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My guest on this week's episode is Chris McMullen. Chris is 46, single, childfree and lives in Brisbane, Australia. Chris started talking about not having kids on his social media when he discovered that him not having kids was resonating with alot of his followers; and he also realised that there were very few men talking about the male perspective when it comes to being childfree. 

During this conversation, Chris and I talk about why he decided — at the age of 20 — not to have children, the ‘men’s work’ he’s done on himself, as well as the men he has subsequently helped also do the healing work on themselves; how so many people end up almost ‘unconsciously’ having kids, rather than it being a conscious, considered choice; the idea of people being either settlers and chasers; and how one of the best things about being childfree is the opportunity to really fulfil your potential in life.

05:07 Chris' Singlehood Journey

06:58 Dating and Self Awareness

09:53 Men's Work and Healing

14:29 Choosing Childfree at 20

16:55 Pushback and Acceptance

22:14 Regret Myth Debunked

26:09 Freedom and Childfree Benefits

28:42 Building a Childfree Community

30:30 Childfree Men Speaking Up

31:32 Settlers Versus Chasers

36:13 Why We Avoid Our Potential

44:30 Embracing Cringe Online

47:46 Living With Intention

52:10 Happiness As Acceptance

55:16 Semi Retirement Blueprint

Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrismc6000/

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

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

• Email me: [email protected] 

And thank you so much for listening!

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In this weeks' minisode I’m talking about what it really means to decenter men — not rejecting them, but stopping them being the centre of your self-worth, attention and life choices. I explore how we’ve been conditioned to seek validation through male attention, how easy it is to lose yourself in the chase, and why redirecting that energy back into yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do. When you start centring you, you raise your standards, strengthen your boundaries, and build a life that actually fulfils you — with or without a partner.

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!

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On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about not living in the past.

We all spend time thinking about the past — whether it's reminiscing about a lovely memory, cringing about something we said or did 5 years ago, or thinking about a relationship we're struggling to move on from. The question we want to ask is: how much time am I actually spending in the past?

The truth is that what's done is done, and while we can learn lessons from the past, staying stuck on something that happened 3 weeks or 10 years ago probably isn't serving you. So...if you find yourself spending a little too much time ruminating over that time you made a tit of yourself at last year's Christmas party, it might be time to let that go; and instead, start thinking more about the present moment, and your exciting future.

We hope you'll find something useful in here.

Love,

Polly & Lucy x

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!

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This week it's Part Two of my conversation with social media influencer and author Brianna Madia, whose new memoir Homesick Nomad is out now. In this second half of our conversation, Brianna and I talk about how solitude — such as living off-grid alone in a trailer in the Utah desert — builds coping skills, self-regulation, and accountability. Brianna explains her long-held decision not to have children, shaped in part by a ruptured ovarian cyst at 19 and by realising parenthood is a choice, and challenges claims that child-free lives are meaningless or selfish. The episode also centers on her deep bond with her beloved dogs, the unconditional support and love that pets provide, her grief after losing Dagwood in November last year, and why pets can be profoundly fulfilling, especially when you dn't have children.

03:12 Choosing Childfree Openly

03:49 Solitude in the Desert

04:45 Learning Self Soothe Skills

07:24 Why Living Alone Matters

12:14 Medical Wake Up Call at 19

14:14 Kids Are a Choice Not Default

17:30 Meaning Without Motherhood

19:18 Freedom Versus Feeling Trapped

21:47 The 'Selfish' Myth

23:21 Misery Loves Company Pushback

25:25 Realities of Parenting Up Close

28:10 Overpopulation vs Birth Panic

29:09 Procreation Isn’t Purpose

31:20 Pets as Real Family

33:58 Grief and Perfect Love

Buy Bianna's new book, Homesick Nomad: https://www.briannamadia.com/homesicknomad

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannamadia/

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!

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On this week's minisode, I’m tackling the fear I hear from so many single women: “What's going to happen to me if I get old alone?” I talk about why we jump to worst-case scenarios, how much we can influence through strength, movement, sleep and our day-to-day habits, and why the way we think and speak about ageing matters more than we realise. I also challenge the “it’s all downhill from here” narrative, share research on how positive beliefs about ageing can impact longevity, and remind you that looking after your future self starts now — with small, intentional choices.

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!

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On today’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about brainwashing ourselves with beliefs that are actually going to serve us.

Whether we know it or not, our lives are quietly being run by the subconscious beliefs that we hold - some of which are helping us, many of which are not.

The good news is that we can choose to change our beliefs anytime we like; so if you believe that “life goes downhill once you hit 50”, or “being single makes me a loser”, you aren’t stuck with those limiting beliefs forever. It’s simply a matter of choosing a different, more empowering belief, and reinforcing that new one in the same way you reinforce the negative ones.

Ultimately, a belief is just a thought you think over and over and over again - so…it’s time to start paying attention to the stories on repeat in your monkey mind.

We sincerely hope that you’ll find something useful in here.

Love,
Polly & Lucy x

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!

