his university student’s views on being single; the internalised singlism that Craig suffered from following the break up of his relationship in 2015; how he came across the work of Bella DePaulo which was the catalyst for his journey into singlehood; how he brought some of his single research into his work, including a course called ‘How To Be Single & Happy’, and how this led the book deal for ‘How To Be A Happy Bachelor’; how men also received stigma around being single, although it looks very different to the narratives around single women; how men often find it harder to form social networks which can lead to isolation; how Craig does date, but finds that the single life suits him; The groups MGTOW (Men Going There Own Way) and INCEL (Involuntary Celibates) and their anger towards women; the vastly differing meanings behind the words ‘spinster’ and ‘bachelor’; Craig’s thoughts around men’s behaviour when dating online; how Craig met his most recent lady friend organically on a subway platform. (I LOVE this!); the terms ‘matrimania’, ‘singlism’ and ‘amatonormativity’. Craig and my mutual love of music, and going to gigs alone; Craig’s Website: https://www.thehappybachelor.org/ Buy Craig’s book (UK), How To Be A Happy Bachelor: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Bachelor-Craig-Wynne-author/dp/1792407076 Buy Craig’s book (US), How To Be A Happy Bachelor: https://www.amazon.com/How-Happy-Bachelor-Craig-Wynne/dp/1792407076 Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Apr 8, 2023 · 22 min
Minisode Ep.48 - 8 Things We Need To Let Go Of
Send us Fan Mail Support the show In this week's minisode, I'm talking about 8 key things that we need to let go of. These include: - negative self talk - assuming we can't - other people's drama (and our own) - people who no longer bring value to our lives You'll have to tune in to find out the other 4... ;) Press 'Play' and let me know what you think! Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Apr 4, 2023 · 1 hr 20 min
The One Where I Talk To Writer & Poet, Tania Hershman
Send us Fan Mail Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to poet, writer, teacher and editor, Tania Hershman. Tania, as she describes herself on her website, is “a queer writer of odd things, short, very short, and longer.” Now based in Manchester, UK, she moved to Jerusalem from London in 1994 where she was a science journalist for 13 years, writing for publications such as WIRED and NewScientist. She subsequently gave it all up to pursue her love of writing fiction and later, poetry. Tania has a degree in Maths & Physics, a diploma in Journalism, an MSc in Philosophy of Science, and MA and a PhD in Creative Writing. Tania has published multiple short stories and poetry books, and last year released her debut novel, ‘Go On’ - a ‘fictional memoir-in-collage’ about a woman moving very happily through the world alone. Topics that Tania & I cover are: how she defines the word ‘queer’ and applies it to herself; how the way she writes has never been particularly conventional; Tania’s fascination with cemeteries, and the BBC Radio 4 programme she made around the second biggest cemetery in Europe in which she explored how, as a single woman, she might want to be remembered; how she was described in a review of the programme as ‘baffling’ due to her single status; how she has always felt like the ‘weirdo in the room’, and now uses the word queer as an empowering term; why Tania loves the word ‘permission’ and dislikes the word ‘should’; how she loves ’stealing’ from science and using it as inspiration for her writing; her time in Jerusalem, and how while she loved her work and her time there, the extreme pressure on single people made her feel like a weirdo; the 10 year relationship she never expected to have which she embarked upon, in part, to conform to what was expected of her; and how her parents seemed to take her more seriously as part of a couple; how Tania is an introvert and needs time alone in order to feel well; the death of her beloved cat, her subsequent breakdown, and how it actually helped her to come back to the truth of who she was; how frustrating it can be when people don’t believe that, as single people, we can be happy; Tania’s upcoming novel in which being single is the default, solitude is celebrated, and being in a couple is not only considered suspicious, it’s possibly a crime! I CANNOT WAIT to read this. Tania’s Website: https://www.taniahershman.com/wp/ Follow Tania on Instagram: @tania_hershman_writes Buy Tania’s Book, Go On: https://www.taniahershman.com/wp/product/go-on-a-novel/ Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Apr 1, 2023 · 19 min
