
Solo – The Single Person’s Guide to a Remarkable Life
266 episodes — Page 5 of 6

Ep 65Dating Remarkable Friends
EThis week, Peter McGraw repeats one of his favorite Solo episodes, “Dating Friends and Sleeping with Strangers,” as a fitting close to his series on making remarkable friends. The episode reveals some of his early thinking about what makes a good friend. He and his guests, Josh Gray-Emmer and Lily Rains, present tips for developing friendships and building a community. You will learn: 1) how ancient Greek philosophers held friendships in such high esteem that sometimes surpassed romantic partnerships; 2) people’s early reactions to the podcast, and 3) what his guests do on Valentine’s Day. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 64We Need to Talk
EThe Solo series on making remarkable friends continues with today’s episode featuring Ryan Malcolm-Campbell, professionally known as MR. KOA, and Zamour Johnson, known in the world of media as TOPB0Y, two friends who are living remarkable lives. Besides learning about the origins of their monikers, Peter McGraw talks to them about their transition from athletes to artists and entrepreneurs. You will also learn about how their friendship developed, how they use their joint podcast as therapy, and what would be the only thing that would break up their friendship.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 63Making Friends The Center Of Life
Do you have a friendship that is more important than your romantic relationship? In this episode, Peter McGraw is joined by Rhaina Cohen, a writer and NPR producer, to talk about her emerging work on friendship. They discuss how some people are elevating the status of a friendship to the level of exclusive romantic relationships. Notably, Rhaina notes the lack of good role models for this style of relationships, and thus people rely on fictional relationships (e.g., Golden Girls) as inspiration. They also discuss the challenges some men have with loneliness due to a lack of friends. They conclude their conversation with tips for making, maintaining, and ending relationships.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 62Nietzsche On Friends
Welcome back to the Solo series on making remarkable friends. In this episode, Peter McGraw and Mary Dahm interview a scholar, Ruth Abbey, who has written about an unlikely expert on friendship: Friedrich Nietzsche. They discuss Ruth’s analysis of Nietzsche’s focus on the value of friends. In short, friends make us better people through their honesty and insights. Whereas previous philosophers saw the value of friends in their similarity, Nietzsche believes friends are valuable because of their differences. It is a fascinating conversation.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 61Making Remarkable Friends
Peter McGraw invites back his good friend, Julie Nirvelli, to kick off a mini-series on how to make remarkable friends. They define what a friend is and what makes one remarkable. They also discuss some tips on how to make and maintain friends--including when to move fast and when to move slow. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 60Kym's Remarkable Reinvention
Welcome back. This is the final episode in a series on Reinvention, which coincides with the start of a new year. Regardless of the date, it is a good idea to take time to assess making changes in your life. After three episodes featuring experts, Peter McGraw concludes with a remarkable single and contributor to the podcast, Kym Terribile. Kym is a fascinating case study. She has been on a three-year journey reinventing herself. Her changes run the gamut from upping her exercise to tidying up her living situation. They discuss how she has started a business, revamped her approach to dating, and embraced her identity as a writer. You will find the conversation inspiring and considering the question, "What are you waiting for?" Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 59Rolonda The Reinventionist
EEnjoy this third of a four-episode series on reinvention. Peter McGraw and guest co-host Lily Rains talk to Rolonda Watts, a reinventionist (a term she invented). Rolonda's approach to reinvention focuses on pursuing the positive – and asks to follow your dreams. If you are looking for a wake-up call, this episode is it.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 58The Remarkable Reinventing Kimmy Seltzer
This is the second episode in a series that examines reinventing yourself as a single person. Peter McGraw talks to Kimmy Seltzer, a professional who helps people develop confidence and charisma. Kimmy takes an "outside-in" approach, where she helps people improve their look first and then move onto more social, emotional, and psychological issues. In particular, look out for her "Red Dress moment."Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 57Polyamorous With Ideas
EThis episode is part of a mini-series designed to look at reinvention (i.e., making your single life more remarkable). Peter McGraw welcomes Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist and author, to talk about Scott's revision of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Scott debunks some of the mythology around the hierarchy, including that Maslow never drew the pyramid that many of you are so familiar with. Keep an ear out for the moment Scott opens up about his singleness and the opportunity it provides him to "date" many ideas, hence the title of this episode.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 56Solo Thoughts 5: A New Narrative for Singles
What is the story of your life? Peter McGraw presents an alternative narrative for singles that features his new 3R model: Recognize - Rebel - Reinvent.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 55Meet The Honjoks
This episode is related to the recent series on Singles in the Marketplace. Peter McGraw speaks to a journalist – Ann Babe – about a group of Korean singles, Honjoks, who are rebelling against the strong cultural norms in South Korea to marry and have children. Besides going solo, this group is also opting out of the typical high-pressure corporate or service jobs that are highly valued in the culture. It is a fascinating conversation in which they talk about using social media to be anti-social, the pursuit of small but certain happiness, and how Korean businesses are better at marketing to singles than American or European businesses.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 54Welcome to the Gala
