MENOMORPHOSIS
A podcast for busy midlifers ready to reclaim their energy, joy, and purpose.
Are you, like me, riding the rollercoaster of midlife and menopause, and eager to get back to living your best life? Are you tired of low energy, a short temper and endless self doubt?
Well, It’s time to stress less and shine more. It’s time ditch the worry, reclaim your mojo and unleash your inner brilliance.
It's never too late to transform, and you’re certainly not too old. And in my opinion, midlife and menopause provide the perfect opportunity to do just that.
Join me each week for uplifting stories and expert insights on how to feel as good as you can and create a joyful, purpose-driven life you truly love.
So when you’re ready, Let the beautiful menomorphosis begin!
MENOMORPHOSIS
Thursday Thoughts - Thriving Solo
On this week’s Thursday Thoughts, we’re talking all about Lucy! Last week, we delved into my business and offerings, so this week we’re doing the same with Lucy's.
Lucy talks all about her podcast, Thrive Solo, her membership, also called Thrive Solo, and her new book, Shiny Happy Singles, which comes out on 19th June. (The US version, Thrive Solo, comes out on 24th June.)
If you’re in the UK, you can get a 25% discount when you pre-order the book direct from Bloomsbury and use the following code at checkout: SHS25. Here’s the link: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/shiny-happy-singles-9781399416436/
Love,
Polly & Lucy x
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Email me at: info@pollywarren.com
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Hello and welcome to Thursday Thoughts. Thursday Thoughts what on earth are they? I hear you ask. Well, my friend Lucy and I meet every week over on Instagram to talk all things personal growth, because she is as obsessed with it as I am, and we decided that we might as well put those conversations out as a weekly podcast. So now you can listen to us chat here on Apple Podcast or spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts, and we'll be talking about topics such as spirituality, limiting beliefs, the ego imposter syndrome, gratitude, meditation, confidence and so much more. So, if you're ready, here we go.
Speaker 1:So this morning this morning I'm going to be asking you the questions I know all about you. So I'm um yeah, lucy, let's just, let's go, let's dive in. I'm looking forward to doing this.
Speaker 1:Let's do it so yeah, I just for people who are listening or watching. Yeah, lucy and I decided that we were going to take a week each and have an opportunity to talk about what we do, what we offer, because sometimes we just don't really talk about that. We talk about a million other things, but time to talk about you today, lucy. So let's just start. Maybe just you know, tell us, tell everybody and I think everybody probably has an idea who might be listening or watching, but those who don't, what is it that you do and who are the people that you serve?
Speaker 2:you, you help. So, basically, I suppose my main thing is that I have a podcast called Thrive Solo, which, well, up until recently was called Spinsterhood Reimagined, and on that podcast I basically celebrate all of the fabulous things about being single and child free and I also talk a lot about personal grit, basically the kind of stuff that you and I talk about. I talk a lot about on my podcast. So I have, well, three episodes a week, including this episode um. I do usually an interview on Tuesdays and then I do a mini-sode every Saturday, and so that's my kind of main thing and it sort of came about pretty much out of nowhere, really, because I never it wasn't like I ever intended to start talking about being single and not have kids, like I didn't. You know, it wasn't something I I ever even thought about. It sort of found me, if you like, um, and yeah, here we are and I so I also have a membership called Thrive Solo too so the same name as the podcast um, which is a membership for single, child-free women, and we have live calls it's now well, it was three, it's now four times a month. We have meetups, we have um, we have a book club and basically what I do for the book club is that we do we do one book every two months because I decided that it was just too much to do. Like a book a month is quite a lot, isn't it? Yes, it sort of feels like quite a lot, yeah. So I decided we do a book every two months and what we do is they're always or pretty much always self-development kind of books, and then what I tend to do is I do like, for example, at the moment we're doing a book called Mind Magic by Dr James Doty, which is about the neuroscience of manifestation, and what I do is I record a podcast episode to go alongside every chapter of the book. So that's kind of a component of the membership.