Minisode Ep.47 - Cleaning Lady Mindset
Send us Fan Mail Support the show In this week's minisode, I'm talking about why my part-time job as my sister's cleaner is actually totally awesome. As many of you will know, following some big changes in my life, I've been cleaning my sister's house once a week for the last two years. And I'm getting used to the gasps of surprise / horror when people discover that this is one of my day jobs (along with being a part-time barista in a coffee shop). But although at first glance this may not seem like the obvious career choice for a 47 year old woman with an MSc in Psychology and a former career at BBC Radio 2, it's actually bloody great. Press 'Play' to find out why...! Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Mar 28, 2023 · 1 hr 12 min
The One Where I Talk To High Sensory Coach, Elisha May
Send us Fan Mail Support the show In this week's episode I talk to High Sensory Coach and Creative Empath, Elisha May. Elisha is a High Sensory Leader and Coach which means she is able to energetically and intuitively assist transformation in others, and achieve quicker results than a normal coach or therapist. She offers High Sensory Facilitation, for those with the trait of Sensory Processing Sensitivity, now known as High Sensory People, but have been known as Highly Sensitive People and Empaths. She specialises in people wanting to live a life in a non-conventional way, with freedom, adventure, and independence as the theme. Elisha has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by people that have chosen the conventional route but feel this hasn’t enabled them to always remain in their truth and connection with their inner knowing. She is an expert at helping people come back into alignment with the truth of who they are when they have been at the mercy of the conditions and conventions of their society, step out of the depletion and negative exhausting effects of the human conditioning that people have experienced in their life. Elisha is about to launch a new podcast and YouTube channel called High Sensory People with another High Sensory Coach and Empath. Topics that Elisha & I cover are: How she experiences life as a High Sensory Person and Empath; How she has always led an unconventional life and been a free spirit; Elisha’s thoughts and her own story around being childfree; How explaining why you didn’t have kids can be triggering for women who have them; People pleasing, and how it tends to be a largely female issue; The ‘one size fits all’ expectation of life, and how societal programming can sometimes make us feel as though we don’t have choice about our lives; The difference between the true self / soul, and the false self / ego, and how we are slowly learning to bring into union the soul and the ‘human self’; How important it is to come out of our minds, drop down into our bodies, and subsequently bring our consciousness into our heart centre; How humans have a tendency to think they are superior to Mother Earth, how this is simply not the case, and the truth is we are all connected; How women who don’t have children, whatever the reason, are saving the planet! The concept of the Free Woman, and we are needed in this world. How disengaging from the news and adverts would make the world a better place for everyone. Elisha’s Website: https://elisha-may.com/ Follow Elisha on Instagram: @elishamayhsp Connect with Elisha on LinkedIn: Elisha May Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Mar 25, 2023 · 21 min
Minisode Ep.46 - I'll Be Happy When...
