Squiggly Careers

Helen talks to Matthew Syed about the power of diverse thinking in this week's Squiggly Careers podcast.They tackle topics including growth mindset, collective intelligence and cognitive diversity, focusing in on how to put all of the theory into action for individuals, teams and organisations.For more on this episode, head to www.amazingif.com and read more about Matthew's work at www.matthewsyed.co.uk. Rebels Ideas is out in paperback now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Helen and Sarah give you the skills to develop strong resilience. They cover how to assess your steady state of resilience, how to think about your emotional agility, fear setting and learning to invest in your support solar system. For full resources visit amazingif.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For a special episode Sarah talks to Dr. Margaret Heffernan - author of 'Uncharted: How to Map the Future Together'. They talk about the difference between a complicated and complex world, why we need to build relationships based on generosity and the importance of friends at work (particularly in a crisis). For more visit amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Sarah and Helen discuss the difference between your comfort and courage learning zones and why they both matter. Together they discuss ideas and actions you can take to spend more time in either zone including building your BMDs (brief moments of discomfort), connecting with challengers and knowing that not right now is not the same as not ever.For more information on this episode head to www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As our working lives go through a significant period of change, it's never been more important to show kindness to others. Everyone is going through their own challenges and we can all play a role in supporting each other. In this week's episode, Helen and Sarah talk through small and practical ways we can all show up with kindness at work.For more information on this episode, head to www.amazingif.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listening plays a big part in our working lives, but often it's something we struggle to do well. Distractions, our own agendas, thoughts and feelings can all affect the quality of our listening efforts. In this week's Squiggly Careers podcast, hosts Helen and Sarah talk about their 4 top tips for being a brilliant listener, including how to assess yourself against '6 listening levels', how to create 'time to think' and how to make sure your listening efforts creates insight that lasts.Head to amazingif.com for links to resources. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode Sarah interviews two women leading the charge to make our world a better place. Kajal Odedre, director of change.org and author of 'Do Something': together they discuss how everyone can be an activist. She then chats to Lauren Bravo, author of 'How to break up with fast fashion', to figure out what we can all do to make better choices about the clothes that we buy and wear, benefitting ourselves and our planet.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode for International Women's Day, Helen talks to 3 guests about the topic of female entrepreneurship. With Sarah King and Claire Dunn (founders of We Are Radikl) she discusses the systemic barriers that can hold women back from starting and scaling businesses and how they are supporting women to break them down. She then talks to Natalie Campbell, a serial entrepreneur about the confidence that has enabled her to succeed, what she has learned through her journey and what her advice is to other female founders.To find out more about Sarah and Claire's work head to www.weareradikl.co.ukTo follow Natalie, head to @nataliedcampbell (Instagram). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode for International Women's Day, Helen and Sarah talk to two men who champion women in the workplace. First, Helen talks to Josh Graff (UK Country Manager for LinkedIn) about the actions he takes as a leader to support women at work. Sarah then talks to Daniele Fiandaca about Token Man, an initiative he founded to include men in the discussion of diversity and focus on solutions that benefit everyone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part 2 of this special episode for International Women's Day, Helen talks to Ann Francke, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute about the commercial benefit of gender diverse workplaces and where issues arise in our organisations.Ann's book is: Ann Francke OBE - Creating Gender Diverse Workplaces Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part 1 of 2 of this special episode for International Women's Day, Helen and Sarah talk to different guests to get their perspective on how women can break through glass walls and glass pyramids at work. In part 1 they talk to Kathryn Jacob OBE and Sue Unerman, about the strategies for success that women can use to combat bias and barriers at work.Their book is called:Kathryn Jacob OBE and Sue Unerman - The Glass Wall: Success Strategies for Women at Work - and Businesses that Mean Business Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Sarah talks to three CEOs who happen to be women. Sarah interviews Cilla Snowball, Eithne O'Leary and Kate Stephens about the reality of life as a CEO, the role of a support network and how to build the confidence to put yourself forward for, and succeed, in the top job. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of our special series, Sarah interviews Ella Dolphin, CEO of The Stylist Group. Together they discuss how gender is portrayed in the media and how with great power, comes great responsibility. The media has always set the narrative around women – but its permeating untruths, false expectations and dangerous stereotypes. Research by Dove shows that 70% of women do not feel represented by media and advertising. Ella reveals how to challenge outdated views and change the representation of women in the media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special epsiode to support International Women's Day, Helen interviews broadcaster, journalist and author Emma Barnett. Together, they discuss Emma's book 'It's about bloody time. Period.". They get into the issues that arise at work when people feel unable to talk about their periods, the reasons why it's become taboo and how we can fight back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's easier than ever to think the grass is always greener, we see perfect lives and curated workplaces on social media and can feel left out. In this episode Sarah and Helen give tips on how to avoid comparing yourself to others, including knowing your triggers, the 'Shine Theory' and shifting from comparison