Thrive Solo

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On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about the ego and how it can hold us back from taking action.

We explore how the ego often comes from a place of fear and judgement, making it one of the loudest voices in our minds. We also share ways to become more aware of that inner voice, question whether it's actually telling us the truth, and choose curiosity instead.

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I met my fabulous guest on this week’s episode because we appeared together on Jo Good’s BBC Radio London show, and when I found out he was single I was like “Will you come on the podcast?!” and he said yes. His name is Frank Loman, he is 57 years old, single, childfree, lives in London and is an actor, singer, broadcaster, painter, AND expert on all things Eurovision! 

Born and raised in...

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In this week's minisode, I'm reminding you of five of the most underrated gifts of being single. Not the obvious ones, but the quieter ones that can completely transform the quality of your everyday life: the absence of constant arguments, the peace that comes from living alone, the freedom of protecting your own energy, complete autonomy over your daily life, and the incredible opportunity to become the most authentic, fully expressed version of yourself. I...

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On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking all about confidence and how to build more of it.

We share why we prefer to think of confidence as a verb rather than a noun. Confidence isn't something you magically have before you start – it's something you create. It grows when you find a little courage, get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and take action anyway.

Only then does confidence beg...

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This week’s episode is Part 2 of my conversation with Kristy Halvorsen, full-time nomad, coach and author of Perfect Unfolding: Seven Years of Life-Changing Solo Adventure, One Year That Broke Me Open — a book that I read and absolutely loved. If you haven’t yet listened to last week’s part 1, then I would urge you to do that first and then come back to this episode. 

In this second half of our...

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On this week's minisode, I'm challenging the idea that being in a relationship somehow gives you access to a richer or more meaningful version of life. So often, single people are made to feel as though they're waiting on the sidelines while everyone else is experiencing the "real" human experience — but I simply don't believe that's true. We all experience love, heartbreak, joy, grief, purpose, fear, growth and wonder, regardless of our relationship status. Because being in a relationship doesn't unlock a secret level of being human; it simply offers one way of ex...

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On today’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about comparison.

As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy, but we can all be guilty of it to a greater or lesser extent. And it’s even harder to keep it under control in this age of screens and social media.

Rather than comparing ourselves to others and allowing them to make us feel bad about ourselves, let’s use comparison as motivation and inspiration to improve and evolve in our own lives.

Because the tr...

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This week’s episode is Part 1 of a 2-parter with the fabulous Kristy Halvorsen, a full-time nomad and author. 

If "normal" is a way of being, Kristy is most definitely not that. In 2017, she sold pretty much everything she owned including her house, she left her career as a firefighting, and she hit the road in her Airstream trailer, Coddie. For nearly nine years, Kristy has migrated with the seasons, often with no idea where she's headed next. As well as being a nomadic world traveler, she is a mentor, coach, and...

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In this week's minisode, I'm exploring one of my favourite mindset quotes, attributed to Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." We all tell ourselves stories about who we are and what we're capable of, but what if many of those stories aren't actually facts at all? From confidence and careers to relationships and being single, I unpack how the beliefs we repeat to ourselves shape the actions we take, the opportunities we pursue and, ultimately, the lives we create. If you've ever caught yourself saying, "...

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On this week’s Monday Motivation, Polly and I are talking about taking responsibility.

How often do you avoid doing the hard thing, even though you know it’s exactly what needs to be done?

The truth is, no one else can do it for us. We all have to choose our hard.

Taking responsibility isn’t about blame or pressure – it’s about recognising the incredible power you already have to shape your life.

And that’s a far more empowering way to live.

We...

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I'm excited for you to hear my wonderful guest this week because she’s talking all about something that we don’t talk about enough — and I’ve only had one other guest on the podcast talking about this particular thing. 

Hennie Thomson is a single woman in her 30s living and working in Oxfordshire. She has been long-term single and a few years ago she realised that her lack of interest in pursuing a romantic relationship does actually have a name. Discovering her asexual / aromantic identity has helped Hennie make sense of...