Send us Fan Mail Support the show In this week's minisode, I'm talking about our tendency to think that we'll be happy when...we meet the guy / get the promotion / finish the kitchen etc. But the danger with this way of thinking is that it means our happiness is always conditional, always dependent on something or someone outside of ourselves. And when you think about it, this is doesn't make rational sense. The truth is that we are all responsible for generating our own happiness, and the good news is that all of us have everything we need in order to do this. And the cherry on the cake? When we generate good feelings inside of ourselves, we tend to attract more of what we want into our lives. Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Mar 21, 2023 · 1 hr 5 min
The One Where I Talk To Writer, Christina Campbell
Send us Fan Mail Support the show In this week's episode I talk to writer, Christina Campbell. Christina lives in Northern Virginia, USA, with her cats. She writes about invisible illness, singles’ rights, and the inexorable onslaught of entropy. Her book, And Sarah His Wife, won the Michigan Writers’ Cooperative Press Chapbook Contest in 2017. After earning her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from George Mason University, Christina co-founded the singles’ advocacy blog, Onely, with her MFA classmate, Lisa Arnold. The site deconstructs cultural stereotypes about single hood, such as the myth that unmarried people die alone, eaten by their cats! Christina’s writing on Onely has been featured, quoted, or referenced in numerous publications, including The Atlantic.com; PsychologyToday.com; the book Going Solo: the book Singlism: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Stop It by Bella DePaulo; and the book It’s Not You: 27 (Wrong) Reasons You’re Single, by Sara Eckel. Topics that Christina & I cover are: What motivated her and her college classmate, Lisa Arnold, to start their blog, Onely; Why Christina started writing about systemic singlism and discrimination against single people; How Christina has been affected personally by systemic singlism; Bereavement leave, how even that seems to favour those who are married, and how Christina wasn’t entitled to take bereavement leave for two of her close relatives; How single people aren’t able to choose recipients of certain benefits, whereas married people are automatically allowed to benefit their spouses; How single hood has meant that Christina has been hugely financially disadvantaged in respect of her health care; The project Christina worked on which found that single people, at a certain salary rate, finish their life at least $1,000,000 worse off than their married counterparts; How both Christina and I have been asked by 6 year old girls why we’re not married, and why we live alone; and how important it is to show little girls that it’s ok to be alone. Despite several relationships, Christina has always been very content on her own and never really felt the need to couple up; The stigma around childless women and how they are often perceived as ‘selfish’. Bella DePaulo’s term ‘single at heart’ and how Christina and I feel about it. How our ‘women’s intuition’ is our strongest tool against the patriarchal narratives; Last but not least, our beloved ‘fur baby’ cats! Christina’s Website: https://christinadc.com/ Onely blog: https://onely.org Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Mar 18, 2023 · 18 min
Minisode Ep.45 - Valentine's Day Workshop PART 2
Send us Fan Mail This week's minisode is the second part of a workshop I did on Valentine's Day. Following on from last week, I talk more about living an intentional life, the incredible power of the mind and what that means for us, how we have more agency over our lives than most of us realise, the importance of leaning into the things that make us feel good, how many of us don't dare to dream because we often don't believe that the things we truly want are possible for us, and much, much more. I hope you enjoy it! Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Mar 14, 2023 · 59 min
The One Where I Talk To Writer & Presenter, Bev Turner
Send us Fan Mail Support the show In this week's episode, I talk to writer and presenter, Bev Turner. Bev has had a hugely successful career as a writer, author, radio and TV presenter. She is also mum to three kids and girlfriend to her gorgeous boyfriend, James. She has her own TV show - Bev Turner Today - on GB News, and has been a regular on ITV’s This Morning and Good Morning Britain, BBC Breakfast, Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine Show as well as many others. Her radio work includes 5 years hosting her own show on LBC, as well as three years co-hosting with Eammon Holmes on BBC Radio 5 Live. She co-hosted her own podcast, As Good As It Gets, for a year with her friend, Marina Fogle, and has guested on Marina’s own podcast, The Parent Hood, and Lorraine Candy and Trish Halpin’s Postcards From Midlife podcast. Bev is also the author of three books, Touching Distance, The Pits, and The Happy Birth Book. Plus, she has written for multiple publications including The Times, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Sunday Mirror and Good Housekeeping Magazine. Topics that Bev & I cover are: How Bev was “born broody” and knew from a very young age that she wanted kids; How she bought into the pronatalist view of having children which turned out to be quite different from the realities of motherhood; How her ex-husband went off to row the Atlantic Ocean when their first child was very young; How married women with children often look at single, childfree women with a ‘sliding doors’ view; Bev’s version of a blissful - but rare - Friday evening home alone which allowed her to reconnect with who she is; That lack of headspace and the incredible weight of responsibility are the two things Bev finds hardest about being a mum; How there is no lonelier place than a bad relationship; The story of how her ex-husband, James Cracknell, suffered a severe brain injury whilst cycling across America, and how the impact of the injury had a devastating effect on their marriage; The idea that being single does not equate to loneliness, and neither does being married equate to not being lonely; How we should all be aiming to change, because if we’re not changing then we’re not growing; How there is no such thing as the perfect family life. Bev’s website: https://www.thebevturner.co.uk/ Check out Bev’s TV Show: https://www.gbnews.com/shows/bev-turner-today/ Follow Bev on Instagram: @bevturner_thatsme Follow Bev on Twitter: @beverleyturner Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Mar 11, 2023 · 20 min
Minisode Ep.44 - Valentine's Day Workshop PART 1
Send us Fan Mail This week's minisode is taken from a workshop I did on Valentine's Day. I talk about my own journey of personal growth, the narratives around single, childless women and their impact on our lives, our subconscious beliefs, living a more intentional life, how we need to choose where we place our focus, the lens through which we look at life, and much, much more. I hope you enjoy it! Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Mar 7, 2023 · 1 hr 1 min
The One Where I Talk To Founder of Childfree Wealth, Jay Zigmont
Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, I talk to financial planner, author, and founder of Childfree Wealth, 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, has a PhD in Adult Learning from the University of Connecticut, an MBA from SCSU and is a certified financial planner and a Childfree Wealth Specialist. He’s also the author of the book ‘Portraits of Childfree Wealth’ and the co-host of the ‘Childfree Life and Money Podcast’. He and his wife are childfree and live in Water Valley, Mississippi. Topics Jay & I cover are: Jay’s own story of him and his wife being childfree; How he thinks that the stigma around being childfree is harder for women than men, but how men are not exempt from judgement; How his state of Mississippi does not embrace the childfree, and is heavily judgemental regarding reproductive rights; The difference between financial planning for childfree and ‘permanently childless’ people; The term ‘solo ager’; How both of us dislike the question “Who’s going to look after you when you get older?” Why being a parent doesn’t guarantee that your offspring will take care of you in your old age; The ‘standard life script’ and the many assumptions that come with it; The concept of the ‘childfree midlife crisis’ and how the problem can often be too many choices; Grieving what you thought your life was going to be, and choosing a new one; Jay’s study, Being Childfree May Not Make You Rich, But It May Make You Happy, and how 94% of the childfree people involved said they were happy with their lives; How one of the growing reasons for not having children is environmental factors; Jay’s book, Portraits of Childfree Wealth, which unwittingly revealed people’s lack of regret at not having children. How the definition of childfree wealth means having the time, money and freedom to do what you want. Find out more at: https://childfreewealth.com/ Download your FREE copy of Jay’s book here: https://childfreewealth.com/book Free 30 Minute Session with Jay (US Only) https://childfreewealth.com/30-minute-q-a-with-dr-jay Follow Jay on Instagram: @childfreewealth Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Mar 4, 2023 · 25 min
Minisode Ep.43 - Courage
Send us Fan Mail In this week's minisode, I'm talking about courage. I was inspired by the following quote - "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage." - to talk about how we must learn to cultivate courage if we want to grow, change, and become more of who we want to be. Whatever it is we desire in life, if it's something we've never been, done or had before, then without doubt it will require courage. Whilst our comfort zones are safe, familiar and secure, they will never allow us to get to where we truly want to go in life. So we have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. And it's worth remembering that those people who seem to be courageous are actually no different to the likes of you and I; it's simply that they have taken action in spite of their inevitable fears. Although courage doesn't come overnight, we can start flexing that muscle by taking some baby steps - every day 'small' acts of courage - like making that scary phone call, buying that pair of shoes that are a bit more whacky than our usual taste, or saying hello to that old boyfriend standing a few people ahead of us in the supermarket queue! So go on...do something that scares you this weekend! And watch your confidence grow as a result. Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Feb 28, 2023 · 1 hr