EThis week's episode features a remarkable single, Gala Darling. Gala is a “for now” single who is unapologetic about how she lives her life (so get ready for some F-bombs). A speaker, author, and coach, she helps women live their best lives through radical self-love.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 53Best Innovations For Singles
Welcome to the last episode of a three-episode series that examines Singles in the Marketplace. Peter McGraw invites Shane Mauss to talk about the best innovations for singles. No spoilers here, but you will see a theme emerge where the innovation they discuss are related to freedom, mobility, and an escape from the family unit. Moreover, what becomes evident is that these innovations also help singles pursue a diverse set of experiences – to flourish by taking advantage of the time, resources, and freedom that accompanies being single.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 52Selling to Singles
Peter McGraw hosts the second episode of a three-episode series that examines Singles in the Marketplace. He talks to Julie Nirvelli about Selling to Singles. They each present three ideas related to the topic, and Julie shares very exciting news about her solo-inspired small business that she is launching. As always, thank you for spreading the word – and if you want to get involved in the conversation, please apply to join the Solo Slack channel on the solo page of Petermcgraw.org.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 51The Rise Of Single Living
The first of a three-part series that looks at singles in the marketplace, this episode examines the rise of singles. Peter invites a return guest, sociologist and demographer Kris Marsh, to talk about the demographic and cultural changes behind the steep rise of singles and singles living alone – not only in the US, but abroad. They conclude by discussing the implications of these changes for a future that looks bright for people who want to live single and live well.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 50Episode 50: Looking Back And Looking Forward
This week, we celebrate the 50th episode of Solo. To do so, Peter McGraw invites back Julie Nirvelli and Kym Terribile, who joined him on Episode 1 – an Introduction to Solo. He starts by presenting how far the project has come, from its exponential listener growth, fueled by listener word of mouth, to the new Instagram account @unapologetically_unattached. They revisit the themes he set out for the podcast, discuss their favorite episodes, and talk about where the project is headed.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 49What The Buck
This episode welcomes Michael Buckley, a remarkable solo, former YouTube star and now life coach who coaches humanness, not happiness. Michael talks about his process of realizing that being single is an amazing choice, but he had to get past the nagging thought that “it would be nice to have someone.” Peter and Michael talk about his breakthrough and how it changed how he subsequently thought and behaved. Michael dispenses helpful advice, such as how to go to a movie alone and how to move on from an unsatisfying relationship.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 48Digital Nomads
One of the benefits of being solo is optionality. You can do more with your life than the standard Monday through Friday 9-to-5 (or these days 8-to-6). This week’s episode explores an intriguing idea: give up your residence and head out on the road to live and work. The rise of the digital nomad lifestyle has been fueled by the rise of remote work, Airbnb, and other technological advances. Peter McGraw is joined by a digital nomad, Jesse Thomas, and a return guest, Lisa Slavid, to give you an initial glimpse into this exciting yet challenging lifestyle.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 47The Happy Bachelor
In this episode, comedian Alonzo Bodden joins Peter McGraw to talk to Craig Wynne, the author of a new book called The Happy Bachelor. They discuss how the book is different than other books in the single living space, what the term masculinity means to them, and present some tips for being a happy bachelor.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 46Meet The Love Jones Cohort
In this episode, Peter McGraw speaks to Dr. Kris Marsh, a sociologist who researches alternative paths to becoming middle-class for Black Americans. She identifies a group that goes against the assumption that marriage is the path to middle-class living, and she invented a new term SaLA to describe this group: Single and Living Alone. They discuss how TV and Film shed light on this trend before academics noticed it. Hence the title of this episode, The Love Jones Cohort, which is a reference to the 1997 film Love Jones. In particular, Kris helps Peter clarify his thinking about how to think about singlism relative to the other isms, such as racism and sexism – something that came up in Episode 45 Not Lonely. Onely. Most importantly, Kris presents her brilliant response to the question, "Why aren't you married?" That insight alone makes this episode worth listening to.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 45Not Lonely. Onely.
In this episode, Peter McGraw and his guest co-host talks to a singles advocate about the differential benefits that married people receive over single people. They discuss common anti-singles rhetoric and how the questions that singles are asked typically fail simple tests of logic. Recognizing the prejudice against singles is largely overlooked or even accepted, they also talk about ways that non-singles can support their single friends and family members. This week's bonus material reveals a remarkable single from the 1800s--which highlights how far solos have come.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 44Clothing The Solo
Want to dress better? In this episode, Peter McGraw has a far-ranging conversation about fashion with Rachel Lefort, a stylist with more than 20 years of fashion experience. In a previous episode, The Solo’s Promise, Peter explores an alternative story structure to the Hero’s journey. The Virgin’s Promise is a good metaphor for the single person resisting human domestication, embracing solo living, and flourishing—hence the name, A Solo’s Promise. An important part of this alternative structure is the protagonist begins to “dress the part” as he or she fulfill their promise. For example, Cinderella’s transformation begins to occur when she puts on the beautiful ball gown. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Solo community today:petermcgraw.orgPeter McGraw TwitterPeter McGraw LinkedIn

