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

  1. 17 HR AGO

    Thursday Thoughts — Brainwash Yourself

    Send us Fan Mail On today’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about brainwashing ourselves with beliefs that are actually going to serve us. Whether we know it or not, our lives are quietly being run by the subconscious beliefs that we hold - some of which are helping us, many of which are not. The good news is that we can choose to change our beliefs anytime we like; so if you believe that “life goes downhill once you hit 50”, or “being single makes me a loser”, you aren’t stuck with those limiting beliefs forever. It’s simply a matter of choosing a different, more empowering belief, and reinforcing that new one in the same way you reinforce the negative ones. Ultimately, a belief is just a thought you think over and over and over again - so…it’s time to start paying attention to the stories on repeat in your monkey mind. We sincerely hope that you’ll find something useful in here. Love, Polly & Lucy x Support the show Buy 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 Most Annoying 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!

    35 min
  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    The One Where I Talk To New York Times Bestseller & Desert Dweller, Brianna Madia — Part 1

    Send us Fan Mail My guest this week is the wonderful Brianna Madia. Back in 2016, with her then husband and her dogs, Brianna moved into their 1990 Ford van and started sharing her life on Instagram. Her following grew quickly and she became one of the first van life influencers — which has led to brand deals and three book deals — as people became fascinated with her colourful, interesting and adventurous life, much of which was spent in the desert in deepest darkest Utah. Then, one fateful day, one of her beloved dogs, Dagwood, was caught under the wheel of their van in a tragic accident, with her ex-husband at the wheel and her in the passenger seat. They drove 6 hours to get Dagwood to a vetinary hospital to save him. In the meantime, Brianna’s Mum started a Go Fund Me page to help with the extortionate cost of the vet bills, and Brianna’s generous followers kindly covered the cost; however, in an attempt to protect her ex, she didn’t initially tell her followers that it was him at the wheel. Dagwood survived, but the whole thing was the beginning of the end of her relationship, as well as the start of a pretty dark phase in her life. Following their split, Brianna subsequently came clean about the fact that her ex had been driving the van when Dagwood was run over, and what followed was a hate campaign of vitriol and bullying that saw an entire community form on Reddit purely to take her down - resulting in losing several brand deals. The worst thing was that Brianna discovered that her ex had actually joined the Reddit thread and was fueling the fire of all of this hate. Brianna’s brilliant new book, Homesick Nomad, is the story of what followed, including a new - but unconventional - relationship with a man called William. Brianna, who is childfree by choice, still lives in her trailer in the desert in Utah, while William lives in Oregon. In our conversation we talk about so many things including some of what she went through with regards the hate she received and essentially being cancelled on the internet, her love of solitude, her choice to not have kids, and last but not least her beloved dogs, including Dagwood who sadly passed in November last year. Homesick Nomad is out now. 05:41 Van Life to Viral Fame 08:11 Dagwood Accident and Divorce 13:42 Homesick Nomad Overview 15:34 Desert Solitude and Cancel Culture 16:18 New Love and Self Definition 22:56 Women, Misogyny and Online Hate 25:36 Criticism vs Harassment 26:18 Dehumanising Online Mobs 30:34 Unfollow and Take Control 32:16 Hate Following Explained 34:18 Why Haters Aren't Happy 37:13 Out of State Fiancé 42:58 Independence Over Tradition 44:37 Thriving Solo and No Kids Buy Brianna's book: https://www.briannamadia.com/homesicknomad Fol Support the show Buy 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 Most Annoying 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!

    53 min
  3. 7 APR

    The One Where I Talk To Professor & Creator Of The Burned Haystack Method, Jennie Young

    Send us Fan Mail My guest this week is the brilliant Jennie Young, a professor of rhetoric at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, specialising in applied rhetoric, humour, and feminism.  When Jennie found herself stepping into the world of dating apps following her divorce, she was shocked by the bizarre communication habits that had become normal in online dating. As a rhetoric professor specialising in critical discourse analysis, she realised that she could use her training to decode patterns and protect herself from offensive messages and terrible dates. Jennie started cataloging what she saw and began to experiment with her own profile. As a result, although the messages coming slowed to a crawl, the ones that got through were solid matches.  From this was born her Burned Haystack Method, a ruthless approach to online dating that I personally think is not only brilliant, but also the only way to date if you’re going to be on the apps. In February 2023, Jennie started a free Facebook group to teach other women this approach and today the community is  more than 250,000 strong. You guys are going to LOVE this episode because whether you’re dating or not, if you’re a woman who has date men, you’re going to be nodding your head and rolling your eyes as you listen to this conversation. Jennie’s brand new book, Burn The Haystack, is out TODAY if you’re in North America, and it’s out on 23rd April if you’re in the UK. 02:15 Meet Jennie Young 05:02 Jenny Origin Story 07:12 Why Apps Feel Awful 08:56 Burned Haystack Begins 12:36 Bad Advice Women Get 15:31 Needle in Haystack Metaphor 17:28 Rules and Discourse Analysis 23:46 Rhetorical Red Flags 31:08 Block to Burn Rule 36:21 No Pen Pals 40:08 Safety and Location Settings 41:16 Geography Matters 41:56 Ludic Looping Trap 47:33 Dating Like Job Search 49:01 Book And Method 50:56 Top Red Flags 56:38 Green Flags And Profiles 58:34 Being Ruthless Works 01:01:12 Women Give Chances 01:06:34 Method Beyond Dating 01:08:16 Her Success Story 01:10:51 Chemistry And Spark Check out Jennie's website: https://www.jennieyoung.com/ Buy Jennie's book, Burn The Haystack: https://www.jennieyoung.com/burn-the-haystack-book But the book on Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Burn-Haystack-Decode-Dating-Matter/dp/0063447576 Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/9116647515019601/ Support the show Buy 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 Most Annoying 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!

    1hr 21min

About

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

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