In this episode, Dr. Sunita Sah, expert in defiance and decision-making, shares how to confidently say "no" in challenging situations. Sarah and Sunita dive into the psychology of defiance, discussing how to assess the risks, benefits, and personal costs of speaking up or complying. They explore the power of the "pause" and the importance of third-person self-talk to help make better, more authentic decisions. Whether it's in the workplace or beyond, Sunita provides actionable advice on how to n...
Apr 15, 2025•33 min
In this Squiggly Short, Helen and Sarah break down why understanding your boss is key to increasing your impact at work. Learn how to read your manager’s motivations, preferences, and challenges, and use that insight to improve your communication and performance. Whether you're looking to align with their priorities, get better feedback, or develop a more productive relationship, this episode gives you the tools to take charge of your career by understanding your manager better. Full episode: ht...
Apr 10, 2025•8 min
Figuring out what makes your manager tick can be one of the most powerful tools for career growth. In this episode, Helen and Sarah discuss the significant impact that managers have on your development, job satisfaction, and progression within a company. They also share practical tips on how to profile your manager, allowing you to align your actions with their needs, improve your communication, and position yourself for success—all by gaining a deeper understanding of their mindset. Watch on Yo...
Apr 08, 2025•26 min
In this Squiggly Short, Helen and Sarah offer a quick summary of practical tips for staying confident and coping when you’re dealing with a toxic work environment. From minimizing stressors to finding energizers outside of work, they share simple actions you can take to protect your mental health and build resilience—even when things feel tough. Plus, they discuss how to take control of your situation and find support outside of your team to help you navigate the challenges. Full episode: https:...
Apr 03, 2025•6 min
1 in 10 people are facing a toxic work environment today, and while it can be tough, you don’t have to navigate it alone. In this episode, Helen and Sarah dive into what makes a team feel toxic and who can contribute to that culture. They also share practical tips for staying confident and in control, even when the environment around you feels challenging. From finding pockets of light-relief to documenting your experience to seeking support outside your team, this episode is filled with actiona...
Apr 01, 2025•29 min
In this short, Helen and Sarah share why searching for your purpose could actually be holding you back in your career development, and how focusing on purposeful work instead could be a more flexible and fulfilling approach. They also offer some useful tools and prompts to help you do understand what meaningful work looks like to you - without the pressure of having it all figured out. Full episode: https://shows.acast.com/amazingif/469-do-you-need-to-have-a-purpose-at-work Watch on YouTube: htt...
Mar 27, 2025•7 min
Finding your purpose can sometimes feel like a ‘should’—something we’re all expected to have figured out. The pressure to find a perfect purpose can leave us feeling stuck or unsure, especially when career paths are more squiggly than straightforward. But does having a purpose really matter? And if so, how do you stay connected to it? In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore the difference between having a purpose and feeling purposeful at work. You’ll learn how to reflect on what truly motivate...
Mar 25, 2025•22 min
In this short, Helen and Sarah are talking about how staying in your role can be really good for your growth. Very often in careers we’re given this narrative that up is the only way, success is about seniority and that we should all be thinking about our next step. This can create a lot of pressure for your progression, particularly if you’re thinking “I like the job that I do and I just want to do more of what I enjoy”. Listen to learn 3 ideas for action to help you grow in your current role. ...
Mar 20, 2025•7 min
Pressure to move up, take on more, and chase promotions can leave a lot of us feeling like success only comes from climbing the ladder. But what if staying where you are could be just as valuable for your career growth? The truth is, success doesn’t actually mean seniority. In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore why staying in your current role can help you build a stronger foundation for long-term career success. They share why staying put can actually be a smart move, how you can continue gr...
Mar 18, 2025•27 min
Feeling overwhelmed is something most of us have experienced. Too many meetings, tasks, and requests—paired with too little time, clarity, and control—can make work feel unmanageable. In this episode, Helen and Sarah share three practical actions to help you regain focus and reduce overwhelm. They explore how shifting your mindset from tasks to outcomes can bring clarity, help you prioritise what truly matters, and create a greater sense of control in your work. For questions about Squiggly Care...
Mar 11, 2025•34 min
This is the fifth and final episode of the Squiggly Career Stage Series – 5 days of podcast episodes and practical tools to help you succeed in your career. We’ve focused on 5 stages where we know people need some extra squiggly support and in today’s episode we’re looking at Squiggly Career Continuers, to help people relook at retirement and develop career longevity. Sarah and Helen share their insights on continuing your career into later life and talk to two people to learn from their experti...
