Squiggly Careers
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 en...
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A Practical Guide to Prototyping at Work
<p>This week’s episode comes to you from a very snowy New York, where Sarah and Helen are launching the US edition of Learn Like a Lobster - in the middle of the biggest blizzard in ten years. Despite battling icy steps and snowy conditions, they’re diving into a topic that could transform how you approach ideas at work: prototyping.</p><p>Borrowing brilliance from Nesta, Sarah and Helen explore a practical 4-part framework to help you move from “this might be a good idea” to something tangible, testable and useful.</p><br><p>Episode 541</p><br><p>🦞 Learn Like...
Squiggly Shortcut: Give to Gain - The Career Strategy Nobody Talks About
<p>If networking feels awkward or transactional, this Squiggly Shortcut offers a simpler starting point: give to gain. Inspired by the theme of International Women's day, Helen explores why focusing on what you can contribute, rather than what you can get, makes building relationships easier and more effective. Generosity strengthens connections and creates reciprocity, a concept backed by research from Adam Grant. To make it practical, she shares three easy ways to get started: reflect on what you’re recommended for, share lessons from your experiences, and offer your expertise in small, useful ways. A short, actionable guide to building ca...
How to Change Behaviour at Work
<p>In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from a powerful Harvard Business Review article by James Elfer, Siri Chilazi, and Edward Chang on the science of behaviour change at work.They unpack the “Four T’s” model, a practical framework used in big organisations to drive measurable behaviour change. But instead of keeping it theoretical, they apply it to real team challenges like:</p><br><p>- Reducing interruptions in meetings</p><p>- Prioritising important work over easy tasks</p><p>- Keeping objectives alive (not just setting them)</p><p>- Moving from “busy” to genuinely impactful<...
Squiggly Shortcut: How to Influence People Who Disagree With You
<p>If influence sometimes feels uncomfortable or awkward, this is a fresh take that reframes it as collaboration rather than persuasion. In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah shares a practical, three-step approach to influencing with curiosity rather than control. Using the example of someone challenging the idea of squiggly careers, Sarah explores why pushing harder rarely works and why listening first is often your most powerful move. From opening up the conversation with genuine curiosity, to involving someone in shaping the solution, to landing on a payoff they actually care about, this episode is a simple guide to influencing in a...
3 LinkedIn Top Voices to Follow for a Smarter, More Future-Proof Career
<p>How do you make your LinkedIn feed work harder for your career instead of just scrolling past the same ideas on repeat? In this episode, Helen and Sarah are Borrowing Brilliance from LinkedIn’s Top Voices list. They share three people worth following right now and why. This episode is all about curating smarter inputs, breaking out of echo chambers, and learning faster from the right voices.</p><br><p>Episode 537</p><br><p>🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster</p><p>🇺🇸 PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn</p><p>🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR</p><br><p>🎯 What You’ll L...
Squiggly Shortcut: 3 Self-Awareness Habits That Increase Your Career Growth
<p>In this Squiggly Shortcut, Helen shares why self-awareness is one of the most important skills for your career and how to build it in small, practical ways. Rather than relying on reflection alone, she explains how self-awareness also means understanding how others experience you and offers three simple exercises to help you spot blind spots, manage your energy, and support your growth.</p><br><p>Episode 536</p><br><p>🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:</p><p>🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn</p><p>🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av </p><br><p>For questions about Squiggly Careers or to sh...
Deck of Brilliance: 3 Ways to Think Differently When You’re Stuck at Work
<p>Do you ever find yourself going round in circles with the same problem or struggling to come up with fresh ideas at work? In this episode, Helen and Sarah are borrowing brilliance from the Deck of Brilliance - a creative thinking tool packed with prompts to help you break out of your default patterns and see things differently. Together, they explore three simple techniques that help you reset your thinking, unlock new ideas, and make better decisions when you feel stuck.</p><br><p>🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:</p><p>🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn</p><p>🇬🇧 Amazon UK - htt...
Squiggly Shortcut: An Introverts Guide to Networking
<p>In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah shares practical, low-pressure ways to network when you’re more introverted than extroverted. Rather than forcing yourself into energy-draining events or awkward small talk, Sarah reframes networking as learning, connection, and curiosity and offers simple strategies that feel more natural and sustainable.</p><br><p>Episode 529</p><br><p>🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:</p><p>🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn</p><p>🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av </p><br><p>For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com</p><br><p>More ways to learn about Squ...
Squiggly Careers Live: How You Can Keep Learning at Work (Even When It Feels Hard)
<p>In this special live episode of Squiggly Careers, Helen and Sarah take to the stage to explore one of the trickiest parts of career growth - learning through the uncomfortable, uncertain, and messy moments. Borrowing brilliance from lobsters, they share the idea from their new book Learn Like a Lobster of 'shell shedding' — the vulnerable transitions we all go through when we outgrow old roles, identities, or ways of working.</p><br><p>Through honest stories, practical tools, and conversations with three brilliant guests, Maya Raichoora, Timeyin Akerelethey & Amy Conroy unpack how setbacks and unexpected change can become fuel fo...
CEO Shell-Shedding Moments: Learning How to Let Go & Lead Differently with TEDs Logan McClure Davda
<p>This is the fifth and final episode in our Shell-Shedding Moments series, a series where CEOs and leaders share the vulnerable moments, the challenges, mistakes, and personal revelations that most people never see. In this episode, Logan McClure Davda, CEO of TED, reflects on stepping into leadership at one of the world’s most influential idea-sharing organisations and the personal shifts that came with it. From making the hard decision to leave a dream role, to learning how to move from “doing” to creating space for others to lead, Logan shares her learnings on letting go and finding the courag...