to control.For more, visit amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's Squiggly Careers episode was recorded Live at the Sunday Times Life Lessons festival where Helen and Sarah were joined by Tom Chapman, Pip Murray and Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton to talk about work and wellbeing. With Tom, Helen and Sarah explore the need to create safe spaces for people to talk about mental health and the the venture he started (Lions Barber Collective). With Pip Murray, founder of Pip & Nut, they talk about the challenge of prioritising your wellbeing when you are starting and scaling a business. Finally, with Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, they talk about overcoming adversity, development resilience and dealing with discrimination. For more information on this week's guests, see links below: - Tom Chapman (https://www.thelionsbarbercollective.com/) - Pip Murray (www.pipandnut.com) - Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton (https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/1082529/dr-sabrina-cohen-hatton.html) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For a special bonus edition of the show Sarah takes to the streets to talk to David Pearl, founder of Street Wisdom and author of 'Wanderful'. They discuss using walking for ideas, embracing the unexpected and the real meaning of the word career.For more resources, visit www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's not enough to just know what you're great at. In order to do your best work you need to spend time making sure your strengths show up and stand out at work. When your strengths are visible to others, they can help to spot opportunities for you to use them more, which means you make a bigger impact and are happier in your work.In this week's episode of the Squiggly Careers podcast, hosts Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis share their top tips for taking control of your strengths and making sure you use them as much as possible in your work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boundaries have never been harder to manage at work. Technology, pace and the volume of work we're all dealing with are causing us to blur our work and home life, our relationships and our identity.Maintaining boundaries are key to our health and success over the long-term, and this week's podcast is designed to support you in putting boundaries in place that work for you. Sarah and Helen share examples of their boundaries and their top tips to help you with yours.For more resources, head to www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's Squiggly Careers podcast Helen and Sarah discuss the value of hard vs soft skills and being a specialist vs. a generalist in your career. They talk about the benefits and limitations of both and their views of where to focus your efforts in your career development. For more information on this episode, head to amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Helen and Sarah take Squiggly Careers Live. Listen as they are joined in London by founder of social enterprise Year Here, Jack Graham, entrepreneur Shaa Wasmund and founder of MOBOs, Kanya King.Hear stories of tenacity, resilience and amazing career support networks that have helped guests on this episode succeed in their squiggly careers. The episode concludes with a career manifesto from the inspirational and award-winning Bejay Mulenga. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen and Sarah talk to two inspirational women about their fascinating and very squiggly career journeys.Sarah talks to award-winning social entrepreneur Dr Caroline Casey, who took a life changing decision at 28 to leave her successful career as a management consultant and travel across India on an elephant. Since then, Caroline's career has been committed to building a global movement on inclusive business. Helen then talks to Polly McMaster, founder and CEO of empowering women's clothing brand The Fold. Polly's squiggly career includes a PhD in molecular biology, an MBA, healthcare consulting and private equity in the healthcare industry. Hear about they have kept learning, stayed resilient and navigated the ups and downs of their squiggly career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen and Sarah are back with week 2 of their special series of squiggly career stories.This week they are talking to journalist, writer and comedian Viv Groskop, compulsive connector Roland Harwood and Roma Agrawal, a structural engineer who designed The Shard. Hear about how to make role transitions, build strong networks, manage career lows and celebrate the highs.For more on this episode, head to www.amazingif.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate the launch of Helen and Sarah’s book The Squiggly Career, January’s Squiggly Careers podcast will feature lots of special guests sharing their own unique and inspiring squiggly career stories.This week, Sarah and Helen interview author and podcaster Emma Gannon to discuss how she has curated her career and inspired others to do the same. They are also joined by Levi Roots, who talks through the ups, downs, twists and turns of a career that spans music, entrepreneurship and media.For more information on this episode, head to www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen and Sarah are back for part 2 of their ‘20 Questions for 2020 episode’ where they help you to set yourself up for success in the year ahead. This week their topics include gratitude, habits and grit. Listen to their answers and reflect on your own. The full list of 20 questions can be found at www.amazingif.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Helen and Sarah talk about 10 questions to help you reflect on 2019 and be your best in 2020. They share their own answers and insights on topics including strengths, networks and personal brand. The full list of 20 questions can be found at www.amazingif.