Thrive Solo (Lucy Meggeson)
Explore every episode of Thrive Solo
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Feb 2022 | The One Where I Welcome You To My New Podcast | 00:42:31 | |
Support the show 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 01 Mar 2022 | The One Where I Talk About Being Single | 00:44:54 | |
Support the show 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 08 Mar 2022 | The One Where I Talk To BBC Radio London Presenter, Jo Good | 00:57:41 | |
Support the show Jo is truly an example of someone who is happily single and childfree, and who unapologetically lives her life to the absolute fullest. She radiates joy, energy, authenticity, positivity and fun, and it was my absolute pleasure and honour to be able to spend time with her discussing all things spinsterhood. In this conversation, Jo and I cover an array of topics including how much we both love sleeping alone, her brief marriage in the 70s, meals for one, her dislike of sofas, electric blankets & hot water bottles, and being a ‘professional extrovert’. I hope that you guys enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. Jo can be found on Instagram @middleagedminx, and on her YouTube Channel, MiddleAgedMinx, (which I highly recommend checking out), as well as on BBC Radio London Mon - Thurs at 22:00 and Sundays at 15:00. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 15 Mar 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Author & Podcaster, Shani Silver | 00:58:41 | |
Support the show 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 22 Mar 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Journalist, Polly Vernon | 00:53:03 | |
Support the show Polly has had an incredibly successful career as a features writer, columnist, interviewer and author of the book ‘Hot Feminist’, and has written for every publication under the sun including Vogue, The Telegraph, The Times, Grazia, The Observer and many, many more. Whilst she is in a long-term relationship, she has never married and doesn’t have children. I was thrilled to be able to have an hour of her time for this interview. In this conversation, Polly and I cover topics including why she has never wanted to get married, a serious sexual assault she survived at the age of just 18, the controversy surrounding her book ‘Hot Feminist’, and how she knew from age 7 that she didn’t want to have children. I hope you guys enjoy this thought-provoking conversation. Polly can be found on Instagram @pollyvernon. She can also be found on Twitter @PollyVernon. Link to Polly’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hot-Feminist-Polly-Vernon/dp/1473612195 Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 29 Mar 2022 | The One Where I Talk About Woowoo Stuff | 00:52:47 | |
Support the show 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 05 Apr 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Writer & Author, Sara Eckel | 00:54:35 | |
Support the show Sara has had an amazing career as a writer and author of the book ’It’s Not You: 27 (Wrong) Reasons You’re Single’. She has written for multiple publications including The Washington Post, The Guardian and Boston Globe Magazine. She has also written two essays for the New York Times’ ‘Modern Love’ column, one of which is still one of the most popular essays in the history of the column. In this conversation, Sara and I discuss her single years living in New York City, and how they allowed her to explore meditation, Buddhist philosophy and generally gave her a whole new way of looking at her life and the world. We also talk about what motivated her to write her brilliant book, which is all about the things people tell women about why they’re single - from too desperate, to too intimidating, to too picky - and why so many of those things seem to completely contradict each other. Our conversation also includes musings on some of the assumptions that are made about single women, how curious we both find it when some women come out of one relationship and go straight into another, and the fact that she doesn’t feel any regret about not having children. Sara can be found on Instagram @saraaeckel. She can also be found on Twitter @saraeckel. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 12 Apr 2022 | The One Where I Talk To My Friend, Claire McDonnell | 00:58:53 | |
Support the show Claire has had an amazing career in sports broadcasting which includes working for many years as a producer and editor at the BBC during which time she worked on the Olympic Games in both Sydney and Athens. She has also worked on the Rugby World Cup in Japan and the European Football Championships. She is on the Board of Governors at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, and…she is happily single and childfree. In this conversation, Claire and I discuss her experiences, thoughts and feelings around being a single, childfree woman. We talk about her dislike of the word ‘spinster’, other people’s ideas about having ‘your own’ family, still having to validate herself to some people due to her single status, and how she has never felt uncomfortable being alone. She also talks about times when she has struggled with the attitudes of others towards her being unattached, including the thoughts of her extended traditional Spanish, catholic family. Our conversation also includes being single in lockdown, Claire’s brief foray on Tinder and other internet dating stories, Bridget Jones and The Golden Girls! Claire can be found on Instagram @clairebearmc54. She can also be found on Twitter @ClairebearMc. Follow me on Twitter @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 19 Apr 2022 | The One Where I Talk To TV Writer & Author, Gina Fattore | 00:57:32 | |
Support the show In this conversation, Gina and I discuss her TEDx Talk - Become What You Believe - so entitled because of a quote by Oprah Winfrey, how she never thought of the word ‘spinster’ as having negative connotations, her love of all things literature including her ‘instant bond’ with Jane Austen, and her upbringing in middle America by her Italian-American parents. Our conversation also includes her ‘best rejection ever’ following an interview to write on Sex & The City, how she knew she wanted to be a writer from the tender age of 10, and how her book, The Spinster Diaries, was inspired by the eighteenth-century novelist and diarist Frances Burney who also happened to be the inspiration for Jane Austen. Gina can be found on Instagram @ginafattore. She can also be found on Twitter @GinaFattore. UK Link to Gina’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZRXY4D8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 US Link to Gina’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Spinster-Diaries-Novel-Gina-Fattore/dp/1945551739/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22LKBBRNX21S9&keywords=the+spinster+diaries&qid=1650298333&sprefix=the+spinster+diarie%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-1 Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 26 Apr 2022 | The One Where I Talk About Holidaying Alone | 00:47:52 | |
Support the show I’ve been on holiday on my own three times in my life - once to East Africa, once to the US for a road trip, and once to Vis Island, Croatia. The first trip I don’t really count as relevant to this podcast because I was very young (19) and I lived in Kenya for 7 months whilst teaching music in a school out there. The other two trips speak more to why I wanted to talk about this particular subject. When you’re single, holidays can be tricky. And it would be easy to wait around for a friend to become available to go away with, or for a boyfriend to come along. However in my experience, holidaying alone is something that we should learn to embrace because it can be life-affirming, exciting and fun. It is also great for building self confidence, finding out who we really are, as well as giving us the opportunity to truly be in the moment without the distraction of anyone else. The message I want to get across is that holidaying alone isn’t something that should be thought of as a last resort. In my experience, it is very much something that can be enjoyed fully in and of itself; and it is more than possible to have a fantastic time away, without having somebody by your side. Apart from anything else, learning to appreciate and enjoy things alone is an important part of life. In this episode I talk about my travels in East Africa including the time I got malaria, my solo road trip to New England and an embarrassing ‘incident’ involving one of my heroes, James Taylor, as well as one of the ironies of travelling alone - that you actually end up meeting more people than you would if you were with your partner and/or kids. I hope you find something of value in this episode, and I hope you enjoy it. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 03 May 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Journalist, Writer & Speaker, Nicola Slawson | 01:04:05 | |
Support the show Nicola has had a brilliant and exciting career in journalism, and she is also the founder of the award-winning and very popular weekly newsletter, The Single Supplement, which explores the highs and lows of being single, and is approaching 10,000 subscribers! In this conversation, Nicola and I discuss the different kinds of readers who are attracted to her newsletter, the ups and downs of her single life and how she decided to take herself ‘off the market’, as well as her lifelong desire to be a Mum and where she is in that journey. We also ponder other topics including our thoughts around women automatically taking their husband’s surname when they marry, Nicola’s dislike of the phrases ‘my other half’ and ‘unlucky in love’, and her struggles in her early thirties during which time many of her friends were getting engaged and having babies. Nicola can be found on Instagram: @nicola_slawson and @thesinglesupplement. She can also be found on Twitter: @Nicola_Slawson and @TheSingleSupp. Link to Nicola’s newsletter, The Single Supplement: https://thesinglesupplement.substack.com/ Join my Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 10 May 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Award-Winning Author, Journalist & Podcast Presenter, Emma John | 01:07:45 | |
Support the show Emma has had an amazing career as a journalist and has written widely across film, theatre, music, sport, travel and lifestyle for a variety of national newspapers and magazine titles, including the Guardian, the Observer, the Times and the Financial Times. She was the first woman in the UK to win a Sports Journalism Award and is a contributing writer to the US magazine Afar. Emma is also a successful author of three books on three very different topics: her most recent ‘Self Contained: Scenes From A Single Life’, and her first two award-winning books, ‘Wayfaring Stranger: A Musical Journey In The American South’ and ‘Following On: A Memoir Of Teenage Obsession & Terrible Cricket.’ Our conversation includes Emma’s thoughts around the word ‘spinster’ and the shame surrounding it; how important it is that we don’t think of single life as a lesser life, or a limbo period; and the fact that she is very close to her family, has very close friendships, and has never felt ‘alone’. Emma & I discuss how so many of us have bought into the idea that your partner should be your everything, when in fact that never used to be the case; familial expectations about ‘settling down’ and their fears and worries around us being alone; and how not finding a partner has always been, and still is, seen as some kind of ‘failure’. We also talk about Emma’s experiences of solo travel, her time living in North Carolina whilst learning to play Bluegrass fiddle, as well as the time she got to interview Dolly Parton!!! Emma also touches on the process of writing her latest book, Self-Contained, during lockdown whilst living with her parents when her Mum was very ill - she very sadly passed away less than a year ago. I sincerely hope that you all enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed having the conversation with Emma. Emma can be found on Instagram: @emmajohnauthor. She can also be found on Twitter: @em_john. Link to Emma’s website: http://emmajohn.com/ Spotify Link to Emma’s podcast, The Spin: https://open.spotify.com/show/1RDjh3ix2iXvatREVd4VLR Appl 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 17 May 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Life Coach & Author, Sasha Cagen | 01:04:09 | |