Speaker 2:We also have a WhatsApp group where, you know, there's always lots of well, there's not always lots of activity in it, it's some. Some days it's super busy. Sometimes it's quieter, but that's kind of the hub of the membership. And then live calls where we gather and have just really awesome conversations about all kinds of things, sometimes about, you know, things to do with being single, sometimes about personal growthy stuff. But the live calls are really fabulous. In fact, I had one I've added in a live call every month because I have people all over, including people in the States and in Canada, all over, including people in the states and in Canada, and so I've now added a late night call, sort of a UK late night call um for people in the states, because obviously the time difference and stuff, um, but that is my kind of main offering.
Speaker 2:I'm just trying to think what freebies I have.
Speaker 2:I have, um, one of my freebies is my top 10 mindset tips, because mindset is something that I talk a lot about, because my kind of main or one of my main messages to women, what I want to do with the podcast and, just you know, with Instagram and with my content in general, is just to sort of empower women single women, women to really grab hold of the life that they have now and, instead of worrying about if and when they're going to get into a relationship, actually making the most of the life that they have now and trying to create a life that they love right now, so that a relationship is kind of here, neither here nor there, because I fully believe that our happiness, our true lasting happiness, has to come from within us.
Speaker 2:So, you know, you can have the husband and you can have the baby, and obviously they can bring happiness, but true, lasting happiness has to come from within and, as you know as a, as a wife and a mum, you know you can't rely on external sources to to make you happy. So that's really the kind of crux of what I talk about and what I try and sort of help women to to realize and understand and and to live the best possible single lives that they can right now.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, so it's amazing. So you basically oh it's, don't you're suzy saying don't forget doodle doodle loo.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you, suzy. Yeah, so suzy um, who is one of my surprise solo members, hi love um. She just reminded me of something else that I do, which is called cock-a-doodle-doo. So I have a morning routine club. The name, by the way, is because my nickname is loo um, so cock-a-doodle-doo instead of cock-a-doodle-doo, obviously. And it's a morning routine club that takes place every Monday, tuesday and Wednesday at six o'clock, uk time, and it's just for 30 minutes. And the reason this came about is because people who listen to you and I will not be surprised that you and I are both pretty obsessed about our morning routines, and I decided to create a morning routine club and what I do is, for just half an hour at six o'clock in the morning, I walk a small group of women through a little bit of intentional breathing, a meditation, we do a visualization and then we do some gratitude at the end. So that's Monday, tuesday, wednesdays, yeah, so thanks, susie for reminding me.
Speaker 2:I know I've been completely forgotten because I because, funnily enough, I'm having the week off from Cockadoodaloo this week. It's normally every week, but I'm going to be up in London this week recording my audio book, which actually takes me on to my. My other thing that I that is very exciting is that I've got a book coming out in June which is called Shiny Happy Singles the UK version is called Shiny Happy Singles and the US version is called Thrive Solo and I'm going to be in a studio this week recording the audio book, which is super exciting. Well, I don't know how well my voice is going to last, because when I, for example, on the Thrive solo course, when I'm talking a lot, when any of us do it, your, your voice gets tired. So, although I'm really excited about recording it, I'm also slightly apprehensive and slightly nervous about how I'm going to find it taught like talking solidly for eight hours. Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 1:yes, but anyway, one, one little tip is, when you're talking for a lot, really pause and try and take breaths through your nose rather than through your mouth, because that's going to just really help slow everything down. It's going to keep kind of moisture in so you don't get such a dry throat. It's going to help you a lot.
Speaker 2:So maybe just yes, notice that I will do in fact, somebody else gave me a tip on a thrive solo call actually the other day. She was talking about, um, drinking water with electrolytes and a high hp number, eight or nine eight, is it hp? No, I don't know. Anyway, I don't know. I've written it down. It's a particular type of water that's meant to be meant to be sort of good for drinking, if you're, if you're going to be talking a lot.
