The Solo Collective

As we all look for autonomy over our own time, how can we move to a place where work can fit around our lives rather than dictate them? This week Frankie Tortora, host of award-winning podcast Doing It For The Kids, joins Rebecca to wade into the discussion of flexi-working. Frankie shares her experiences of balancing solo working while also juggling parental responsibilities. She also reflects on the highs and lows of being in a flexible freelancing role despite still working in a society that fundamentally isn’t. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mo Gawdat has made happiness his primary topic of research, diving deeply into literature and conversing on the topic with some of the wisest people in the world. In this episode, Rebecca discusses the importance of managing and keeping our emotions in check when we work alone. Using the techniques that Mo has created and brought together from different disciplines we explore how to ensure that you don’t have the Netflix of unhappiness on repeat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For solo workers, it can seem as if there is no clear path to career progression. For people in more traditional roles, progress is marked by a promotion, a bonus or a corner office. So do we need to start thinking about this differently? This week's guest James Mitra, founder of JBM (a values-driven executive search firm) and the host of the 40 Minute Mentor podcast, is here to help us change up our thinking. He advocates for thinking less about titles and salaries and more about ways to spend time with loved ones and the things that bring you joy.The 6th series of 40 Minute Mentor is available to listen to now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Working from home can make it all too easy to blur the boundaries between personal and professional lives. Tech can complicate that line even more with endless Zoom calls and constant pings from colleagues and clients on everything from Teams to Slack. This week’s guest Charlotte Jee, a tech writer for MIT Technology Review, has been working remotely for the last three years. She also writes a daily newsletter about emerging technology called The Download. Charlotte is all for not allowing tech to run your life so consider this your permission slip to turn off your read receipts on your phone.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Networking can often inspire dread. We associate it with warm wine in plastic cups and awkward conversations. Thankfully, this week’s guest Abadesi Osunsade, founder of Hustle Crew and VP of Belonging at Brandwatch, joins Rebecca to offer a fresh perspective and explains how mutual appreciation can lead to meaningful connections, online and offline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes despite all our external successes, whether it's building a high-flying career or achieving those internal-facing goals, the feeling like a fraud can overshadow our achievements. This self-doubt is called imposter syndrome. In this episode psychotherapist, speaker, and bestselling author Anna Mathur joins Rebecca to discuss how the need for external validation can cause these wobbles and how we can instead worry less about what people think. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So many of us go about life with that critical voice in our heads. A voice that tells us, whether, in our work or personal life, we are the worst person in the world. This inner critic can often lead to anxiety. This week Rebecca gets to the heart of what causes this intrusive worrying with the author of The Kindness Method, Shahroo Izadi. They discuss mindful practices and how kindness and self-compassion can be invaluable when it comes to reducing our anxiety. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last 18 months, we have seen a re-evaluation of our relationships to work. With more time at home and less time commuting, we’ve been able to think about what we want out of the work-life balance. Sarah Jaffe, author of Work Won’t Love You Back, has been thinking and talking about this relationship for a long time. She joins Rebecca in this week's episode to explain why being passionate about your job doesn’t always lead to the best results.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maybe you’re the type to avoid difficult conversations at all costs? Or maybe you go into complicated conversations all guns blazing? Whichever camp you’re in, we’re here to help you get the most out of these conversations. And who better to talk about difficult conversations with than someone who has been described as ‘a therapist at happy hour’? This week, Rebecca is joined by Anna Sale, the host of the award-winning podcast Death, Sea and Money and Author of Let's Talk About Hard Things.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we think of self-care, we might think of a long bath or a wine at the end of the day but it’s so much more than that. We need to think about what self-care looks like in our lives. In this episode, we’re joined by Emma Gunavardhana, Host of The Emma Guns Show, who shares her transitional rituals from getting up and active before sitting at her desk to raking herself out of a spruced home office set up at the end of the day. We need to do whatever works for us so let host Rebecca Seal and Emma help you find out your own soothing self-care moment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.