Support the show Sasha is the founder of the QuirkyAlone movement, (founded in the early 2000’s), which gives new meaning to the word quirky, and spreads a message of self-acceptance for both single and partnered people who want to live life on their own terms. She’s also the author of the cult hit book, Quirkyalone: A Manifesto For Uncompromising Romantics, and To-Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding A Soul Mate, What Our Lists Reveal About Us. Sasha is also working on a new book, her memoir, Wet. In this conversation, Sasha and I talk about the sensual world of tango, the big part it’s played in her life and the time she spent living in Buenos Aires as a result; her career as a life coach focussing on women over 40; and the Quirkyalone movement which she founded in 2004. Our conversation also includes the ‘tyranny of coupledom’; how Sasha always imagined that she would meet someone and have children but has made peace with not having children; how she would still like to have a relationship and is still a romantic; and the amazing things that have happened in her life as a result of the freedom of being single. Also, Sasha tells me about pussy-walking, what it is and why it’s great! I sincerely hope that you all enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it. Sasha can be found on Instagram: @sashacagen. She can also be found on Twitter: @sashacagen. US Link to Sasha’s book, Quirkyalone: https://www.amazon.com/Quirkyalone-Manifesto-Uncompromising-Sasha-Cagen/dp/B002XULZ72 UK Link to Sasha’s book, Quirkyalone: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Quirkyalone-Manifesto-Uncompromising-Sasha-Cagen/dp/B002XULZ72 Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 14 May 2022 | Minisode Ep. 1 - Being Different | 00:14:00 | |
Support the show 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 21 May 2022 | Minisode Ep. 2 - High Vibe Playlist | 00:25:29 | |
Support the show 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 24 May 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Australian Author, Donna Ward | 01:08:58 | |
Support the show Donna is the founder of literary journal, Indigo: The Journal of Western Australian Creative Writing, and her prose can be found in respected journals and anthologies internationally and online; she also has a past life as a psychotherapist and social worker. In our conversation, Donna touches on her upbringing on the banks of the Swan River in Perth, her time as a social worker and a psychotherapist, how she realised in her forties that she would not achieve her desire to have a family, and her thoughts around the period of time when her friends ‘disappeared’ into family life. We also talk about the time Donna became aware of the the stigma associated with being single and childless; how she coined the term ‘familied’ in her book, and how she felt that she was “falling out of society” due to her position in life; her experience of being alone during lockdown in Melbourne during which time she wasn’t allowed to form a ‘bubble’; and how the community narrative during that time was primarily focussed on families. Our conversation includes Donna’s experience of loneliness and how she refers to it as ‘the gritty beast’; and how, actually, facing the dark sides of life head on is what makes us the best version of ourselves. And finally, Donna shares her belief that the joys and ecstasies of life are the same whether you’re married with children, or single and childless. I sincerely hope that you all enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it. Donna can be found on Instagram: @donnawardwriter. She can also be found on Twitter: @donnawardwriter. UK Link to Donna’s book, She I Dare Not Name: https://www.amazon.co.uk/She-Dare-Not-Name-Meditations/dp/1760876291 US Link to Donna’s book, She I Dare Not Name: https://www.amazon.com/She-I-Dare-Not-Name/dp/1760876291/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8 Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMegg 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 31 May 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Author & Founder of Gateway Women, Jody Day | 01:07:30 | |
Support the show Jody is also the author of what many professionals consider to be the ‘go-to’ book on the topic of childlessness, ‘Living The Life Unexpected: How to Find Hope, Meaning and a Fulfilling Life Without Children’. In this honest and heartfelt conversation, Jody talks about: her difficult childhood and how her early experiences resulted in her initially not wanting to have children; her abortion when she was twenty; and her marriage in her early twenties which ultimately ended due to reasons including the strain of her infertility, as well as her ex-husband’s problems with addiction. We also talk about how Jody’s continued desperation to have a baby following the breakdown of her marriage found her in an abusive relationship; the period in her mid-forties when she hit rock bottom as the realisation that she would not have children became apparent; and the profound grief and despair she went through as she struggled to come to terms with the loss of the baby she never had, and the life she thought she would be living. The conversation includes Jody’s thoughts on the concept of ‘disenfranchised grief’ and the sometimes dismissive reactions of those around her; how her own grief manifested in her withdrawal from the world, and her total loss of joy in all the things she used to love, including reading; and how she felt like ‘social plankton’ as a single, childless woman in her forties. Jody also touches on the point at which she realised there would be an end to her pain as she started to understand that grief was a process which she would eventually come through to the other side of; the concept of social infertility, a term coined by the World Health Organisation, and being 'childless by circumstance’; and how, actually, childless women are a potential threat to a patriarchal society. And finally, Jody shares how she has ultimately found peace with not having children, and how much she can now appreciate the freedom and possibility of being childless. Jody can be found on Instagram: @gatewaywomen. She can also be found on Twitter: @gatew 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 28 May 2022 | Minisode Ep. 3 - Clips From One Of My Workshops | 00:14:30 | |
In this Saturday's Minisode, I'm sharing three clips from a workshop I did a few weeks ago with some of my lovely listeners. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 07 Jun 2022 | The One Where I Talk About My 5am Morning Routine | 00:42:04 | |
In this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, it’s just me, myself, and I, talking about my 5am morning routine. I have been getting up at 5am for a couple of years now - sometimes even 4:30am - and it has completely transformed my life for the better; so I wanted to tell you guys all about what exactly I do when everyone else is still sleeping! It may sound slightly crazy, and many people have expressed surprise at my getting up so early and / or have taken the pi*s out of me for it, but actually...the joke is on them! Getting up early and starting your day off in an intentional and positive way, not only changes your morning and therefore your whole day for the better, but when done consistently, it also starts to change your life. I do various things including affirmations and meditation, all of which I go into detail on in this episode. I would urge you to listen to this episode, even if the thought of getting up at 5am sounds like your idea of a nightmare. Why? Because I was NEVER a ‘morning person’ - just ask anyone I know - so if I can do it, you can do it. And if it has made my life better, it can also make your life better. Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 21 Jun 2022 | The One Where I Talk To My Sister, Annabel Meggeson | 00:50:31 | |
Support the show Annie has recently changed careers and is now an English teacher at a secondary school in London; but before that, she enjoyed a glamorous career as a journalist and the Beauty Director at Red Magazine. She has written for multiple publications, including The Guardian, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. She is also the mother to four teenagers (three of whom are triplets) and my beloved nephews and niece. In this conversation, Annie and I cover an array of topics including: the world’s biggest launch party to celebrate my new podcast, which consisted of Annie, me, and one of my nephews; why it’s been helpful to have a sister who hasn’t travelled the ‘conventional’ path of marriage and kids because it’s given her a front row seat to what being a ‘spinster’ actually looks like; and how she has never felt that my journey of not having children has required any pity. We chat about: how her career started off at Goldman Sachs but she quickly realised that a career in banking was not for her; how she went onto work as a journalist for many years, but decided to pack it in a few years ago to become an English teacher; and how both of us think that, actually, I’m the older sister because I’m the boring, practical and bossy one so we reckon our parents got us confused when we were little. We also discuss how she has never judged me or thought there was anything missing from my life just because I don’t have my own family; the things that she has seen to be advantages and benefits of being single and childfree; and how she strongly feels that the lives of those women who don’t have children are equally as valid as anyone else’s. Annie also talks about: how much it annoys her when people say that those who don’t have kids are selfish, and what she thinks they mean by that; how she has learnt alot about herself through being a mother; how, with hindsight, she can see that bringing up four young children was all-consuming in the early days of motherhood; and how she completely disagrees with those people who suggest that if you don’t have children, then you’re not ‘complete’. And finally, we talk about the time she met Jennifer Aniston at a party, and the time she interviewed her (I know!); AND we get real about the elephant in the room - whether or not she thinks my cleaning is as good as her previous cleaner. ;) I sincerely hope that y 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 14 Jun 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Social Psychologist & Author, Bella De Paulo | 01:03:13 | |
