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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
✨ 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.
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
📚 Resources Mentioned
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.
✨ 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
🎧 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.
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.
✨ 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 four powerful questions to help you make a difficult career decision. When you’re weighing up your next move, it’s easy to get stuck in overthinking or uncertainty. These questions are designed to help you zoom out, get clear on what matters most, and move forward with confidence.
Episode 503
🦞 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 career decisions can feel difficult
01:05 Question 1 – Create distance
02:10 Question 2 – Get data
03:05 Question 3 – Discuss
04:20 Question 4 – Define your drivers
🎯 What You’ll Learn
- How to make big career choices feel more manageable
- A practical four-step framework for clarity and confidence
- Why connecting with your ‘why’ builds resilience in tough moments
🎧 Listen to Episode 297 to learn more: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4oGa9JECFTOqKn79TPuZAQ?si=UhFXcSXkQ-Ki-2skkumLIQ
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.
What does it mean to live — and work — with moral ambition? In this episode of the Squiggly Careers podcast, Sarah introduces ideas from Rutger Bregman’s book Moral Ambition and Helen helps turn them into practical actions you can apply in your own career.
You’ll hear why moral ambition is about using your 80,000 working hours wisely, how to close the belief–behaviour gap, and what small steps you can take to make a bigger difference. Together, Helen and Sarah explore how to connect Bregman’s big ideas to the everyday reality of squiggly careers.
Episode 502
🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster:
PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn
Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
02:18 Moral ambition
05:59 The belief–behaviour gap (what we say vs. what we do)
12:01 Action 1
19:23 Action 2
23:58 Action 3
29:36 Reflections
🎯 What You’ll Learn
-What moral ambition is and why it matters
- How to spot your own belief–behaviour gaps
- Practical ways to volunteer and use your strengths for impact
- How to extend your positive influence beyond your current circle
- Why finding morally ambitious role models helps you take action
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.
✨ 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 a practical idea to help you confidently ask for a pay rise. While the conversation can feel anxiety-inducing, waiting rarely works — you need to advocate for yourself and highlight the impact you’re having. Sarah breaks it down into 3 simple tips to set you up for success.
How To Ask For A Pay Rise
Episode 501
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to Squiggly Shortcuts
00:24 Create don't wait
01:23 Tip 1 – Understand the pay rise process in your company
02:26 Tip 2 - How to approach the conversation
05:09 Tip 3 - Summarise what's been said
05:08 Think about your pay rise tradeoff
🎯 What You’ll Learn
- Why waiting to be noticed often doesn’t work
- How to approach a pay rise as a series of conversations
- 3 practical steps for how to ask for a pay rise
🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster:
PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn
Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR
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.
Is “just be yourself at work” really the best advice? In this 500th episode of the Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen and Sarah explore the tricky topic of authenticity — and why being 100% yourself at work might not always help you succeed.
Borrowing brilliance from Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, they discuss the difference between effective vs. ineffective authenticity, why trust often matters more than “being real,” and how to adapt without feeling fake. You’ll learn three practical actions to help you show up authentically and intentionally in ways that work for you, your team, and your career.
Episode 500
🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster:
PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn
Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Introduction & Announcement
02:19 Celebrating 500 episodes 🎉
06:32 What is “effective authenticity”?
09:05 Why trust may be more important than authenticity
11:40 Action 1
17:55 Action 2
21:16 Action 3
23:35 Questions to help you apply this week’s shortcut
25:41 What’s next: Borrowing brilliance from maps
🎯 What You’ll Learn
- The difference between helpful and unhelpful authenticity
- Why trust and emotional intelligence matter more than “bringing your whole self”
- How to balance being true to yourself with adapting to your team
- 3 actions you can take to use authenticity for career success
📚 Resources Mentioned
Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead) by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Be-Yourself-Authenticity-Overrated/dp/1647829836
HBR Article: https://hbr.org/2025/08/do-you-have-an-emotionally-intelligent-team
The Values Institute https://values.institute/
AI Skills Sprint - https://youtu.be/5swOYWW6l7M?feature=shared
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.
✨ Welcome to Squiggly Shortcuts — a brand new series from the Squiggly Careers podcast, bringing you quick career tips in just 5 minutes, every Thursday. In this shortcut, Helen shares a practical idea to help you spot and stop people pleasing at work, so you can set boundaries, protect your time, and focus on what matters most.
How To Stop Being A People Pleaser (3 Tips)
Episode 499
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to Squiggly Shortcuts
00:35 What is people pleasing?