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In this week's minisode, I'm asking a question that I've genuinely been wondering about for a long, long time: are human beings actually meant to spend 20, 30, 40 or 50 years with the same romantic partner? I'm not questioning love or relationships themselves, but the societal expectation that we're all supposed to couple up, get married and stay together forever. We explore where that script came from, why so many people struggle to live up to it, and whether we've been conditioned to see relationships as "failures" simply because they end. As always, I'm not claiming...

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On this week's Thursday's Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about the mistake that so many of us make which is thinking that things will be better when…

We’ve all done it, haven’t we? Things will better when I’m earning more money; things will be better when I’ve started the new job; things will be better once I move into the new home.

Ultimately, those ‘big’ moments in life are fleeting, and the trick is learning how to enjoy all of the moments in between.

We ho...

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On this week’s episode, I’m talking to the fabulous Désirée Cyganek, a single and childfree photographer and former dancer, the daughter of a French father and an African mother who was born in the Ivory Coast and raised in France. 

Having moved to Florida when she met the man she subsequently married, Désirée now lives in Jersey City — just across the water from Manhattan — with her two beloved bengal cats which we obviously talk about. In this conversation, Désirée tells me about her former career a...

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On this week's minisode, I’m sharing one of my core messages for single women: spend more energy chasing your dreams than chasing a romantic relationship. I talk about how easy it is to make “finding someone” the main project of your life, while neglecting the life you’re actually responsible for creating. This is a reminder that no partner can hand you happiness, purpose, direction or fulfilment — those are things you build through your own choices, courage and self-investment. Whether love comes along or not, your life is happening now, and your dreams des...

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On this week’s Tuesday Motivation, Polly and I are chatting about the importance of movement.

As we get older, we naturally lose both muscle and bone mass, so keeping our bodies moving is one of the best investments we can make in our long term health and wellbeing.

We talk about how consistency matters more than perfection, how to make movement enjoyable, and simple ways to fit it into your everyday life.

It’s so easy to find reasons not to exercise but the benefits for your...

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I have actual man on my podcast today, and what a gorgeous man he is! 

Carl Huelin is 46, single, doesn’t have kids, lives on the island of Jersey and works as a men’s life coach, having completed burned out in the corporate world and deciding to change things up. 

I do urge you to listen to this conversation the whole way through because I think our conversation gets better and better, and Carl is just such a lovely, lovely man and I cannot tell you how much I enjo...

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On this week's minisode, I’m talking about something we don’t discuss enough: how much of ourselves we can lose in romantic relationships, even good ones. I explore the invisible cost of partnership — the habits, routines, freedom, focus, control and little personal preferences that can quietly get pushed aside when a relationship becomes the centre of your life. This isn’t about saying relationships are bad; it’s about being honest that they require compromise, energy and self-adjustment, and that women are often conditioned to sacrifice themselves for the “greater good” of the relationsh...

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On today’s Thursday's Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about how important it is to find the joy in life, rather than being constantly weighed down by all of the ‘shoulds’.

The truth is that life is short, and we sometimes forget to enjoy the ride. Instead of taking it all so seriously, let’s remember that we’re all travelling on a giant sphere hurtling through space - so we might as well enjoy it while we’re here!

We hope you’ll find something useful in here.

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This week, I'm thrilled to be speaking to the absolutely fabulous Zoe Hanson — solo Mum to her 13 year old daughter, Lois. 

Zoe raised Lois by herself from the moment she was born, and that was while she was hosting Heart’s south coast breakfast show having been one of the south coast’s longest running breakfast show hosts on both the Capital and Heart networks, including presenting Capital’s breakfast show alongside Johnny Vaughan. 

These days, you can hear Zoe on The So So Show, a podcast that she hosts with...

