Squiggly Careers

The Squiggly Career
  • 5.0 (52)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Squiggly Careers is a weekly podcast that will help you take control of your career development. Hosted by the founders of Amazing If (https://www.amazingif.com/), Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper, together they cover all things work: from how to manage stress and overcome your confidence gremlins to micro-aggressions and discovering your strengths. Each episode is full of ideas, actions, hints, and tips that you can put into practice straight away.  Every so often they take a break from talking to each other to interview other people who are leading the way in making work better. Past guests include entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley, author of The Joy of Work Bruce Daisley, and neuroscience expert Amy Brann.  The Squiggly Careers podcast has been recommended by Harvard Business Review, Stylist, Marie Claire and Management Today. For more ideas, tools and inspiration every week, you can also sign up to their newsletter Squiggly Careers in Action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1D AGO

    How To Be a Speed Learner in 5 Minutes

    In this Squiggly Shortcut, Helen shares five practical ideas to help you become a speed learner at work — so you can keep growing, adapting, and learning even when time is tight. From instant inspiration to everyday experiments, these quick and simple strategies will help you learn faster, stay curious, and build learning into your day-to-day routine. Episode 511 🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster: 🇺🇸 PRH US – https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn 🇬🇧 Amazon UK – https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome to Squiggly Shortcuts 00:24 The difference between speed and slow learning 01:15 Idea 1 02:05 Idea 2 02:55 Idea 3 03:45 Idea 4 04:30 Idea 5 05:15 Where to learn more 🎯 What You’ll Learn - How to learn faster without feeling overwhelmed - Why reflection and feedback accelerate your growth - Practical ways to build learning into your workday 📚 Resources Mentioned Superhuman AI - superhuman.com For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 🏃‍♀️ Join the Skills x AI Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz 📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction 📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 min

  2. 3D AGO

    The Marshmallow Test: How to Master Delayed Gratification for Career Success

    This week on the Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from a sweet source — the marshmallow experiment — to explore how the science of delayed gratification applies to our work and career choices. Inspired by the famous psychology study, they unpack what it means to make one marshmallow versus two marshmallow decisions — the everyday trade-offs between instant satisfaction and long-term success. From replying to emails and saying yes to everything, to applying for jobs and building relationships, Helen and Sarah share real-life examples of how to recognise and reframe your choices for greater impact. You’ll learn how to spot your own marshmallow moments, connect them to what motivates you most, and choose progress over quick wins (at least some of the time!). Episode 510 🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster: PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 03:53 The Marshmallow Experiment explained 05:43 Why delayed gratification matters for squiggly careers 06:43 The shiny object trap — instant wins vs. long-term goals 08:13 One vs. Two Marshmallow choices at work 10:53 Email decisions — control vs. quality 16:23 Saying yes vs. saying no — and why “no” can lead to more impact 24:03 Career choices — applying vs. creating opportunities 29:03 Building relationships and the “giant marshmallow” payoff 30:53 How to spot your marshmallow moments 🎯 What You’ll Learn - How to apply the concept of delayed gratification to your career - Why awareness of short-term vs. long-term trade-offs boosts progress - How to make intentional choices that lead to more impact - Ways to balance quick wins with meaningful goals 📚 Resources Mentioned The Marshmallow Test by Walter Mischel https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marshmallow-Test-Understanding-Self-control-Master/dp/0552168866 Delayed Gratification article by James Clear https://jamesclear.com/delayed-gratification For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 🏃‍♀️ Join the Skills x AI Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz 📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction 📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min

  3. NOV 6

    Squiggly Shortcut: You Don’t Need a Perfect Plan to Change Careers — Here’s What to Do Instead

    Most of us will change career up to 5 times in our squiggly careers. In this shortcut, Sarah shares why career change isn’t about having the perfect plan — it’s about getting started. She gives three practical ways to make progress without pressure, from small experiments to curious conversations that open new doors. Episode 509 🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster: 🇺🇸 PRH US – https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn 🇬🇧 Amazon UK – https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome to Squiggly Shortcuts 00:28 Why “perfect plans” hold us back 01:05 Idea 1 02:15 Idea 2 03:35 Idea 3 04:50 Why small actions build big confidence 05:10 Where to learn more 🎯 What You’ll Learn - How to stop overthinking your next move - Why progress matters more than perfection - How to turn small steps into big opportunities - How to reframe uncertainty as growth 🎧 For more ideas, listen to Episode 379, where Sarah interviews April Rinne about navigating career change with confidence. For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 🏃‍♀️ Join the Skills x AI Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz 📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction 📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    7 min

  4. NOV 4

    Team Emotional Intelligence: The Secret to High-Performing Teams

    This week on the Squiggly Careers podcast, Sarah and Helen borrow brilliance from Vanessa Urch Druskat’s research on team emotional intelligence, first featured in Harvard Business Review. While emotional intelligence is often talked about at an individual level, this episode explores what happens when you apply it to teams — and how emotional awareness can build motivation, trust, and high performance together. Sarah shares how she used AI (Claude) to turn Druskat’s research into a practical team emotional intelligence quiz, helping teams assess their habits and find simple ways to improve. Episode 508 
 🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster: PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:35 What is team emotional intelligence and why it matters 03:41 Awareness + action: how teams build emotional understanding 06:30 Sarah’s experiment 09:20 The three key dimensions of team emotional intelligence 10:50 Understanding each other better 13:30 Action idea: Challenge & Build feedback ritual 21:40 Action idea: Scenario planning made simple 33:45 Action idea: Mapping and Mattering*to stay connected 38:00 How often should teams check in on their emotional intelligence? 🎯 What You’ll Learn - What team emotional intelligence means and why it drives performance - How to assess and improve your team’s emotional awareness - Practical tools to create more connection, curiosity, and collaboration - How to use AI to help your team learn and reflect together - Ways to turn feedback, reflection, and stakeholder mapping into routinely rituals For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 🏃‍♀️ Join the Skills x AI Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz 📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction 📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min

  5. OCT 30

    Squiggly Shortcut: 3 Ways To Stand Out To Senior Stakeholders

    ✨ Welcome to Squiggly Shortcuts— a series from the Squiggly Careers podcast, bringing you quick career tips in just 5 minutes, every Thursday. In this shortcut, Helen shares three practical ways to stand out with senior stakeholders — the people who can influence your impact, support your development, and open up new opportunities. Whether it’s your manager or another leader in your organisation, these ideas will help you build better relationships and be remembered for the right reasons. Episode 507 🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster: PRH US – https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn Amazon UK – https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome to Squiggly Shortcuts 00:28 Why senior stakeholders matter 01:05 Idea 1 – Position yourself as a peer 02:10 Idea 2 – Go further with your follow-up 03:55 Idea 3 – Build connections they care about 05:10 Where to learn more 🎯 What You’ll Learn - How to build confidence and connection with senior stakeholders - Why going beyond “thank you” helps you stand out - How to add value by linking people and priorities 🎧 Listen to Episode 334 to learn more: https://youtu.be/N_J9EySKxgg?si=6NRrcjFlDINWtVdp For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 🏃‍♀️ Join the Skills x AI Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz 📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction 📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    5 min

  6. OCT 28

    The Psychology of Seats: How To Boost Your Impact & Influence At Work

    This week on the Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from an unexpected source — the psychology of seats. Inspired by a conversation about how we choose where to sit, Helen talks about how your seating choices can shape the way you feel, behave, and influence others at work. From safe seats that help us feel in control to power positions in meetings and even virtual seating on video calls, this episode reveals how something as simple as your seat can affect confidence, inclusion, and collaboration. You’ll leave with small, practical shifts to help you show up differently — and boost your impact and influence at work. Episode 506 🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster: PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction & Announcement 01:54 Borrowing brilliance from the psychology of seats 03:54 Why where you sit says more about you than you think 07:54 Seat safety — comfort, confidence, and control 12:34 Power seats — what your meeting position communicates 15:54 Round tables, rectangles, and creating collaboration 20:04 The height effect 20:54 No-seat meetings 22:54 Virtual seats 29:54 Inclusion, confidence, and creating space for others 🎯 What You’ll Learn Why your seat can shape your confidence and influenceHow seating choices affect team dynamics and inclusionHow to use “seat psychology” to build better meetings and connectionsSimple ways to change where (and how) you sit to boost your impact 📚 Resources Mentioned Learning Cog: https://www.learningcog.comThe Long Win by Kath Bishop: bit.ly/4he0Rt4 For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction 📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min