Ep 43Solo Thoughts 4 – Fitting Success Into A Remarkable Life
Are you a “success addict”? Probably not, but it is okay if you are. In this episode, Peter McGraw discusses the good, bad, and ugly of a recent article in The Atlantic about “How to Build a Life.” LOVE THE SHOW? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! JOIN THE SOLO COMMUNITY TODAY:

Ep 42Kevin 2.0 – A Divorced Man Learns To Live Remarkably
What’s it like to start living single—and live remarkably—after a divorce? In this episode, Peter McGraw introduces Kevin Nalty, a divorced man, to Mark Ferne, who helps divorced men and women “get back in the game.” Mark uses his Box of Rocks intake process as a starting point to help Kevin think about his transition. The conversation is uplifting and fun, especially when they talk about physical makeovers. LOVE THE SHOW? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! JOIN THE SOLO COMMUNITY TODAY:

Ep 41How To Go On A Date
Are you good at going on dates? In this episode, Peter McGraw brings together two previous Solo guests—dating coach, Daliya Karnofsky, and a solo friend, Jill Cohen—to talk about “how to go on a date.” The guests present helpful advice, from the obvious, “Brush your teeth,” to the critical, “Approach your dates with a sense of adventure and authenticity.” Note: The group tackles the topic largely from the perspective of traditional stereotyped gender roles between men and women. Peter will return to the topic later with guests who can talk about dating outside of well-known stereotypes. LOVE THE SHOW? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! JOIN THE SOLO COMMUNITY TODAY:

Ep 40When Single Is Not An Option: Indian Matchmaking
EThis episode examines the first season of Indian Matchmaking, a popular yet controversial new Netflix show. Peter McGraw invites his friend Roopali Malhotra, an Indian American friend who has experience using a matchmaker, to discuss the themes of the show. One issue they identify is how living solo (and living well) is barely touched on as a viable option even though some of the characters seem better suited for single living. (Note: It is not necessary to have watched the show to enjoy the podcast.) This week’s bonus material looks at one of the topics that make the show controversial to some: the colorism on display in clients’ preferences. Peter and Roopali also discuss the rampant heightism in the show, but no one seems to be taking issue with that. LOVE THE SHOW? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! JOIN THE SOLO COMMUNITY TODAY:

Ep 39Solo Thoughts 3: A Remarkable Pandemic
COVID got you down? Peter McGraw returns for the third installment of Solo Thoughts, where he shares ideas from his private conversation with fellow solos about how to deal with this damn pandemic. In this episode, he presents three profound observations that you are going to want to think about. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the Solo community today:

Ep 38Solo Thoughts 2: Well-Being
Once you have a healthy life as a foundation, how should you start to think about your remarkable solo life? Welcome to the second installment of Peter McGraw’s attempt to present his ideas minus a guest. In this episode, he talks about creation and consumption, “tidying up,” and the many paths to a good life. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the Solo community today:

Ep 37Solo Thoughts 1: Health
Immune systems are the true heroes in the time of COVID-19, right? Welcome to the first installment in Peter McGraw’s attempt to present his ideas without a guest. In this episode, he talks about health as a foundation for a remarkable life and shares his thoughts on sleep, nutrition, and movement (i.e., exercise and beyond). Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the Solo community today:

Ep 36Are You A Late Bloomer?
Do you identify as a late bloomer? A lot of people do. If you don’t, it is not too late to bloom. This week, Peter McGraw speaks to the author of a book on late blooming, Rich Karlgaard. An important theme in their discussion is that being single allows you time, energy, and financial resources to bloom later in life. They discuss how you may need to “repot” yourself somewhere else and cover the six characteristics of late bloomers. If you stick around to the end, Peter’s guest presents some notable late bloomers. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the Solo community today:

Ep 35Alternative Forms Of Marriage
This episode continues Peter McGraw’s exploration of marriage and its alternatives. He speaks to Vicki Larson, an author of a book that presents models of less traditional forms of marriage. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 34People Who Shouldn’t Have Married
EAs you know, more and more people are delaying marriage or not getting married at all. In the previous hundred plus years, however, nearly everyone got married, but was that always the best choice? In this episode, writer and high school teacher Mary Dahm returns to join Peter McGraw for a fun conversation that looks at some people in history who shouldn’t have gotten married. That is, if they were alive today, they would likely be solo. Peter and Mary end the episode by discussing some fun quotes about marriage. Note: This episode was taped prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet it seems especially fitting as the pandemic is causing people to re-evaluate their lives. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 33Defining Solo
EThis is the second part of Peter McGraw’s conversation with Amy Gahran, the author of Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator: Uncommon Love and Life. They delve deeply into a conversation about solo living as an alternative to the relationship escalator. As a result, Amy helps Peter better define what it means to be solo. Here is a hint: the focus is on autonomy – whether you are single or partnered. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the Solo community today:

Ep 32Getting Off The Relationship Escalator
EThis is the first of two episodes with Amy Gahran, the author of Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator: Uncommon Love and Life. Amy joins Peter McGraw to talk about what it means to ride the relationship escalator – the difficult obligations it entails yet privileges it also creates. Peter and Amy discuss what it means to step off the escalator into an unconventional relationship, which can be stigmatized yet opens opportunities for a remarkable life. They also discuss how relationships success should be defined, the difference between consensual non-monogamy and polyamory, and why “sexual friendships” is a better term than “friends with benefits.” Amy will return in a subsequent episode to talk more deeply about solo living as an alternative to the relationship escalator. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 31Solo Caregiving
Do you have aging parents? This week’s guest, Leighann Lord, is a stand-up comic and solo caregiver for elderly parents. Peter McGraw and Leighann discuss the challenges of being a caregiver and how those responsibilities are often taken up by people who are not married with children. Leighann gives tips for caregivers, and they finish by discussing some ways to begin prepping for getting older yourself. Note: This episode was taped prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet it seems especially fitting as the pandemic is causing people to re-evaluate their lives. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 30Asexuality
EIn this episode, Peter McGraw speaks to David Jay, an asexuality activist, about what it means to be asexual. They discuss the prevalence of asexuality in the population, as well as their shared perspective about the importance of being connected to a wide array of people. If you stick around to the end, they recap by defining terms that are often overlooked when talking about people’s sexual and romantic preferences. Note: Peter is still in the desert and dealing with less than ideal equipment. Please be patient with the sound quality. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 29Financial Stress In The Time Of COVID
Living a remarkable life should be fun, but it takes work. This episode is on the more serious side. Money Amy returns (from episode seven) to address the financial distress that some listeners are experiencing due to the pandemic. Peter McGraw and Amy talk about tactics to get your financial house in order (and your house in order, more generally). A few things to be ready for: 1) you are going to need to dedicate some real time to figuring out your financial situation, 2) you will need to make sacrifices – in other words, you must learn to stop spending money on things that are not truly important, and 3) you may have to make big changes to your housing situation – maybe even get rid of your car. If you stick around to the end, Peter gives a few book recommendations and make a case for the opportunity to build a better financial future and to pivot your career and maybe start a side hustle that could become a new business. Note: This episode was taped prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet it seems especially fitting as the pandemic is causing people to re-evaluate their lives. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 28Are Single People Cool?
Single people are way cooler than married people, right? To answer this question, Peter McGraw turns to Caleb Warren, who has developed “the” theory of coolness. In this week’s bonus material, Peter presents some cool people, and Caleb uses his theory to explains what makes them cool. Note: This episode was taped prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet it seems especially fitting as the pandemic is causing people to re-evaluate their lives. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 27Solos, Sex, And Evolution – Part 2
EIn the second part of this two-part series, Peter McGraw continues his conversation with Martie Haselton, a scientist who specializes in evolutionary psychology, and Shane Mauss, a comic who has material about dating and mating from an evolutionary perspective. The guests continue their far-ranging conversation covering topics from how the modern mind has not adapted to the invention of birth control, to why children may be viewed as parasites, to the puzzles that evolutionary psychology struggles to answer. They also explore the tension between a solo lifestyle, people’s evolutionary motives, and a culture shaped by ancestral desires. Note: This episode was taped prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet it seems especially fitting as the pandemic is causing people to re-evaluate their lives. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 26Solos, Sex, And Evolution – Part 1
EIn the first part of this two-part series, Peter McGraw talks to Martie Haselton, a scientist who specializes in evolutionary psychology and Shane Mauss, a comic who has material about dating and mating from an evolutionary perspective. The guests present a primer on evolutionary psychology, and they have a far-ranging conversation covering topics from how the modern mind has not adapted to the invention of birth control, to why children may be viewed as parasites, to the puzzles that evolutionary psychology struggles to answer. They also explore the tension between a solo lifestyle, people’s evolutionary motives, and a culture shaped by ancestral desires. Note: This episode was taped prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet it seems especially fitting as the pandemic is causing people to re-evaluate their lives. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 25The Solo’s Promise
EWhat if the hero’s journey isn’t the best story structure to describe the process of becoming unapologetically unattached? This episode examines an alternative to the hero’s journey with the unfortunate name of The Virgin’s Promise. I speak to Kimberly Kessler, who presents this alternative model as a way to escape human domestication and thrive as a single person. She also relates The Virgin’s Promise to well-known stories, such as Cinderella, Frozen, Billy Elliot, and even Rocky. If you stick around for the bonus material, Kim, who is married with children, talks about how non-solos can support their solo friends and family. Note: This episode was taped prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet it seems especially fitting as the pandemic is causing people to re-evaluate their lives. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 24Married To Comedy
EPeter sits down with two solo comedians—Neal Brennan and Alonzo Bodden—for a far-reaching conversation. The guests speak frankly and unapologetically about comedy, relationships, dating, and their single lives. If you stick around to the end, they give some advice about how to have a conversation with dates about your solo lifestyle. Note: This episode was taped prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet it seems especially fitting as the pandemic is causing people to re-evaluate their lives. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 23Are You The Hero In The Story Of Your Life?
EAs you may know, I like to ask, “Are you the hero in the movie of your life?” To make a better sense of what that means, Peter McGraw speaks to a writer, editor, and expert on story structure about the hero’s journey and what it means for you and the change you want to make — due to the pandemic or otherwise. Note: It helps to have seen the movie The Matrix, but it isn’t a deal-breaker if you haven’t. If you stick around the end, Peter’s guest applies the hero’s journey framework to some well-known stories. Note: This episode was taped prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet it seems especially fitting as the pandemic is causing people to re-evaluate their lives. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 22Sharpening Your Sword
EHow are you using your quarantine? This episode was scheduled in haste after Peter McGraw received an uplifting email from a friend and SOLO listener who is using the quarantine to “sharpen his sword.” Peter’s guest talks about his nearly 60 30-day challenges and how they make him fulfilled but difficult to date. Note: This episode was taped prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet it seems especially fitting as the pandemic is causing people to re-evaluate their lives. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 21Divorce in the Time of Corona
There’s emerging evidence, anecdotal and statistical, that the quarantine is – not surprisingly – putting strains on partnerships. In this episode, Peter McGraw talks to a former divorce litigator and now divorce mediator. His guest dishes out some important advice for divorced people, married people contemplating a divorce, and single people who are contemplating marriage. In the bonus material, Peter explains what the divorce rate really means. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 20Not A Solo Trip
EOne obvious way to grow is to travel, but what if you can’t leave the house? With psychedelics, you don’t need to leave the house to take a trip. In this episode, Peter McGraw sits down with a psychedelic educator and community leader, Ashley Booth, to talk about the history of psychedelics, their potential to help with a variety of mood disorders, and their promise to be a way to help people make profound positive changes in their lives. They are joined by Shane Mauss, a comedian who has tried lots of psychedelics and has a comedy show about his experiences. Note: This episode was taped prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet it seems especially fitting as the pandemic is causing people to re-evaluate their lives. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 19Write Your Way Out
Can you use writing to make remarkable change, create something extraordinary, or deal with difficult times? Absolutely. Peter speaks to a writer and friend about using writing to create more than you consume. They discuss how writing is not as solo an activity as you might think. Just as you need others to live remarkably, you need others to write for others. Peter also tries out a new segment called “Things Pete Thinks, ” and if you stick around for the bonus material, his guest presents fascinating case studies about the lengths that writers will go to in order to excel at their craft. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the I’m Not Joking community today:

Ep 18Tips For The Solo Entrepreneur
Is pandemic pandemonium making you consider professional changes in order to live a more remarkable life? This week’s episode can help–and coincides with the launch of Peter’s new book, Shtick to Business: What the Masters of Comedy Can Teach you About Breaking Rules, Being Fearless and Building a Serious Career. You can find it as a book, eBook, or an Audible on Amazon. Keeping with that theme, Peter speaks to two friends and entrepreneurs about tips for those of you who want to start a business or just want to get more out of your career. The three present three tips for the entrepreneurial-minded listener, and we discuss special considerations for the solo entrepreneur. If you stick around till the end, for the bonus material, Peter covers a bonus lesson from Shtick to Business where he talks about taking a bigger stage. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the Solo community today:

Ep 17Lisa’s Second Mountain
With the turmoil in the world, are you imagining starting over and pursuing a new remarkable life? Peter and his co-host, Isabella Imani, speak to his old friend Lisa Slavid, who is starting a new chapter—or, as they conclude, beginning to climb her second mountain. Lisa is a great guest because of her remarkable Solo life, but she is also an expert in strategic planning—and gives you some tips about how to become a better planner, including how to plan to climb your second mountain. They cover a ton of great topics, including asking whether you have money problems or time problems (or both). They discuss the book The Four Agreements and the dangers of human domestication and disclose how much Peter likes it when people bet on themselves. Note: Some episodes launching around now were taped prior to the crisis. Others were taped after. This one was taped after. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the Solo community today:

Ep 16Making Single Friends And More
How can you meet single people for friendships or more? In this episode, Peter speaks to Daliya Karnofsky and Avra Friedman, the co-hosts and co-creators of All My Single Friends, a live show that is part-comedy show and part-dating show. They discuss a variety of topics, including tips for meeting people in real life, why a bad date is not a waste of time, and why divorced folks might need a makeover. For this week’s bonus material, Peter’s guests critique his online dating profile. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the Solo community today: