Thrive Solo

Send us Fan MailMy guest on this week's episode of Thrive Solo is the fabulous Akosia, an Australian singer-songwriter who is also an actor and a voiceover artist. Akosia is single, doesn’t have kids, and lives in Melbourne, Australia. Her music defies genres with its raw mix of pop, jazz, soul, dance, and R&B. In our conversation, Akosia and I talk about her career, how her late father influenced her music, her religious upbringing, as well as an abusive relationship that she managed to walk away from. We also talk about how she no longer wants to make men her central focus, some of the questionable conversations on Steven Barlett’s podcast, The Diary Of A CEO, relationship red flags, solo travel and much, much more. 03:54 Akosia's Musical Journey06:09 Influence of Akosia's Father07:24 Overcoming Personal Struggles10:14 Navigating the Music Industry15:25 Acting Career Highlights17:53 Focus on Single Life21:17 Abusive Relationship Insights30:54 The Importance of Quality Time in Relationships31:32 Introducing the Feedback Wheel32:00 Discussing Alarming Statistics on Abuse33:56 The Peace of Being Single37:58 Navigating Modern Dating Challenges44:22 The Complexities of Parenthood Decisions51:34 Final Thoughts and ReflectionsFollow Akosia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iam.akosia/Check out her music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Oe5XB0pjnOZZo8snWSHoLRead the books Akosia mentioned, 'Fierce Intimacy' and 'Why Does he Do That?'Read ‘Why Does He Do That’: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Does-He-That-Controlling-ebook/dp/B000Q9J0RORead ‘Fierce Intimacy’: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fierce-Intimacy-Standing-Another-Love/dp/1683641574  Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan MailOn this week's minisode, I'm talking about how one of the hardest parts of being single can be a quiet grief for the life you expected: the culturally prescribed path of meeting someone, marrying, and having kids. This particular kind of grief is often an understated pang triggered by friends’ family milestones, but can coexist with genuine happiness, independence, and peace in a single, child-free life. Grief can also signal transition, and letting go of an outdated future while building a meaningful life that fits your present. Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

A gentle chat about training your attention to notice more of the good around you. They talk about limiting news overload and protecting emotional energy. Practical prompts include movement, gratitude and choosing to shift a funk. Neuroplasticity and the brain’s role in spotting positives get a simple, friendly breakdown.

Send us Fan MailMy guest this week is Poorna Bell, an award-winning author, journalist, public speaker and former executive editor at the Huff Post. Her sixth book, (and fourth non-fiction book) She Wanted More, came out just last month, and shines a much-needed spotlight on the lives of women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, challenging the stagnation narratives that society tries to force upon us. The book explores various themes including the distinction between motherhood and otherhood, diving into the reality that women can be childfree and still live lives of purpose and meaning. Our conversation includes: the tragic loss of Poorna's husband Rob; how society still sees marriage as the superior path; her thoughts on the viral Vogue article, 'Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?'; Poorna's current outlook on dating; decentering men, i.e. removing them as the focal point in our lives; the impossible standards placed on women when it comes to ageing; and Poorna's new book, She Wanted more. 05:28 Poorna’s Story: Losing Her Husband & Rethinking the 'Life Script'09:25 10 Years On: Grief, Healing, and Finding Joy & Peace Again16:06 From Wife to Widow to Single: Status, Stigma, and Solo Travel22:23 Dating Pressure25:25 Viral Vogue article ‘Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?’ + Why Women’s Lives Get Harder with Men34:20 Why She Wrote ‘She Wanted More’: Aging, Reinvention, and Rejecting the Decline Narrative38:13 Older Women Athletes & Rewriting the ‘Frailty’ Narrative40:07 Aging as Liberation: Social Media Role Models in Their 60s43:17 Letting Go of the Male Gaze47:53 Desire, Menopause & the Many Realities of Midlife Sex49:49 Heidi Clements, HRT, Money & Why Friendship Matters More Than Romance52:54 Decentering Men: Putting Yourself Back at the Center55:50 Are We Escaping the Patriarchy? Measuring Progress (and What’s Missing)59:50 Dating Burnout, Quitting Drinking & Dipping a Toe Back Into Dating01:05:12 Online Dating Reality Check: Hybrid Dating, Expectations & Efficiency01:08:46 Final Words of AdviceBuy Poorna's book, She Wanted More: https://www.amazon.co.uk/She-Wanted-More-space-dream/dp/1785122835Follow Poorna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poornabell/?hl=enFollow Poorna on TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@poornabell Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan MailOn today's minisode, I'm talking about the backlash to my social media content which — like the podcast — celebrates and advocates for single, childfree life — especially comments from coupled people telling me to stop 'going on about' being single. My message has always been that singlehood is not better than marriage and children, but also that it is not worse, and it deserves equal validity. There is no question that society continues to stigmatise single women in a multitude of ways, not least through the intrusive questions implying we are lonely, incomplete, or left behind, while married people are not similarly interrogated about things such as regret, divorce, or lost independence. By naming the benefits of single life, and necessarily pointing out the trade-offs of marriage and parenthood, my aim is to correct the long-standing cultural imbalance, reduce shame, and help younger women see multiple legitimate routes to a meaningful life. Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