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In this week's minisode, I’m giving some loving tough love on the phrase “easier said than done” — because yes, changing your mindset, reprogramming old beliefs, and building a better life is hard…but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing. I talk about why so many of us stay stuck because we expect transformation to feel easy, when really it takes repetition, discipline, discomfort and daily self-awareness. This is a reminder that the work isn’t about becoming perfect; it’s about catching yourself quicker, choosing differently, and proving to yoursel...

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On this week’s Monday Motivation, Polly and I are talking all about sleep.

Sleep is one of the foundations of good health, yet it's something so many of us struggle to get enough of.

In this episode, we chat about some of the simple things we've found really help us sleep better, from creating a healthier sleep environment to small habits that can make a big difference.

We hope there's something in this conversation that helps you get a better night's sleep.

Love,
Po...

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On this week's guest episode, I’m speaking to the wonderful Elisa Hanssen, single, childfree, and originally from The Netherlands but now living in Iceland for the last ten years having fallen in love with the country on a solo holiday. 

During her time in Iceland, Elisa has done all manner of things from being a horse riding guide, to knitting amazing Icelandic sweaters, to working in a kindergarten, to working in various guest houses, all the while making the very most of everything the country has to offer. 

In o...

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On this week's minisode, I’m talking about one of the most underrated benefits of being single: the glorious absence of romantic relationship emotional admin. I unpack how relationships don’t just bring love and companionship — they also bring conflict navigation, mood management, compromise, repair, expectation-setting and constant background maintenance. Single life doesn’t remove every problem, of course, but it does remove a whole layer of emotional complexity, creating a level of peace that’s much easier to maintain. This is a reminder to notice not just what single life may be missing, b...

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On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking all about boundaries.

Women in particular have been conditioned to believe that they should give OF themselves long before they should give TO themselves. But this can lead to burnout and resentment. And this is where boundaries come in.

The truth is that if we don’t implement boundaries, we’ll forever end up saying yes to things we don’t want to do, tolerating behaviour we shouldn’t put up with, and generally feeling depleted and frustrated.

Boun...

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I’m SO excited for you to hear my guest on this week's episode, because I think she’s one of my favourites so far — and to be fair I’ve only said that a handful of times in the four and a half years I’ve been making this podcast! Her name is Lauren Smith — you might know her on social media as 'ItsLaurenSmithy' — and she is a content creator, plus size advocate, and public historian-in-training who is basically joy personified. 

In this conversation, Lauren tells me how she began creating conten...

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In this week's minisode, I’m talking about authenticity — and why you never regret honouring yourself, even when it risks being misunderstood. I unpack how many of us have been conditioned to shapeshift for approval, and how self-respect and self-trust are built by not abandoning yourself in the small moments: saying what you mean, holding boundaries, and choosing what’s true for you. Being yourself won’t please everyone — and that’s kind of the point — because authenticity is what attracts the right people, relationships and opportunities into your life.

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On this week’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are chatting about the importance of checking in on your goals now that we’re nearly halfway through the year.

As always, we wander off into a few interesting tangents along the way! But at its heart, this conversation is a gentle reminder to pause, reflect, and ask yourself:

Are you heading in the direction you want to go? And are you getting there in a way that feels good?

We hope there’s something in here for you.

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My guest on this week's guest episode is the gorgeous Carolyn Couch. 

Single, childfree by choice, 64 years old, and living in North Caroline, Carolyn is a career counsellor and coach. In this conversation, Carolyn and I talk about what it was like growing up in a small town in a southern US state where, even more so back then, it was very much expected that you would get married and have children. But Carolyn just knew that the traditional path was not for her and so she stuck to her guns a...

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In this week's minisode, I’m talking about why energy — physical and mental — is the real currency of a good life, and why it matters even more when you’re single and running your life solo. I share how energy affects everything from your mood and motivation to your creativity and confidence, how we leak it without realising, and why the “boring” basics (sleep, movement, boundaries, nourishing inputs) are actually what create freedom. I also touch on energy from a law of attraction perspective — not as magic, but as alignment — because the way you feel and sho...