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Squiggly Careers are great, but they are not always easy and they are definitely not straight-forward. Things go wrong just as much as they go right and in a world where we often focus on the shiny, filtered view that people may share, we can forget all the challenges that were faced along the way.In this week's episode of the Squiggly Careers podcast, hosts Helen and Sarah talk about failure, challenges and difficulties and how to respond with growth mindset and resilience.For links mentioned in this week's episode, head to www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Storytelling is a skill which can help you to connect with others and to share your ideas in a compelling way.It's a valuable skill to develop for your career and in this week's podcast, Helen and Sarah share their top tips for developing your storytelling abilities at work and the stories to focus on first.For links mentioned in this week's episode, head to www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How better to end another year of Squiggly Careers podcasts than by bringing some extraordinary people into the Squiggly Careers studio to celebrate!This week, Helen and Sarah talk to 4 people who between them are helping people unleash their extraordinary, creating a world of work without bias and helping women around the world see and use their power. Listen to Tom and James (founders of Tempest Two and Dose), Lauren Currie (Managing Director of NOBL and founder of Upfront) and Lizzie Pennie (Co-founder of Hoxby) share honest reflections about their energy gains and drains of 2019, what they have learnt along the way and where they will focus their amazing talents in 2020.Head to www.amazingif.com to for links and resources mentioned in this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many of us struggle to ask for the help we need to succeed at work.Often we fear what asking for help might say about us and our competence or assume that we can fix everything ourselves! In squiggly careers this will hold us back, preventing us from tapping into the energy and expertise around us and using our own talents on what we do best not just what needs to be done.In this week's episode, Helen and Sarah talk about the realities of asking for help at work and share their top tips for finding authentic ways to get the help you need.If you'd like to come along to the Squiggly Careers Live on January 20th, get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/squiggly-careers-book-launch-live-podcast-tickets-83247039135 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know that 8/10 of us would be more engaged in our work if we were having regular careers conversations but only 16% of us actually are?There is a lot that we can do as individuals to have effective career conversations and in this week's podcast, Sarah and Helen share 6 different ideas that you can put into action. You can find a summary of the key points and thinks to resources over at amazing if.com.To join our new Squiggly Career Community on Facebook head to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/504139060131940/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Sarah interviews Jennifer Petriglieri, an Associate Professor at INSEAD and author of 'Couples that Work – how dual-career couples can thrive in love and work.' Jennifer has spent five years researching ‘dual career couples’ from over thirty countries from executives to entrepreneurs, from couples at the beginning of their careers to dual career grandparents.They discuss what ‘dual career couples are’ and explore the three significant transitions couples experience. Together they delve into the key question for couples to ask at each transition: 1) ‘How can we make this work? 2) What do we really want? 3) Who are we now? Jennifer shares practical ideas and actions that couples can take to navigate each transition successfully as well as what traps to look out for along the way. Finally, Sarah discusses the idea of couple contracting with Jennifer; who explains why we all need to talk to our partners about our values boundaries and fears regardless of what life-stage we are at. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Self-esteem has been linked to higher levels of happiness, satisfaction and quality of relationships.The day to day challenges of demanding work, tricky stakeholders and social-media led comparison can significantly impact our belief in our worth and value. In this week's Squiggly Careers podcast, hosts Helen and Sarah talk about how to measure and grow your self-confidence, sharing tools and tops to build belief in yourself.For links and resources, head over to amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Squiggly Careers are full of choice and opportunity which can sometimes mean we are faced with more decisions than we can handle.In absence of a clear and confident reason to say ‘no’, we can find ourselves drowning in the things we say yes to by default. In this week’s podcast, Helen and Sarah talk about how to say ‘no’, sharing their experiences of getting it right (and getting it wrong).They talk through their top tips for how to say no in a way that feels right for you and share other resources they think will help.Head to amazingif.com for links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Sarah interviews Viv Groskop, author of How to Own the Room (and host of the brilliant podcast with the same name). Together they discuss three ways in which you can improve your presence, performance and authenticity and generally ‘be more’.First up Viv shares why her unofficial and unpaid job is to be Michelle Obamas biggest fan, and shares how we can all be more Michelle. A big part of this is achieving what Viv calls ‘happy high status’ and she shares the actions we need to take to make that happen in our work.Then Sarah and Viv discuss storytelling and how to be more JK Rowling. And last and most importantly how you can be more you. Why nerves are not going to go away (and why that’s ok) and why it's useful to remember that its not all about you!Viv combines humour with piercing insights (no surprise that she’s both a stand up comedian and a journalist) in a way that will leave you feeling confident about how you can Own the Room. For further resources visit amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our squiggly careers are full of change and uncertainty. At times, that can take the form of organisational restructures and even job redundancies. These challenging times can make us question what we're great at and what we should do next.In this week's podcast, Sarah and Helen share their experiences and their top advice is this is something you find yourself experiencing.For links to further resources, head to www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen talks to Marie Forleo about her new book 'Everything is Figureoutable' and what insights we can apply to our future careers.Their conversation covers how to build great networks, the importance of creating a vision and how you build your resilience.For resources and links, head over to www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this weeks episode Sarah interviews Scott Morrison one of the authors of Creative Superpowers and founder of bringer of the BOOM!Scott shares with Sarah why we all need to learn to teach ourselves by unlearning and relearning and how this connects to a growth mindset. Together they discuss how learning by doing and learning from unexpected places helps us to solve problems in new ways and what practical actions you