Thrive Solo
Lucy Meggeson
Let’s be real — being single and child-free? It’s pretty damn awesome. Don’t believe me? Stick around. I promise you, by listening to this podcast, you’re going to start seeing your solo life in a whole new light — one that feels empowering, exciting, and full of possibility.I’m Lucy Meggeson, and I’m here to help you stop seeing singlehood as a consolation prize and start embracing it as the incredible opportunity that it is. Because the truth? Being single isn’t second best. It’s not a waiting room. And it sure as hell isn’t a life of lack. In fact, when you lean into it, it can be just as fulfilling—if not more so—than being coupled up with kids.And besides, no matter what our relationship status, what we all really want is to feel good in the here and now. So instead of focusing on what’s ‘missing,’ let’s focus on what’s possible. The freedom. The adventure. The extra time and headspace to create a life that’s truly our own.Because here’s the thing: you are so much more powerful than you realise. Your thoughts shape your reality. And when you shift your mindset, you shift your life. My mission isn’t just to help you feel better about being single—it’s to help you recognise your own agency. To help you see that you are the creator of your own experience. And that you, and you alone, get to decide what your life looks like.So join me here every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and let’s build lives that feel joyful, meaningful, and wildly fulfilling — on our own terms.Let’s Thrive Solo…together.E-mail me at lucy@lucymeggeson.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 10, 2026 • 13min
Minisode 191 — 3 Simple Ways To Lower Your Stress In 2026
Send us a textOn this week's minisode, I'm sharing a trio of things that will significantly lower your stress levels when you incorporate them all into your life. You're welcome. Support the showBuy 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 MostAnnoying 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: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Jan 8, 2026 • 30min
Thursday Thoughts — Maintaining A Positive Attitude When Life Throws A Curveball
Send us a textOn today’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about maintaining a positive mental attitude even when life throws us a curveball.Last week, Polly injured her knee on the last day of her skiing trip, and is currently on crutches while she waits to find out how serious the injury is.She talks about how she’s feeling and how she’s been trying to stay positive and expect the best possible outcome. Because, as Polly and I have discussed here before, two people can experience the exact same circumstances in two very different ways - depending on their thinking.We hope you’ll find something useful in here!Love,Polly & Lucy x Support the showBuy 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 MostAnnoying 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: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Jan 6, 2026 • 1h 12min
The One With 'I Hired A Male Escort For My 70th Birthday' Writer, Gail Rice
Send us a textMy guest on Thrive Solo this week is the wonderful Gail Rice, a Canadian born psychologist and writer based in Sydney, Australia. Gail’s work explores how the stories we carry can hold us back...or call us forward. Her writing shines a light on the unspoken stories around aging, desire, and reinvention, and she’s also currently writing her memoir. Gail recently wrote an essay for The Times, also featured in the New York Times Modern Love podcast, entitled ‘I hired a male escort for my 70th Birthday’. Because that’s exactly what she did. In fact, Gail didn’t hire just one escort, she hired two, because the first experience was, shall we say, sub-par. As well as talking about her experience of hiring an escort at the age of 70, Gail and I also talk about some really important topics around ageing, including how so many women start to feel invisible the older they get, the particular kind of urgency that Gail feels as she moves into her later life, and the importance of mindset around ageing.02:15 Guest Introduction: Gail Rice02:46 Gail's Story: Hiring an Escort at 7005:35 The Experience and Its Impact09:05 Reflections on Ageing and Visibility17:18 Exploring Tantra and Self-Discovery20:28 Romantic History and Singlehood25:42 Regret and Life Choices33:58 Perspectives on Ageing and Urgency36:01 Reflecting on Ageing and Gratitude37:19 The Impact of Mindset on Ageing38:46 The Power of Female Community43:34 Embracing Singlehood and Overcoming Loneliness54:24 The Pressure of Anti-Ageing Culture01:00:33 The Importance of Touch and Companionship01:04:49 Celebrating Independence and Self-Discovery01:06:18 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsListen to Gail's piece: https://podcasts.apple.com/vg/podcast/i-hired-a-male-escort-for-my-70th-birthday-the-sunday-story/id1501716010?i=1000734694214Follow Gail on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gailrice.psych.writes/?hl=enJoin Gail's Substack: https://gail263.substack.com/ Support the showBuy 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 MostAnnoying 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: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Jan 3, 2026 • 36min
Minisode 190 — 50th Birthday Special
Send us a textI turned 50 on New Year's Day. How this happened, I have no idea. But anyhoo...I've put together a list of 50 bits of advice / things I've learnt / words of wisdom, and I'm sharing it with you here. I sincerely hope that some of these nuggets might help you make the most of your journey in this crazy thing we call life. HAPPY NEW YEAR! xxx Support the showBuy 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 MostAnnoying 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: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Jan 1, 2026 • 31min
Thursday Thoughts — Getting Intentional
Send us a textOn this week’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are getting intentional about 2026. Because any change you want to make starts with you, and now is the moment to begin living life by design, rather than by default.We chat about why clarity of direction matters, and how real change happens when you start becoming, and embodying, the future version of yourself now.We hope you find something useful in here.Love Polly & Lucy x Support the showBuy 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 MostAnnoying 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: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Dec 30, 2025 • 46min
The One With ‘Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now’ Writer, Chanté Joseph — Part 2