Support the show Bella is the recipient of numerous honours and awards, such as the James McKeen Cattell Award and the Research Scientist Development Award. She has more than 150 scholarly publications and has served in various leadership positions in professional organisations. She has written op-ed essays and other articles for publications such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, NBC, CNN, Time magazine, New York magazine, the Guardian, Forbes, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Bella has also discussed the place of singles in society on radio and television, including NPR and CNN. She has been described by Atlantic Magazine as “America’s foremost thinker and writer on the single experience.” And as if all of that wasn’t enough, she also happens to have a PhD from Harvard University. In this conversation, Bella and I talk about an array of topics including how she came to study and research the single life when initially she was working on the psychology of deception; the fact that she never wanted to be married, and how she realised many years ago that being single is simply who she is; and how she discovered that loving being single and wanting to stay single is, in fact, a ‘thing’. Bella also talks about how she believes that a single life can be a bigger, more expansive life with more possibility; being ‘single at heart’, a term she coined and is also using as the title for her next book which she’s currently working on; how crazy it is that she hears from many, many people who love being single but think that there is something wrong with them because of that; and some of the biggest misconceptions about single people. We also discuss some of the research that has been done into singles and how, in fact, the outlook for unmarried people is far brighter than society may assume; how Bella wants to challenge the idea that being single is always a ‘temporary’ state whilst waiting for a partner; and how people who are single at heart happily live their best, most aut 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 04 Jun 2022 | Minisode Ep. 4 - How We Romanticise Family Life | 00:15:51 | |
In this Saturday's Minisode, I'm talking about how us singles can have a tendency to romanticise family life. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 11 Jun 2022 | Minisode Ep. 5 - Success | 00:12:43 | |
In this Saturday's Minisode, I'm talking about success; what I think it means to some people and what it means to me. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 28 Jun 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Author, Entrepreneur & Coach, Jessica Huie | 00:49:55 | |
On this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to entrepreneur, author, and coach, Jessica Huie. This episode is a little bit different because Jessica is neither single or childfree; but it's very much a conversation about living your best life, growth, and all that juicy stuff which is relevant to us all, no matter our relationship status. Jessica Huie MBE is an entrepreneur and the author of the best-selling book ‘Purpose: Find Your Truth and Embrace Your Calling’. Jessica enjoyed a glittering career as a journalist and publicist and has worked with some of the world’s biggest stars and business people, including Samuel L. Jackson, Simon Cowell, Kelly Rowland and Meghan Markle. Jessica founded and ran influential boutique agency JHPR.co.uk for ten years supporting small business owners, coaches, creatives and consultants in raising their profile authentically. In 2006 Jessica launched Color Blind Cards, a multi-award winning multicultural greeting card company which drove an early conversation around the importance of ethnic representation in retail and became the first independent brand to secure a high-street presence for black cards in the UK. Color blind also went on to be distributed in the USA and South Africa. In this conversation, Jessica and I talk about her childhood growing up on a West London council estate; how she found herself pregnant in her teens and had her baby girl when she was 18 years old; and the shame that her teenage pregnancy caused her which she subsequently compensated for through over-achieving. We talk about how she studied journalism and went on to travel the world, interviewing and mingling with the likes of Mariah Carey and Samuel L. Jackson; how she set up her own PR business during which time she worked with Kelly Rowland and Meghan Markle; and how she launched a multicultural greeting card company in 2006, Color Blind Cards, and subsequently won numerous awards. Jessica tells me about the loss of her beloved father who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2016, and how his passing resulted in her life shifting and changing as she began to discover and explore her ‘inner world’; that happiness can never come from outside of ourselves, despite us finding joy in relationships and careers etc; the ‘self’ that lies in all of us which is unchanging, and how our relationship to that self is where true peace and purpose lie. We also discuss how the grief over her father actually opened a doorway inside of her which allowed her to truly open her heart and ap 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 18 Jun 2022 | Minisode Ep. 6 - ‘You Are A Badass’ - A Book Review | 00:18:48 | |
In this Saturday's Minisode, I'm talking about a book called 'You Are A Badass: How To Stop Doubting Your Greatness & Start Living An Awesome Life' by the fabulous Jen Sincero. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 25 Jun 2022 | Minisode Ep. 7 - Shame | 00:15:45 | |
On this week's Minisode, I'm talking about the concept of shame. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 02 Jul 2022 | Minisode Ep. 8 - When People Say We're 'Too Picky' | 00:16:54 | |
In this week's Saturday Minisode, I'm talking about one of the (many) annoying things that people say when you're single; in this case: "You're too picky." Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 05 Jul 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Solo Motherhood Coach, Mel Johnson | 01:01:12 | |
On this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to The Solo Motherhood Coach, Mel Johnson. Mel is a solo mum to her 4 year old daughter, Daisy, who was conceived using IVF and donor conception. Following her own journey into solo motherhood, and passionate about empowering women to fully understand their options on the path to parenthood, Mel created The Stork & I. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 12 Jul 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Journalist & Writer, Radhika Sanghani | 00:53:15 | |
On this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to journalist and writer, Radhika Sanghani. Radhika is an award-winning journalist, author and screenwriter. She recently published her debut adult novel, ’30 Things I Love About Myself’, while her two previous Young Adult novels, ‘Virgin’ and ‘Not That Easy’ were published in 13 countries worldwide. She regularly writes features for The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Guardian, Grazia, Glamour and Elle. She is also an influential body positive campaigner and founded #SideProfileSelfie, a movement to celebrate big noses, which has reached millions. She has given a TEDx talk on self-love, and runs an anti-loneliness initiative with Age UK where she gives manicures to the elderly. In this conversation, Radhika and I talk about her relationship history, including the painful breakup that led to her journey of self love; her overactive inner critic and how she decided to become more aware of her internal dialogue; and how her issues with body image drove her to start the campaign #SideProfileSelfie which went viral. We also talk about her spiritual practices and how she believes in a higher power; how one of the most important things we can do is to spark other people’s journeys of self love; and how our relationship with ourself is more important than anything else. Radhika and I discuss what motivated her to write her new novel, 30 Things I Love About Myself; how she thought about writing it as a self-help book but decided instead to write a novel, largely because of her love of comedy; and how her favourite character from Sex & The City was always Samantha because of her sassy, strong personality. Finally we talk about Radhika’s love of living alone, and how her home is her haven; how lockdown forced her to start loving her alone time and how she once turned her phone off for a whole week; and how she recently took herself out for solo afternoon tea. Follow Radhika on Twitter: @radhikasanghani UK Link to ’30 Things I Love About Myself’: https://www.amazon.co.uk/30-Things-Love-About-Myself/dp/147227766X US Link to ’30 Things I Love About Myself’: https://www.amazon.com/ 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 19 Jul 2022 | The One Where I Talk About Not Having Kids | 00:49:44 | |
Support the show In this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk about not having children, how I’ve come to be childless at the age of 46, and how I truly feel about it. I go way back to my childhood, my teens and my twenties, and share how I could never really relate to friends talking about feelings of broodiness back then, despite the fact that I always assumed I would have children eventually. Finally I talk about why, despite any residual sadness I may have about not having had kids, being childfree is a fabulous, exciting and liberating life path; and that ending up without kids does not define me in anyway, nor does it effect my happiness or the joy I find in life. I hope that you enjoy this episode and that some of it resonates with you. Join my private Facebook Group: Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 09 Jul 2022 | Minisode Ep. 9 - The Importance Of The People We Surround Ourselves With | 00:19:38 | |
In this week's Saturday Minisode, I'm talking about the importance of the people we spend the most time with. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 16 Jul 2022 | Saturday Minisode No. 10 - Self-Confidence | 00:20:43 | |
In this week's Saturday Minisode, I'm talking about that often elusive (but always needed) concept of self-confidence. I talk about my own struggles with self-confidence over the years, and how I've worked to cultivate more of it. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 26 Jul 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Copywriter, Culture Writer & Podcaster, Danita Steinberg | 01:21:12 | |
On this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to Toronto-based culture writer, copywriter, podcaster, and creator of Instagram account @womenlivingalone, Danita Steinberg. I absolutely loved this conversation and I know that you will too. Danita also talks to me about how she never had crushes in high school and how this caused her difficulties when it came to relating to her school friends; how hard it was growing up as asexual and how she eventually came out to her friends; and the concept of compulsory heterosexuality. We chat about how romantic and sexual attraction are two completely different things; how her female friendships have changed in recent years as many of them have got married and had kids, and how she has been grieving the relationships they once were; and her experiences with Bumble BFF, the ‘dating’ app for friendship. This conversation also covers the ups and downs of living alone once Danita moved into her own place just a month before lockdown; her thoughts around feelings of loneliness; how she has always been fascinated with all things paranormal and spooky; and how she thinks Jane Fonda is very underrated as an actor. I truly hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it! Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 23 Jul 2022 | Saturday Minisode No. 11 - Awesome Women Playlist | 00:25:21 | |
I simply couldn't resist doing another playlist episode! So this week's minisode consists of 10 awesome women - well, it's actually 11 because one of my choices is a duo. I choose one song from each of them and do a little bit of a story around why I love each of them. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 02 Aug 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Sociologist & PhD Candidate, Kimberly Martinez Phillips | 01:08:38 | |
On this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I have the pleasure of talking to the inspiring Kimberly Martinez Phillips. Kimberly is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Sociology at Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador. Her dissertation studies the lives of single, never-married, childfree women of colour. She graduated from the University of California at Irvine in 1993 with Bachelor's degrees in cultural anthropology and criminology. She then obtained a Master’s degree in sociology from California State University, completing a Master’s thesis about the functionality of marriage. Kimberly has been teaching sociology at two and four-year colleges/universities in California and now in Canada for over 24 years. In this conversation, we talk about how Kimberly always knew that she didn’t want to compromise in terms of her life choices, and how she foresaw a different way of living than being in a relationship; how she didn’t want to put all her energies into looking for ‘the one’ and has many other things that fulfil her life; and how she doesn’t approach her relationships with a ‘forever’ mindset, although she loves romance and has had many unconventional love stories. We also talk about the many women who prioritise other things in life aside from a relationship, and how those kinds of women have been vilified by society; how you don’t need a relationship in order to validate your existence; and how during her interviews of 40 single women for her research, many of them cited peace, comfort and tranquility as words to describe their single lives. Kim and I also discuss how people asking “how are you still single” is often tied up in looks, and how older women tend to stop being asked the question; how women over 30 still experience pressure to couple up, especially from other women; how single women have to deal with the implication that they haven't been ‘picked’; and how she decided to research women of colour for her PhD upon discovering that the majority of research on single women looked at middle class, white women. I sincerely hope that you enjoy this episode! Kimberly’s Website: www.ichoosefeminism.com Join my private Facebook Group: Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follo 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 30 Jul 2022 | Saturday Minisode No. 12 - When People 'Pity' Us | 00:14:54 | |
On this week's Saturday Minisode, I'm talking about that thing people do when we tell them we're single - you know, when they take pity on us, feel sorry for us, sympathise with us. It's just so...aaaargh! Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 09 Aug 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Author & Life Coach, Leisse Wilcox | 01:09:17 | |
In this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to author and life coach, Leisse Wilcox. Leisse is a results-focused and strategic life coach based in Toronto, Canada. She helps people bring clarity in what they want, confidence in who they are, and courage to stay true to them both; essentially she helps people become the version of themselves that they’ve been dreaming about. Leisse is also the best-selling author of two books, the most recent of which is called ‘Alone: The Truth & Beauty Of Belonging’ which we talk alot about in this conversation and which is essentially a reframe of what it means to be alone. It also looks at the importance of the relationship we have with ourselves, something which you’ll know I feel passionately about and talk about alot on this podcast. We also cover Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), what it is and how it works; how our actions and behaviours are dictated by our thoughts, and how our thoughts are inextricably linked to our unconscious beliefs; the human experience and how none of us get through life unscathed, but we all get to choose how we respond and react to things; and why so many of us engage in co-dependency / people pleasing and why it’s unhealthy. Leisse and I look at shame amongst single women and how it is such a difficult and heavy emotion; how centuries of gendered oppression have been passed down telling us what our lives should look like; the toxic narrative of society which still tells single women that they ‘haven’t done it right’; and the difference between the fear of being single and the fear of being alone. Finally, we talk about Leisse’s book, Alone: The Truth & Beauty Of Belonging, which is the ultimate reframe on what it means to be alone; we discuss what motivated her to write it in the first place; how being alone is not a bad thing in and of itself, but rather the meaning we attach to it; what it means to belong to yourself; and how when we learn how to belong to ourselves, we can never, ever be alone. Follow Leisse on Twitter: @LeisseWilcox 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 06 Aug 2022 | Saturday Minisode No. 13 - Getting A Kitten (Holy F*ck) | 00:19:26 | |
On this week's Minisode, I'm talking about my new kitten, Johnny Depp, who I've had for just less than 2 weeks - but boy oh boy, what a fortnight it's been. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 16 Aug 2022 | The One Where I Do A Podcast Swap With Amie Kelbing | 01:09:41 | |
On this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I’m doing something a little bit different. The fabulous Amie Kelbing (host of ‘The Spinster Life Podcast’) and I, have done a podcast swap! We’ve recorded two parts - Part 1 is going out on her podcast, and Part 2 is here on Spinsterhood Reimagined. Amie is based in LA and she’s been doing her podcast for a lot longer than I’ve been doing mine; we found each other in the amazing single women online space where there are so many awesome women who are living happily single lives. This isn’t so much an interview as a very casual chat between two friends, who both happen to be single and childfree. We talk about all things spinster, as well as other topics. Our conversation includes Amie’s dating disasters, how she is a dog mum (and at the time of recording I was about to become a cat mum), our feelings about not having children, the importance of sleep, the trials and tribulations of hosting and producing a podcast, how being single is a neutral thing rather than a positive or a negative, Amie’s former feelings of shame about being single, why neither of us are married, and how the dating game can be likened to gambling! Link to The Spinster Life Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spinster-life-podcast/id1537901366 Link to The Spinster Life Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5IpTlOPFVqXJD24wdgnKBf Follow Amie on Instagram: @livingthespinsterlife Join my private Facebook Group: Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 13 Aug 2022 | Saturday Minisode No. 14 - Saying No | 00:18:01 | |
On this week's Saturday Minisode, I'm talking about saying no to the things we don't want to do. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 20 Aug 2022 | Saturday Minisode No. 15 - It's Not About The Relationship | 00:12:56 | |
On this week's Saturday Minisode, I'm talking about my belief that when we're feeling low about being single, it's not actually the lack of relationship that is the problem. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 23 Aug 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Journalist, Presenter & Podcaster, Geeta Pendse | 01:09:55 | |
In this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to journalist, presenter, and podcaster, Geeta Pendse. Geeta is a freelance journalist and presenter with 15 years’ experience delivering content for broadcasters, who is based in Nottingham, UK. She has worked for BBC Sunday Morning Live, BBC Radio 4, BBC Breakfast, BBC Politics, East Midlands Today, BBC Three and Sky Arts as a reporter and presenter. She presents the weekly politics show on BBC One in the East Midlands, and anchored the BBC’s General Election Debate for the region. Geeta has developed a specialism as an Arts reporter, and alongside creating original and daily content for BBC news outlets, she has also presented the Sky Arts series ‘Music of India’, BBC Radio 4’s flagship arts programme ‘Front Row’ and ‘Civilisations Stories: The Art of Mining’, a half-hour documentary for BBC One in the East Midlands and BBC Four. In this conversation, Geeta and I talk about a range of subjects including how she never wanted to be in a relationship just for the sake of it; the emotions she experienced as the majority of her friends began to ‘pair off’ and her particular life path began to feel like the less common one; and how she navigated those changing friendships in her life. We also discuss how Geeta decided to train as a yoga teacher in her mid-thirties, and how that helped her find role models in her life who didn’t have children; how her podcast has made her realise that there is no one story of childlessness and how each different story comes with many, many nuances; and how she has subsequently spoken to all kinds of women who don’t have children - from those who are childless by circumstance, to those who are childless by choice, as well as those who have felt ambivalent about it. Geeta and I also chat about the stigma that can come from not having children, including how some women suffer the implication that they are ‘pointless’ or ‘selfish’; the sense of failure that can come as a result of societal projections onto those women who find themselves without children, whether by choice or not; and what ‘active choice’ means when it comes to making a decision about whether or not to have kids. In this episode, we also cover turning forty, and the increasing number of female role models in their forties and above who are empowering women to embrace the ageing process; learning to care less about what people think and how freeing it can be; and how ultimately, any one of us can have a good life whether with children or without. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 30 Aug 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Writer, Editor & Author, Aimée Lutkin | 00:58:45 | |
In this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to writer, blogger and author, Aimée Lutkin. Aimée is a writer and editor from NYC. Her work has appeared in Jezebel, W Mag, Elle, Glamour, and more. The Lonely Hunter: How Our Search For Love Is Broken is her first book. In this conversation, Aimée and I talk about a multitude of topics including: the dinner party in NYC when she was 32 years old which prompted her to write an article, and subsequently a book; how the friends at said dinner party reacted with resistance to her admission that she thought she might be alone forever; and how our cultural expectations of the future have changed, including what we believe we can expect from relationships. Aimée also tells me about the transformation she felt with respect to her single status whilst writing her book, and how it resulted in her working on herself to achieve a feeling of direction and purpose in her life outside of a relationship; how the pandemic has caused many people to rethink their lives and relationships; how singlehood and loneliness are often conflated despite the former not necessarily resulting in the latter; and how many more women are starting to speak more openly about what they require from a relationship, including what they will no longer tolerate. We chat about how expectations of a romantic partner have changed dramatically in as much as marriage used to be more of an economic decision, whereas now a partner is supposed to be your everything - lover, best friend, co-parent etc; how Aimée believes that marriage has been re-branded as a validation for who you are as a person vs the more practical choice that it used to be; and how she thinks non-monogamy, open relationships and polyamory are on the rise. Finally, Aimée tells me her thoughts on the word ‘spinster’, and how single women are starting to use the word differently; how she would like to live in a world where being single is irrelevant and where we don’t depend on a romantic relationship in order to feel safe; how her book, The Lonely Hunter, started as an essay called ‘When Can I Say I’ll Be Alone Forever’; and how you can do everything right in terms of looking for love, but it still doesn’t necessarily work out. Follow Aimée on Twitter: @alutkin Follow Aimée on Instagram: @aalutkin Aimée’s Website: http://www.aimeelutkin.com/ US Link to Aimée’s Book, The Lonely Hunter: How Our Search For Love Is Broken: https://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Hunt 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 27 Aug 2022 | Saturday Minisode No. 16 - I Bloody Love Autumn | 00:16:37 | |
Do you dread the arrival of autumn because it marks the end of summer? Or do you, like me, get ridiculously excited that your favourite season is finally here again?! Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 06 Sep 2022 | The One Where I Talk About Sex | 00:40:25 | |
Support the show Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com Check out my website: www.lucymeggeson.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 03 Sep 2022 | Saturday Minisode No.17 - Women Fuc*ing Rock | 00:21:03 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about how fabulous women are in so many ways, and how the world might just be a better place if there were more of us in positions of leadership and power. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 13 Sep 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Photographer, Jackie Dives | 01:08:59 | |
In this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to photographer, Jackie Dives. Jackie is a lens-based artist focused on issues of grief and identity, who lives in Vancouver, Canada. She has been working within the topic of the overdose crisis in her community since 2016. She is trained as an addictions counsellor and volunteers as a bereavement photographer, wherein she is invited into hospitals to make the first and last family portraits in the event of the loss of a baby during childbirth. Her work has been exhibited and published internationally, including in The New York Times, The Guardian, and Time Magazine. Jackie is also single and childfree and has always known that she didn't want to have children. We also discuss how many women get married and have children because they think it’s what they’re supposed / expected to do; how people telling women that they’ll ‘change their minds’ when it comes to having children actually shows a complete disregard for their feelings; how getting married and having children is still the only thing that is truly celebrated in our society; and how being different and living a life that is ‘outside of the norm’ can be both lonely and difficult. Jackie and I also chat about how being partnered is only ever seen as ‘adding’ to your life, whereas the things that can be ‘lost’ by getting into a relationship are largely disregarded and ignored; how she does not care about being single at the age of 38 and how a relationship isn’t something that she ‘needs’ in her life; and finally, how her father tragically died from a drug overdose in 2017 and how photography helped her to process the extremely confusing and upsetting emotions that followed his death. Follow Jackie on TikTok: @jackiedives Follow Jackie on Instagram: @jackiedivesphoto Link to Jackie’s Gift Registry: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/2HGU9FYMLYQCG?ref_=wl_share 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 10 Sep 2022 | Saturday Minisode No.18 - The Difference Between Toxic Positivity & Having A Positive Mindset | 00:18:51 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about the crucial difference between the term 'toxic positivity' and what it means to have a positive mindset. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 15 Sep 2022 | The One Where I Talk About My 6-Week Group Coaching Course | 00:24:05 | |
This is an addition to my usual two episodes per week, because I wanted to tell you about my 6-week group coaching course which begins on Wednesday 12th October 2022 at 19:00 GMT, called 'Upgrade Your Spinster Mindset.' Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com Check out my website: www.lucymeggeson.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 17 Sep 2022 | Minisode Ep. 19 - Cathy Heller Changed My Life | 00:29:40 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about top podcaster, Cathy Heller, who also happens to be my coach, mentor and daily inspiration. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 20 Sep 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Author & Founder of Savvy Auntie, Melanie Notkin | 01:11:17 | |
In this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to founder of the Savvy Auntie Community, author and entrepreneur, Melanie Notkin. Melanie is an entrepreneur, author, media contributor, speaker, marketer, and a leading voice of childless, often single, women and men. In 2008, she founded ‘Savvy Auntie: A Celebration Of Modern Aunthood,’ a multiplatform lifestyle brand for cool aunts, great-aunts, godmothers and all women who love kids. Melanie is author of two books, ‘Savvy Auntie: The Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers and All Women Who Love Kids’; and ‘Otherhood: Modern Women Finding A New Kind Of Happiness.’ In this episode, Melanie and I talk about how she set up the Savvy Auntie community in 2008; her six nieces and nephews (including two sets of twin girls!); and how she coined the term PANK (Professional Aunt No Kids). We discuss Melanie’s journey of not having children, and how she always had a vision of what she thought her life would be, which included a wedding in her back yard and twin girls; how in her mid-30s she went through an incredibly difficult time as she realised she may not have children of her own; how she wrote about her grief of not having children in her book, Otherhood, and how her desire for children felt like an ‘existential yearning.’ Melanie also talks about being happy that she never had her eggs frozen; how feelings of desperation and anxiety around not having children can come to an end with the arrival of menopause; and how those women who aren’t willing to settle for a ‘lesser love’ - the ‘reinvented spinsters’ - tend to be at a certain level of success in their lives. Follow Melanie on Instagram: @savvyauntie UK Link to Melanie’s book, Savvy Auntie: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Savvy-Auntie-Ultimate-Great-Aunts-Godmothers/dp/0061999970 US Link to Melanie’s book, Savvy Auntie: 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 27 Sep 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Clarity Coach, Keltie Maguire | 01:11:27 | |
In this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to clarity coach and former jewellery designer, Keltie Maguire. Keltie is a Clarity Coach who helps small business owners and professionals get clear on what they really want in business and life, and ultimately, create the existence they crave. As a Canadian expat living in Munich, Germany, Keltie is an avid hiker, craft beer lover, and travel enthusiast who is all about creating a life by design, rather than default. We also discuss how moving to Germany was the catalyst that drove Keltie to make a decision as to whether or not she wanted to have a baby; the huge amount of confusion that comes with not being clear one way or another; the things that people say such as “You’ll regret it if you don’t have kids”; and how making the conscious decision that she will have a good life, whether or not she has children in the future, has brought Keltie peace and removed much of her confusion. Keltie and I also explore the idea that we all have a choice in terms of what we focus on in life, and how important it is to choose to embrace the benefits of being childfree; how none of us are immune to the underlying narratives around the expectation on women that they will have children; how women who don’t have children are sometimes portrayed as being ‘unnatural’, as though becoming a mother ‘completes’ our womanliness; and we also touch on the highly sensitive topic of women who regret having kids. And finally, Keltie tells me her thoughts around the concept of the ‘biological clock’; how turning 40 brought her some relief with regards her decision to not have children; and how she almost didn’t get married because she has always taken issue with the fact that marriage is perceived as necessary to ‘validate’ a relationship. Follow Keltie on Instagram: @keltiemaguire Follow Keltie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keltiemaguire/ Washington Post article from 1978 that coined the phrase ‘biological clock’: 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 24 Sep 2022 | Minisode Ep. 20 - There Is No Good Reason... | 00:22:27 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm making a bold statement: There is no good reason why any single, childless woman should not be happy, be making the most of her life, and be feeling good. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 01 Oct 2022 | Minisode Ep. 21 - Why I Don't Do Online Dating | 00:20:19 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about why I don't do online dating. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 29 Oct 2022 | Minisode Ep. 25 - Something Weird Is Happening To Me | 00:16:27 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about the weird thing that has been happening to me since getting my kitten, Johnny Depp. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 08 Oct 2022 | Minisode Ep. 22 - Top 10 Covers Playlist | 00:20:56 | |
I simply couldn't resist doing another playlist episode! So in this week's minisode, I'm talking about my Top 10 cover songs. Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 04 Oct 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Writer & Podcaster, Laura Price | 01:00:08 | |
In this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to food writer, author and podcaster, Laura Price. Follow Laura on Twitter: @LauraPriceWrite Laura's Website: https://www.laura-price.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 11 Oct 2022 | The One Where I Talk About Living Alone | 00:35:22 | |
Support the show In this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk about living alone and why I bloody love it. I talk about my current hobbit-sized flat, how I came to live in it, and how it truly is my sanctuary. I hope that you enjoy this episode and that some of it resonates with you. Join my private Facebook Group: Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimagined Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggeson Email me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 18 Oct 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Mindset Mentor, Nicola Salter | 01:00:40 | |