can take to bring creativity to whatever job you're doing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All of the data points to meetings being an increasingly ineffective way of us getting work done. In this week’s podcast, Helen and Sarah explore what’s going wrong with meetings, sharing their own experiences of the good and not so good and thoughts on common wisdom to make them better. They conclude with tips and approaches that work for them and might also be useful for you too. For links to additional resources, head over to www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In celebration of 100 episodes of the Squiggly Careers podcast, hosts Helen and Sarah bring together 4 people that are making work better for everyone with a live studio audience.In this episode you'll hear from Simon Biltcliffe about how marxist-capitalism creates a new operating model for work, Pip Jamieson and Dan Murray-Serter about the entrepreneurs reality of launching and running The Dots and Heights and John Vincent, co-founder of Leon about what we can learn from Wing Tsun and why winning at work, doesn't mean fighting.For more information, head over to www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Sarah interviews special guest Dame Stephanie Shirley; tech pioneer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. In this episode we talk about what it was like to start a tech business as a woman in 1962 with a £6 initial investment (she went on to make £150m, at least £65m of which she has given away).We talk about her book Let It Go and her secrets to success including having faith in others, relentless enthusiasm and building a values led, progressive organisation.If you'd like to read more Sarah has written an article for Management Today profiling Dame Stephanie which you can find, along with our other career resources, on www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you ever struggle to speak up or feel frustrated in your ability to share your views and opinions at work? If so, don't worry, in this week's Squiggly Career podcast Helen and Sarah share their top 5 tips for preparing for and engaging in a courageous conversation. Listen to their stories and insights to increase your confidence and inspire action. For additional resources, head over to www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Sarah is joined by special guest and co-author of the book, No Hard Feelings, Mollie West Duffy. Mollie shares her insights and ideas about the new rules of emotions at work including: be less passionate about your job, inspire yourself and why your feelings aren't facts. Together they discuss how you can use your emotions at work positively and the benefits it will bring for both you and your colleagues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Helen talks to Rachael Glynne from LinkedIn to help you make the most of the platform. Whether you are an active user or you’ve let your profile gather dust, this week’s podcast will help you to standout on LinkedIn and build your brand and network. Head to www.amazingif.com to access links to any resources mentioned. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emails. Projects. Meetings. The long list of things you want to do and things you think you should do! Our work can sometimes feel overwhelming and difficult to manage. In this week’s Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen and Sarah talk about how to cut through the noise and prioritise your work. They cover tools, tips and tricks that you can put in place to give you more control over and confidence in where you are spending your time so it can make the biggest difference to you in your squiggly career. Head to amazingif.com for resources to accompany this week’s episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you haven't heard of Heather McGregor, you need to listen to this week's Squiggly Careers podcast! Heather is one of the most squiggly and brilliant people we have met and have long been inspired by her journey. Her book 'Careers Advice for Ambitious Women' sparked the thinking for our business Amazing If and we have been inspired by her career journey ever since. Listen to this week's podcast to hear about how to manage your career, where to invest your time and efforts and why being in control of your finances pays career dividends. Links to resources mentioned are over at www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Squiggly Careers allow people to try many different modes of work and one that comes up a lot for our community is freelancing. If you’re curious about what work is like as a freelancer and how you go about making the leap from corporate life to freelance, this week’s episode is a must listen. We’ve invited Matthew Knight, founder of the Leapers Community, and Chloé Jepps, Head of Research at IPSE into the Squiggly Careers studio to explore the highs, lows, ins and outs of a career as a freelancer. Links to resources mentioned are over at www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Negotiation can feel like one of those skills we know we could be better at, but we're not sure how to go about improving. It's in the moments when we know negotiating would really help us (think salary negotiations and job crafting) that we often realise we've got work to do in order to successfully and confidently ask for what we want. In this week's Squiggly Careers podcast, Sarah (a great negotiator) and Helen (a work in progress), share their experiences and top tips for approaching key conversations at work confidentially and negotiating your way through to the outcomes you want. For resources and links, head to www.amazingif.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Managing for the first time can feel like a daunting experience that triggers all kinds of Confidence Gremlins. What if I get found out? How do I help people when I don't know how to help myself? How do I feel in control without micromanaging? In this week's Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen and Sarah share the moments they started managing and their top insights and actions to help you be the kind of manager that makes a positive and lasting impact on the people that work for you. All resources mentioned are linked over at www.amazingif.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loneliness is a growing issue in the workplace and one that we can all take action on to support people. In this week's podcast, Helen interviews Tracey Crouch, the UK's first Minister for Loneliness about the Loneliness Strategy and the work being done to support individuals and organisations to create more belonging at work. For resources and links mentioned on the podcast, head to amazingif.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.