Squiggly Careers

In this special CEO Shell-Shedding Moments episode, Sarah interviews Helen, about the uncomfortable moments that help us grow. From difficult interviews to co-founder friction and communication challenges, Helen shares what happens when things feel hard at work and how to fix friction fast before it festers. If you’ve ever replayed a mistake, avoided an awkward conversation, or felt stuck in a wor...

Welcome to Shell-Shedding Moments, a series where CEOs share the vulnerable moments, the challenges, mistakes, and personal revelations that most people never see. Today's episode is with CEO Zaid Al-Qassab who opens up about his experiences with depression, the challenges of leading while managing mental health, and the power of vulnerability in the workplace. Zaid shares how embracing these mome...

In this Squiggly Shortcut episode, Helen shares a practical, step-by-step framework for asking for help at work in a way that feels confident, clear, and effective. Many of us struggle to ask for help because we fear looking incompetent, don’t want to burden others, or try to push through on our own. Helen breaks down how to neutralize that anxiety, identify what kind of help you need - support, s...

How do you introduce yourself in a way that turns a polite “nice to meet you” into a genuine “tell me more”? In this episode, Helen and Sarah are Borrowing brilliance from Rebecca Okamoto’s TED Talk How to Introduce Yourself and Get Hired. They unpack five simple formulas you can use to make high-impact introductions — whether you’re meeting someone new, speaking at an event, or kicking off a meet...

In this fifth and final episode of the Learn Like a Lobster skill sprint, Helen and Sarah introduce "Helpful How-Tos" - a simple, fun way to share knowledge that helps you learn faster and helps your team too. You'll discover why sharing makes learning stick, how to overcome confidence gremlins, and a practical (and fun) format you can use immediately with your team to keep learning and growing....

When it comes to learning at work, it’s easy to wait for permission - from managers, organisations, or “the right moment.” In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how to lead your own learning, even when time, money, or support feel limited. This is Day 4 of the Learn Like A Lobster skill sprint, and the focus is on adaptability — the skill that helps you keep learning when things don’t go to pla...

This is Day 3 of the Learn Like a Lobster skill sprint, and today Helen and Sarah share a simple way of reflecting on hard moments at work so you can learn faster, avoid recency bias, and take control in tough situations. Because when work feels messy, reflection is often the first thing we skip - or overdo. In this episode, you’ll learn practical tools, including the 5:1 formula and the WWW/EBI f...

This is Day 2 of the Learn Like a Lobster skill sprint, and today Helen and Sarah focus on one of the hardest - and most important - career skills: how to give and receive tough feedback. Learning doesn’t just happen after the difficult moment has passed - some of the most powerful development happens while things feel uncomfortable. In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how to learn in the har...

Today, Helen and Sarah are kicking off the Learn Like A Lobster skill sprint with Day 1: Learn As You Go. In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how you can keep learning as part of your everyday, without having to find more time. They share practical ways to collect data for your growth - including understanding your strengths, tracking your listen-talk ratio, and optimising your productivity -...

January is always a good moment to pause, think about the big picture and zoom out when we're thinking about the future and direction of our career. In today's shortcut, Sarah shares 5 questions to help you have useful career conversations whether that's with your manager, a friend or with yourself. Episode 525 🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F 🦞 Pre-order Learn Like...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore the idea of spaciousness at work — a powerful alternative to constant busyness that’s less about managing time and more about managing attention. Borrowing brilliance from Megan Reitz and her research on spaciousness, they unpack why doing more isn’t always the answer, and how creating space ca...

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🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F I In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how to reset your team so you can achieve more together. Borrowing brilliance from Colin Fisher and his book Collective Edge, they unpack what really makes teams outperform, and why having lots of smart people isn’t enough on its own. This episode is all about practical resets you can do with...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F In this episode, Helen and Sarah share part two of their career trends and themes for 2026, focusing on what’s most likely to shape how you work, grow, and stay resilient in the year ahead. This conversation tackles some of the tougher (but very real) topics at work — from restructures and redundancies, to the tension between autonomy...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F In this episode, Helen and Sarah kick off a two-part series exploring six Squiggly Career trends for 2026 — not as distant predictions, but as realistic changes that are already shaping how we work and build our careers. Rather than watching trends happen to you, this conversation is about anticipating what’s coming and choosing how t...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F In this episode, Helen and Sarah do something they’ve made a tradition at Squiggly Careers: a year in review. This year they're sharing honest reflections using a simple but powerful framework: high–low learning. This chatty, behind-the-scenes episode is designed to help you reflect too. Whether you do this solo, with a learning buddy...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F Sometimes your career can feel unclear, uncertain, or hard to navigate — especially in a squiggly world where linear paths don’t really exist. If you’re feeling stuck, unsure of your next step, or craving more direction, these simple clarity-creating strategies will help you find focus, feel more in control, and move forward with conf...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F Sometimes work (and life) can feel full-on — especially at this time of year when deadlines, expectations and emotions all seem to intensify. Whether your mind is racing before a meeting, you’re feeling overwhelmed by everything on your plate, or emotions are getting in the way of what you want to say, these simple and science-backed...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F Sometimes work can feel messy, complicated, or simply “a lot”. Whether you’re drowning in tasks, unsure where to begin, or struggling to make sense of something hard, these small-but-mighty strategies help you pause, prioritise and move forward with more confidence. Episode 517 🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster: 🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F This week, Helen and Sarah revisit insights from three podcast guests—Amy Gallo, Celeste Headlee, and Dr. Sunita Sah—to tackle a topic many of us shy away from: difficult conversations. From team conflicts and moments of defensiveness to speaking up when something feels off, these everyday challenges can shape how we collaborate, grow...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F In this Squiggly Career Shortcut, Helen shares five simple, everyday ideas that can have a big impact on your development—no long courses or huge time commitments needed. These micro-habits take just minutes but build confidence, clarity, and resilience over time. Episode 515 🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster: 🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.l...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F This week on the Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from Dr. Zach Mercurio’s book The Power of Mattering. They talk about how mattering goes beyond belonging, why it boosts motivation and wellbeing, and what happens when we feel invisible or replaceable at work. From personal reflections on high and low matter...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F When people describe their week at work in one word, pretty much 90% of people use the word busy. By swapping this vague default for a more specific and honest word, you can understand your week more clearly, make better choices, and create more meaningful momentum in your squiggly career. From feeling overwhelmed to making progress,...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F This week, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, who writes about the seven types of rest that everyone needs. Rest is far more than sleep — it’s a set of rituals that help you restore energy, creativity, and motivation in your squiggly career. From physical and mental rest to creative, emotional, and social...

🦞 Join our Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://bit.ly/4oZzJ3F 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 da...