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On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about radio stations. 📻

More specifically, what metaphorical radio station you are tuning into.

Before you tune into a specific radio station, every single station is available to you. And it’s the same with life. Every day, we have a choice about what we want to tune into. It’s all available to us - Joy FM, Anger FM, Hope FM, Hate FM, Zen FM. The only question is: which station will you choose?

We hope you’ll find so...

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My completely gorgeous guest this week is Sophie Way, a 27 year old actor who is both single and doesn’t have kids. This episode came about very quickly because Sophie has written and acted in her own short film — Expectations — and I wanted to get this episode out before the screening in case any of you can get yourselves there in person (all details in the episode).

Sophie is not only single but she’s also a late bloomer, having never had a boyfriend, and it’s this that inspired her to write t...

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In this minisode, I’m sharing one of the most life-changing mindset shifts I’ve learned: life isn’t happening to you — it’s happening through you. I talk about the difference between a “victim of circumstances” mindset and an empowered, self-responsible one, and how your thoughts, words, feelings and actions shape the reality you experience. If you’ve been feeling stuck, reactive or disempowered, this is a practical reminder to reclaim your agency, focus on what’s within your control, and start steering your life...

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On this week's Thursday's Thoughts, Polly and I are asking the question ‘How well do you know yourself?

So many of us spend our lives reacting to what’s happening around us that we lose touch with what we actually need.

We discuss what gives us energy, what drains us and the importance of living a life which is authentic to who we truly are.

We hope you find something useful to you in here.

Love, 

Polly & Lucy x

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My guest on Thrive Solo this week is the completely fabulous Maryjane Fahey — and she is going to blow your socks off!

Maryjane is 76 year old the creator of Glorious Broads, a platform that celebrates the audacious spirit of women who embrace aging with defiance, and where age is not but just a number, it’s a badge of honour. The message of Glorious Broads is that ageing should not be a journey of fading into the background, because wonderful women over 50, 60, 70 and beyond still have SO much to share with and...

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In this minisode I’m giving you a loving kick up the bum if you’ve been waiting to “feel ready” before you start the thing you know you want to do. I talk about why readiness is a myth, why motivation and clarity come from action (not the other way round), and how being single is actually a superpower because you have the space to build the life you want. I also share how I launched my podcast by picking a date and just getting scrappy and moving—proof that you don’t need the p...

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On this week’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about three little words…mind, mouth, and mood.

Ultimately, those three things - our thoughts, our words, and our emotions - are the building blocks of our reality. 

But most of us spend our lives trying to change what’s going on in the outside world, instead of prioritising our inner world. And the outer world is simply a reflection of our inner world. 

So…master your mind (the stories you’re telling yourself, the thoughts you repeat e...

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My guest this week is the fabulous Janis Dardaris. Single and childfree, Janis is an actor with over 40 years experience working on stage, in film and in television. She has appeared in The Sixth Sense, The Chosen, Incendies and Orpheus Descending, to name but a few. Janis is also one of the Glorious Broads, a movement of women age 50 and over who are smashing stereotypes of what it actually means to be a woman of ‘a certain age’. In our conversation, Janis and I talk about being single-minded in pursuit of your passions, how...

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In this minisode I’m talking about why weekends can feel tricky for single women — and how to take your weekend back by designing it on purpose. I share a simple, nourishing “weekend blueprint” that starts with getting up and out early (no duvet doom-scrolling), moving your body to lift your mood, building in connection, and creating cosy, joyful rituals that make solo time feel like a gift. I also talk about using Sundays to lean into one of the most underrated perks of being single and childfree: time and space to work on the d...

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This week on Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about complaining.

We all love a good vent now and again, and sometimes it’s healthy to let those emotions out. But when we stay stuck there, replaying the same thoughts over and over, it can keep us trapped in a really low-energy state.

In this episode, we share our thoughts on the difference between releasing emotions and ruminating, plus some simple ways we try to catch ourselves before getting pulled into the cycle of constant complaining.

Be...