Single Minded

This week I am joined by my American friend Malia, who moved to Australia for love. She has one of the best meet-cute stories I've ever heard. As someone that is currently navigating a long distance relationship, this did kinda turn into a personal therapy session for me.

YOU'LL ALSO GET AN EXCLUSIVE UPDATE ON THE CANADIAN!  

I'm joined by a very special co-host today to talk about ALL THINGS WORK. 

The questions we're answering are: 
- Why did you decide to quit your job after lockdowns?
- Why did taking a 2 month break from work help refresh you?
- Why you've decided to try a career change?
- How did you negotiate a 4-day work week?

Just when you thought you'd given up on dating... you go to Thailand and meet a mysterious man. 

Today, Linda is asking all the tough questions on my holiday romance. 

We also discuss dating post-pandemic, and why I'd all but given up after YET ANOTHER flakey guy on a dating app. 

BUT ARE YOU HAPPY?! Today I'm joined by Lachlan Beaton who simplified his life to find more joy and happiness. He got everything he thought he wanted (big house, big salary, etc) but found himself miserable. Then came the breakdown, or what Brene Brown calls "the awakening". It. Is. Inspiring. 
The questions we answer on this episode: 

• You sent me a really great quote on Instagram called "Old Happy" - can you explain what this is all about?
• Do you feel you had an awakening to the whole "Be successful, make money, be productive" messaging? What happened? 
• What is your "New Happy"?
• Because this is a dating podcast, let's get the goss on your love life to wrap up!  

Find Lachlan on Instagram at @lachlan.beaton

BUT WILL WE?! Today I am joined again by Rav to chat about body image and how dating (and in her case, marriage) has affected the way we feel about our bodies. 

The questions we answer on this episode: 

• How did you feel about your body growing up?
• How did the media influence how you felt about your body?
• How did dating and relationships later influence how you felt about your body?
• Do you only date when you're at your "goal" weight?
• What's your relationship like with your body now? How has it changed over time?

You can find Rav over on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ravkr_

Thank you everyone who sent in your questions!! 

The questions we're answering on today's episode:

• Any solo travel tips for a 38 single mum going to Noosa for a mini vacay?
• How did Linda keep her identity and independence after having kids?
• Dealing with realisation your best friends are lovely but so not aligned (they are all married).
• How to deal with coupled up friends always thinking being single = doomsday 
• Tips for gal wanting to solo travel but anxious of solo in foreign places. Conflict is real  
• Is it weird to go to a concert alone?
• How to deal with dating fatigue especially when you have been dating for years
• Don’t find someone attractive (looks), can it still work?
• How to shed the shame of being single in my late 30s
• Being called “beautiful” without having even met. Not a question just an ick trigger
• How to stop idealising a guy who seems to be “the one” but dumped me.
• When you worked in corporate jobs how did you have a work life balance
• Trading off better career/mental health for less money and all the lost financial/super etc
• Can you be too young/too new to ask for a 9 day fortnight or 4 day week
• How to gain the balls to leave a 12 year career/job. I’m scared shitless

Ta-da. The first episode dedicated to the I Don't Give A Fuck Club (IDGAF). The club where we make our own timeline in life, despite what society expects of us. If you haven't been across the IDGAF Club on my Instagram, you can catch up on the content in my story highlights (there's a part 1, 2 & 3): @hannahfurst

The questions we cover in today's episode: 

• Do you ever regret working so hard? 
• What made you decide to have kids so young, and why did you have three?
• Do you think your upbringing, society or family influenced the life you have now? 
• What are the things that bring you the most joy? 
• What would you have done differently if you were my age? 

This week we're joined by researcher (and fellow Single Minded listener) Zoe Callis to talk about emotional intelligence (EQ) and the role it plays in romantic relationships. This episode covers: 

• What's the difference between IQ and EQ?
• What are the qualities of someone with high EQ vs low EQ?
• Is it possible to improve your EQ? 
• Do we rank high IQ and high EQ as attractive qualities? 

The research paper Zoe conducted isn't publicly available, but you can reach out to her direct for more info. Zoe Callis: https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/zoe-callis

Extra reading: The costs of being exceptionally intelligent: Compatibility and interpersonal skill concerns.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2020.101465

On today's episode, I'm joined again by fellow single gal and podcaster Rav Randhawa to talk about the highs and lows of being single and what  freedom means to us.

We cover our favourite single things like not having to share a bed, the butterflies before a first kiss, along with the lows of living life on your own and the big question, is my soulmate out there?

Rav's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ravkr_
Fight Like A Girl Podcast: https://linktr.ee/flikeagirl

My friend and life coach Bonne Chance is back again to talk about New Year's Rituals. The questions we answer on this episode: 

• What's the difference between setting new year's resolutions and setting an intention for the year?
• We did a burning ceremony in Thailand 2 years ago - can you run everyone through what we did?
• How can people do their own ritual ceremonies this year if they want to reset / redefine what's important to them?
• If people listening want to make big changes but don't know where to start, what do you recommend?
• Do you think post-pandemic people are looking for more meaning and purpose in their lives? Why?
• How would someone define their purpose? Is there an exercise they can do?
• How do we remove the obstacles in our lives to follow our purpose to create more meaning in our lives?

You can find Bonne on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/lebonnechance/
And her website is here: http://www.bonnechancecoaching.com/