The Solo Collective

Season 3 finale! Sue Ashford really does know what solo workers need to thrive - because she's one of the few people to have spent a career studying how freelancers, remote workers, independent workers and the self employed actually work, and what makes them happy. Her research means we now understand much more about making better choices about how, where and with whom we work.Sue is is the Michael and Susan Jandernoa Professor in the Management and Organisations group at the University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Sue really cares about using her teaching and research work to help people to be effective in their work lives. She's written for publications like the Harvard Business Review and most recently wrote a brilliant book, The Power Of Flexing which is all about how to change and grow at work.Thank you for joining us during season 3 of the Solo Collective. This episode is the last of the current series, but we plan to be back soon. If you like what we do here, please leave a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts - it helps the algorithm show the podcast to more people who might like it. Thank you!The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people.To find out more about Sue:Visit her website: Susanashford.comTwitter: @sueashfordInstagram: @susanjashfordMore from Rebecca Seal:Instagram: @bexseal ; @the_solo_collectiveTwitter: @RebeccaSealWebsite: How To Work AloneThis series is produced by Hester Cant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have a bonus episode from our friends at the Freedom Matters podcast which we think you will really enjoy – an interview with Catherine Price, founder of ScreenLifeBalance.com and author of How to Break Up With Your Phone and The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again.Host of Freedom Matters, Georgie Powell, talks to Catherine about what exactly 'fun' is and how to make space for more of it in our lives. They also cover the enormous health and productivity benefits of fun and how to structure your life to encourage fun magnets.The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people.Listen to the Freedom Matters podcast on Apple, Anchor, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. For more fun you can also sign up for Catherine's newsletter at HowToHaveFun.comYou can also follow Catherine on Twitter (@Catherine_Price) and Instagram (@_CatherinePrice)Catherine Price: https://www.screenlifebalance.com/Find out more about the Freedom app here.More from Rebecca Seal:Instagram: @bexseal ; @the_solo_collectiveTwitter: @RebeccaSealWebsite: How To Work AloneThis series is produced by Hester Cant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The work that academic Heejung Chung does is fascinating. She studies flexible working (among many other aspects of work) with particular focus on how gender dynamics can and do impact both the work we do and the choices we make about that work. She's just written her first book The Flexibility Paradox: Why Flexible Working Leads to (Self-)Exploitation, which is all about why we need to think carefully as more and more of us move into flexible work - especially solo workers - because working flexibly, while emphatically a good thing for most people, can also lead to overwork and burnout. Instead of rushing into flexibility, we need to think carefully about how to get it right, while we can - while work is evolving as swiftly as it is now.The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people.More from Heejung Chung:Website: HeejungChung.comTwitter: @HeejungChungMore from Rebecca Seal:Instagram: @bexseal ; @the_solo_collectiveTwitter: @RebeccaSealWebsite: How To Work AloneThis series is produced by Hester Cant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oliver Burkeman is a journalist and author of the brilliant Four Thousand Weeks: Time And How To Use It. (Four thousand weeks is the average length of a human lifetime, which is an arresting way to express it.) Oliver spent 12 years working as a columnist at the Guardian - he wrote 'This Column Will Change Your Life' - writing initially about self help and personal development but later broadening out into the philosophy of what it means to be a modern human. Four Thousand Weeks is a time management book of a very different sort - it's not about maximising output, scheduling, hacks or hyper productivity. In fact, it's more about relinquishing the idea that we can and should control and maximise our time, which is what Oliver and Rebecca are talking about here, too. His approach is incredibly enlightening and very helpful for solo workers who so often spend their time grappling with how to manage it. The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people.More from Oliver Burkeman:Twitter: @OliverBurkemanWebsite: www.oliverburkeman.comMore from Rebecca Seal:Instagram: @bexseal ; @the_solo_collectiveTwitter: @RebeccaSealWebsite: How To Work AloneThis series is produced by Hester Cant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caroline Williams is the author of 'Move! The New Science of Body Over Mind' - an amazing book about how movement impacts the way our brains work, from our creativity to our mental health. We wanted to talk to Caroline, who is also a solo worker, because it is all too easy to sit still all day long when you work alone. We discuss whether sitting really is the new smoking, how we can build more movement into our working days and the mental health benefits of lifting weights (!). The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people.More from Caroline Williams:Instagram: @carolinewilliams_scienceTwitter: @ScienceCarolineMore from Rebecca Seal:Instagram: @bexseal ; @the_solo_collectiveTwitter: @RebeccaSealWebsite: How To Work AloneThis series is produced by Hester Cant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For many of us, looking after our money - as adults, as well as solo workers - feels like one of the most complicated things we have to do. And yet, as Clare Seal points out, most of us lack any kind of financial education and are just muddling along as best we can. Combine that with the fact that for many solo workers, our income is inextricably tied to how we view both our business success and our sense of self worth, and you've got a fairly toxic combination. Clare Seal (no relation to Rebecca!) knows all this only too well: in her 20s, she got into debt and saw it impact not just her finances but also her mental health. As she worked to dig herself out of debt over the past three years, she documented her experiences on instagram, via a then-anonymous account, @myfrugalyear, which gained thousands of followers before she outed herself. Today, she writes about financial well being and helps other people navigate the practicalities and emotions of money. Her latest book is Five Steps to Financial Wellbeing, a brilliant guide to getting to grips with how you feel about money, filled with practical advice - just like this conversation with her is. The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people.Clare's recommendations:SnoopQuickbooks accounting softwareMoney Saving Expert websiteIllumoni borrowing companion appMore from Clare Seal:Find her on Instagram: @myfrugalyearMore from Rebecca Seal:Instagram: @bexseal ; @the_solo_collectiveTwitter: @RebeccaSealWebsite: How To Work AloneThis series is produced by Hester Cant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to a new season of the Solo Collective, with Rebecca Seal. We are delighted to have you with us. This episode is a fascinating conversation with Madeleine Dore, founder of the website Extraordinary Routines, which started off as a way for Madeleine to try to find herself an optimum routine by interviewing other people about theirs, but quickly turned into an exploration of the myths around productivity and the complex ways in which our personal productivity becomes enmeshed with our ideas of self worth. Madeleine has just written a fantastic book, I Didn't Do The Thing Today which is about letting go of productivity guilt (and much, much more). She is also host of the Routines and Ruts podcast. Madeleine is based in Australia. The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people. More from Madeleine Dore:Find her on Instagram: @extraordinary_routinesHer website: https://extraordinaryroutines.com/More from Rebecca Seal:Instagram: @bexseal ; @the_solo_collectiveTwitter: @RebeccaSealWebsite: How To Work AloneThis series is produced by Hester Cant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to the Solo Collective, with me, Rebecca Seal. Season 3 is coming very soon: we will be covering money and how not to get in a mess with it, productivity myths and how to break free from them, time and how to use it, flexible working and much, much more. We are glad to have you with us. Subscribe now, so that you get the first new episode as soon as it's released. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce Daisley is one of Europe’s most influential voices when it comes to fixing the workplace. His Sunday Times Bestseller, Joy of Work, distilled years of academic research into practical advice while his celebrated business podcast, Eat Work Sleep Repeat, championed bringing joy to our jobs agains. Recently he’s turned his attention to breaking down the concept of resilience in the workplace - a buzzword that has been thrown around for the last few years but what does it really mean? In this final episode of series two of The Solo Collective, Bruce joins Rebecca to discuss the roots of resilience from the US Army to Simone Biles’ Olympic gold medals and what overcoming adversity really means for the rest of us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As humans, we all have a deep need for belonging and community. It's not surprising then that when we move into the professional world, we often turn to colleagues for friendship. This week Amy Gallo, author of the forthcoming book Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) and Contributing Editor at Harvard Biz, joins Rebecca to discuss the benefits of work and professional relationships. She explains the importance of setting boundaries but also argues that retaining a level of openness could lead to more meaningful relationships. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we all look for autonomy over our own time, how can we move to a place where work can fit around our lives rather than dictate them? This week Frankie Tortora, host of award-winning podcast Doing It For The Kids, joins Rebecca to wade into the discussion of flexi-working. Frankie shares her experiences of balancing solo working while also juggling parental responsibilities. She also reflects on the highs and lows of being in a flexible freelancing role despite still working in a society that fundamentally isn’t. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mo Gawdat has made happiness his primary topic of research, diving deeply into literature and conversing on the topic with some of the wisest people in the world. In this episode, Rebecca discusses the importance of managing and keeping our emotions in check when we work alone. Using the techniques that Mo has created and brought together from different disciplines we explore how to ensure that you don’t have the Netflix of unhappiness on repeat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For solo workers, it can seem as if there is no clear path to career progression. For people in more traditional roles, progress is marked by a promotion, a bonus or a corner office. So do we need to start thinking about this differently? This week's guest James Mitra, founder of JBM (a values-driven executive search firm) and the host of the 40 Minute Mentor podcast, is here to help us change up our thinking. He advocates for thinking less about titles and salaries and more about ways to spend time with loved ones and the things that bring you joy.The 6th series of 40 Minute Mentor is available to listen to now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Working from home can make it all too easy to blur the boundaries between personal and professional lives. Tech can complicate that line even more with endless Zoom calls and constant pings from colleagues and clients on everything from Teams to Slack. This week’s guest Charlotte Jee, a tech writer for MIT Technology Review, has been working remotely for the last three years. She also writes a daily newsletter about emerging technology called The Download. Charlotte is all for not allowing tech to run your life so consider this your permission slip to turn off your read receipts on your phone.