Mar 07, 2025•35 min
This is the fourth episode of the Squiggly Career Stage Series – 5 days of podcast episodes and practical tools to help you succeed in your career. We’ve focused on 5 stages where we know people need some extra squiggly support and in today’s episode we’re looking at Squiggly Career Changers, to help people pivot and create new possibilities. Sarah and Helen share their insights on career change and interview three people to learn from their experience; Jenny Blake, author of Pivot and Oli Kelly...
Mar 06, 2025•30 min
This is the third episode of the Squiggly Career Stage Series – 5 days of podcast episodes and practical tools to help you succeed in your career. We’ve focused on 5 stages where we know people need some extra squiggly support and in today’s episode we’re looking at Squiggly Career Setbacks, to help people stay resilient when things go wrong. Sarah and Helen share their insights on career setbacks and interview three people to learn from their experience; Amy Schoenthal, author of The Setback Cy...
Mar 05, 2025•33 min
This is the second episode of the Squiggly Career Stage Series – 5 podcast episodes and practical tools to help you succeed in your career. We’ve focused on 5 stages where we know people need some extra squiggly support and in today’s episode Helen and Sarah are looking at Squiggly Career Returners, to help people build career confidence after a break. Sarah and Helen share their insights on returning and interview two people to learn from their experience; Julianne Miles MBE, Co-Founder and CEO...
Mar 04, 2025•31 min
This is the first episode of the Squiggly Career Stage Series – 5 podcast episodes and practical tools to help you succeed in your career. We’ve focused on 5 stages where we know people need some extra squiggly support and in this episode Helen and Sarah are looking at Squiggly Career Starters, people who are looking to learn and grow in their first job. Sarah and Helen share their insights on this stage and interview two people to learn from their perspective; Yemurai Rabvukwa and S...
Mar 03, 2025•41 min
Small talk is part of lots of the meetings and moments that we experience at work and most of us don't enjoy it! This week, Sarah and Helen discuss why small talk matters for connection and how to approach it. They share 'small talk starters', the importance of listening to what is said (instead of being distracted by what you want to say) and how to transition from small talk into what needs to come next. To use the PodSheet that supports the episode, head to amazingif.com/listen (00:00) Introd...
Feb 25, 2025•38 min
Awareness is a key skill to support your squiggly career but one that can feel hard to improve. This week, Helen and Sarah talk through 3 different types of awareness; self-awareness, situational awareness and relational awareness. They share ideas to assess your awareness and special actions you can take to improve in any area where you might have a gap. (00:00) Introduction (01:07) The different types of awareness (02:27) Self-awareness (09:53) Situational awareness (18:43) Relational awarenes...
Feb 18, 2025•30 min
This week, Helen and Sarah are talking about how to use scenario planning as a tool to increase your career resilience. They work through a matrix that you can apply to your career to spot different situations and take proactive action to mitigate risk and maximise opportunity. (00:00) Introduction (01:25) Benefits of scenario planning (04:57) Part 1: a sample matrix (07:07) a) best case - promotion (08:54) b) worst case - redundancy (10:33) c) unwanted - changing role (13:15) d) hopeful - job-c...
Feb 11, 2025•31 min
Feedback is a powerful tool for career growth, but it can be hard to give and to get. When learning becomes the priority, feedback becomes much easier and more effective. This week, Helen and Sarah explore three ‘stop and start’ practices to make feedback more impactful. Whether you’re giving or receiving feedback, these actions can help you to reset your approach and focus on growth. (00:00) Introduction (00:53) Feedback and learning (03:41) Three stops and starts… (06:38) ad hoc vs alwa...
Feb 04, 2025•29 min
This is the final episode of our Videobook Club series where Helen and Sarah review and reflect on 4 different Videobooks to identify ideas everyone can put into action to support their development. In this episode, Helen talks to Dan Ariely about how his work on decision making can inform our career thinking and help us to make better choices. The Squiggly Careers Videobook Club is brought to you in partnership with LIT Videobooks, who have given the Squiggly Careers Community access to their l...