  7. OCT 23

    Squiggly Shortcut: How to Quieten Your Inner Critic

    ✨ Welcome to Squiggly Shortcuts — a series from the Squiggly Careers podcast, bringing you quick career tips in just 5 minutes, every Thursday. In this shortcut, Sarah shares three practical reframes to help you quieten your inner critic — the fears, doubts, and limiting beliefs that hold you back in your squiggly career. From fear of failure to feeling “not good enough” or being put on the spot, we all have gremlins trying to stop us. Episode 505 🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster: PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 What are confidence gremlins? 00:42 Reframe 1 01:38 Reframe 2 03:21 Reframe 3 04:55 Where to go next for more 🎯 What You’ll Learn How to spot the confidence gremlins holding you backThree practical reframes to shift your mindset and take actionWhy focusing on small, achievable steps builds resilience and self-belief 🎧 Listen to Episode 387 to learn more: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ORexpOPpBQgp94cOmR6FE?si=kPkUOUxcTduREjGiQZm4Vg For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction 📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 min

  8. OCT 21

    Map Your Career: 5 Visual Tools to Find Clarity and Direction

    This week on the Squiggly Careers podcast, Sarah and Helen borrow brilliance from an unexpected source — maps. Inspired by Jürgen Appelo’s Substack post “I Started Drawing Maps”, they explore how mapping can help you find clarity, confidence and direction in your squiggly career. You’ll hear about five different types of maps you can create to understand yourself and your work better — from mapping your energy and relationships to visualising your skills, possibilities and problems. Episode 504 🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster: PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction — Borrowing brilliance from maps 01:00 Why maps matter for our squiggly careers 06:40 The value of visuals for clarity and creativity 08:37 Map 1: Energy Map 13:30 Map 2: Give–Gain Map 18:45 Map 3: Skills Map 24:15 Map 4: Possibilities Map 30:00 Map 5: Problem Map 38:00 How to pick the right map for you 🎯 What You’ll Learn - How visual thinking can bring clarity to your career - Five creative ways to map your work and growth - How to use maps for reflection, self-awareness, and team development - Practical examples you can try right away 📚 Resources Mentioned I Started Drawing Maps by Jürgen Appelo https://substack.jurgenappelo.com/p/i-started-drawing-maps The Secret Language of Maps — Stanford Design School https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Language-Maps-Stanford-D-School/dp/1984858009 AI Skills Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=5fD8VGW4Z46LgJFr For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction 📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min
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5
out of 5
52 Ratings

About

Squiggly Careers is a weekly podcast that will help you take control of your career development. Hosted by the founders of Amazing If (https://www.amazingif.com/), Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper, together they cover all things work: from how to manage stress and overcome your confidence gremlins to micro-aggressions and discovering your strengths. Each episode is full of ideas, actions, hints, and tips that you can put into practice straight away.  Every so often they take a break from talking to each other to interview other people who are leading the way in making work better. Past guests include entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley, author of The Joy of Work Bruce Daisley, and neuroscience expert Amy Brann.  The Squiggly Careers podcast has been recommended by Harvard Business Review, Stylist, Marie Claire and Management Today. For more ideas, tools and inspiration every week, you can also sign up to their newsletter Squiggly Careers in Action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    The Squiggly Career
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2025
  • Episodes
    520
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Amazing If b257c680-9883-11f0-b281-4717820a919a
  • Show Website
    Squiggly Careers

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