01:09 Tip 1 - Find your pause statement
02:06 Tip 2 - Use "don't" rather than "can't"
03:45 Tip 3 - Practice your no-cabulary
05:10 A reminder for your week
🎯 What You’ll Learn
- Why people pleasing can hold you back in your career
- A simple shortcut to say no with confidence
- How to create small shifts that protect your priorities
🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster:
PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn
Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR
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.
What can a Nobel Prize-winning physicist teach us about navigating squiggly careers? In this new Borrowed Brilliance format, Helen introduces the curiosity-driven ideas of Richard Feynman and Sarah helps turn them into practical actions for work. Together, they explore how Feynman’s playful approach to learning can help all of us grow with more clarity and confidence.You’ll discover the power of the Feynman Technique, why keeping a Don’t Know Notebook builds smarter learning habits, and how Problem-Testing can help you see new solutions to old challenges.
Episode #498
🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster:
PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn
Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR
🎯 What You’ll Learn
📚 Resources Mentioned
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.
Big news! 🎉 Pre-orders for Helen and Sarah’s brand-new book *Learn Like a Lobster* are now live. In this special episode, they share why lobsters are the perfect metaphor for modern learning, what makes the book different, and how you can start “learning like a lobster” right away. You’ll hear about the free Learn Like a Lobster Library, discover three big lobster-inspired lessons, and get practical tools you can experiment with today.
Pre-order the book below:
PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn
Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:50 Big news: Learn Like a Lobster pre-orders are live
05:15 What’s in the Learn Like a Lobster Library (workshops, tools & community)
07:23 Why lobsters?
11:50 Learn as you go: experimenting with out loud vs. quiet thinking
21:15 Learning in hard moments: Fly on the wall facts
35:24 Leading your own learning: Beginner Bingo
42:43 How to join the Learn Like a Lobster Library & what’s next
🎯 What You’ll Learn
- Why lobsters are the perfect model for lifelong learning
- A technique to reframe tough moments into learning opportunities
- Ways to fuel your own growth without waiting for permission
- How to build confidence through beginner moments
📚 Resources Mentioned
- Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/463488/learn-like-a-lobster-by-ellis-helen-tupper-and-sarah/9780241718957
- The Learn Like a Lobster Library (free with pre-order)
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.
This is the fifth and final episode of the Squiggly Careers x AI skills sprint series.
Today, Helen and Sarah talk about exploring Future Possibilities in your career. As careers become less linear and more unpredictable, having multiple options and directions is essential for resilience and control.
In this episode, they show how to use AI prompts to generate a mind map of career possibilities, from obvious to ambitious, pivot, and dream options. They also introduce an AI tool for practicing curious career conversations through role play, helping you build confidence and get feedback first.
With people having 10-15 different jobs on average throughout their working life, embracing a variety of possibilities actually reduces career risk and builds long-term resilience.
🥇 Sign up for the sprint here: https://bit.ly/41jasYO
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:07 Why future possibilities matter in a squiggly career
02:48 AI prompt to explore different types of career possibilities
05:40 AI Tool: Yoodli
08:39 Team activity: who are your career role models?
🎯 What You’ll Learn
* The importance of having multiple career options
* How to use AI to generate a mind map of career possibilities
* Why creating rather than waiting for opportunities matters in modern careers
* How to practice curious career conversations
📚 Resources Mentioned
Future Possibilities Daily Summary - https://bit.ly/scss-ai-day5-summary
Yoodli - https://yoodli.ai/
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.
This is the fourth episode of the Squiggly Careers x AI skills sprint series. Today, Helen and Sarah are talking about Networking. Before you skip this one (we know some of you want to!), remember this squiggly stat: 70% of people's roles come through connections.
The key is reframing networking from "people knowing people" to "people helping people." This creates career karma - when you help others, good things come back to you over time.
In this episode, Helen and Sarah introduce AI tools to build your personal career board with different personas like challengers, supporters, and questioners. They also explore Crystal Knows, an AI tool that helps you communicate better with your team and network by understand their communication style.
🥇 Sign up for the sprint here: https://bit.ly/41jasYO
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:47 70% of roles come through connections
01:15 Reframing networking & creating career karma
02:04 Building your personal career board with AI
06:20 Crystal Knows: AI personality analysis tool
09:36 Team activity: Learning goals and mutual support
🎯 What You’ll Learn
* How to reframe networking as "people helping people"
* How to use AI to create a diverse personal career board
* Team exercises for sharing learning goals and building connections
📚 Resources Mentioned
Networks Daily Summary: https://bit.ly/scss-ai-day4-summary
Crystal Knows: https://www.crystalknows.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/
📮 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.