In this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to mindset mentor and empowerment coach, Nicola Salter. Nicola is a British Empowerment Mindset Mentor and Business/Personal Coach who has worked in the US for over 25 years. She has helped over 14,000 women redefine themselves, find purpose and drop their limiting beliefs. She works with corporations, helping their employees to build more resilience to stress; Nicola previously worked for the BBC the IoD and the Hospitality Training Foundation in London. Her unique proven methods are holistic and focus in on mindset, changing belief patterns and empowering change. She is also a podcaster with her own show ‘Your Unique Brilliance’ as well as an Author. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 15 Oct 2022 | Minisode Ep. 23 - Taking Imperfect Action | 00:19:09 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about the importance of taking imperfect action - even when we don't feel ready, even when we don't know what we're doing, even when it seems scary, and especially when it's...not perfect. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 22 Oct 2022 | Minisode Ep. 24 - The Importance Of What We Consume | 00:18:57 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about how important it is to be mindful of what we're consuming. And I'm not talking about food here...;) 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 19 Nov 2022 | Minisode Ep. 28 - Age Is Just A Number | 00:16:49 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about age. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 25 Oct 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Writer, Author, Editor & Model, Tola Doll Fisher | 01:04:38 | |
In this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to writer, author, editor and model, Tola Doll Fisher. Tola is creative director and editor of the Premier Woman Alive brand, and writes as an opinion columnist on topics including sex and relationships, baby loss, wellbeing and success. She is also author of ‘Still Standing: 100 Lessons From An Unsuccessful Life’ and writes a weekly newsletter on life lessons based on the themes in her book. In this conversation, Tola and I discuss the baby girl she lost 10 years ago and her subsequent divorce from her husband; her zest for life and how she always looks for the joy in everything; and her motivation for writing a book called ‘Still Standing: 100 Lessons From An Unsuccessful Life.’ We also talk about Tola’s experience of dating as a black woman, and how she, along with some of her black friends, have received fewer ‘matches’ online dating than their white counterparts; how growing up she never saw a black woman with a white man whereas she did see white women with black men; and how she dislikes internet dating in general as the majority of her experiences have been negative. Tola also talks about her move from London to Cheltenham a year ago and how much she loves her new life away from the city; her diagnosis in March 2021 and what it was like to go through cancer as a single woman; and her thoughts on the word ’spinster’. Finally, we talk about Tola’s love of champagne, plus she introduces me to a drink I’d never heard of before - orange wine! Tola’s website: https://www.christcouture.co.uk/ Link to Tola’s book on Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Still-Standing-Lessons-Unsuccessful-Life/dp/0281083258 Link to Tola’s book on Amazon US: Tola’s Substack for her newsletter: https://stillstanding.substack.com/ Tola’s TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&feature=youtu.be&v=Dpooz9SgKXM 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 12 Nov 2022 | Minisode Ep.27 - Podcasts I'm Loving | 00:16:45 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about four podcasts that I'm currently loving, and have been loving for quite some time. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 05 Nov 2022 | Minisode Ep. 26 - Laurel Canyon | 00:18:19 | |
When this episode goes live, I'll be in Laurel Canyon, LA...so I thought it was the perfect excuse to do an episode about, well, Laurel Canyon! Or more specifically, the music that came out of that particular Los Angeles neighbourhood in the late 60s and early 70s. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 01 Nov 2022 | The One Where I Talk About Being A Detective | 00:53:57 | |
This week, it’s another SOLO episode with just me, myself and I! In this week’s episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk about my brief and tumultuous relationship with the London Metropolitan Police. The relationship was doomed from the beginning - I should have known it would never work out long-term - and so I ended things as swiftly as I could. ;) 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 15 Nov 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Childfree Guru & Author, Marcia Drut-Davis | 01:06:26 | |
In this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to childfree pioneer, teacher and author, Marcia Drut-Davis. In this episode, Marcia and I talk about her appearance on US TV News show, 60 Minutes, and its aftermath, including how she lost her job as a highly sought-after substitute teacher; and the impact that not wanting children had on her mother-in-law. We also talk about Marcia’s ‘daughter’ and ‘grand-daughter’ friends who are a big part of her life; her thoughts on when and how she realised she didn’t want children; and the book ‘The Baby Trap’ by Ellen Peck which had a profound effect on her life. Marcia and I also chat about her recent 80th birthday; how the incredible freedom of being childfree has been one of the greatest advantages of her life; and how many parents interpret the freedom of being childfree as ‘selfish’. Our conversation also encompasses the two documentaries, To Kid Or Not To Kid and My So-Called Selfish Life, that Marcia has been involved in; her experience of parents who have come to discover that the ‘fairytale’ of having children could not be further from the truth; and how pro-natalism has much to answer for when it comes to societal expectations around having a family. Finally, we talk about the difference between identifying as ‘childfree’ or ‘childless’; and the two books that she’s written, ‘Confessions Of A Childfree Woman’ and ‘What?! You Don’t Want Children?’ Follow Marcia on Instagram: @childfree_guru Follow Marcia on Twitter: @MarciaDrutDavis Link to Marcia’s book, Confessions Of A Childfree Woman on Amazon UK: Link to Marcia’s book, What?! You Don’t Want Children? on Amazon UK: Link to Marcia’s book, Confessions Of A Childfree Woman on Amazon US: Link to Marcia’s book, What?! You Don’t Want Children? on Amazon US: My So-Called Selfish Life (upcoming documentary) website: 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 08 Nov 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Filmmaker, Andrea Thiele | 00:58:57 | |
In this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to documentary filmmaker, Andrea Thiele. Andrea was born in Munich and studied Mass Communication at the University of Miami before enrolling at the University of Film & Television in Munich. After her Masters Degree in Documentary Film and TV Journalism, she directed the Docu-Comedy ‘You Drive Me Crazy’ which was screened at numerous prestigious festivals such as Leipzig, SXSW, Moscow IFF, before being theatrically released in Germany and Switzerland. She is currently shooting a feature documentary around the topic of being childfree, and is researching women’s childfree lifestyles in Turkey, Israel, Germany and the USA. She’s also creating an online interview series for sassy, childfree, online creators. Andrea herself is childfree. In this episode, Andrea and I talk about how she has always been a passionate storyteller; how she came to be childfree herself; and how she had the idea for the documentary she is currently working on 5 years ago. We also discuss how there is a lack of information and support for women who are living a childfree lifestyle; how Andrea has spoken to numerous women, whilst researching her documentary, who are not willing to go on camera and discuss their decision to not have children due to the stigma attached to it; and how she herself has experienced the upsetting implication that she has in someway ‘failed’ because she has not become a mother. The conversation also encompasses Andrea’s findings that, from culture to culture, attitudes towards women who don’t have children are not so different; the concept of shame and how incredibly prolific it is amongst women who don’t have children; and how the narrative around being childless / childfree is actually perpetuated by women. Finally, we talk about the words ‘childless’ and ‘childfree’; how Andrea is starting a course for women who want to learn how to unearth and tell their story; and how we need to invent a new word for ‘spinster’! Andrea’s website: Follow Andrea on Instagram: @drellathiele Join Andrea’s Facebook Group, Your Story Matters: 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 26 Nov 2022 | Minisode Ep. 29 - Being Intentional With Your Time | 00:20:33 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about how important it is to be intentional with our time. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 22 Nov 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Poet, Author & Writer, Dania Ayah Alkhouli | 01:23:26 | |
In this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to Californian-born Syrian poet, writer and author, Dania Ayah Alkhouli. In this episode, Dania and I talk about the fact that she is very vocal about not wanting children; her Muslim upbringing and how so many people misunderstand the Quran in terms of what it actually says about having children; her darling Dad, who passed away a few years ago, and how he was very supportive of her decision to not have children; and how she’s been attacked by other Muslims for her views on not becoming a mother. We also talk about her ex-husband who told his mother that Dania didn’t want children, rather than telling her the truth that it was a decision they had both agreed upon; how people who are secure in their own lives don’t feel compelled to attack the loves of others; women who marry and start a family because it’s the ‘expected’ path, rather than because they’ve actually thought about and subsequently chosen it; and a Syrian friend of Dania’s who expressed that she wouldn’t have had children had it not been ‘mandated’. Our conversation also encompasses Dania’s thoughts on whether, in some cases, post-partum depression might actually be more about the realisation of what it truly means to have children; how it’s important to create a safe space for women to talk about their decision around whether or not they actually want to have a baby; and how there needs to be better awareness and education around what it truly means to become a parent. Finally, we talk about Dania’s experience of online dating as a woman who doesn’t want children; and the three poetry books she has written and published, as well as the fourth which is yet to be published. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 29 Nov 2022 | The One Where I Talk About Holidaying Alone - Part 2 | 00:39:38 | |
This week it's another solo jaunt with just moi, and I'm talking - for the second time - about holidaying alone. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 06 Dec 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Podcaster & Life Coach, Lisa John | 01:16:36 | |
