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Squiggly Careers

Squiggly Careers

By: The Squiggly Career
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About this listen

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.

Amazing If
Career Success Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • #488 Coping with curveballs – what to do when your day doesn’t go to plan
    Jul 15 2025

    Ever had your day derailed by a last-minute request? A sudden change of plan? Or that dreaded moment when you're put on the spot and don’t have the answer? In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore the curveballs that show up in our working week—and how we can respond to them with more confidence and control.


    From tech fails to surprise tasks, curveballs can throw us off track and test our confidence. Helen and Sarah share personal stories, reflect on their own curveball capability, and offer practical ideas for action to help you deal with the unexpected, think on your feet, and stop small things from snowballing.


    ⏱️ Timestamps


    00:00 Welcome to the Squiggly Careers Podcast

    00:33 Day-To-Day Curveballs

    05:52 Acknowledging & Receiving Curveballs

    07:46 Why Curveballs Feel Hard In The Moment

    09:06 Curveballs Are More Likely In Squiggly Careers

    11:00 Rating Your Curveball Capability

    16:55 Idea For Action — Anticipating & Thinking On The Spot

    20:35 Idea For Action — Using Multiple Workarounds

    26:14 Idea For Action — Avoiding Curveballs Becoming Snowballs


    🎯 What You’ll Learn


    - Why curveballs feel hard in the moment

    - Why curveballs are more common in squiggly careers

    - How to anticipate the unexpected and think on your feet

    - How to stop curveballs from becoming snowballs


    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.

    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • #487 Ask the Expert - The Power of Influence and the Messenger Effect with Steve Martin
    Jul 8 2025

    How do you make sure your message gets heard—and acted on? In this Squiggly Careers Ask the Expert episode, Helen speaks with author and influence expert Steve Martin about the powerful role of the messenger in communication.


    Drawing on insights from his book Messengers, Steve explains how people respond differently depending on who delivers the message, and why understanding the difference between hard and soft messenger traits can transform your influence at work.


    Together, they talk about how you can be more effective in meetings, remote settings, and team communication—plus how to match the right message to the right messenger for maximum impact.


    ⏱️ Timestamps

    00:00 Welcome to the Squiggly Careers Podcast

    01:00 Why the Messenger Matters as Much as the Message

    04:40 Trust vs Truth: How We Really Decide Who to Listen To

    07:20 Hard vs Soft Messengers (and When Each One Works Best)

    13:15 The Kevin Keegan Story: Choosing the Right Messenger

    15:20 Why Content Isn't Everything: Choosing the Right Voice

    16:30 A Better Way to Start Meetings (That Builds Credibility)

    20:00 The Role of Introductions in Empowering Messengers

    21:15 Influence in Remote Work: Tips for Zoom & Teams

    25:30 Mimicry and Mirroring: Small Shifts That Build Connection

    29:08 Announcements


    🎯 What You’ll Learn


    - Why who delivers a message can be more important than what they say

    - The difference between hard and soft messenger traits—and when to use each

    - Practical ways to increase your influence in meetings and remote settings

    - How to elevate others as effective messengers to get results as a team


    📚 Resources Mentioned


    Steve's Book, Messengers: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Messengers-Who-Listen-Dont-Why/dp/1847942350

    Try Steve’s free quiz: https://www.influenceatwork.com/quiz/

    Influence with Robert Cialdini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d5VBsx-Rec


    For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com


    More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:


    📩 Download our free careers tools https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

    🏃‍♂️ Sign-up for our Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint https://bit.ly/skillssprint2024

    📮 Sign up for Squiggly Careers in Action, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction

    📚 Read our books ‘The Squiggly Career’ and ‘You Coach You’ www.amazingif.com/books/ http://www.amazingif.com/books/

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • #486 Why you don't delegate (and what to do differently)
    Jul 1 2025

    Are you always doing too much yourself? Do you struggle to let go, even when you know you should? In this episode of the Squiggly Careers Podcast, Helen and Sarah explore why so many of us don’t delegate—and what we can do differently to delegate with clarity, confidence, and collaboration. Learn how to avoid the 4 common delegation mistakes and how to give people space without leaving them stuck.


    ⏱️ Timestamps


    00:00 Welcome to The Squiggly Careers Podcast

    00:48 Why You Don’t Delegate (Even When You Should)

    12:55 4 Don'ts Of Delegation (And What To Do Instead)

    13:15 Don’t Delegate the How

    16:52 Don’t Delegate and Disappear

    22:41 Don’t Do It for Them

    25:06 Hybrid Approaches to Teaching & Delegating

    26:25 Don’t Expect It Done Your Way

    28:00 Letting Go of “Your Way” and Embracing Other Styles


    🎯 What You’ll Learn


    - Why delegation feels uncomfortable for even experienced leaders

    - 4 delegation mistakes to avoid & what to do instead

    - How to give people freedom without micromanaging

    - The power of clear outcomes, expectations, and trust


    For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com


    More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:


    📩 Download our free careers tools https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

    🏃‍♂️ Sign-up for our Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint https://bit.ly/skillssprint2024

    📮 Sign up for Squiggly Careers in Action, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction

    📚 Read our books ‘The Squiggly Career’ and ‘You Coach You’ www.amazingif.com/books/ http://www.amazingif.com/books/

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
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Not really a review as I'm sold to your podcast and books. keep doing what you do and thank you for this podcast and the hardwork you put in it

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So far I have found all their podcasts interesting and very easy to listen too. They cover lots of relatable topics in a light hearted way, in my view anyway. I'll keep listening.

Interesting and informative

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