Thrive Solo

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

In today's minisode, I'm sharing my thoughts on why there's nothing wrong with you just because you happen to be single.

There is sometimes an assumption amongst partnered people, that if a person has been single for any length of time - particularly a woman of a 'certain age' - there must be 'something wrong' with her.  I beg to differ...

Because let's be honest, any old fu*kwit with red flags flying out of every orifice, can find themselves in a relationship. 

People in couples come in all shapes, sizes, personality types and deviant behaviours, so let's give single people a break.

There's nothing wrong with you. Press 'Play' to hear why.

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

In this week's episode, I talk to financial coach, Tess Waresmith. 

Tess is a single, childless woman who currently runs a financial education business, @wealthwithtess, that teaches women how to take control of their finances by improving their money mindset and learning simple ways to invest their money so they can live life on their terms and step into their full power. 

Topics that Tess & I cover are:

• how Tess came to be a financial coach, following the loss of a significant amount of money;
• how investing is really not complicated and anyone can do it;
• how she’s passionate about educating women in all things finance;
• money mindset, what it is, and why it’s important to understand;
• how awareness around money is the first step towards working on your money mindset;
• limiting beliefs around money, and why it’s so important to work on them;
• why our attitude towards any financial transaction is so important;
• the small changes to start with when it comes to money;
• how to start investing - stocks and index funds;
• how to decrease risk if you’re investing at a later stage in life;
• Tess’ thoughts on being single, and how she has experienced the most growth in her periods of being alone.

Follow Tess on Instagram: 
 @wealthwithtess

Follow Tess on Twitter:
 @wealthwithtess

Tess’ website:
https://wealthwithtess.com/ 

Link to Tess’ (FREE) Financial Independence Checklist
https://www.moneyconfidentcoach.com/optin1676043690053 

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

In this week's minisode, I'm talking about why the term 'single not by choice' is a source of frustration for me. 

Much like the many shades of grey between the words 'childless' and 'childfree', people often forget that the term 'single not by choice' can also be subject to nuance - and doesn't necessarily translate as 'desperate for a partner.'

Among other things, I talk about the assumptions around women who are 'single not by choice', as well as why I've decided to opt out of categorising myself under the umbrella of 'relationship status'.

Press 'Play' and let me know what you think!

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

In this week's episode, I talk to journalist and author, Rebecca Traister. 

Rebecca Traister is writer at large for New York magazine. A National Magazine Award winner, she has written about women in politics, media, and entertainment from a feminist perspective for The New Republic and Salon and has also contributed to The Nation, The New York Observer, The New York Times and The Washington Post. She is the author of Good and Mad, and All The Single Ladies, both New York Times best-sellers, and the award-winning Big Girls Don’t Cry.

Topics that Rebecca & I cover are:

• how it took getting engaged for Rebecca to feel called to write a book about single women;
• how she spent the majority of her twenties and early thirties as a single women;
• Rebecca’s frustration at marriage still being regarded as the beginning of ‘real’ adulthood;
• how other people’s reactions to her getting married made her very curious about the history of single women;
• the increase in the median age of marriage over the years;
• the reasons for the move away from marriage that begun in the late 19th century;
• how marriage has been used as a way of organising power, and controlling reproduction, throughout history;
• how women were often forced to ‘attach’ themselves to a man for economic reasons;
• how marriage wasn’t built around the notion of love;
• how the advent of teaching became one of the ways for women to earn money;
• how women in the 19th century often feared being within a marriage because of the very real dangers of pregnancy and childbirth at that time;
• the challenge, even now, of getting people to accept and acknowledge that life outside of marriage is valid and full;
• how the victory is not in unmarried life vs married life, but in securing options besides the one and only path of marriage;
• the frightening idea that the conservative right in the US are looking to return us to a place where women are economically and socially dependent on men;
• Roe v Wade and birth control;
• how progress and regress are always happening in tandem.

Follow Rebecca on Twitter: 
 @rtraister 

Follow Rebecca on Instagram:
 @rtraister1

Rebecca’s Website:
https://rebeccatraister.com/ 

UK Link to Rebecca’s book, All The Single Ladies:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Single-Ladies-Unmarried-Independent/dp/1476716560 

US Link to Rebecca’s book, All The Single Ladies:
https://www.amazon.com/All-Single-Ladies-Unmarried-Independent/dp/1476716579 

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

In this week's minisode, I'm talking about why we shouldn't give up so easily when it comes to the practices we know will help us.

There is a tendency, particularly when it comes to self help and mindfulness practices, to quit when we don't see instant results. But the truth is that, like most great things in life, it takes time, discipline and consistency to reap the benefits.

And although it can be disheartening when we're implementing something new into our lives and we feel like we're not getting anywhere, it's those little things that we do when nobody's watching that tend to lead to the greatest rewards.

So keep going, don't give up so easily, and remember that the time it takes to see those results is going to pass by faster than we can say 'Christmas'! 

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

In this week's episode, I talk to childfree lifestyle advocate, LeNora Faye. 

LeNora is a childfree lifestyle advocate who creates public and private global platforms for people choosing not to have / birth or raise children. She began her public advocacy work in 2018 after realising a need for more conversation about not wanting to have kids. Following a year of blogging, she co-created the international podcast and web series Childfree Girls which led to the development of Childfree Convention. In 2022, LeNora co-founded Childfree Media, a network of global content creators focused on choice awareness. 

