Thrive Solo

Send us Fan MailSupport the showIn this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, it’s just lil’ old me talking about travelling solo. 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: @spinsterhoodreimaginedFollow me on Twitter @LucyMeggesonEmail me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 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 MailSupport the showIn this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to TV Writer & Author, Gina Fattore. Not only is Gina one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met, (albeit via Zoom!) she is also super smart, interesting, extremely well-read, and has forged an amazing career as a TV writer in the most competitive of all TV writer environments - Los Angeles. She has written for a multitude of shows including Dare Me, Californication, Masters Of Sex, Gilmore Girls, Parenthood, Better Things and Dawson’s Creek. Gina is also the author of The Spinster Diaries, a ‘semi-autobiographical, unromantic comedy.’ 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=1US 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=8-1Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimaginedFollow me on Twitter @LucyMeggesonEmail me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 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 MailSupport the showIn this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to one of my most brilliant, funny, super-smart and awesome friends, Claire McDonnell. 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 Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimaginedFollow me on Twitter @LucyMeggesonEmail me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 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 MailSupport the showIn this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to New York State-based journalist and author, Sara Eckel. 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. Link to Sara’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Not-You-Reasons-Single/dp/0399162879Link to Sara’s New York Times articles: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/style/modern-love-sometimes-its-not-you-or-the-math.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/05/fashion/Modern-love-The-Hard-Won-Lessons-of-a-Solitary-Life.html?emc=edit_tnt_20140102&tntemail0=yFollow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimaginedEmail me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 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 MailSupport the showThis week is a solo episode in which I talk about all things 'woowoo'.I explain how I've been on what can really only be described as a 'spiritual journey' over the last few years, during which time I've become fascinated with all things mindset, personal growth, energetics and, essentially, the power of the mind.We've all heard about mindset, and we're all aware of the concept that thoughts become things; but do we actually take this seriously and put the theory into practice? Well I, for one, have done just that, and it has improved my life beyond measure. Becoming aware of the power that our thoughts actually have over how our lives look is something that is often underestimated or laughed off as 'woowoo' nonsense, but I beg to differ.  I talk about how I came to explore this subject, the positive impact it has had on my life, and the various practices that I do every day that have made - and continue to make - my life better.Even if you're sceptical, have a listen, because mindset truly is everything and this stuff works! I really hope you enjoy it.Please do let me know your thoughts either by sending me a DM via Instagram @spinsterhoodreimagined, or via my email: lucymeggeson@gmail.com.  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 MailSupport the showIn this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to London-based journalist, Polly Vernon. 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/1473612195Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimaginedEmail me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com 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 MailSupport the showIn this week's episode of Spinsterhood Reimagined, I talk to New Orleans-based writer and podcaster, Shani Silver. Shani is truly a force for change when it comes to the current narratives around singledom, and her brilliant, inspirational podcast - A Single Serving Podcast - is a must-listen. She is also the author of 'A Single Revolution: Don't Look For A Match, Light One', a book which is helping women around the world feel better about this wonderfully free time in their lives. Shani is not an advocate for singlehood per se, but rather an advocate for single women feeling great whilst they are single. I was honoured to be able to spend some time in the company of such an intelligent, passionate and forthright individual. In this conversation, Shani and I cover an array of topics including the darker side of internet dating, how she is child free by choice, her decision to quit online dating for good and the reasons behind it, and the fact that she wrote her book in a month! I really hope you guys enjoy this interesting and insightful conversation. Shani can be found on Instagram @shanisilver and @asingleservingpodcast. She can be found on Twitter @shanisilver. Her Patreon is: https://www.patreon.com/shanisilverLink to Shani's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Single-Revolution-Dont-match-Light-ebook/dp/B09HZ1TBX7Follow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimaginedEmail me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com  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 MailSupport the showI’m excited to introduce my very first guest on Spinsterhood Reimagined, the fabulous Jo Good, a BBC Radio London presenter, actor and YouTuber. 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. Join my Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: @spinsterhoodreimaginedEmail me: lucymeggeson@gmail.com  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 MailSupport the showThis week is another solo episode in which I talk about the topic of…being single!I reveal how I feel about being single, how I think it’s perceived and, of course, why I think it’s fabulous. Being a single woman is not second best to anything or anyone, and it is not a consolation prize. It does not mean that we’re lacking anything or that our lives are any less meaningful than anyone else’s. Being single is neither better, nor worse, than being in a relationship, and it is high time that it was normalised as such.There is a general assumption that as single women, our primary aim in life is to get a bloke at any cost, and this is not necessarily the case. Many of us are simply living our lives, and enjoying those lives, undistracted by thoughts of a boyfriend; because we have plenty of other things to occupy our minds are our time. We are single simply because we are, not because we have sworn off men or we can’t find a boyfriend. Our singleness should not always require an explanation, in exactly the same way that married woman aren’t required to explain why they’re married.Being single brings with it a multitude of benefits including freedom, independence, and a sense of excitement and anticipation about what may be around the corner, whether that comes in the form of a partner or any other wonderful opportunity that could be waiting for us.The main point is that a life alone is fabulous in and of itself, and it’s time it was recognised and acknowledged as such.Follow me on Instagram @spinsterhoodreimagined.Follow me on Twitter: @LucyMeggesonJoin my Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFeel free to either DM me on Instagram, or send me an email at  lucymeggeson@gmail.com.  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 MailSupport the showWelcome to Episode 1 of Spinsterhood Reimagined!In this episode, I tell you a bit about why I’ve decided to do this podcast and what it’s all about.Spinsterhood Reimagined is a podcast for those of us who are tired of the stigma surrounding single and childless (I prefer childfree) women. It’s for those of us who know (and those of you who don’t yet know) that being a spinster is, actually, bloody fantastic. It’s the podcast in which we’re going to reclaim, redefine and reimagine the word ‘spinster’ to reflect the truth about women who - for whatever reason - have found themselves alone and without kids.Because the truth is - the big secret that no one seems to either realise or acknowledge - is that being alone and childfree rocks! It affords us freedom, time, possibility, potential and actual JOY if we choose to see it and embrace it. And I, for one, do just that.So there, I said it. And I’ll keep saying it over and over again in this podcast until the message has resonated across the globe! Because our lives are equally valid and equally valuable as anyone else’s, and it’s time they were normalised as such.The podcast also has another element to it in the form of conversations around personal growth. I’ll be talking about the things that I do on a regular basis to try and become the best version of myself. As spinsters, we have the advantage of time that we can use to become the people we want to be, living the lives we truly want to live.Join  me, every Tuesday, for episodes with either just me, or me with one of my fabulous guests. Please subscribe, rate and review in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thank you!Follow me on Instagram @spinsterhoodreimagined 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!