Squiggly Careers
The Squiggly Career
Squiggly Careers is a weekly podcast that will help you take control of your career development. Hosted by the founders of Amazing If (https://www.amazingif.com/), Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper, together they cover all things work: from how to manage stress and overcome your confidence gremlins to micro-aggressions and discovering your strengths. Each episode is full of ideas, actions, hints, and tips that you can put into practice straight away. Every so often they take a break from talking to each other to interview other people who are leading the way in making work better. Past guests include entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley, author of The Joy of Work Bruce Daisley, and neuroscience expert Amy Brann. The Squiggly Careers podcast has been recommended by Harvard Business Review, Stylist, Marie Claire and Management Today.For more ideas, tools and inspiration every week, you can also sign up to their newsletter Squiggly Careers in Action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
7 snips
Nov 13, 2025 • 6min
Squiggly Shortcut: How To Be a Speed Learner in 5 Minutes
Discover how to accelerate your learning at work with five practical strategies. Learn the vital difference between speed and slow learning for busy professionals. Gain instant inspiration through curated content and quick feedback techniques. Use curious questions to tap into insights from colleagues and embrace everyday experiments as learning opportunities. Enhance your interactions with real-time reflection to improve communication skills. Stay curious and keep growing, even in a fast-paced environment!
17 snips
Nov 11, 2025 • 31min
The Marshmallow Test: How to Master Delayed Gratification for Career Success
Dive into the psychology of success with insights from the marshmallow experiment! Discover how making choices between instant gratification and long-term goals can shape your career. Learn the importance of batching emails to boost focus and why saying no can increase your impact. Explore the benefits of building relationships over simply applying for jobs. Uncover how to spot those crucial marshmallow moments in your decision-making process and shift towards more rewarding choices!
Nov 6, 2025 • 7min
Squiggly Shortcut: You Don’t Need a Perfect Plan to Change Careers — Here’s What to Do Instead
Navigating a career change doesn't require a flawless plan; it's all about taking that first step. Small experiments and low-pressure projects can ignite progress. Engaging in curious conversations opens up new opportunities and connections. Instead of fixating on job titles, focus on transferable talents that showcase your skills. Bridging roles can help you transition gradually while building confidence and maintaining stability. Real progress comes from action, not perfection.
34 snips
Nov 4, 2025 • 41min
Team Emotional Intelligence: The Secret to High-Performing Teams
Uncover the power of team emotional intelligence as Sarah and Helen share insights from groundbreaking research. Explore how emotional awareness can enhance motivation and trust among team members. Learn about a practical quiz developed using AI to assess team dynamics. The discussion dives into crucial categories of emotional intelligence, offering actionable rituals like 'challenge and build' for fostering feedback. Gain tips on building better stakeholder relationships and when to reassess your team's emotional intelligence for optimal performance.
5 snips
Oct 30, 2025 • 5min
Squiggly Shortcut: 3 Ways To Stand Out To Senior Stakeholders
Discover how to make a lasting impression on senior stakeholders. Learn to position yourself as a peer by engaging in meaningful conversations. Find out how following up effectively can add real value beyond just saying thanks. Explore the importance of connecting stakeholders with relevant networks to enhance collaboration. Elevate your career by building stronger relationships that matter!
11 snips
Oct 28, 2025 • 34min
The Psychology of Seats: How To Boost Your Impact & Influence At Work
Explore how your seat choice can shape your influence and confidence at work. Discover the impact of safe versus power seats in meetings and the dynamics of table shapes on collaboration. Learn practical tips for arranging seating in both physical and virtual environments to enhance presence and engage others. The conversation dives into how video call positioning can affect perceptions, encouraging you to experiment with seating to maximize your impact. Small changes in where you sit could lead to big shifts in your professional interactions!
6 snips
Oct 23, 2025 • 6min
Squiggly Shortcut: How to Quieten Your Inner Critic
Dive into practical strategies for overcoming your inner critic! Discover the concept of 'confidence gremlins' that trigger self-doubt and fear. Learn how to reframe 'I can't' into actionable steps, turning pessimism into bursts of optimism by recognizing small successes. Embrace a flexible mindset to gradually improve your skills, moving from a four to a five. These quick tips are designed to boost resilience and help you take confident strides in your career.
29 snips
Oct 21, 2025 • 36min
Map Your Career: 5 Visual Tools to Find Clarity and Direction
Discover how mapping can revolutionize your career path! Explore five innovative maps to gain clarity and insight, from Energy Maps that track your daily highs and lows to Skills Maps that help identify areas for growth. Learn about the Give–Gain Map to visualize your relationships and the Possibilities Map to spark your career aspirations. Finally, tackle challenges with Problem Mapping, turning insights into actionable experiments. Unleash your creativity and navigate your squiggly career with confidence!
11 snips
Oct 16, 2025 • 5min
Squiggly Shortcut: 4 Questions to Help You Make a Difficult Career Decision
Making tough career choices? Discover four engaging questions to tackle uncertainty and clarify your path. Visualize your future to create distance from the stress of decision-making. Separate your feelings from facts to gain objective insights. Connect with others who’ve walked similar paths for valuable perspectives. Finally, define your personal motivations to build resilience and confidence. Tune in to turn confusion into clarity!
8 snips
Oct 14, 2025 • 30min
Are You Wasting Your Talent? (Why Moral Ambition Matters)
Explore the intriguing concept of moral ambition and its significance in utilizing your 80,000 working hours for meaningful work. Discover the belief–behaviour gap and learn how to translate intentions into actions. The hosts offer practical volunteering strategies that align personal skills with impactful contributions. Learn how to expand your influence beyond immediate circles and identify role models who inspire positive change. Reflect on how small, incremental shifts can lead to substantial impacts in your career and community.