Speaker 1:So let's just recap so your main, your main mission in life is to help women who are single and child free to actually feel good about that and actually to focus in on the relationship they have for themselves, and a big part, a massive part of that is the way that the lens through which they see life. Rather than thinking I need a boyfriend and I need a child to make me happy, actually, I'm going to start on my work, you know, loving myself and having that relationship which, to be honest, all of us, yeah, are going to be better off with if we, whatever our relationship status is totally, totally so your mindset tips, which you've got, yes, and pick up for free, so that is yeah. Go on, tell me about those that they're just is.
Speaker 2:It's literally just like a sort of a cheat sheet, if you like. It's just a one-page pdf. It's called top 10 mindset tips and it's free and you can get that by going to lucymagisoncom forward slash mindset. And the reason I mentioned them is because, as you and I talk about so much and I talk a lot about on my podcast mindset is is truly, truly key. I mean, also, I know we have to work somatically with the body as well, hence breath work and meditation and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:But I am really really big on mindset because the way that we think and you know this relates to everything in life, like you say, not just being single and not having kids, but the way that we think is hugely, hugely, hugely important. And for many, many years I just did not realize this. I just didn't fully understand the power of my mind and actually, whilst my audience are single, child-free women, actually my mission is more about sort of realizing this, this power and this agency that we have over our lives. I think my true passion actually is to help women kind of understand and realize that we have more power over creating the life that we want than we think we do and when I look back over my life, like I used to be such a victim of circumstances. I used to think that I had no control over my life. I used to, I used to have that classic sort of life is happening to me, everything just happens to me. And then it was only when, sort of five years ago, I started on this personal growth journey and I kind of had this, had this awakening, and I really started to understand how much power we have just by changing the way that we think. So I am all about cultivating a positive mindset, and one thing I will add to that is that it's not about toxic positivity. This is something that you and I have touched on. It's not about that I'm not always in a good mood, I'm not always feeling positive, of course, of course not. Nobody is. But I do believe that by cultivating a positive mindset which again doesn't mean you're like happy all the time, it just means it's just a way of thinking so that it helps you deal with life in a better way and ultimately, ultimately, it makes your life better. So, yeah, mindset is a really, really big thing in the work that I do, not least because I've seen the impact the positive impact that it's had on my life.
Speaker 2:So my top 10 mindset tips include all the kinds of things that you and I talk about.
Speaker 2:You know, what are you consuming?
Speaker 2:It's all about sort of you know, meditation, taking walks in nature, making sure you're listening to the right things, making sure you're following the right people.
Speaker 2:All of these little things that we can do every single day but actually have a huge, huge impact on the way that we feel and, subsequently, the life that we live and the life that we sort of see before us, because our lives are a reflection. You know, it's like our our outer world is ultimately a reflection of our internal world, and another thing that you and I talk about all the time is it's it's so much of how we feel and so much of how our life actually ends up. Looking is to do with the lens that we are looking at it through, and essentially, we get to choose the pair of glasses that we put on in the morning and if we want, we can choose a pair of glasses that picks up on all of the shit that's going on in the world and all of the negative stuff, or we can choose to put on a pair of glasses where we look for the good and where we're cultivating that positive mindset.
Speaker 1:Um, so yeah yeah, and it's, it's so powerful and so moving on to, like your, to thrive solo. Yeah, that's a place where people can come such a. You know, it's a community essentially of of like-minded people who are all experiencing the same thing, who get an opportunity to come and listen and kind of in the group and and chat, don't they about all of this stuff to keep them in this sort of mindset. So maybe just tell us a little bit more about that someone who might come. And who, why might you join?
Speaker 2:to join thrive yeah, thanks for asking us love. So so do you know what? I have to say? That I'm really really proud of thrive solo because the women in there are just so fabulous and so supportive. And I mean, for example, what's really lovely is that they sometimes have independent meetups. So, for example, in London this weekend a few of the girls who live in London met up on Saturday, and you know there's been other meetups of Thrive Solo members independent of the group, which makes my heart sing, because that is that is what I want for people to connect with other single women and I would say the reasons.