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My guest this week is the wonderful Brianna Madia. Back in 2016, with her then husband and her dogs, Brianna moved into their 1990 Ford van and started sharing her life on Instagram. Her following grew quickly and she became one of the first van life influencers — which has led to brand deals and three book deals — as people became fascinated with her colourful, interesting and adventurous life, much of which was spent in the desert in deepest darkest Utah. Then, one fateful day, one of her beloved dogs, Dagwood, was caught under the wheel of their van in a tragic accident, with her ex-husband at the wheel and her in the passenger seat. They drove 6 hours to get Dagwood to a vetinary hospital to save him. In the meantime, Brianna’s Mum started a Go Fund Me page to help with the extortionate cost of the vet bills, and Brianna’s generous followers kindly covered the cost; however, in an attempt to protect her ex, she didn’t initially tell her followers that it was him at the wheel. Dagwood survived, but the whole thing was the beginning of the end of her relationship, as well as the start of a pretty dark phase in her life. Following their split, Brianna subsequently came clean about the fact that her ex had been driving the van when Dagwood was run over, and what followed was a hate campaign of vitriol and bullying that saw an entire community form on Reddit purely to take her down - resulting in losing several brand deals. The worst thing was that Brianna discovered that her ex had actually joined the Reddit thread and was fueling the fire of all of this hate. Brianna’s brilliant new book, Homesick Nomad, is the story of what followed, including a new - but unconventional - relationship with a man called William. Brianna, who is childfree by choice, still lives in her trailer in the desert in Utah, while William lives in Oregon. In our conversation we talk about so many things including some of what she went through with regards the hate she received and essentially being cancelled on the internet, her love of solitude, her choice to not have kids, and last but not least her beloved dogs, including Dagwood who sadly passed in November last year. Homesick Nomad is out now.

05:41 Van Life to Viral Fame

08:11 Dagwood Accident and Divorce

13:42 Homesick Nomad Overview

15:34 Desert Solitude and Cancel Culture

16:18 New Love and Self Definition

22:56 Women, Misogyny and Online Hate

25:36 Criticism vs Harassment

26:18 Dehumanising Online Mobs

30:34 Unfollow and Take Control

32:16 Hate Following Explained

34:18 Why Haters Aren't Happy

37:13 Out of State Fiancé

42:58 Independence Over Tradition

44:37 Thriving Solo and No Kids

Buy Brianna's book: https://www.briannamadia.com/homesicknomad

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannamadia/

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!

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In this week's minisode, I’m giving some loving tough love on something I hear all the time: “I'm struggling with being single.” I unpack why being single isn’t actually the problem, and how what many women are really struggling with is a lack of connection, meaning, purpose or direction — and the cultural story that romantic love is the solution. I share why your life isn’t a waiting room, why you can’t outsource wholeness to a partner, and how to start building a life that feels good right now, regardless of whether you meet someone down the line.

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 Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about trusting the process. Polly talks about her recent knee operation and how trusting the process has been, and will be, such an important part of her recovery.

We explore how having faith, and choosing to believe that things are working out for you, even when it doesn’t feel like it, can really help to keep positive. Because let’s be honest… it’s easy to trust when life’s flowing. It’s a very different story when things feel slow, uncertain, or a bit wobbly.

We hope you find something useful in here.

Love Polly & Lucy x

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!

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My guest this week is the brilliant Jennie Young, a professor of rhetoric at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, specialising in applied rhetoric, humour, and feminism. 

When Jennie found herself stepping into the world of dating apps following her divorce, she was shocked by the bizarre communication habits that had become normal in online dating. As a rhetoric professor specialising in critical discourse analysis, she realised that she could use her training to decode patterns and protect herself from offensive messages and terrible dates. Jennie started cataloging what she saw and began to experiment with her own profile. As a result, although the messages coming slowed to a crawl, the ones that got through were solid matches. 

From this was born her Burned Haystack Method, a ruthless approach to online dating that I personally think is not only brilliant, but also the only way to date if you’re going to be on the apps. In February 2023, Jennie started a free Facebook group to teach other women this approach and today the community is  more than 250,000 strong. You guys are going to LOVE this episode because whether you’re dating or not, if you’re a woman who has date men, you’re going to be nodding your head and rolling your eyes as you listen to this conversation. Jennie’s brand new book, Burn The Haystack, is out TODAY if you’re in North America, and it’s out on 23rd April if you’re in the UK.

02:15 Meet Jennie Young

05:02 Jenny Origin Story

07:12 Why Apps Feel Awful

08:56 Burned Haystack Begins

12:36 Bad Advice Women Get

15:31 Needle in Haystack Metaphor

17:28 Rules and Discourse Analysis

23:46 Rhetorical Red Flags

31:08 Block to Burn Rule

36:21 No Pen Pals

40:08 Safety and Location Settings

41:16 Geography Matters

41:56 Ludic Looping Trap

47:33 Dating Like Job Search

49:01 Book And Method

50:56 Top Red Flags

56:38 Green Flags And Profiles

58:34 Being Ruthless Works

01:01:12 Women Give Chances

01:06:34 Method Beyond Dating

01:08:16 Her Success Story

01:10:51 Chemistry And Spark

Check out Jennie's website: https://www.jennieyoung.com/

Buy Jennie's book, Burn The Haystack: https://www.jennieyoung.com/burn-the-haystack-book

But the book on Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Burn-Haystack-Decode-Dating-Matter/dp/0063447576

Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/9116647515019601/

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!