In this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to mindset coach and podcaster, Lisa John. In this episode, Lisa and I talk about where she is on her fertility journey to conceive a baby; how, despite the fact she’s married, she feels passionately about women feeling whole and complete without the need for a relationship and / or a baby; how she sometimes grieves the loss of her single life which she relished for many years in her thirties; and how our happiness does not depend on a partner or a baby because it is, in fact, an inside job. We also talk about how Lisa came to embark upon her journey of personal development; the concept of mindset, and how changing your mind can change your life; how we can all start to get rid of the limiting beliefs that hold us back from living our best lives; how important it is to meet people where they are when it comes to educating them on all things personal growth; and how so many people will happily spend money on a new car, but are resistant to spending money investing in themselves. Lisa and I also discuss her new podcast, Fertility Babe, and how she passionately wants women to realise that their worth and their happiness are not dependent on having a baby; how single women can start to shift the way they think and feel about their lives so that they truly believe that they do not need a partner to complete them; and how there is still an assumption that single, childfree women are in some way lacking until they find the relationship and have the baby. Finally, we talk about how annoying the phrase ‘my other half’ is; and how there should be greeting cards congratulating women on being single and childfree! 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 13 Dec 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Author & Speaker, Mary Delia Allen | 01:01:46 | |
In this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to author and speaker, Mary Delia Allen. In this episode, Mary and I talk about how she came up with her concept of ‘the solo’ and what that means to her; how the truth is that if you’re single there are things you’re going to miss out on, in the same way that if you’re in a couple there are things you’re going to miss out on; and how she believes that current societal shifts mean that acceptance of being single as a ‘norm’ is going to happen imminently. We also talk about how the need to pair up for ‘survival’ is no longer necessary, and that subsequently there’s nothing we can’t do in the solo life; the question of why we’re still succumbing to the pressure of marriage when the failure rate is so high; and how, as single women, we should all learn to prize and value ourselves in the same way we would if we were part of a couple. Mary and I also discuss the festive season and how it’s a mistake to think that having a partner is the measure of a great Christmas; how you might show up differently in your life if you knew that your perfect partner was coming along in one year’s time; and how the solo life gives us the opportunity to build the wonderful muscle that is self-reliance. Finally we talk about ways to combat loneliness; and how, if we allow ourselves to turn down the noise of our relationship status and adjust to being single, wonderful things will be revealed about ourselves that we didn’t know until we gave ourselves the chance to discover them. Follow Mary on Instagram: @enjoyyoursolo 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 03 Dec 2022 | Minisode Ep.30 - Gratitude | 00:13:32 | |
On today's minisode I'm talking about gratitude, and the many benefits of consciously and intentionally feeling grateful every day. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 10 Dec 2022 | Minisode Ep.31 - The Importance Of Our Thoughts | 00:31:56 | |
On today's minisode, I'm talking about the importance of our thoughts and how they are, in fact, having a huge impact on our lives. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 20 Dec 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Author & Researcher, Laura Carroll | 01:01:31 | |
In this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to author, researcher and expert on all things childfree, Laura Carroll. Laura is a leading voice on the childfree choice and has spent around 20 years tracking and researching this choice and those who make it. She is also a prolific book author and editor whose books include ‘Man Swarm: How Overpopulation Is Killing The Wild World’, ‘The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Mind From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create A Better World’ and ‘Families Of Two: Interviews With Happily Married Couples Without Children By Choice.’ In this episode, Laura and I talk about how she wrote her first book, Families of Two, because of the lack of other books on the topic of childfree couples; the question of why it’s so difficult for society to accept women not wanting children; and pronatalism, the old system of beliefs that have exalted the role of motherhood for centuries. We also talk about the three most powerful pronatalist assumptions; how so many of our beliefs are programmed into our subconscious minds when we are children; and how Laura knew from a young age that having children wasn’t what she wanted for her life. Laura and I also discuss the assumption that we have to have children in order to find meaning in our lives; the common thread that Laura has found in the majority of childfree women she has interviewed; and how the journey of those women who are unsure about having kids is very nuanced. Finally, we talk about how being childfree creates the potential for us to live a more expansive life. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 17 Dec 2022 | Minisode Ep.32 - Follow What Feels Good | 00:24:07 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm doing a Part 2 to last week's 'The Importance of Our Thoughts'. But this week I'm talking about feelings... 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 27 Dec 2022 | The One Where I Talk To Entrepreneur, Lara Solomon | 01:09:40 | |
In this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to entrepreneur, Lara Solomon. Lara, a Brit living in Sydney, Australia, is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Hoopsy, which manufactures 99% paper eco-pregnancy tests to help counteract the sheer amount of plastic pollution the midstream plastic tests usually create. The tubes are also made of cardboard which are fully reusable and recyclable. At the age of 45 and single, Lara decided she wanted to try and have a child so she embarked on a mission to get pregnant. She initially had IVF which unfortunately didn’t work as one of her ovaries was diagnosed as peri-menopausal - so she decided to go down the embryo donation route. She settled on having her embryo donation procedure at a clinic in Spain and whilst she did get a faint positive test, she then miscarried the embryo. It was during this process that Lara realised how many times women who are trying to conceive test using plastic pregnancy tests. In this episode, Lara and I talk about her former marriage - which took her to Australia - and her subsequent divorce; her feelings around her current single status; her experience of dating in Sydney including the time she went on fifteen dates in one week; and how so many people stay in dead end relationships because they’re afraid of change, or they don’t want to sacrifice a particular lifestyle. We also talk about how Lara’s three siblings are all married with children, and one of her nieces is named after her; how she does experience feelings of loneliness but deals with them by spending time with friends every day; and how she always assumed that she would be a mother, but found herself aged forty-five single and childless. Lara also tells me all about her journey of trying to conceive alone, despite never having wanted to do it without a partner; how she was told that the chances of her conceiving through IVF at her age were 2% but she was determined to go ahead anyway; and how devastated she was when she was told that she wasn’t pregnant following her embryo donation procedure in Spain, despite having initially had a positive pregnancy test. Finally, we talk about Lara’s new company, Hoopsy, the name of which comes from the old Dutch word ‘hoop’ which means hope; and how young women need to be better educated about the potential challenges of getting pregnant. Hoopsy Website: https://www.hoopsy.co/ Follow Lara on Instagram: @hoopsyc 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 10 Jan 2023 | The One Where I Talk To Life Coach & Podcaster, Anna Olson | 00:57:53 | |
In this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to childfree life coach and podcaster, Anna Olson. Anna is a certified life coach who works specifically with women who are struggling with the decision to be childfree. In previous stages of her life, she has been many things from a flower farmer to a jewellery maker. She came across life coaching whilst going through a rough period herself, and was looking for inspiration and direction. Her world was transformed so much for the better by the life coach she subsequently found, that she decided to become a coach herself. Anna also has a podcast, We’re Not Kidding, and a community of the same name. In this episode, Anna and I talk about how she is the youngest of five siblings, only one of whom currently has children; how she arrived at her decision to be childfree despite having initially assumed she would have kids; and how the rhetoric and societal expectations around women having children motivated her to be as vocal as possible about her decision not to. We also talk about how Anna decided she wanted to help other women with their decision to be childfree; how she used to think that there was something wrong with her because she didn’t want children; and how she came to be a life coach as a result of her own life struggles. Anna also tells me that many of her coaching clients have made the choice to be childfree, but then enter a period of questioning their decision; regret, and how a high number of her clients are afraid of the possibility that they will regret not having children; and how Anna herself has never worried about regretting her decision. Finally, we talk about Anna’s podcast, We’re Not Kidding, and how she started it so that other women wound’t feel so alone; and how what she loves most about not having children is being able to truly invest in the things that bring meaning to her to life. Follow Anna on Instagram: @coachannaolson Find out more at Anna’s website: Listen to Anna’s podcast, We’re Not Kidding, on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ioZWeJqUQIp4MQiYVG4YS And on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/id/podcast/were-not-kidding/id1580005187 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 22 Dec 2022 | BONUS MINISODE: Christmas Playlist!!! | 00:23:47 | |
Hello! 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 24 Dec 2022 | Minisode Ep.33 - 2023 Mindset | 00:19:46 | |
On today's minisode, I'm talking about going into the New Year with a mindset of intention, positivity, and agency over our lives. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 03 Jan 2023 | The One Where I Talk To A Boy!!! (Dr. Peter McGraw) | 01:18:04 | |