Jan 29, 2025•18 min
Welcome to week 4 of the Squiggly Careers Videobook Club. This week, Helen and Sarah are diving into decision making and discussing Dan Ariely’s Videobook, Predictably Irrational. Together they talk about the statements that stuck, what surprised them and the action they are going to take as a result of watching. The Squiggly Careers Videobook Club is brought to you in partnership with LIT Videobooks, who have given the Squiggly Careers Community access to their library of videobooks for free in...
Jan 28, 2025•22 min
This is our second episode on Burnout as part of the Squiggly Careers Videobook Club series, running throughout January. Each week, Helen and Sarah focus on a different Videobook and identify insights and ideas that everyone can put into action to support their career development. In this episode, Sarah talks to one of the authors Amelia Nagoski about the stress cycle and why we need to find new ways to release the stress in our bodies to prevent burnout. The Squiggly Careers Videobook Club is b...
Jan 22, 2025•16 min
Welcome to week 3 of the Squiggly Careers Videobook Club. This week, Helen and Sarah are diving into Burnout: The secret to solving the stress cycle by Amelia and Emily Nagoski. Together they talk about the statements that stuck, what surprised them and the action they are going to take as a result of watching. The Squiggly Careers Videobook Club is brought to you in partnership with LIT Videobooks, who have given the Squiggly Careers Community access to their library of videobooks for free in J...
Jan 21, 2025•21 min
This is the second episode of the Squiggly Careers Videobook Club where Helen and Sarah focus on a different Videobook each week in January and identify insights and ideas that everyone can put into action to support their career development. This week, the focus is on Influence by Robert B. Cialdini. In today’s episode, Helen and Robert discuss his work and how it can be applied to people’s career development. The Squiggly Careers Videobook Club is brought to you in partnership with LIT Videobo...
Jan 15, 2025•17 min
Welcome to week 2 of the Squiggly Careers Videobook Club. In our second episode of the series, Helen and Sarah discuss their experience of watching Influence, a Videobook from Robert B. Cialdini. Together they talk about a statement that stuck, something that surprised them, and what action they are going to take as a result of watching. The Squiggly Careers Videobook Club is brought to you in partnership with LIT Videobooks, who have given the Squiggly Careers Community access to their library ...
Jan 14, 2025•21 min
This is the second episode of the Squiggly Careers Videobook Club where Helen and Sarah focus on a different Videobook each week in January and identify insights and ideas that everyone can put into action to support their career development. This week, the focus is on How to Change by Katy Milkman. In today’s episode, Sarah talks to Katy about some of the key principles in her work that can help people to make the changes that matter to them. The Squiggly Careers Videobook Club is brought to yo...
Jan 08, 2025•16 min
Welcome to week 1 of the Squiggly Careers Videobook Club. In our first episode of the series, Helen and Sarah discuss their experience of watching How to Change, a Videobook from Katy Milkman. Together they talk about a statement that stuck, something that surprised them, and what action they are going to take as a result of watching. The Squiggly Careers Videobook Club is brought to you in partnership with LIT Videobooks, who have given the Squiggly Careers Community access to their library of ...
Jan 07, 2025•18 min
Helen and Sarah are ending 2024 with a list of their top 10 things to read, watch, listen and learn from. They share the books that have made the biggest difference to their development, the TED Talks that have had a lasting impact, the podcasts that made them think differently, the newsletters that actually got read and the people they prioritised to follow. If you'd like some learning inspiration for the year ahead, then this will be a great episode for you. More ways to learn about Squiggly C...
Dec 31, 2024•44 min
This week's Squiggly Podcast episode is a special recording of the Career Collective Live, where Helen and Sarah we joined by fellow podcasters to share their different perspectives on work and personal development. Listen and learn from Bruce Daisley (Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat), Jimmy McLoughlin (Jimmy's Jobs of the Future) and Isabel Berwick (FT's Working It) as they discuss team work, how to get a payrise and what we really need to know about AI. More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 1. J...
Dec 24, 2024•37 min
This week, Helen and Sarah wrap up the year with 5 quick-fire questions and 3 thoughtful reflections on their personal insights and learnings from 2024. They’ll take you behind the scenes of the squiggly reality of what it’s really like running a company together, sharing the highs, the challenges, and everything in between. You’ll also be able to use the same questions to reflect on your own year, helping you close out your year with clarity and set yourself up for a successful and meaningful 2...
Dec 17, 2024•39 min