Topics that LeNora & I cover are:

• how she came to work in the childfree space through her blog;
• what it looks like to be a childfree lifestyle advocate;
• the discomfort of being visible;
• LeNora’s experience of growing up in a cult, and how it impacted her decision to not have children;
• how she eventually left the cult by essentially disappearing for 10 years;
• how she always felt she had a calling for more;
• the similarities between dealing with the shame of being raised in a cult, and the shame of not having children;
• how being respected for choosing not to have children is something that many childfree people would appreciate;
• how LeNora is an introvert and subsequently requires plenty of alone time to recharge;
• our mutual love of road trips;
• finding your tribe and how it happens when you’re in flow;
• internet trolls and how to deal with them;

Follow LeNora on Instagram: 
@childfreeblog 

Follow LeNora on Twitter:
@glassviolin

Follow LeNora on LinkedIn:
@LeNora Faye 

LeNora’s website:
lenorafaye.com  

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

In this week's minisode, I'm talking about the tale of the old Cherokee who tells his grandson about the battle that goes on inside of him - and all of us - between the good wolf and the bad wolf. 

When his grandson asks him "Which wolf will win?", the old man replies simply, "The one you feed."

So the question is, which wolf will you feed? In other words, which version of yourself will get to run the show?

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

In this week's episode, I talk to writer Kerry Graham. 

Kerry is a Baltimore-based writer and former English teacher. She is a Creative-in-Residence at the Baltimore Banner, and her essays and vignettes have appeared in dozens of publications. Huffington Post published her essay about being childfree by choice in three languages. Dan Rather said of Kerry’s writing, “in a sea of doom scrolling, a beautiful island of hope.”

Topics that Kerry & I cover are:

• why she made the decision to stop talking about her relationship status; 
• the story of how she came to be childfree;
• how she still struggles with other people’s perceptions of her childfree status;
• how we still live in a culture where the expectation is that you’ll become a mother;
• the implication that being single is a temporary state;
• how there are so many facets to human beings besides from our relationship status!
• the pressure on childfree women to make something amazing of their lives as a way of ‘making up for’ not having kids;
• how women tend to spend alot of time talking about their relationship status, when there is so much more to discuss;
• how we all have many important relationships in our lives, yet we prioritise romantic partners over and above all of them;
• Kerry’s experience of co-dependency in a previous long-term relationship;
• how, whilst other people can contribute to our happiness, we are ultimately responsible for it;
• why Kerry never wants to marry or cohabitate with anyone;
• the hard lessons she has learnt from previous relationships, and her determination not to repeat those same mistakes;
• ageing, and why we need to own it;

Follow Kerry on Instagram: 
@mskerrygraham

Follow Kerry on Twitter:
@mskerrygraham

Kerry’s website:
https://www.mskerrygraham.com/ 

Email Kerry:
[email protected]

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

In this week's minisode, I'm talking about a book by Australian author, Bronnie Ware, called The Top 5 Regrets Of The Dying.

Whilst the title may not immediately spark joy, both the book and this episode are far more about life than they are about death. 

Bronnie spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai, which garnered so much attention that she turned it into a book.

And if we want to learn how to truly live life, who better to take advice from than someone at the end of theirs?

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

In this week's episode, I talk to writers Joan DelFattore & Christina Campbell.

Joan DelFattore writes about living a single life in a world geared towards couples. Following her own experience of discrimination against being single in relation to her own cancer treatment, Joan wrote a peer-reviewed article that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2019, showing that patients with cancer are more likely to receive surgery or radiotherapy if they're currently married than if they're divorced, separated, widowed, or never married. 

Previous guest, Christina, writes about invisible illness, singles’ rights, and the inexorable onslaught of entropy. After earning her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from George Mason University, Christina co-founded the singles’ advocacy blog, Onely. The site deconstructs cultural stereotypes about single hood, such as the myth that unmarried people die alone, eaten by their cats! 

Topics that Joan, Christina & I cover are

• Joan’s Tedx talk, ‘Sick While Single? Don’t Die of Discrimination’, and what prompted her to do it;
• how her research unearthed the systematic under treatment of single people;
• Joan’s 2019 article, Death by Stereotype, that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine;
• how many physicians can’t get their heads around a set up that isn’t family-based;
• Christina’s thoughts around the cultural expectation that people will automatically receive all the support they need from a spouse;
• the hesitation she sometimes feels around asking friends for help as a single woman;
• how Christina’s chronic tick-borne disease has often be misunderstood and even, at times, disbelieved;
• the discrimination Christina faces with regards her healthcare as a single woman;
• how she went to see a psychologist due to her ‘abnormality’ with regards not wanting to get married;
• Joan and Christina’s thoughts and advice around going through illness as a single;

Christina’s Website:
www.christinadc.com  

Contact Christina:
www.onely.org 

Email Joan at:
[email protected]

Joan’s Website:
joandelfattore.com 

Joan’s Tedx Talk - Sick While Single? Don’t Die Of Discrimination:
https://www.ted.com/talks/joan_delfattore_sick_while_single_don_t_die_of_discrimination/details 

Support the show

• JOIN MY ITALY TRIP IN APRIL 2027: https://www.explore.co.uk/thrivesolo-italy

• Buy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/book

• Join my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesolo

• Download my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the Most
  Annoying Questions Single Women Get Asked'
•  Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacks

• Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson 

• Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=share

• Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!