Speaker 2:So there are people in Thrive Solo on all different parts of the spectrum of being single and not having kids. There are some people in there who are really not enjoying being single, but who want to. There are women in there who are feeling really sad about the fact that they didn't have kids. Perhaps they didn't choose to be child free, but they've ended up not having kids. And then there are also women on the other end of the spectrum who are already happily single and happily child free. And then there are women in the middle, you know, somewhere in between single and happily child free. And then there are women in the middle, you know somewhere in between.
Speaker 2:But what Thrive Solo does, I think I think one of the most powerful things about it is that and it goes back to this thing that I talk about so much is, which is, the people you surround yourself and what you are consuming impacts the way that you feel about yourself and your life. So one of the best things about joining Thrive Solo and and it you know you can. Anyone who's interested, by the way, can go to lucymagazinecom forward slash Thrive Solo, and if you go to that page on my website, you can literally read multiple testimonials from people. That is the best way to find out why you would join. But I think that the key thing about it is just by being part of a community of other single women without kids. That alone normalizes the way that you feel about your own single status. Like you cannot help feel better about being single and not having kids when you are surrounded by other women who are also living that life, and you know that is. There is that sense of community on the live calls. And then, of course, there's the whatsapp group where we're sort of you know, we might send various articles, we might send podcast recommendations. So it's not only the single childless thing, it's also I'm, I'm very um, what, what? My mission for it is to constantly be cultivating that positive way of looking at the world and cultivating that positive mindset. So, you know, I might send a recommendation for a podcast that I've listened to that was really inspiring, or whatever it is.
Speaker 2:But but yeah, the reason why someone would join is because either, you know, take somebody who's already happy being single and, you know, chose to not have kids. For somebody like that, it's a place to come and have other people who are also living that life, you know, just to sort of validate that way of life. And then, for people who aren't feeling so good about it, it's a way of being around people who, who are feeling happy about it and, of course, when it's like, say you're feeling bad about being single, but you're surrounding yourself and you're hearing conversation about, oh my god, it's so great to be single, that it's going to make you, it's going to slowly start changing the way that you feel about your single status. So that really is it's. You know it's going to slowly start changing the way that you feel about your single status. So that really is. It's. You know it's very, very simple but it's very, very effective and I think that joining Thrive Solo you know being in that community you, just by osmosis, it starts to shift the way that you feel about your single life. But again, all you've got to do is go to read the testimonials on the Thrive Solo page on my website and you can, you can read for yourself how it's impacted and affected people's lives in a really benefit, in a really positive way.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I'm really proud of it and and I love it and and actually another thing I'll say about it is that whenever you know, like I say, we have three or four live calls a month and, without fail, every single live call, I always come off feeling uplifted and inspired and just really kind of high vibe. They're very you know it's just like we had a call. I had a call with some of the guys in the States and Canada on friday night which went on for nearly two hours, which we, which kind of goes to show you know what I mean. These and they're all the calls are pretty much always 90 minutes at least we had about 20 people on a call on saturday, um, which was on saturday evening there are about 20 of us and the conversation just goes all over the place. So we can, you know, we can start off talking about one thing and end up talking about something completely different, but it's always a really.
Speaker 2:The reason I love this community so much, the reason I'm so proud of it, is that it's a really, really supportive space and someone can you know, share something on a call and feel um, just feel really held and feel really supported and not feel intimidated. The women are kind and supportive and they're there to kind of we big each other up. Do you know what I mean it's? It's that kind of space.
Speaker 1:So I I really do love it, yeah yeah, I mean, it's like the moment that you surround yourself with people who are experiencing something similar or are in a position which are people who are in a similar situation to you, as you said, but you're not quite there yet. You know that it's so inspiring and that is how we can grow. And, yeah, you know, and that is the power of community and talking and opening up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's huge. And the thing also when I created the group I was one thing I was really clear about in my mind was that I did not want it to be a place where people came on and moaned about being single. That is not what it is. If you are, if that's the kind of community that you're looking for, then Thrive Sailor is not for you, and I was very, very kind of clear in my head and quite I am quite adamant about that. It is not somewhere to come and moan and complain.