The One Where I Talk To Psychotherapist, Lisa Bruton
Send us Fan Mail ***TRIGGER WARNING*** Towards the end of this episode, I talk about a very serious rape case, including some of the details of what happened. If you are in any way triggered by sexual assault, please stop the episode at 43" 58'. In this week's episode, I talk to psychotherapist, Lisa Bruton. Lisa is a psychotherapist, trainer and guest tutor at Oxford University. With over 13 years experience in the field of psychotherapy, she is passionate about the potential of therapy to help people feel differently about their lives. At its’ best, Lisa believes that therapy is a tool that helps people relate to all parts of themselves, including as social beings with inherited norms about how to live, how to be etc. With women, Lisa has found that this can result in shame and anger that life hasn’t turned out the way they hoped. With her clients, Lisa works to identify with women what some of their inherited dictates are, so that they gain some freedom from those beliefs, and subsequently engage with their lives with all their unique challenges and opportunities. She loves her work, and wants to help change the stereotype of therapy being a place of self-centredness and inaction, and rather see it as a place for real self-enquiry and authentic and grateful engagement with life. In this conversation, Lisa and I talk about her work as a psychotherapist with single and childless women; the internal narratives that impact the way women feel about themselves; how single women can sometimes feel as though they haven’t been ‘chosen’; and the concept of ’social parenting’ as a way to have meaningful contact with children. We also discuss the grief that many women experience when they don’t end up having children; the importance of being mindful of what you’re consuming when going through grief around not having a baby, and how you can choose to not participate in e.g. social media; and the idea of shame, how it is felt in the body, and how the antidote to shame is contact and community. Our conversation also includes how negative feelings around being single are often more to do with missing regular contact than with actually wanting a relationship; how being alone is very different to the internal state of loneliness, and how the difference is whether it’s chosen or not; how the sense of failure that some women feel at being alone is often wrapped up in feelings of anger about life not having turned out the way they expected; and how important it is to forgive ourselves and understand that we’re not single because we’ve ‘done something wrong’. Finally, we talk about Lisa’s experience of working with police officers. Find out more / work with Lisa via her website: https://www.lisabruton.com/ Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Feb 25, 2023 · 31 min
Minisode Ep.42 - 19 Rules For A Better Life
Send us Fan Mail In this week's minisode, I'm talking about '19 Rules For A Better Life' - at least in the mind of Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, who believed that "our life is what our thoughts make it." I couldn't agree more, Marcus. Marcus Aurelius is known as one of the biggest proponents of Stoic philosphy, a philosophy practiced for centuries by the likes of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Theodore Roosevelt, Walt Whitman, Thomas Jefferson and many others. Stoicism is, among other things, a tool in the pursuit of self-mastery, perseverance, wisdom and peace. In this episode, I read out a newsletter from another great thinker, Ryan Holiday - author of Ego Is The Enemy and The Obstacle Is The Way - who picks out his favourite of Aurelius' rules for a better life, including 'never be overheard complaining', 'waste no time worrying about other people's opinions', and 'treat success and failure the same.' Listen, digest, implement, and you can't fail to see an improvement in your life. Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Feb 21, 2023 · 53 min
The One Where I Talk About A Year Of Podcasting!!!
Send us Fan Mail Happy Birthday To You Happy Birthday To You Happy Birthday, Spinsterhood Reimagined Happy Birthday To You! Believe it or not, my little podcast turns one...ok it's not actually today, but it's tomorrow! On 22/2/22, I embarked upon an adventure which has changed my life. I've met so many wonderful women (and men), learnt a hell of alot along the way, and have grown in ways that I didn't anticipate. And...I've bloody loved every minute of it. To celebrate, I thought I'd give you a little behind-the-scenes look at what producing two episodes a week actually involves; and also what I've learnt along the way during this crazy, bonkers, wild, amazing journey! To all of you who have listened for the last year, thank you thank you thank you. I am grateful for every, single one of you. Love, Lucy x Support the show Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/ Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!