Support the show Dr. Peter McGraw is a behavioural economist, business school professor, and bachelor who is turning his attention to the opportunities and challenges of single living. His projects include hosting the podcast, ’Solo: The Single Person’s Guide to a Remarkable Life’, The Solo Salon, and Single Insights: The Science of Solos. As the Director of The Humor Research Lab, Peter has authored ’Shtick to Business’ and co-authored ‘The Humor Code’. A professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business, he is a sought-after speaker, giving talks at organisations, conferences, and universities around the world. In this episode, Peter and I discuss the three steps that came to affirm Peter’s bachelor status; how he’s having more fun dating at this stage in his life than ever before; and the term ‘Relationship Escalator’ which describes the only ‘acceptable’ romantic and sexual relationship that we ‘should’ all be pursuing. We also talk about the four different categories that Peter has found single people tend to fall into during the course of his solo project work; how three of these types of single already see themselves as complete individuals and how they tend to have a strong sense of autonomy; and why people in traditional couples are often scathing and cynical regarding less conventional relationships. Our conversation also covers how men are actually faring much worse than women when it comes to finding themselves single, especially after a long term relationship; how not everybody is looking for, or interested in, sex; the different challenges that single women face as oppose to single men including the ‘older man / younger woman’ phenomenon; and co-opting the word ‘spinster’ and making it cool. Finally, we talk about the opportunities that come with living a solo life, and how single people often don’t think broadly enough about what they can actually do given they’re not married with children. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 31 Dec 2022 | Minisode Ep.34 - When Harry Met Sally | 00:17:31 | |
SPOILER ALERT: This may be the most ridiculous episode I've ever done, but take a listen anyway! ;) 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 07 Jan 2023 | Minisode Ep.35 - Purpose | 00:23:02 | |
On today's minisode, I'm talking about purpose. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 14 Jan 2023 | Minisode Ep.36 - Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy | 00:20:50 | |
On today's minisode, I'm talking about comparison. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 17 Jan 2023 | The One Where I Talk To Journalist, Author & Podcaster, Ruby Warrington | 01:08:03 | |
Support the show Follow Ruby on Instagram: @rubywarrington Find out more at Ruby’s website: Pre-Order ‘Women Without Kids’ (UK Link): Pre-Order ‘Women Without Kids’ (US Link): 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 21 Jan 2023 | Minisode Ep.37 - Who & What Is Inspiring Me | 00:24:21 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about who and what is inspiring me, as well as some of the things I do on the daily to maintain a positive mindset and ensure I'm feeling good as much of the time as possible. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 24 Jan 2023 | The One Where I Talk To Nandita Bajaj & Kirsten Stade of Population Balance | 01:14:08 | |
In this week's episode, I talk to Executive Director and Communications Manager at Population Balance, Nandita Bajaj and Kirsten Stade. The organisation’s mission is to offer education and solutions to address the impacts of human overpopulation and overconsumption on the planet, people, and animals. It is the first and only organisation globally that draws the connections between pronatalism, anthropocentrism, and overpopulation, and their combined devastating impacts on social, reproductive, ecological, and intergenerational justice. In this episode, we talk about how the planet is in ‘ecological overshoot’; the many manifestations of the climate and biodiversity crises; and how our growing population is essentially crowding out all of the other species on the planet. We also talk about pronatalism as the driver of overpopulation, and why it is having such a huge and devastating impact; how Nandita herself did not think she had a choice to not have children because of her upbringing in India; and coercive pronatalism - the default pressure that is placed on women to have children. We discuss how Kirsten never felt pressure from her family to have children, but how she noticed the pressure surrounding her; how getting pregnant isn’t always a positive development in a woman’s life; how the media has depicted families with children as somehow more ‘whole’ or ‘complete’, and how this makes it hard for people to know what they truly want; and how peeling away the layers of pronatalism is essential to afford women the clarity to choose whether or not they truly want children, and / or a potentially smaller family. The conversation also covers how pronatalism undermines reproductive responsibility; overpopulation denialism in academic circles due to sensitivity surrounding population control; how women in certain are still regarded as reproductive vessels who have absolutely no reproductive autonomy; and how the desire for procreation is not universal but rather falls on a spectrum. Follow Population Balance on Instagram: @populationbalance On Twitter: @populationbalance
https://www.populationbalance.org/ Listen to the podcast, The Overpopulation Podcast, on Spotify: 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 28 Jan 2023 | Minisode Ep.38 - Let's Stop Hating On 'This Time Of Year' | 00:17:53 | |
On this week's minisode, I'm talking about how so many people seem to 'hate this time of year', and why I think we need to change our perspective around the post-New Year blues. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 31 Jan 2023 | The One Where I Talk To Manifestation Coach, Matt Cooke | 01:16:14 | |
Support the show In February 2019, Matt connected with his mother for the first time, following her passing in July 2017. This experience triggered an extraordinary spiritual awakening and realisation for Matt that there is so much more to life than we know. He subsequently made it his mission to understand what had happened, and how, and this kicked off months of research into all things energy and power of the mind, not least the laws that govern our universe, specifically The Law of Vibration and The Law of Attraction. Matt’s journey led him to become the highly successful manifestation coach that he is today, helping clients from all over the world manifest the lives that they truly desire. In this conversation, Matt and I talk about the first time he connected with his darling Mum; how absolutely everything is energy; how time is an illusion and a man-made concept; and how we can all learn how to tune into the frequency of the things we desire. We also discuss how Matt discovered The Law of Attraction; how we are all pure consciousness; how manifestation means deciding to be a conscious creator in order to create the life you want; and how our subconscious minds control 95% of who we are and what we do. Our conversation also includes how we are all creators who are either consciously, or unconsciously, manifesting our lives; how our state of being becomes our personality; how we need to become aware of what we’re thinking and how we’re feeling; and how the key is to become aware that we are not our thoughts. Matt and I chat about how we are all magnets who draw into our realities what we’re vibrating out; how the key to manifestation is becoming the personality of your future by changing your core vibration; how, if we want a loving relationship, we need to start acting as though we already have love; and how we can reprogram our subconscious limiting beliefs using meditation. Follow Matt on Instagram: @mattcookecoach On Twitter: @mattcookecoach On TikTok: mattcooke_ Find out more at Matt’s website: 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 04 Feb 2023 | Minisode Ep.39 - Don't Just Survive. Thrive! | 00:21:55 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about how, as single women, we should be thriving, not just surviving. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 07 Feb 2023 | The One Where I Talk To Sociologist, Demographer & Author, Dr. Kris Marsh | 01:12:02 | |
In this week's episode, I talk to sociologist, demographer and author, Dr. Kris Marsh. Dr. Kris Marsh received her PhD from the University of Southern California in 2005. She was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina before joining the faculty of the University of Maryland where she has been tenured since 2014. She is the author of ‘The Love Jones Cohort: Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class.’ In this conversation, Kris and I talk about why she chose the title of her book, The Love Jones Cohort; the reasons behind the rise of singles in the black middle class and beyond; how gendered racism constrains personal choices; and how racial discrimination in the housing market can be the reason why some people remain single. We also discuss colourism, and the argument that the lighter skinned you are, the more choice you potentially have when it comes to finding a partner; how gendered racism feeds into why some people are single; and how black women may have an even harder time being single due to racism coupled with the stigma of being single. Our conversation also includes how people always ask why people are single, but never why they’re married; how some people are willing to get into / remain in toxic or abusive relationships in order to avoid the label of ‘single’; and how it seems to be acceptable to ask single people about their sex lives in a way we wouldn’t ask married people. Kris also tells me how the research for her book found that single women tend to thrive as singles, whereas men tend to bide their time until finding a relationship; how the subjects in Kris’ book tended to suffer from situational loneliness rather than chronic loneliness; and how people tend to think of marriage and partnership as a panacea. Finally, we talk about how important it is to be confident and content in our singlehood before we consider a relationship; and the racial aspect of the recent and tragic death of Tyre Nichols. Buy Kris’ book, (UK link) The Love Jones Cohort: Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class: Buy Kris’ book, (US link): Find out more at Kriss website: 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 11 Feb 2023 | Minisode Ep.40 - It's ALWAYS Better To Be Single Than In The Wrong Relationship | 00:18:07 | |
Support the show 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 14 Feb 2023 | The One Where I Talk About Self Love | 00:53:33 | |
Support the show 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 18 Feb 2023 | Minisode Ep.41 - Listen To Yourself, Not The Noise | 00:22:37 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about why we should learn to listen to ourselves, rather than the 'noise' from those around us. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 21 Feb 2023 | The One Where I Talk About A Year Of Podcasting!!! | 00:58:31 | |
Happy Birthday To You 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
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| 28 Feb 2023 | The One Where I Talk To Psychotherapist, Lisa Bruton | 01:05:04 | |
***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. 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; a 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 25 Feb 2023 | Minisode Ep.42 - 19 Rules For A Better Life | 00:36:17 | |
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. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
And thank you so much for listening!!! | |||
| 04 Mar 2023 | Minisode Ep.43 - Courage | 00:30:34 | |
In this week's minisode, I'm talking about courage. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
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| 11 Mar 2023 | Minisode Ep.44 - Valentine's Day Workshop PART 1 | 00:23:31 | |
This week's minisode is taken from a workshop I did on Valentine's Day. 7th April 2025 — first dynamic content about the book release (25% Discount with Bloomsbury — Code: SHS25). Check out my YouTube Channel:
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