Squiggly Careers

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 diffe...

✨ 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 yo...

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 ada...

✨ 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...

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...

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 t...

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, piv...

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...

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 ...

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 filt...

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...

AI is on everyone’s minds and we’re getting curious about how it can help to develop our squiggly career skills. Join us for a 5-day sprint from the 15th September where we’ll be exploring lots of AI tools to support our 5 squiggly career skills: Strengths, Values, Confidence, Networking, and Future Possibilities. Just 10 minutes a day for lots of ideas and insights on how AI can help you to accelerate your squiggly career.

🥇 S...

🥇 Sign up for the sprint here: https://bit.ly/41jasYO

This week, Helen and Sarah shine a light on the unhelpful habits that teams often slip into without even realising it. From meetings that drag on autopilot to one-to-ones that don’t deliver what you need, these routines can waste time, reduce energy, and stop people from working at their best. In this episode, they share the four most common team traps and practical alternatives...

🥇 Sign up for the sprint here: https://bit.ly/41jasYO

Are old habits holding you back from the progress you want to make? September often feels like a natural reset point—a chance to stop what’s no longer serving you and start building new wins. In this episode, Helen and Sarah share their own September “starts” and “stops” to inspire you to reflect, reset, and refocus. You’ll hear how small, intentional changes can help you cr...

This is the fourth and final episode in the Squiggly Careers Quote Series, and today Sarah shares the quote that has shaped her approach to leadership: “Be yourself more with skill.” Inspired by the book and article Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?, this episode explores how true leadership comes from leaning into your strengths and embracing uncomfortable situations that spark growth. There’s no blueprint for being brilliant, and ...

🥇 Sign up for the sprint here: https://bit.ly/41jasYO

Are you letting other people set the boundaries for your career? This is the third episode in the Squiggly Careers quote series, and today Helen shares the quote that’s shaped her approach to career development: “Challenge your limits, don't limit your challenges.” In the episode, Helen and Sarah discuss how this mindset can help you push past external expectations, ...

🥇 Sign up for the sprint here: https://bit.ly/41jasYO

Are you unintentionally repeating the same career year again and again? This is the second episode in the Squiggly Careers quote series, and today Sarah shares the quote that’s inspired her career mindset: “Never live the same year twice.” In the episode, Helen and Sarah talk about how this idea helped Sarah move beyond linear ladder-thinking and sparked a more intentional, ...

🥇 Sign up for the Skills Sprint here: https://bit.ly/41jasYO

This episode is the first in a four part mini series where Helen and Sarah focus on quotes that have inspired their career. They discuss how each quote has helped them and share ideas for action so you can put the inspiration into action for your development.

We’re starting with one of Helen’s favourites: 'run your own race'. It's all about letting go of compa...

Are you making big decisions without applying real judgement? In this Ask the Expert episode, Sarah speaks with Sir Andrew Likierman about what good judgement looks like at work—and how to improve it. They talk about the difference between decisions and judgement, the stages of the judgement process, how to get better at reading the (virtual room) and learn from poor choices. You’ll learn how to apply a practical framework to impro...