This is the third episode of the Squiggly Careers x AI skills sprint series and today Helen and Sarah are tackling Confidence. We all have gremlins - those beliefs, doubts and fears that hold us back in our careers. They're often hidden and they can grow when we don't address them. When you learn to cage them, you get better at navigating tough moments and saying yes to opportunities that stretch you.
In this episode, Helen and Sarah introduce their brand-new custom Gremlins GPT - a tool they've trained with everything they've written about confidence. This AI coach helps you identify what gremlins are getting in your way and practice difficult conversations in private. You'll discover how to create visual representations of your gremlins, role-play challenging scenarios, and build a "confidence gremlin gallery" with your team.
🥇 Sign up for the sprint here: https://bit.ly/41jasYO
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:37 What are confidence gremlins and why do they limit us?
03:11 Introducing the custom Confidence Gremlins GPT tool
05:29 Creating visuals of your gremlins
06:36 Using AI to role-play your gremlin during challenges
08:58 Team activity: Creating a confidence gremlin gallery
🎯 What You’ll Learn
* How to identify and understand your confidence gremlins
* How to use the custom Gremlins GPT for private confidence coaching
* Tools for role-playing challenging scenarios with AI
* Creative ways to share and discuss gremlins with your team
📚 Resources Mentioned
Confidence Gremlin GPT - https://bit.ly/squigglycareerconfidencecoach
Confidence Daily Summary - https://bit.ly/scss-ai-day3-summary
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.
This is the second episode of the Squiggly Careers x AI skills sprint series and today Helen and Sarah are diving into Values. Your values are what motivate and drive you - they're your internal compass that guides decision-making and career choices.
In this episode, Helen and Sarah share the best tool for identifying your values and how AI can accelerate the actions you take about your values, turning them into a brilliant filter for your future. They'll show you practical ways to use your values to respond to challenges at work, and share some playful approaches you can also use with your team.
When you understand what really drives you, you make better decisions for your career and become more confident as a result of having clarity about what matters most to you.
🥇 Sign up for the sprint here: https://bit.ly/41jasYO
⏱️ Timestamps
00:38 What are values and why do they matter?
03:15 The best tool to identify your values
04:39 Using your values to respond to challenges
05:52 AI prompts to action your values
08:41 Team activity: Fun ways to talk about values with your team
🎯 What You’ll Learn
* How to identify and clarify your core values (and why it's important)
* Why values are a powerful career decision-making filter
* How to use AI prompts to turn values into actionable insights
* Fun and engaging methods to share values with your team
📚 Resources Mentioned
Values Daily Summary: https://bit.ly/scss-ai-day2-summary
Run Your Own Race Episode: https://youtu.be/cUdwIvnDpNQ
Ask the Expert: Purpose with Simon Sinek, author and speaker: https://youtu.be/DATg__SZcwE
Values Tool: https://values.institute/
Gemini: https://gemini.google.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 our next Skills Sprint: https://bit.ly/skillssprint2024
📮 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.
This is the first episode of the Squiggly Careers x AI skills sprint series and today Helen and Sarah are kicking things off with Day 1: Strengths.
Our strengths are what we're known for - they shape how we show up and help us make more impact at work. And because strengths develop throughout your career, it's important to keep reflecting on them.
In this episode, Helen and Sarah share how to give AI the right prompts to help you spot your strengths in action, stretch your strengths in your team and build a clearer and more confident LinkedIn profile.
AI doesn't know you better than you know yourself, but it can act as a sparring partner - giving you new ways of looking at your experiences and surfacing patterns you might miss. By combining reflection with the power of AI, you'll walk away with practical ways to build on your strengths and accelerate your squiggly career.
🥇 Sign up for the sprint here: https://bit.ly/41jasYO
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:48 What are strengths and why do they matter?
02:13 AI prompts to help discover you strengths
08:20 Optimising your LinkedIn profile around your strengths with AI
09:19 Team activity: 3 ways to talk about strengths with your team
🎯 What You’ll Learn
* Why strengths evolve throughout your career
* How to use AI prompts to uncover and reflect on your strengths
* How to optimise your LinkedIn profile to reflect your value
* Ways to stretch your strengths in a team setting for more impact
📚 Resources Mentioned
Strengths Daily Summary - https://bit.ly/scss-ai-day1-summary
Amy Edmondson - https://amycedmondson.com/
Claude - https://claude.ai/
Canva's AI Tool - https://www.canva.com/magic-design/
Strengths Toolkit – https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/
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 our next Skills Sprint: https://bit.ly/skillssprint2024
📮 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.