They talk about checking yearly goals and why tiny, consistent baby steps beat all-or-nothing thinking. They explore staying present, spotting signs of flow, and using simple reminders to build awareness. They also cover coping with setbacks without judgment and celebrating small wins along the way.

Send us Fan MailIt’s a very special episode today because my guest is someone I really do love, even though I’ve only known him for a matter of weeks. His name is Einar Thorsteinsson, and he was the wonderful, wonderful guide on my recent trip to Iceland in January. This trip was a first for me, not only because I’d never been to Iceland before, but also because I was hosting the trip - having partnered with Explore Worldwide for a Thrive Solo trip for single women. There were 13 of us from the UK, the Netherlands, and the US, and we had a truly fabulous and really quite special 5 days, not least because we had Einar as our most brilliant, brilliant guide. To put it in context, Einar is a 67 year old, very happily married man with five adult children, and he was given us lot as his group - but I like to think that he loved us as much as we loved him!In this conversation, Einar talks about how and why he became a tour guide for Explore in his retirement years, he talks all about Iceland and why he loves it, and he describes the trip that we did in the south of the country which included waterfalls, beaches, and the Northern Lights. Einar also dishes the dirt on what it was like to be in charge of an unruly group of single women! I bloody love this man, and I know you will too.02:15 Special Guest: Einar Thorsteinsson04:58 Einar's Background and Career07:48 The Iceland Trip Experience13:03 Exploring Iceland's Natural Wonders24:58 Group Dynamics and Reflections31:09 The Magic of the Northern Lights33:47 Magical Night Under the Northern Lights35:25 Managing Expectations for the Northern Lights38:11 Exploring Iceland's Natural Wonders40:59 The Wild Beauty of Iceland's Black Beach44:11 Final Day Adventures and Reflections45:22 Looking Forward to Future Iceland Adventures57:39 Conclusion and Farewell Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Conversation about how small setbacks can spiral into prolonged negativity and why that happens. Practical tactics to interrupt negative loops, from changing your physical state to short resets and nature walks. Reflections on choosing tiny shifts over prolonged wallowing and the idea that emotions pass quickly if we do not ruminate.

Send us Fan MailMy guest this week on Thrive Solo is British country singer-songwriter, Harley Moon Kemp, who also happens to be the daughter of Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp, and Shirlie Kemp of both Pepsi and Shirlie, and Wham. Harley Moon appeared in last year’s Celebrity Race Across The World with her brother, Roman Kemp, and not only did they appear in it, but they won it. I’m sure many of you will have seen it and subsequently heard Harley Moon mention her happily single status. In this episode, Harley Moon and I talk about how she ended up getting into country music in particular and what she loves most about that genre; we talk about how she is absolutely loving single life right now; we talk about how her parents very happy marriage has impacted what she wants and expects from a relationship. We also discuss the shift in the dating scene in her generation, how people are no longer going out to meet people in the way they used to, and how dating as a high profile person can present its own challenges. 02:15 Meet Harley Moon Kemp03:45 Harley Moon's Musical Journey06:00 Discovering Country Music14:47 Embracing Single Life23:49 The Modern Dating Scene31:07 The Inspiration Behind 'My Girls (Love Me Better)'32:45 Reflecting on the song 'I Know What Good Looks Like'35:12 Personal Reflections on Relationships38:43 Living with Intention and Positivity47:29 The Adventure of 'Race Across the World'54:43 Final Thoughts and FarewellFollow Harley Moon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harleymoonkempListen to Harley Moon on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7lTrAtvHlfVsJZgXMMR05X Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!