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Networking can often inspire dread. We associate it with warm wine in plastic cups and awkward conversations. Thankfully, this week’s guest Abadesi Osunsade, founder of Hustle Crew and VP of Belonging at Brandwatch, joins Rebecca to offer a fresh perspective and explains how mutual appreciation can lead to meaningful connections, online and offline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes despite all our external successes, whether it's building a high-flying career or achieving those internal-facing goals, the feeling like a fraud can overshadow our achievements. This self-doubt is called imposter syndrome. In this episode psychotherapist, speaker, and bestselling author Anna Mathur joins Rebecca to discuss how the need for external validation can cause these wobbles and how we can instead worry less about what people think. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So many of us go about life with that critical voice in our heads. A voice that tells us, whether, in our work or personal life, we are the worst person in the world. This inner critic can often lead to anxiety. This week Rebecca gets to the heart of what causes this intrusive worrying with the author of The Kindness Method, Shahroo Izadi. They discuss mindful practices and how kindness and self-compassion can be invaluable when it comes to reducing our anxiety. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last 18 months, we have seen a re-evaluation of our relationships to work. With more time at home and less time commuting, we’ve been able to think about what we want out of the work-life balance. Sarah Jaffe, author of Work Won’t Love You Back, has been thinking and talking about this relationship for a long time. She joins Rebecca in this week's episode to explain why being passionate about your job doesn’t always lead to the best results.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maybe you’re the type to avoid difficult conversations at all costs? Or maybe you go into complicated conversations all guns blazing? Whichever camp you’re in, we’re here to help you get the most out of these conversations. And who better to talk about difficult conversations with than someone who has been described as ‘a therapist at happy hour’? This week, Rebecca is joined by Anna Sale, the host of the award-winning podcast Death, Sea and Money and Author of Let's Talk About Hard Things.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we think of self-care, we might think of a long bath or a wine at the end of the day but it’s so much more than that. We need to think about what self-care looks like in our lives. In this episode, we’re joined by Emma Gunavardhana, Host of The Emma Guns Show, who shares her transitional rituals from getting up and active before sitting at her desk to raking herself out of a spruced home office set up at the end of the day. We need to do whatever works for us so let host Rebecca Seal and Emma help you find out your own soothing self-care moment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're launching season 2 of The Solo Collective on Thursday 29th July Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s said that loneliness can increase your risk of death by 26% and poor social connections are as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Being a solo or an at-home worker increases your chances of being lonely, something our host Rebecca Seal dealt with and a feeling that led to the creation of The Solo Collective. Chartered Psychologist and Author of How to Build a Healthy Brain, Kimberley Wilson joins us for the series finale. We explore how we can stop it in its tracks by learning about loneliness and celebrate the working revolution as a united front instead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This will be the least awkward conversation you’ll hear about money. Historically, we tend to tie our self-worth to how much we’re earning. In this week’s episode, we’re delving into money, status and self-worth discussing how this tension impacts our friendships and our jobs. Elizabeth Uviebinené is an author, The Reset: Ideas to Change How We Work and Live and writer for The Financial Times. She explains why we need to reframe how we think about not just the practicalities of money but also how our brains interact with those readies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The word resilience is the buzzword of the moment, describing everything from the economy to our mental health. But what does it actually mean and why does it help some people to cope better in times of stress than others? Adrienne Herbert, the author of the book and a podcast of the same name The Power Hour, knows all about resilience. From the experience of dealing with her husband’s stroke to building her platform to becoming a motivational speaker, Adrienne explains how resilience can get you through hard times and why it’s important to factor in recovery, just like