Speaker 2:That said, it is a place where if something is bothering you or if you're struggling with something, you can absolutely bring it to the group. You can mention it in the whatsapp group, whatever, um. But, but more than that, it is a space to feel good, because you know it's the last thing you want to do if you're feeling bad about single being single is sit around and moan on about how shit it is with a load of other people, that that is not going to make you feel better. What we want to be doing is is the opposite of that having conversations about why it gets to be great. But again, there is obviously still space for people to talk about things that they're struggling with and we do on the calls, but I I like to think that I make sure that the balance always kind of comes back to slightly the other way. Do you know what I mean? Rather than dwelling on the negative, I like to art.
Speaker 1:Lucy, that's art, you know, that's not easy yeah, you know, and it's about getting you're right. It's about getting that balance, yeah, allowing people to feel heard. Yeah, it's funny, I was talking um. So we hosted for Jazz's mum's 80th on Saturday. We hosted a surprise party for her.
Speaker 2:So there was quite a lot of.
Speaker 1:there were quite a lot of 80 year olds in our house and it was really interesting talking to a couple of them who were saying at their age they get so annoyed by the amount of people you go, how are you?
Speaker 1:and they'll start just listing off all of the elements, of all the things which have yeah, parts of the body which aren't working right or whatever, yeah, and they, we had that, exactly that conversation. It's like, well, you know, okay, sometimes it's good to be heard, but actually what, you don't want to dwell on it because, yes, we're all going to have elements.
Speaker 1:Everyone's got something which is going on yeah but actually let's move on, let's make the most of what we do have. Let's talk about the things that we aren't going right. And it was so lovely to hear them talking about it in that way, um, because, yeah, yeah, it's, it's so powerful, it is so powerful and it's just.
Speaker 2:It's just something that you know, we we, we often don't realize how important the words that we speak actually are. The words that we're saying to ourselves in our minds, and the words that we're saying out loud yes, like they, they matter. You know, the words that we're saying really matter because they are impact. They are impacting the way that we feel and the way that we see the world. So and I know exactly what you mean about, for example, older people who are like oh, I've got this, and I've got this, and I got this, and, and it again. It's a mindset. It's a. It's a mindset because and and when I look back, I used to be much more like that than I, than I am these days.
Speaker 2:It used to be, oh well, this is happening and this is happening and this has gone wrong and this is shit. You know what I mean? Yeah, but but when and when? The problem is, I think, when you're stuck in that it's very, very difficult to to get out of it or or even to realize that it's even happening. Do you know what I mean? I think, when you're that, when you're sort of in that mentality, you, you almost don't even realise that you're there. We're getting these really. I'm just looking at some of the messages just to see yes, I think you might have a new potential member.
Speaker 1:Great Pro solo yes.
Speaker 2:But, yes, it is definitely very important to just be mindful of the words that you're actually saying to yourself and to other people, because they matter and they are impacting the way that you feel about your life and the life that you subsequently live.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, and they are impacting the way that you feel about your life and the life that you subsequently live.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, and, and that is why, you know, with your podcast, you know, you, honestly, lucy, I don't know how you do it.
Speaker 1:I mean, obviously this is pretty easy, this episode, but you do your mini-sode on the Saturday, which is for those singles who are feeling perhaps a little bit you need a bit of a pick me up at the weekend.
Speaker 1:And then your main episode, which goes out on a Tuesday, but all of that content and you know, I listen to some of your episodes as well, you know, and I'm not even single but it's uplifting, it's it just, it's all about helping you to be the best version of yourself, and the amount of work you put into that doesn't, you know, is is vast, and so, yeah, it's just the. What you are creating is really just so inspiring for someone who, yeah, just to help people in this, in this space and and and there are many, many people out there and I think the problem is, you know, even just from my point of view, is you're just expected just to get on with life. You're not seen, you're not heard. So, to have a, an environment, a community where you are seen, you are heard and you can absolutely thrive to be your best, I think it's just amazing, so I want to hear more about your book.
Speaker 1:So the book. So I know you said you're going to do the audiobook, but this again is is just fantastic. So you've got your books coming out. People can pre-order it now, though, so tell everybody what they can do.