Send us a textThe wonderful Chanté Joseph, writer of the viral British Vogue piece, ‘Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?’ is back for Part 2 of our conversation. If you haven’t already listened to Part 1, I highly recommend you go and do that first, and you're then going to want to come back and listen to this part, too!In this second half of our conversation, Chanté talks about how she’s started being totally upfront with men she’s dating, rather than holding back for fear of losing someone; she talks about a book called The Tragedy of Heterosexuality by Jane Ward, which has really transformed the way that Chanté thinks about relationships and dating; we also talk about polyamory and non-monogamy, the question of whether human beings are even built for long-term relationship, as well as 'Strangers In The City', an event series that Chanté started with her best friend which brings solo people together. 02:38 The Tragedy of Heterosexuality02:58 Polyamory and Non-Monogamy06:04 Emotional Dominance in Relationships11:39 Questioning Long-Term Relationships19:05 The Fear of Being Alone21:20 Cultural Perspectives on Singledom22:59 The Irony of Singledom for Women23:56 Scott Galloway and the Masculinity Crisis24:56 Encouraging Men to Step Up27:07 The Role of Community in Relationships29:22 Reflections on Societal Pressures34:19 Chanté's Personal Journey and Career Focus36:52 Strangers in the City: Chanté's Event SeriesRead Chanté's Vogue piece: https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/is-having-a-boyfriend-embarrassing-nowFollow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chantayyjayy/?hl=enBook a 'Strangers In The City' event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/strangers-in-the-city-81942438803Follow Strangers In The City on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strangersinthecityevents/?hl=en Support the showBuy 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 MostAnnoying 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: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Dec 27, 2025 • 16min
Minisode 189 — The REAL Fix For Filling That Void
Send us a textIn this end-of-year minisode, I’m sharing a loving-but-direct wake-up call before 2026: being single is not the problem — feeling directionless is. I talk about how the real fix for feeling stuck isn’t finding a partner, it’s finding something meaningful to move towards: a project, a purpose, a path that lights you up from the inside out. I share honestly from my own life about how direction filled the void I once thought a boyfriend would fix, and I invite you to choose one thing you want to build in 2026 so you stop waiting for your life to start and begin creating it instead. Support the showBuy 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 MostAnnoying 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: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Dec 25, 2025 • 31min
Thursday Thoughts — Enthusiasm
Send us a textOn today’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about one of my favourite topics…enthusiasm!Enthusiasm is one of the highest vibration emotions there is; and if we’re not feeling enthusiastic about anything in our life, that’s a sign that something needs to change.But just like joy and gratitude, enthusiasm is something that we have to choose, to prioritise, to cultivate. And the more we cultivate it, the more things we’ll find to be enthusiastic about.We really hope you’ll find something of value in this conversation.Love,Polly & Lucy x Support the showBuy 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 MostAnnoying 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: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Dec 23, 2025 • 43min
The One With ‘Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now’ Writer, Chanté Joseph — Part 1
Send us a textI'm super excited that my guest on Thrive Solo this week (and next) is the fabulous Chanté Joseph, writer of the viral British Vogue piece, ‘Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?’ If you haven’t heard of Chanté or this piece, you’ve probably been living in a cave for the last month or so because when I say this article went viral, I mean VIRAL — globally. I’ve heard so many people talking about it — people you would never expect to even come across this kind of content, which just speaks to how this piece has really hit a nerve. Chanté is hear to tell us all about the rollercoaster that has been the last couple of months, and this conversation truly is a must-listen — not just for single women, but for everyone. Chanté and I talk about how she came to write the article, the people she interviewed and why she ended up asking the question 'Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now’ in the first place; we talk about the hate and abuse she’s received online since writing the piece, how the fantasy of the fairytale is starting to fade, as well as the movement that is happening when it comes to single women. We also talk about how women often put up with sub-par behaviour from men because they’re scared of somebody walking away if they're honest about their needs and desires in the relationship. Make sure you come back next week for Part 2 because you're not going to want to miss it! 02:19 The Viral Article: 'Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?'04:08 Chanté's Journey and Insights06:52 The Impact of the Article12:51 Reactions and Reflections14:41 The Bigger Picture: Solo Movement16:28 Chanté's Personal Experience20:35 Unexpected Viral Fame20:54 Navigating Newfound Responsibility21:35 The Pressure of Public Expectations22:59 Dealing with Online Hate24:52 Personal Attacks and Misunderstandings32:37 Responding to Young Men's Concerns35:50 Setting Boundaries in Dating and RelationshipsRead Chanté's Vogue piece: https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/is-having-a-boyfriend-embarrassing-nowFollow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chantayyjayy/?hl=enBook a 'Strangers In The City' event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/strangers-in-the-city-81942438803Follow Strangers In The City on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strangersinthecityevents/?hl=en Support the showBuy 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 MostAnnoying 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: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
Dec 20, 2025 • 8min
Mini Series: 10 Weeks To A Joyful Christmas — Week 10: It's Just One Day
Send us a textIn Week 10 of my mini series ‘10 Weeks To A Joyful Christmas’, I’m talking about remembering that, despite the fanfare, Christmas is just one day. Support the showBuy 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 MostAnnoying 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: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!