exercise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WARNING: This episode will make you hungry. Studies show that taking a lunch break allows your mind to rest, recharge and refocus, which can directly improve your productivity for the rest of the day. Working from home has many benefits but one of the best ones has to be the opportunity to serve up something delicious to eat rather than a bland sandwich grabbed on the go. Signe Johansen is a big advocate of a solo lunch and is the author of Solo: The Joy of Cooking for One. The book is all about becoming more selfish in the kitchen and is full of recipes for happy solo cooking; celebrating the art of cooking for yourself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Working from home can be difficult. Working from home with housemates, a partner or children is super difficult. Jennifer Petriglieri knows all about this. She’s an associate professor at INSEAD and author of Couples That Work: How Dual-Career Couples Can Thrive in Love and Work. She’s also spent over a decade researching how people’s close relationships shape who they become professionally, and personally. Now, more than ever, it’s so important to adjust to a healthier way of working. Hopefully, that way we can keep those important relationships around us healthy too.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could your home working space be making you less focused? Oliver Heath thinks it might well be. The interior designer and sustainable architect explains how the buildings we inhabit and work in have an enormous impact on our lives. Now more than ever. Multiple studies have shown that nature can play a valuable role with the benefits of plants and greenery adding personalisation and improving air quality to our lives. But it’s more than just adding a pot plant to the desk. We find out how textures, colours and even the smells we surround ourselves with can have a profound effect on how we work.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve been getting the idea of productivity all wrong.In this episode, we unpack the ingrained ideas of efficiency, its history, psychology, philosophy, and more to discover how we got so obsessed with hustling and how that obsession fuelled by the likes of the Beyonces and Elon Musks of the world, often hurt our creative output. Rebecca is joined by Rahaf Harfoush, (Author of Hustle and Float) she challenges our view of productivity and our belief systems surrounding how to achieve fulfilment and happiness in our lives. BTW it’s not about working a billion hours a week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Holland’s witty Fashion Groupie t-shirts were the things to be seen in when he launched his iconic brand back in the late aughts. But the pandemic has devastated many industries and House of Holland was one of those to go under in March last year. In conversation with Rebecca, the London designer looks back on the dissolution of his company but shares his gratitude for everything he’s learned as a solo entrepreneur and the resolve it’s given him - from building an empire from the ground up to surrounding yourself with the right people to propel you into a positive future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When was the last time you had a nap? Alex Soojung-Kim Pang advocates an afternoon one and believes that overworking can actually hinder productivity. With so many of us working from home, that chance to rest is now available more than ever so why not take that break away from your desk starting today? It can help reset the brain in a way that is far more beneficial than we might think, allowing us to explore more ideas creatively and help with problem-solving. In this episode, Pang shares how we can empower these new practices into our day-to-day as solo workers and reap the benefits.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever struggled doing the smallest tasks? Putting a wash on, making time to see a friend or finding yourself on Slack trying to stay engaged? The latter is something Anne Helen Petersen likes to call “live action role playing your job” or “LARP-ing”. Sometimes these things feel impossible and it makes you feel like a terrible adult. But it’s actually more normal than you think and it’s most likely a sign of burnout. Petersen, author of Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation joins Rebecca to explore the markers that lead to burnout and how to listen and let the stress flow out of you instead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How are you keeping your happiness tyre topped up? Science tells us we’re at our most productive when we’re happy but we often think happiness is simply a destination. Dr. Laurie Santos, host of The Happiness Lab podcast, says happiness is more like a leaky tyre that needs a daily infusion of joy. Rebecca speaks to Laurie about the importance of seeking out social interactions (even if that’s just whilst you’re ordering a flat-white) and why it’s so powerful to find ways to put technology away to be present in real life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you getting in the way of your own success? Now, more than ever, it’s so important we have the right tools in our arsenal to separate our professional and personal lives. Host of Ctrl Alt Delete, the no. 1 career podcast in the UK, Emma Gannon knows a thing or two when it comes to understanding and managing your inner critic. Rebecca speaks to Emma about understanding her self-sabotage triggers, managing mental health and why celebrating your essential self with rituals can make you feel, and live, better. (Crystal rubbing is optional…) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing The Solo Collective, a brand-new podcast hosted by Rebecca Seal, the bestselling author of 'Solo - How to Work Alone and Not Lose Your Mind'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.