The Solo Collective

THRIVE: What solo workers need

Season 3 finale! Sue Ashford really does know what solo workers need to thrive - because she's one of the few people to have spent a career studying how freelancers, remote workers, independent workers and the self employed actually work, and what makes them happy. Her research means we now understand much more about making better choices about how, where and with whom we work.Sue is is the Michael and Susan Jandernoa Professor in the Management and Organisations group at the University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Sue really cares about using her teaching and research work to help people to be effective in their work lives. She's written for publications like the Harvard Business Review and most recently wrote a brilliant book, The Power Of Flexing which is all about how to change and grow at work.Thank you for joining us during season 3 of the Solo Collective. This episode is the last of the current series, but we plan to be back soon. If you like what we do here, please leave a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts - it helps the algorithm show the podcast to more people who might like it. Thank you!The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people.To find out more about Sue:Visit her website: Susanashford.comTwitter: @sueashfordInstagram: @susanjashfordMore from Rebecca Seal:Instagram: @bexseal ; @the_solo_collectiveTwitter: @RebeccaSealWebsite: How To Work AloneThis series is produced by Hester Cant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FUN: And why to have it (bonus episode from the Freedom Matters podcast)

This week we have a bonus episode from our friends at the Freedom Matters podcast which we think you will really enjoy – an interview with Catherine Price, founder of ScreenLifeBalance.com and author of How to Break Up With Your Phone and The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again.Host of Freedom Matters, Georgie Powell, talks to Catherine about what exactly 'fun' is and how to make space for more of it in our lives. They also cover the enormous health and productivity benefits of fun and how to structure your life to encourage fun magnets.The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people.Listen to the Freedom Matters podcast on Apple, Anchor, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. For more fun you can also sign up for Catherine's newsletter at HowToHaveFun.comYou can also follow Catherine on Twitter (@Catherine_Price) and Instagram (@_CatherinePrice)Catherine Price: https://www.screenlifebalance.com/Find out more about the Freedom app here.More from Rebecca Seal:Instagram: @bexseal ; @the_solo_collectiveTwitter: @RebeccaSealWebsite: How To Work AloneThis series is produced by Hester Cant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FLEXIBLE WORK: How not to exploit ourselves

The work that academic Heejung Chung does is fascinating. She studies flexible working (among many other aspects of work) with particular focus on how gender dynamics can and do impact both the work we do and the choices we make about that work. She's just written her first book The Flexibility Paradox: Why Flexible Working Leads to (Self-)Exploitation, which is all about why we need to think carefully as more and more of us move into flexible work - especially solo workers - because working flexibly, while emphatically a good thing for most people, can also lead to overwork and burnout. Instead of rushing into flexibility, we need to think carefully about how to get it right, while we can - while work is evolving as swiftly as it is now.The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people.More from Heejung Chung:Website: HeejungChung.comTwitter: @HeejungChungMore from Rebecca Seal:Instagram: @bexseal ; @the_solo_collectiveTwitter: @RebeccaSealWebsite: How To Work AloneThis series is produced by Hester Cant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TIME: How to use it

Oliver Burkeman is a journalist and author of the brilliant Four Thousand Weeks: Time And How To Use It. (Four thousand weeks is the average length of a human lifetime, which is an arresting way to express it.) Oliver spent 12 years working as a columnist at the Guardian - he wrote 'This Column Will Change Your Life' - writing initially about self help and personal development but later broadening out into the philosophy of what it means to be a modern human. Four Thousand Weeks is a time management book of a very different sort - it's not about maximising output, scheduling, hacks or hyper productivity. In fact, it's more about relinquishing the idea that we can and should control and maximise our time, which is what Oliver and Rebecca are talking about here, too. His approach is incredibly enlightening and very helpful for solo workers who so often spend their time grappling with how to manage it. The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people.More from Oliver Burkeman:Twitter: @OliverBurkemanWebsite: www.oliverburkeman.comMore from Rebecca Seal:Instagram: @bexseal ; @the_solo_collectiveTwitter: @RebeccaSealWebsite: How To Work AloneThis series is produced by Hester Cant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MOVEMENT: The brain-body connection

Caroline Williams is the author of 'Move! The New Science of Body Over Mind' - an amazing book about how movement impacts the way our brains work, from our creativity to our mental health. We wanted to talk to Caroline, who is also a solo worker, because it is all too easy to sit still all day long when you work alone. We discuss whether sitting really is the new smoking, how we can build more movement into our working days and the mental health benefits of lifting weights (!). The Solo Collective is sponsored by Tide business banking: banking made easy for sole traders and small businesses. We are also sponsored by Pension Bee, which has a flexible pension product specifically for self employed people.More from Caroline Williams:Instagram: @carolinewilliams_scienceTwitter: @ScienceCarolineMore from Rebecca Seal:Instagram: @bexseal ; @the_solo_collectiveTwitter: @RebeccaSealWebsite: How To Work AloneThis series is produced by Hester Cant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.