Speaker 2:Thanks, polly. So so basically, yeah, so the book is so the uk version of, so there's it's the same book but there's two different titles, so what is the book?
Speaker 1:tell us about the book actually in the book, right?
Speaker 2:what are people?
Speaker 2:going to expect from the book so the the book is essentially a celebration of being single and not having kids. That is in a nutshell. That is what it is. It's about the joy of embracing a single, child-free life. That is basically what it is. But what it consists of it's a little bit about my story, but it also consists of about 30 interviews that I did for the book with single, child-free women, so it's their stories as well. So, basically, you are, you know it's going to make you feel good about being single. It's going to put a smile on your face. It's a very upbeat book. Um, it's. It's um, yeah, I mean I'm, I. I mean I think about it now and I'm just like, how the fuck have I written a bloody book? I mean, it's just, it's just so. It's been such.
Speaker 2:The thing is, as you know better than most, it's been an incredibly long, long and arduous process, but anyway, I did. I actually did a podcast. That my last week's Tuesday episode. I did a solo episode called the One, where I Wrote a Book where I go into all the detail about what that journey looked like and how I got the UK deal and then the US deal. But basically the UK version of the book is called Shiny Happy Singles and it comes out on the 19th of June. But for anyone who, anyone who thinks they want to order it once it comes out, you can actually pre-order the book now and you can get a 25% discount right now, which is a limited time offer since only till beginning of May. But you can go to there's a link in May. But you can go to there's a link in my bio. But you can go to bloomsburycom, bloomsbury, the UK publisher, bloomsburycom forward slash shiny happy singles. If you go to that and then use a code at checkout and the code is S H S 25, as in shiny happy singles, s H, s and the number 25. So if you are in the UK and you would like to buy the book, hhs and the number 25. So if you are in the UK and you would like to buy the book, do go and get it now, because you get 20, 25% discount.
Speaker 2:And in the? U, in the U S, in Canada, the book is called thrive solo Um and that comes out on the 24th of June, so just a week later, and you can. You can still pre-order the book now, basically by going to luciemegersoncom forward slash book and I've put various links on that page on my website to to um bookshoporg amazon in the UK, amazon the US. You can actually in the US you can order the audible version. You can't. The audible version um the audible link isn't ready in the UK yet but it will be soon. But you can order it on kindle. You can order it from waterstones in the uk or bloomsbury or amazon in the us. You can order or order it on indigo bookshop um various other places. But all the links are at lucymagazinecom. Forward slash book and you can just go to that by the link in my bio.
Speaker 1:Thanks, polly how long's the um audio version gonna take to?
Speaker 2:record. Well, I'm gonna be recording it for three days, so, yeah, and it's not a long book, so it just goes to show how it's. You know, I think it's going to be, it's going to be an interesting process, but I am, I'm super excited about recording it, not least because obviously you you know, you and I are both used to talking because we both have podcasts, so that's kind of my comfort zone, so it doesn't intimidate me to go into a studio and read the audio book. If anything, I'm super excited because it's such a luxury to have a proper studio and a producer.
Speaker 2:So it's just that to me is like enjoy that, that's heaven, yes.
Speaker 1:That is heaven for me, so I'm really happy. Well, that is your dream realised, lucy, exactly. You are going to be in front of the microphone doing it, and you've got someone else doing what you used to do.
Speaker 2:I know, I know, so lap that up, so it's yeah. So thanks for asking that oh congratulations.
Speaker 1:It's just very, very exciting. Thank you so much. Is there anything else, Lucy, that you would like to say before we?
Speaker 2:finish. No, I think I'm dearly done and it's exactly 9.30, so we've done our exact half an hour. But thank you for indulging me this week. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:And, yeah, I'm very excited for you. It's always happening. So, yes, thank you, we'll be back here on.
Speaker 2:will we be back here on Monday? Oh, I don't think so. Next Monday yeah, we need to discuss.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we need to discuss.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we'll discuss Okay.
Speaker 1:All right, love. Thanks again. All right, I can't wait See you later.
Speaker 2:Take care.